Podcasting – Should Law Firms Add Podcasts to Their Marketing Strategy?
One More Way To Reach Potential Clients
Part of creating a successful digital marketing strategy for your law firm is leveraging a variety of ways of connecting with your target audience. If you haven’t thought about picking up a microphone and creating a legal podcast, it might be time to start.
Podcasts have become incredibly popular in the past several years. In fact, data reveals that listenership is up roughly 175% with more than 2 million shows available for download. More than half (55%) of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast, and many topics aren’t entertainment-related like you might think. Two of the most popular genres are News & Politics and Society & Culture, both of which are areas that intersect with the legal industry.
Reasons Why Law Firms Should Start Their Own Podcasts
Not sure if your law firm should start a podcast? Here are a few reasons why you might want to add this to your digital marketing strategy.
- Podcasts Listeners Are Highly Engaged
Many people will skim blog posts and skip through video content. But, few will turn off or fast-forward through a podcast. This is an incredibly engaged audience. About 80% of podcast listeners say they listen to an entire episode. That’s because most spend time researching and subscribing to a podcast, so they are committed when they hit “play.” If you deliver engaging and valuable content, you can almost count on that audience tuning in to your future episodes.
- Podcasts Are Humanizing and Personal
When people have a legal issue, they hire a lawyer to help them instead of a law firm. Most clients want a strong connection with the person they trust to advocate for them. Podcasting allows your audience to see (or hear) you as a person in addition to a professional. In audio format, your personality will often shine through better than it does in a blog post. Potential clients will feel as if they are getting to know you and will come to trust you.
- Podcasts Build Your Personal Brand
Podcasting is one of the ways you can establish and build your personal brand as an attorney. Every lawyer has one, whether they realize it or not. Are you going to be the aggressive lawyer? The calm voice of reason? The funny lawyer? You can define your voice and begin building your brand through podcasting.
- Podcasts Help You Build Authority
Every client wants to hire the most knowledgeable and skilled attorney possible. They make these judgments based on how a lawyer establishes their authority through online channels. One way you can do this is by becoming a thought leader with your ongoing podcasts. This helps your law firm gain a reputation in its market, and that will help attract and retain business.
- Podcasting Will Expand Your Network
Most attorneys realize that there is a lot of value in having strong peer relationships. You can use podcasting to interview other authorities in your field. This not only gives fresh insight to your listeners but also expands your network for the promotion of your brand and possible referral business.
- Podcasts Can Create Authentic Connections
When you’re relatable and authentic, it’s easier to connect with people, such as your potential clients. The truth is that the legal profession has a reputation as one that is full of dry and ingenuine people. You know that’s not the case, and podcasting gives you a platform to exhibit your human side, whether it’s compassionate, witty, or just plain down to earth.
- Podcasts Save Time
One of the reasons that podcasts are so popular is that they save people time in consuming content. But, for the content creator (you), they can also be a time-saver. If you write your own legal content, you might spend 3-4 hours writing and editing a long-form blog post. A podcast can be created in an hour or less, especially if you outsource some of the post-production work.
How to Make Your Podcasting Strategy a Success
Now that you understand the benefits of podcasting for law firms, you might want to try it. Here are a few tips to get you moving in the right direction:
- Choose Your Topics
Decide what you want to have a podcast about. Choose narrow enough subjects that you are only answering one or two questions instead of just discussing an entire area of practice. Often, you can choose one of your best-performing blog posts as a starting point.
- Plan Your Podcast
Next, decide how you will structure your podcast and sketch out a rough outline. Will you interview another guest? If so, write out your interview questions first. If not, choose some specific questions that you will answer for listeners.
- Get the Right Equipment
You can record your podcast on your existing smartphone or laptop. But, it’s a good idea to invest in a quality microphone to improve the listener’s experience.
- Distribute Your Podcast
Figure out how you’re going to distribute your podcast. Podcast hosting refers to where your episodes are stored and distributed to different platforms, like Google Podcasts and Apple.
- Promote Your Content
To get the most out of your podcasting marketing strategy, you need to promote your content. Post it on your website, share it on social media, and include it in your law firm’s newsletter. If possible, partner with another legal podcaster to promote each other’s content.
- Measure and Repeat
When you use a podcast hosting platform, you’ll get access to valuable analytics. Find out how well your efforts doing with regards to subscriptions, downloads, shares, and conversions. Make any adjustments necessary and start planning your next podcast episode.
Podcasting for Lawyers – Keeping it Simple
Launching a podcast for your law firm doesn’t have to blow through the marketing budget or be overly complex. There are simple recording and editing tools available, and you can outsource the post-production process if you don’t want to handle it in-house.
A single recording session can be repurposed into several pieces of useful content, making the best use of your time and resources. If you want to figure out how to start using and making the most of this strategy, Sundown Legal Marketing can help. Give us a call today to get started.
