Video for Law Firms: Why Your Website Needs It Now

Why Video Matters for Law Firm Marketing

Are you using video on your law firm website?

Video is steadily becoming more and more popular, and it’s not just a passing trend. In 2024 the world is consuming more video than ever before. Around the world, 92% of internet users watch digital videos – an average of 17 hours per week.

Now that 82% of all internet traffic is devoted to video, it's no wonder that 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. Nowadays, a website without video is like an ice cream sundae without any ice cream. And yet, only 30% of law firms take advantage of video marketing. This means it’s not too late for your law firm to become an early adopter and innovator in the legal industry.

Still skeptical? Here are five reasons why you should be using video on your law firm website.

Reason 1: Video Powers Content Marketing

Providing value to your audiences is fundamental to effective content marketing. People love video content because it’s convenient, and compelling. Marketers love video because it creates an immediate connection with the brand. As a law firm, you’re in direct competition with other firms for clicks and clients on social media and search engines. But you’re also competing with every business, media outlet and thought leader out there for audience attention.

When watching a video, viewers retain 95% of a message, compared to 10% when reading text. The immersiveness of video can help your firm break through the noise and capture the attention of fast-scrolling website visitors and social media users. Done right, your content can touch their hearts and inspire their minds.

Busy professionals are often more likely to watch a three-minute video overview of an important regulatory development than to read an in-depth white paper. Both types of content – video and in-depth writing – can be engaging, and both have their place. We encourage you to consider creating a range of content that includes short, punch videos. This approach will help your firm to reach prospective clients at different stages of the awareness and acquisition journey. You can also use video to promote diverse types of content such as presentations, white papers, and podcasts.

Video is a great way to extend your firm’s brand presence and empower your lawyers, staff and supporters to signal-boost your brand through their social media and digital networks. It’s also an excellent method for demonstrating expertise and building a reputation within specific practice areas.

Since 91% of people turn to video to learn more about products and services, you can also deploy video for client acquisition and onboarding. If you’re worried about coming across as too “salesy,” consider this: Potential clients often welcome the chance to learn more about a firm through video. It’s a perfect opportunity to provide assurance that you’re compassionate, responsive and knowledgeable.

Corporate clients, including business leaders and in-house counsel, also tend to appreciate videos. You can provide proof of your ability to deliver effective solutions to complex challenges through video case studies, industry focus overviews and subject matter presentations.

Reason 2: Video Boosts Engagement and Retention

An essential first step to retaining new clients is attracting visitors to your firm’s website. Using Google Analytics is a great way to track the flow of new visitors, letting you know what happens when users come to your site. It can be discouraging when you notice a high bounce rate – in other words, when visitors don’t stick around long enough to fill out a contact form or subscribe to your newsletter.

Showing a captivating video is a great way to engage visitors and encourage them to take that next step. They’ll be learning about your firm and feeling more connected to your brand, which will make them more likely to absorb and retain your message – and take a conversion action like contacting the firm.

Reason 3: Video Improves SEO Rankings

Google boosts posts and pages with a variety of content, like video and imagery, in addition to written content. Additionally, dwell time is an important metric in the Google search ranking algorithm, which measures how long someone stays on your website before clicking away. Keeping visitors’ attention for longer means your website’s ranking will improve.

Having a video on your home page can increase dwell time by 88%. Whether you use video to introduce the firm, or include a video background for your op slider, users will be immediately engaged – and will be more likely to spend extra time on the website.

Hosting your videos on YouTube can give your firm an extra boost by driving new traffic to your website from this wildly popular video sharing site. As of March 2024, YouTube was the second-most-visited website in the world and the second-largest search engine after Google, so firms can certainly benefit from maintaining a presence on this platform. Make sure to take advantage of YouTube’s tags, description, and closed captioning features to add more searchable keywords and greater accessibility to your videos.

Reason 4: Video Works Better on Mobile

If you’ve ever tried reading a long blog post on your phone while being jostled around on your morning commute, you probably understand the limitations of long-form content. Nearly 55% of worldwide web traffic comes from mobile, which means many would-be website visitors are using mobile phones to access content during their free time. It’s always worth keeping their needs top of mind by making sure your website and content are mobile-optimized.

Compared to lengthy blog posts, video can be much more mobile friendly – especially with closed captions, which make content accessible for all users. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that watching video is one of the most popular activities for mobile users – closely following contacting people, banking and listening to music. Being mobile-friendly or mobile-first also has SEO benefits, since Google has moved to mobile-first indexing in its search ranking.

Reason 5: Video Builds Brand Awareness and Trust

A well thought-out video marketing campaign could be an excellent lead generator for your firm. Making great video content doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be captivating and valuable to prospective clients.

Above all, you should reflect your firm’s brand and values in your video content. The effort you put in can pay dividends by helping new clients notice you, get to know your brand, and build trust in your services before they even contact you.

Getting Started: Types of Videos for Law Firms

Once you recognize how important video can be for your law firm website, you’ll want to consider what type of video content is right for you. There are many ways to create professional videos, whether you decide to hire a small film crew, use a simple in-house setup, or create animated content.

We recommend investing in these types of videos for your law firm website:

• An introduction to your firm
• Lawyer interviews
• Client testimonials
• Practice area overviews
• Case studies
• Answering frequently asked questions
• Short videos to accompany a blog post
• A history of the firm
• Animated holiday cards
• Rebrand or name change announcements

Final Thoughts: Combine Video with Fantastic Lawyer Bios

When it comes to making the right impression, video and fantastic lawyer bios work hand in hand. A polished lawyer bio builds credibility on the page, while video brings that story to life — letting prospective clients see and hear the personality, confidence, and compassion behind the words. Together, they create a powerful first impression that not only strengthens your brand but also makes it easier for clients to choose you over the competition.

Connect with us

Do you have questions about providing a video-optimized website experience for your clients? Our team is here to help set you up for success. Contact us today.