4 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS CHINA • 亚洲法律杂志-中国版 SEPTEMBER 2024 For law firms, effective market operations require consistently reaching the right audience on the appropriate platforms. From traditional print media, television, and radio to websites and WeChat, law firms have continually expanded their communication channels in response to the evolution of content consumption platforms. Today, short videos have emerged as a new medium, becoming an indispensable part of a law firm’s communication strategy. Zhang Zhenzu, senior partner at Hai Run Law Firm, oversees the firm’s branding efforts. The firm established its WeChat Channels account, an embedded short video platform within WeChat, in May 2022 and has since been developing a series of short videos. “Readership of lengthy articles on WeChat is decreasing. Instead, short videos have become a key channel for daily information consumption,” Zhang notes. This trend has prompted Hai Run to commence short video production; “otherwise, the firm loses an important means to interact with clients.” Li Xiaofei, director of Guangdong Wumei Law Firm, which created its WeChat Channels account in June 2020, has accelerated the release of original short videos over the past two years. According to Li, Wumei only came to understand the importance of short videos after “they have become increasingly active in daily life. At the same time, as our peers have gained more experience on different video platforms, we also learned more about the characteristics of different platforms.” “In the era of social media, the ways by which clients examine the credibility and authoritativeness of a firm have changed,” says Li. “In the past, clients would search for the official websites and reviews of firms on search engines. Now, they search Douyin and WeChat. Regardless of the channels clients turn to, we want them to be able to find Wumei’s ‘official presence’ and access our highquality professional content.” MARKET-DRIVEN STRATEGY Whilst law firms have been somewhat swept into the world of short videos by the times, they have gradually developed their own short video communication strategies through exploration. As Zhang notes, “This strategy must align with the firm’s positioning, main business focus, client base, and brand identity.” Take Hai Run as an example. As a law firm providing legal services in the commercial sector, it primarily serves B2B clients. “B2B clients often connect with Hai Run based on their collaboration with a specific lawyer, team, or in a single area of expertise. However, their legal needs are often multifaceted, requiring them to gain a broader understanding of Hai Run’s capabilities in other areas of service.” Therefore, Hai Run’s brand strategy focuses on enabling clients to gain a better understanding of its professional capabilities by disseminating expert content rather than directly acquiring clients. “As such, the number of views a short video generates is not very meaningful to us. B2B clients are also unlikely to choose a firm based on a particular video.” Li also concurs. As a boutique law firm specialising in family and matrimonial law, Li believes that Wumei’s brand communication should target “not only the general public but also professionals within the legal industry.” Consequently, Wumei’s short videos do not focus on attracting random traffic but rather prioritise the quality of their content. Based on this, Wumei’s short video content is primarily divided into two categories. One focuses on professional content output, aligning with the firm’s current emphasis on specific niche areas. For instance, in recent years, there has been a saying in the family law market: “marriage law remains evergreen, whilst inheritance law is gaining momentum.” This reflects the growing demand for inheritance services due to social changes. To adapt to this shift, Wumei’s short videos have explored a range of inheritance law issues, showcasing the firm’s expertise in this emerging area. The other category revolves around topical social issues and events, such as International Women’s Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, festivals related to the elderly, revisions to specific laws and draft laws, and the introduction of new legislation. “Our short videos will include timely discussions in light of relevant practice areas.” According to Zhang, Hai Run’s short videos also focus on professional content supplemented by promoting the firm’s culture. “Guided by our brand building goal, we make more efforts to systematically plan and create content that is BIG STORY With short videos reaching 1.012 billion viewers, who spend an average of nearly 90 minutes daily watching such content, China has undoubtedly entered the “short video era” of content consumption. Law firms are consequently reassessing their marketing strategies. 中国短视频用户数量已达10.12亿人，日均观看短视频时间近90分钟。伴 随内容消费全面迈入“短视频时代”，律师事务所也在重新思考自己的市 场传播途径。 BY HU YANGXIAOXIAO 作者：胡阳潇潇 RIDING THE NEW WAVE 回应短视频时代
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