“To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.” As the founder of the multi-billion-dollar H.J. Heinz Company, Henry J. Heinz understood something that eludes many struggling law firms and solo practitioners; while any lawyer or firm can create marketing content, those who offer content that is relevant, helpful, and engaging to their target audience have a far greater chance of attracting new clients and establishing themselves as an expert in their respective practice area than those whose content is messy, confusing, irrelevant, or laborious to consume.
Successful Law Firm Marketing Content Should Accomplish 3 Goals:
- Reach and connect with your ideal audience through targeted content
- Establish you and your Law Firm as the industry expert
- Keep the interest and attention of your audience through relevant and helpful images, audio, and other media
1. Reach And Connect With Your Ideal Audience
When you begin creating content to promote your practice, your first step is to identify your audience. The more specific you can be about the type of clients you want to attract, the more effective your content will be. For instance, a target audience of “potential clients interested in legal services” is much too broad to be effective; your content will be buried under thousands of similar content results in the search engine.
In general, when identifying your audience, specificity is supreme. Obviously, your content should be targeted to attract potential clients in need of legal representation; but, more specifically, who is this person? What is their life like? What issues are important to them? What are their legal needs? What can you offer them that no one else can?
For example, let’s assume you are a family lawyer practicing in Florida. As you know, Florida has the highest percentage of residents over 65 in the U.S. An informative article about grandparent’s rights to visitation or unique considerations for remarriage at an advanced age, not only defines your audience but provides them with insight into the myriad of ways your services can help their daily life.
2. Establish You And Your Law Firm As The Expert
Killer content can also help you mark your place as an industry expert. By having regular content that covers current trends as well as offering basic legal guidance, you can show prospective clients that your law firm is knowledgeable and on the cutting-edge of legal developments in your practice area.
Consider including content that addresses new developments in technology and the impact on legal issues in your practice area, as well as informing prospective clients of new laws or changes in existing legislation that affects their chances of success in a legal action.
If your law firm has received praise, certification, accreditation, or any other kind of industry-given accolade, include a seal, badge, or header that shows prospective clients how you stack up to the competition.
3. Keep The Interest And Attention Of Your Audience
According to a 2016 Nielsen report, the average American spends more than 10 hours in front of a screen, over all devices. The rate of online daily consumption means that your content has to compete with potentially hundreds of other sites and services. To compound the problem, the average consumer has little time to devote to reading lengthy articles: a 2016 study conducted by Microsoft of Canadian media consumption found that the average person has an eight-second attention span, which is less than a goldfish!
The key to keeping the interest and attention of your audience is to make the information easier to digest through the use of images, audio, and other media. In some instances, a simple infographic can convey general information, trends, and outliers more easily than 500 words. Further, some consumers digest information differently; offering the option of watching a short video explaining no-fault divorce, for instance, may be easier and more meaningful than reading a lengthy article.
Another benefit of using different types of media to promote your law firm is that the substance easily translates into shareable content via social media. When brevity is either desirable or necessary, a quick blurb and a carefully chosen piece of media can increase the chances of your content being consumed and distributed to others, without you ever lifting a finger beyond the creation of the original content!
Whether you are a small town solo practitioner, or a mega-firm in the heart of a thriving metropolis, by creating meaningful and engaging content, you can attract more clients and establish yourself as an expert in your practice area.