Lawyer Content Marketing Strategy Should Include Virtual Hangouts – Here’s Why

Have you ever felt like the underdog?

Maybe your firm is growing in drips and drabs and has a long history of losing to the giants in your specialty who literally have million-dollar-plus marketing budgets. 

It can feel impossible to break out of ‘underdog’ territory, especially when you don’t have an advertising or marketing budget comparable to the big dogs’.

Well, what if we told you that the way to beat Goliath is to reject the norm? 

Your lawyer content marketing is how your firm can differentiate itself.

People want to learn from you and hear your unique insight, and that’s where your marketing slingshot comes in:

Virtual hangouts.

In this post, we share how virtual hangouts help level the playing field so you can compete against the larger firms.

FAQs: Virtual hangouts as lawyer content writing

Why should I include virtual hangouts in my content marketing?

You should include virtual hangouts because they allow you to:

• Connect with potential and current clients one-on-one
• Answer questions and concerns as they come up for people
• Speak to your clients where they’re looking for information 

You have legal knowledge that will change someone’s life – if they see it. With so much content on the internet, videos offer a quick reference for people inundated with information.

By adding virtual hangouts to your content marketing toolbelt, you put yourself in front of the people with questions.

Why videos work as web content for lawyers

Global media company, Forbes, reports that 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions. You can show people why you’re the right person to hire by speaking to them in real-time or through an easy-to-view video recording post-hangout.

Plus, video hangouts are cheaper than other forms of legal marketing, and 88% of people marketing with videos report that video gives them a positive ROI, according to marketing experts at Hubspot.

Through virtual hangouts, you reach more people without increasing your marketing budget by hundreds of dollars.

What virtual hangout platforms can I use?

The virtual hangout platform you choose for your law firm will largely depend on your internal business management software.

For example, if your firm uses Google Suite, you may find Google Hangouts best fits your workflow. Alternatively, Skype may better suit your team’s operations if your firm runs on Microsoft Office.

Regardless of your software, Zoom offers a widely used accessible platform.

Here’s a quick overview of the three most popular virtual hangout options:

Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype all offer screen recording, screen sharing, and a high level of security. These features are crucial in your ability to share information in a safe and engaging way.

Regardless of the platform you choose, you’ll find it offers a space to reach a broader audience in a way that’s more personal than words on your website or social media platforms.

How do virtual hangouts benefit my lawyer content marketing?

Virtual hangouts benefit your content marketing because they allow you to connect with current and potential clients on a personal level.

Hangouts allow you to build relationships through a more “face-to-face” connection. Those who attend your hangouts will be able to talk with you in real time, and those who view recordings will gain a similar benefit.

Virtual hangouts humanize you in the eyes of viewers and allow you to:

• Stop answering the same questions
• Get wider name recognition
• Gain more virtual consults
• Become a go-to resource

These virtual hangout “pros” mean a steady stream of engagement, which leads to a predictable stream of new clients each month.

Before we go any further:

It’s important to remind your hangout attendees that you can’t offer confidentiality in public hangouts. While you can answer specific questions about people’s personal situations, being in a public hangout does not create an attorney-client relationship.

By providing this disclaimer, you build trust between your attendees with total transparency. 

Your goal is to create an environment where people feel comfortable asking their questions, and being upfront about the nature of your hangouts will put people at ease.

Your virtual hangouts provide current and potential clients with a no-pressure environment to gain your insight and decide to hire you, not to go through their entire case with you.

Here’s how your hangouts will get you more clients:

Virtual hangout benefit #1: Stop answering the same questions.

You’ve answered the same question hundreds of times, and people continue to come to you seeking the same legal advice.

According to the legal software giant Clio, in its 2021 Legal Trends Report, 86% of people say the most sought-after trait in a lawyer is responsiveness to questions.

You want to provide your clients with the information they’re looking for, but it can be challenging to answer the same questions continually.

Save yourself time and hold “office hours” to cover frequently asked questions.

Steps to holding your office hours:

1. Keep track of questions people ask you and your intake team
2. Request questions through social media and your newsletter
3. Invite people to join your office hours through the same platforms (ex: “tune in to my virtual office hours on [platform] on [date, time] for my comprehensive answers”)
4. Plan out your answers
5. Leave room for additional “live” questions via virtual hangout chat
6. Record and hold your virtual hangout office hours
7. Post your recording to your website, socials, and newsletter 

Through your office hours, you can offer a personal connection while showcasing your expertise and speaking to participants’ individual concerns.

Content Grip, an online media source for marketers worldwide, found that 43% of people using video say it has reduced the number of calls they’ve received from people requesting additional support. This means fewer calls with questions regarding topics you frequently cover with clients.

Keep this virtual hangout tip in mind:

Virtual hangout office hours are an informal method of sharing your insight with clients, so don’t be afraid to show your personality. 

Use your hangouts to showcase not only your legal knowledge but the person behind that knowledge.

This will extend the connection you’re building, and that’s what people really want to see.

How can you use your hangouts to reach people outside your client list and followers?

Gather insight from other people and tap into their list of contacts. 

That’s how you’ll:

Virtual hangout benefit #2: Get wider name recognition.

To reach an even wider audience, use your virtual hangouts to bring together other thought leaders in your field.

Invite a panel of digital marketing experts with knowledge outside your area of expertise and hold a Q&A session. Reach out to other firms’ partners, associate attorneys, or medical or law enforcement professionals. By curating a mix of people with different knowledge areas, you give people the opportunity to get even more answers.

Why guest appearances boost your lawyer content marketing:

Those you invite will view this opportunity as an easy way to reach people outside of their field.

Focus on industry leaders with a big following so you can gain exposure to their audience.

Promote your panel discussion on your social media, and the other panel members will likely promote it through their channels. This expands your reach through other industry frontrunners by attracting people who aren’t following you.

Once your panel ends, upload the video recording to your social media platforms. The other panel members can do the same and share it with their list of followers.

These actions allow you to reach people seeking legal advice adjacent to your specialty. 

According to Hubspot, video is the second most-used content type on social media used to increase audience engagement. Most people will choose to hit play on a video to get answers.

The more people see your name in their feed, the more likely they’ll call on you when they need your services.

And the more people who see your name, the more likely you are to:

Virtual hangout benefit #3: Get more virtual consults.

Your current clients know you and your services, but your potential clients haven’t had the same opportunity. A virtual hangout makes for an excellent “meet and greet” with people you haven’t met yet.

Set a date and time for a virtual hangout open to anyone with questions in your field. This gesture shows you’re open to answering questions, regardless of whether or not the person with questions is a client. 

That openness is comforting to those seeking advice because they trust they can come to you.

Conducting a meet and greet takes away a billable hour from your day, but the viewers who attend may be a list of your new clients.

How your virtual hangouts lead to more consults:

According to Clio’s 2021 Legal Trends Report, 79% of people said the option to work remotely with a lawyer positively impacted their decision to hire them.

And, 58% of people prefer their first consult to be via video conferencing:

When you hold virtual hangouts, highlight your flexibility and how you accept virtual consults. Virtual consultations, an alternative form of lead generation for lawyers, are great for busy people who can’t come into your office for meetings – or look through lists of lawyers to see who offers virtual consults.

By promoting yourself through video, you gain the “face-to-face” advantage without meeting people in person.

You can also use your video lawyer content marketing to:

Virtual hangout benefit #4: Become a go-to reference.

You’ve worked with countless clients who consistently struggle with the same paperwork or understanding the same legal process. Use your hangouts to teach attendees the correct way to fill out these forms or follow a particular procedure.

By focusing a virtual hangout on a specific topic, you increase your chances of showing up in people’s searches when they’re seeking help in this area.

For example:

If you specialize in family law, you know the ins and outs of collaborative divorce. As an alternative to hosting a “virtual hangout with a family attorney,” you can invite people to a virtual hangout dedicated to learning about the collaborative divorce process.

By getting specific with your content, your hangout will attract people in a particular place in their information search.

And search engines will pull up your virtual hangout recording when people search “collaborative divorce.”

When you promote your hangout, make it clear you’ll hold a Q&A session at the end, answering related questions.

Your online platform will allow your clients to ask questions in real-time. Once you upload your hangout recording, you’ll find you’ve answered not only your attendees’ questions but viewers’ questions later on.

Beat the ‘big dogs’ with video lawyer content marketing

You have several options to connect with current and potential clients through your virtual hangouts, but it comes down to this:

84% of people have been convinced to buy a service by watching a video, according to extensive research from inbound marketers for lawyers at JurisPage. 

Your hangout recordings can sway 84% of people seeking legal assistance. And show them you’re the one to hire – all through a single platform. 

Remember: 

People want to hire a person, not a website or social media account promoting a person.

Your advantage over the ‘big dog’ firms is your ability to connect with your audience on a personal level. Not every large firm takes the same time to communicate with people one-on-one.

Attract new cases with We Do Web Content 

Forget the stress of promoting your hangouts or coming up with agendas. Our lawyer content marketing team takes care of everything, from content to advertising, to make your life easier.

We’ll help you stand out, save money, and get more cases, so you can focus on the new clients coming from your virtual hangouts.

Call us at (954) 425-9081 or reach out to us to see how we’ll beat the ‘big dogs’ together.