Unlike video, podcasts are accessible anytime and anywhere. Whether you are commuting to work, on the beach, or just taking a walk, you can listen on platforms that go way beyond the iPod. There are currently some great podcasts available to lawyers, and more law firms are successfully utilizing podcasts for business development.
What is a Podcast and Who is Listening?
Wikipedia defines a podcast as “an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to. It is often available for subscription, so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication to the user’s own local computer, mobile application, or portable media player.”
Greentarget’s 2018 State of Digital & Content Market Survey, reported that, contrary to conventional marketing wisdom, in-house counsel rank video as their least preferred content type. Ten percent of respondents give video their lowest preference while 27 percent of in-house counsel rank podcasts highly as a content vehicle they preferred.
While podcasts are more cost-effective than video production, a high production value and engaging content are critical for podcasts to be effective.
In-Person vs. Podcasts
According to Greentarget’s 2018 survey, in person presentations were rated as one of the most important content types. But live presentations come with significant effort on the part of the presenter. “While the effort to launch a podcast is front-loaded, production becomes routine and streamlined over time.” In addition, law firms can track podcasts and collect performance metrics. This is an invaluable tool not available at a live presentation.
Podcasts are very much in style and utilized by a wide range of consumers. According to Edison Research, the podcasting audience’s monthly listeners have grown 24% year over year. The average listener is 18-54, affluent and educated. Males make up 56 percent of those that listen to podcasts.
Podcasts for Lawyers
There are numerous podcasts available to lawyers that make it easy to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in any area of the field. Here are just a few:
- Bloomberg Law
Prominent attorneys and legal scholars, analyze major legal issues and cases in the news. - Legal Talk Network
What are you in the mood for? From technology and marketing to legal trends and the First Amendment, Legal Talk Network offers a variety of podcasts on all matters relating to the law. - Serial
Serial is an acclaimed investigative journalism podcast that tells one true legal story over the course of a season. Each season follows a real-life plot and characters. - Ted Talks Law
A collection of Ted Talks related to the topic of Law.
Effective Use of Podcasts by Law Firms
Law firms are finding great success incorporating podcasts into their business development strategy. It is a cost-effective and efficient tactic that is especially appealing for smaller practices with niche audiences. Here are some examples:
Robert H. Montgomery, III, also known as Your Dental Lawyer, runs a successful podcast called “The Dental Amigos.” This podcast serves as a resource for dentists and provides practical and fun learning on topics such as dental office real estate, associate agreements, and dental start-ups. The Dental Amigos podcast receives tons of great feedback and new business opportunities for the law firm.
The Spiggle Law firm offers the “Parents at Work Podcast.” Check out their robust podcast page that provides not only the audible podcast, but also a list of show highlights and a transcript of each episode.
The More than Your Ordinary Law Firm podcast from the Hemminger Law Group Westshore delivers information on personal injury and family law, and Pepper Hamilton’s podcasts are consistently posted and address trending world topics such as U.S.-Turkey relations and cryptocurrency.
Podcasts for Law Firms — Promising Returns
While video is an extremely popular and important media for law firms, the Greentarget 2018 survey found that professional services audio storytelling may be more suited to podcasts.
In the second blog of this two-part series we review how to set up a successful law firm podcast and provide tips on how to get you started with this effective and efficient law firm marketing tactic.