LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

2LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

DYNAMIC CONTENT: THE FUTURE OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIPWhen it comes to explaining complex concepts, it’s hard

to beat webinars. Because they are so engaging, they have

a power to improve understanding, enhance recall, and

increase retention, that rivals any other marketing channel.

And with more organizations craving on-demand legal

guidance, webinars have become the tool of choice for

lawyers interested in showcasing their talent, personality,

and experience.

A 2016 survey of more than 750 industry professionals

found that 90% had attended a webinar in the past year —

more importantly, 97% shared information they learned,

conducted further research, and discussed the content

with peers.1 This overwhelming interest provides legal

professionals a clear advantage as they raise their profiles,

heighten the brand awareness of their firms, and interact

more easily with clients, prospects, and colleagues. It

repositions content from a staid marketing tactic to an

innovative conduit for business development.

1 Kelli Cesarz, BNP Research Demonstrates Marketing Power of Webinars, BNP

Solutions, February 2, 2017, https://www.bnpsolutions.com/blog/webinars/bnp-

research-demonstrates-marketing-power-of-webinars/.

3

ENGAGEMENT IS VITAL TO SUCCESSThe key to driving revenue with modern marketing is

engagement, particularly from a digital perspective.

According to the 2015 ABA Legal Technology Survey

Report, of the 966 U.S. lawyers studied, nearly 25% had a

client retain them because of their online networking.2

Dynamic media fuels client development because it

helps identify the people who are interested in your

work and often highlights their objectives. Webinars,

for example, combine social engagement and content

sharing to cultivate an interactive, informative forum that

new clients crave.

MEANINGFUL MARKETING METRICS

Webinars also provide tangible benefits because they enable

a lawyer or law firm to reach hundreds of viewers for a

single production cost. One company even reported a 20%

conversion rate of webinar attendees to paid customers.3

By studying audience participation, a law firm can gauge which

topics are generating interest and need further attention.

Unlike static forms of marketing, such as press releases or

articles, webinars are interactive. Not only does that appeal to

consumers, who have come to expect engaging technology, it

gives you more trackable interactions that you can measure to

gauge interest.

2 Amer. Bar. Assoc., ABA Legal Technology Survey Report (2015).

3 Henley Wing, 15 Lessons On Creating Compelling Webinars That Convert,

March 3, 2015. http://buzzsumo.com/blog/15-lessons-on-creating-compelling-

webinars-that-convert/

LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

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ENGAGEMENT IS VITAL TO SUCCESS (CONTINUED)

FUELING FOLLOW-UP

Law firms that offer online programming collect real-time data,

including attendance, interest levels, survey responses, and

questions, that can support follow-up conversations. Law firms

can also ask attendees about the source of the invitation so

that they can validate their marketing efforts.

This strategy allows firms to determine which programs have

the greatest appeal, generate the highest number of responses,

and prompt related commentary. They can encourage

interested individuals to join their mailing list, subscribe to firm

publications, and attend live events. It is a proven foundation

on which to build stronger client connections and grow

a practice.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

While webinars are ideal for showcasing expertise in the law,

legal professionals are increasingly using them to cultivate

community by spotlighting issues of universal interest.4 For

instance, a lawyer might introduce and interview a community

leader about public safety, which tangentially relates to his or

her practice. A business attorney could similarly discuss start-

ups, while a litigator can regularly address recent decisions by a

state’s highest court.5

These formats foster a shared sense of purpose between

the viewer and the host. That connection, as well as the

immediacy and responsiveness associated with the medium,

make webinars uniquely adaptable to a shifting digital

landscape.

4 Stephen Furnari, How to Use Webinars to Market a Law Firm, Law Firm Suites,

December 23, 2013. http://lawfirmsuites.com/2013/12/use-webinars-market-a-

law-firm/

5 Id.

LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

5LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

DISRUPTING TRADITIONAL GROWTH As a new generation of law firm marketing leaders

emerge, there is a greater focus on aligning proven past

practices with the promise of technology. Disrupting

tradition can encourage more senior leaders to

experiment while educating newer professionals on

historically valuable techniques. They can engage,

measure, and track the interest of their prospects,

and set the foundation for true opportunity in

unprecedented ways.

REIMAGINING THE SALES/MARKETING RELATIONSHIP

As recently as five years ago, sales dominated the marketing

conversation, from raising the profile of a firm’s services to

consideration by the prospect and hiring the firm. After all,

awareness has traditionally been the responsibility of marketing,

while evaluation and purchasing have been the focus of the

sales team.

With their ability to engage more dynamically in the early

stages of business development, webinars have elevated the

stature of the marketing team. Rebalancing the relationship

between sales and marketing reflects a new approach to this

long-term challenge.

A RISK-FREE APPROACH TO RISK-TAKING

The new relationship between sales and marketing is driving

many professionals to reassess their options for effectively

engaging client prospects. Savvy marketers start by gathering

data and learning as much as possible about the people they

are trying to reach.

Sophisticated organizations capture in-depth details about

how a prospect is responding to the material presented during

the webinar itself by tracking the follow-up materials they

request and the questions they ask. Webinars are optimal for

most marketers because they let them engage directly with

prospects through the stages of awareness, consideration, and

6LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

DISRUPTING TRADITIONAL GROWTH (CONTINUED)

selection. In the process, they are collecting information and

profiling the interests of their target audience for future follow-

up. Webinars are designed for this purpose, and organically

create opportunity as a result.

THE ART OF REVENUE-GENERATING OUTREACH

For today’s marketers, the goal of a webinar is dialogue, rather

than an undisturbed lecture. Webinars embody this new

approach by offering interactive content that features polling,

the opportunity to ask questions, visual slides and graphics, and

the power of personality by allowing the speaker to express

their unique personal style.

The webinar platform then tracks attentiveness, participation

duration, and registration data. On-demand replays expand

the webinar lifecycle far beyond an ordinary live event — and

simulated live (“simulive”) events let firms record a session on

relevant subject matter, then broadcast that content again and

again. For example, law firms offering webinars on e-discovery

best practices can share those presentations before or after

related events, such as national conferences or changes to the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Similarly, programs addressing

valuable strategies for year-end filings become relevant at the

end of every calendar year.

7LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

A MORE EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVEThe potential benefits of webinars have wide appeal in

the legal community because lawyers have historically

found marketing more challenging than other

professionals. A Buzzsumo study found that accounting

firms share their articles more often than leading

law firms — 131 shares, in contrast to just 27 for law

firms.6 Webinars, however, give legal professionals the

opportunity to redefine the way they create, distribute,

and repurpose valuable content.

CLARIFY COMPLEXITY

Webinars are particularly important in the legal field because

they typically cover complicated topics, and adding a visual

component can help clarify complex material.7 Webinars offer

universal appeal due to their accessibility, ease of use, and

convenience, particularly in an organization that is struggling to

accommodate an array of learning styles.8 In fact, research has

shown that the increased use of digital technology is altering

the way individuals process information, making people more

likely to absorb it visually.9

CENTRALIZE YOUR CONTENT PORTFOLIO

Many law firms today need to share large quantities of

disparate content, including attorney biographies, photographs,

documents, podcasts, press releases, published news stories,

in-house marketing materials, and videos of law firm events.

Webinars can help to centralize that portfolio around key

themes to produce a visual and oral archive around a single

topic, such as an important trial that showcases the litigation

strength of the firm, high-profile volunteer work undertaken

by a pro bono team to illustrate firm culture, or a lawyer in

the firm interviewing a city leader to highlight the depth of

the firm’s civic involvement. Each of these examples builds

a narrative through visualization and oral storytelling. They

also help the firm stand out in an increasingly competitive

marketplace.

6 Susan Moeller, Content Marketing Case Study, Attorney vs. Accountant,

Buzzsumo (February 24, 2016).

7 J. Dan Rothwell, In Mixed Company: Communicating in Small Groups and Teams 415 (Wadsworth Cenage Learning 2013).

8 Miranda Brookins, “Visual Aids to Overcome Barriers to Communication,” Houston Chronicle.

9 Kristin Sherman, How Social Media Changes Our Thinking and Learning, Vol. 8,

JALT The Language Teacher (2013).

8LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

RETURN ON THE WEBINAR INVESTMENTWebinars provide immediate feedback on ROI by

highlighting registration rates, attendance figures,

potential leads, and interest in subsequent programs.

There is a direct relationship between the presentation

and engagement levels.

USABILITY RESULTS IN EXECUTION

The strong reception to webinars begins with their ease of

use. They are convenient to access and execute because they

are generally accessible from any device, browser, or location.

Since a central platform also provides options for participating

through polls, surveys, Q&A, real-time chat, and more, the array

of uses is expansive. Administrators can easily collect all this

engagement data for their edification and analytics.

From a usability perspective, the webinar event can be live, or

simply appear that way, in a simulive format. It can reside on

the firm’s website, or be embedded in an email, blog post, or

other sites. The customizable webinar console also offers law

firm leaders multiple opportunities for branding with logos and

trade dress, as well as meaningful messaging.

WEBINARS EMPOWER OUTREACH

Webinars allow marketers to target their audience by providing

detailed demographic and user analytics related to attendees

and prospects. Those following up can score potential clients,

assess the most promising leads among attendees, and identify

trends related to webinar responses. By leveraging more

advanced software, sales teams can interpret how responses

to polls, surveys, and different presentations can reflect

prospective clients’ stage in the buying process.

9LEGAL WEBINARS THAT DRIVE REVENUE

CONCLUSIONAs lawyers and law firms struggle to find distinction in

a crowded market for legal services, webinars offer an

array of opportunities to identify and connect with those

interested in their expertise. They provide a familiar,

accessible, and practical means of delivering desirable

guidance in an appealing production that reflects the

quality of the law firm while echoing its key branding.

Most importantly, they are proven to drive revenue,

engagement, and name recognition.

With the flexibility of live or on-demand delivery, the

investment in webinars creates long-term value since

countless viewers can take advantage of it on multiple

platforms, from desktops and laptops to smartphones

and tablets. In addition, its participatory nature fuels

interaction and facilitates follow-up. The impact of

webinars is unmatched and that reality is prompting a

sea change in how lawyers market and promote their

work in a new era of dynamic content.

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