Creating viral videos and other content has been desirable to many for a long time. Who wouldn’t want their content to go viral?
In this post, let’s talk about whether you should even be interested in creating viral content. When we break this down a bit, this might not be the most strategic option for you or your firm.
3 Reasons Why Going Viral Might Not Be As Beneficial As You Think
FIRST, viral content may not be targeted toward your audience. Let’s say a video goes viral, it reaches a lot of people. Many of those people will not be interested in the practice areas and skills your firm offers. It might seem like a good thing to have thousands or millions of views, but if those views are not converting into profile views, website visits, conversation, interaction, or strengthening of your reputation and relationships with those you care most about doing business with or learning from, then what is the point?
The Goal When Creating Content
Instead of focusing on making a viral video, firms should focus on creating content that targets their specific audience.
SECOND, viral videos are often based on shock value. Some businesses and firms create content that is shocking, provocative, or humourous just to get attention. While this might work in the short term, it does not create long-term brand loyalty for you, your lawyers, and your firm. People might watch the video, but will they remember the firm behind it?
When Creating Content, What Differentiates You?
Instead of creating a shocking video, why not focus on creating content that showcases your unique value proposition, or that which makes you different than others?
THIRD, viral videos can be one-hit wonders. Just because a video goes viral, it does not mean that you and your firm will continue to get millions of views on every video you create. Viral videos are often a result of luck, and it is difficult to replicate that success. Instead of focusing on making a viral video, firms should focus on creating a consistent and strategic content strategy that speaks to the needs, challenges, and interests of their intended audiences.
Do Viral Videos Convert?
Fourth, viral videos do not always lead to conversions. We don’t always talk about conversions in the legal profession because it is a very “salesy” term. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of thousands of views, but if those views are not converting for you, what is the point?
As mentioned above, I suggest you think about whether your videos and all other content have a chance of converting your viewers in some way, whether that be:
- Profile views
- Website visits
- Conversation
- Interaction
- Clicks on reactions
- Strengthening your relationships
- Building your brand
These are infinitely more important than whether or not your content goes viral.
So, I say again….viral shmiral. Who cares?
Targeted, Consistent Content
Instead of focusing on making viral content, you might want to spend your valuable time creating targeted, consistent, and conversion-focused content that resonates with your intended audiences. When you do this, you will find that you will build your reputation and your relationships, which contribute to building your practice.
Nancy Myrland is a Marketing and Business Development Advisor, specializing in Content, Social & Digital Media. She helps lawyers grow their practices by integrating the right marketing practices in order to build their reputations and their relationships, which leads to building their practices.
Also known as the LinkedIn Coach For Lawyers, Nancy is a highly respected LinkedIn trainer, as well as a content marketing specialist. She helps lawyers, law firms, and legal marketers learn and implement content, social, and digital media strategies that cut through the clutter, making them more relevant to their current and potential clients.
She is also a personal branding speaker, trainer, and advisor, helping legal and business professionals understand the importance and the impact of defining and reinforcing their personal brand.
Nancy is also the founder of the hybrid self-study and online course, LinkedIn Course For Lawyers, where she personally guides lawyers through the sequential creation of their LinkedIn profile and presence.
As an early and constant adopter of social and digital media and technology, she also helps firms with blogging, podcasting, video marketing, voice marketing, and livestreaming. Nancy also works with many firms and lawyers on Zoom and virtual presentation training and coaching to be the best they can be when presenting online.
She also helps lead select law firms through their online social media strategy when dealing with high-stakes, visible cases.
