LinkedIn’s Live is Perfect Platform for Law Firms

LinkedIn’s just announced the launch of LinkedIn Live, a new service allowing its 600 million users to live-stream video content on the social network. Right now, the use of it is by invitation only, but soon the company will be rolling out broad availability.

LinkedIn anticipates that the user-made videos will involve content such as Q&As, events, conferences, earnings calls, awards ceremonies, product announcements, and more. The successful use of video by law firms and lawyers will be a massive differentiator in a very competitive marketplace. Law firms compete for their client’s attention with newsletters and alerts, but more and more clients get important information via video, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as CLE platforms.

While these other outlets already offer video capabilities, LinkedIn has the deserved reputation of being for business, not just for amusement. The other platforms appeal to all audiences, where LinkedIn’s business focus stands out. For lawyers providing content, this is not an open invitation for you to shoot a video at your kid’s baseball game offering insights on the Supreme Court, or on a beach vacation commenting on creating a better work-life balance. LinkedIn is meant to connect with people professionally and provide useful, valuable information that can improve a professional’s personal brand and is directly related to individual’s business interests and the services he or she provides.

Creating custom video content for LinkedIn looks easy but it will take some careful planning to get it right. Here are some tips for all types of social media videos, not just LinkedIn Live.

  1. Make it worth watching. Recently the quality of marketing content on the internet as a whole is decreasing in value. There is too much noise and there too many selling and not providing value.
  2. Do not make any direct pitches about your attorneys’ capabilities or skills. Just show them doing what they do well – discussing the issues, and the law in a thoughtful and relevant manner.
  3. Use high-quality video. Bad video ruins the experience. Don’t produce poorly shot video with bad sound, bad lighting and uninspired content.
  4. Use live video to stand out. Live video is even more direct and personal than pre-recorded. Lawyers may resist this at first, but with just a little training, they can quickly become proficient at live video.
  5. Say something useful, relevant and practical. Stay away from the clichés. No one wants to listen to a three-minute video that just tells clients to be careful in hiring people or to make sure that employees don’t engage in sexual harassment.
  6. Keep it short. Tell the audience what they will learn in the first few seconds.

Until the video option becomes available to all of us, use these same tips to create meaningful written content via Linkedin’s publishing platform. Your connections will thank you for it.