Getting new clients and expanding a law firm is not a small feat. You have to differentiate yourself from the rest and tell people why they should choose you. That is where content marketing for lawyers comes in. It is like selling to potential clients without even speaking to them.
Imagine this: You are in the middle of a conversation with a person who requires legal services. You don’t just explain your services but give advice, answer questions, and, in the process, gain the trust of the clients. That is what content marketing does for your law firm to make it easily recognizable to the public. It is the process of forwarding relevant content that assists individuals in comprehending legal matters and perceiving your firm as the specialist.
That is why, when using content promotion, you should focus on attracting people who may need your legal services in the near future and make them your continuous clients.
In this article, you’ll know everything about content marketing for law firms. So, let’s begin!
Content marketing for lawyers: what does it mean?
Content marketing for lawyers is a fancy way of informing people that you are giving them useful information that may require a lawyer in the future. Rather than simply informing people that your law firm is the best, you are proving to people that you are knowledgeable.
Think of it like this: You are sitting in a coffee shop, and your friend is in a bad mood. Instead of simply telling people about your services, you provide consultation, tell anecdotes, and even listen. That is the concept that content marketing was founded on. You are creating trust and making sure people know you are concerned about them.
Content marketing for law firms is a way of providing useful content such as blogs, videos, or social media posts to explain legal things. It is not the push-and-sell approach. It is about sharing information that is deemed relevant in the society.
When you share useful content, people begin to view you as a specialist in the given field. This way, they are likely to come to your law firm whenever they or their acquaintances need the services of a lawyer. It’s like the creation of a good reputation – it is not a quick process. However, it pays off in the long run.
What are the tips for producing timely and great content?
Developing content that would be of interest to those readers is not as simple as you might think. If it is as simple as baking a really good cake you are going to need the right ingredients and a touch of fairy dust.
The first secret ingredient is audience profiling or understanding who the target audience is. Who is your audience? What are their interests? What difficulties do they have? Thus, the more you know your clients, the easier it will be to produce content that will be appealing to them. It is as if you know what your friend likes to eat before you bake their cake.
Subsequently, you are required to be informed of the events taking place in your field of operation. The legal requirements may vary from one province to another, the population’s requirements may also vary; and therefore, content should also vary.
Another important element is the quality of the content that is to be shared. It cannot be just about typing out as many words as possible and then posting it on the internet. It has to be engaging, educational, and simple at the same time. The world is fast-paced, and one has to capture the reader’s attention immediately. It is like preparing a cake that is so attractive that people will have no option but to taste it.
Finally, do not be too serious about it all the time. It is easily noticeable when a person is enthusiastic about the content being written. Be yourself. So it is like giving an extra dash of sugar to make the cake even sweeter to the palate.
Creating great content requires a lot of time and effort. But it’s worth it. It is the process of making your audience trust you and see your law firm as an expert when you share important information with them.
Difference between a content marketing plan and a content strategy
Perhaps you are wondering, “Aren’t those just fancy words for the same thing?” No, they are not. Although both are similar in many ways, a content marketing plan and a content strategy have separate functions.
Content strategy is like the view from 10,000 feet. It is your strategic plan of how you will employ content in the achievement of your objectives. It’s the blueprint for the content strategy of your law firm. This defines the target audience, objectives, and role of content in your organization’s big picture.
On the other hand, a plan for content marketing for a law firm is more specific and focuses on providing useful and valuable content to the clients. It is the tactical plan of how to actually put into action whatever content strategy plan you have developed. It encompasses things like what you will post, when you will post it, and how you will determine if the post was successful. It’s like the schedule that you have prepared for your travel by car.
Your content strategy informs your content marketing plan so that all your efforts are aligned with your law firm’s objectives.
Thus, while a content strategy is a must-have to define a direction, a content marketing plan is what actually outlines how the ideas will be implemented. Each is useful in its own right when it comes to constructing a viable content marketing strategy.
How to select a topic to use for content marketing for law firms?
It is always challenging to come up with new content for your law firm. But’ there are ways to find topics in the legal space.
First off, consider the questions that people ask you. What legal challenges do they have? What is it that confuses them? The answers to these questions will help you can create knowledge and useful content.
Secondly, one needs to assess the activities of the competitors. Take a look at what topics they are covering and then look for a way to do it a little bit better.
And last, but not least, engage the help of online resources in coming up with ideas. Keyword research tools are numerous and will always provide ideas on the kind of topics people are searching for.
Relevance of keyword research
Keyword research may sound like some tech talk, but that is not so much the case because it is quite easy. It is all about understanding which keywords and key phrases individuals type in a search box when they require a lawyer’s help.
Suppose you are searching for a recipe on the internet. Of course, you would probably enter a search query such as “the best chocolate chip cookie recipe,” would you not? Keyword research enables one to know what people are searching for on the internet so that the content that one is creating can be easily found.
Every time you incorporate the appropriate keywords in your content, you are helping people find your law firm easily. It is almost like having a neon light that says, “We can assist you with that.”
Pro Tip: An SEO content writer can help you a lot in keyword research and writing the content accordingly.
Measures to take when developing content
Here’s how you can develop stellar content:-
- Know Your Audience: Learn who your audience is. What are their major concerns? Be specific in what you write, and address the points that your audience will be interested in.
- Create Shareable Content: Ensure people can easily share your content with others. Ensure that the images are bright and thought-provoking; the headlines should be eye-catching, and the calls to action must be clear.
- Tell a Story: No one would not like to listen to stories or watch them on the screen. Include a story in the content that will touch the heart of your target group.
- Make it Visual: People prefer visuals. To make the content easy to read, add images, infographics, and videos to divide the text.
- Keep it Short and Sweet: Most individuals do not have the patience to go through lengthy and uninteresting articles. Avoid going around in circles and try to stick to the main issues.
- Encourage Sharing: This is very important since readers should be able to share your content with just a click on the share buttons.
- Promote Your Content: Do not wait and depend on website visitors to come to your site to check out the content that you have posted. Promote your content as much as you can.
Conclusion
Content marketing for lawyers can be compared to creating a solid base for the construction of your law firm. It is all about the readers, relating with them, establishing credibility, and letting them know that you are the authority. You can always share useful information, and if you tell the story of your firm, you can get new clients and expand the firm.
Just remember that it is a process, and it will require some work. But if you work on it and follow a good strategy, you will begin to see the outcome. The thing is to have robust content marketing for lawyers and publish useful and interesting material that people would like to read.
