Content Marketing for Lawyers
Website content, Blogging, Social Media Content
Content Marketing for Lawyers
Content marketing is increasing in popularity. This is because content marketing produces results. Content like blogs, infographics, articles, videos, e-books, newsletters and social media posts are all versions of online content that can attract customers and improve the law firm’s bottom line. Content marketing is a non-intrusive way to reach more people and in shorter amounts of time when compared to traditional marketing practices. Here are the ways in which law firms are benefiting from content marketing as well as why content marketing for lawyers is so important for today’s savvy attorney.
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Why Content Marketing for Lawyers?
Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that uses various forms of online media to connect with prospective customers. These are not disruptive advertisements in the traditional sense. Instead, these are more passive approaches to reaching customers through shared content that was created to address the customer’s needs. For instance, many clients have legal pain points and they may not know which law firm to turn to for assistance. So, their first step in conducting research is to go online. Let’s say the client is facing a child custody battle. They are not sure of the potential outcomes of losing the custody case. So, they will research online and may search, “losing a custody battle” on Google to pull up relevant information. Family law firms that include this information on their website or other social media platforms will show up in the top of these search engine results. Those firms that have the most useful, insightful and quality content that addresses this dilemma will be considered to be viable options for the client who may call and possibly hire that law firm in the future. This is the beauty of content marketing. The more relevant content the law firm shares, the more they show up in online searches and the more opportunities they have to prove themselves worthy to be hired by those who are in need of legal representation.
A Shift Away from Traditional Marketing
Today there has been a profound shift away from traditional marketing approaches. In the past, lawyers have used marketing tactics like billboards, costly television commercials and printed direct mailers to attract new customers. The tech-savvy customers of today are no longer responding to these messages. They are tuning them out, circumventing them and instead going straight to the internet for their information needs. What’s more is that today’s customers are no longer interested in being sold to. Instead they want to be valued as individual customers and are requiring that companies bring value into their lives prior to making a final purchasing decision. Content marketing helps to address this dilemma. Through content marketing, law firms can subtly market to customers without seeming pushy or overly sales-oriented. In offering free, meaningful content law firms can establish themselves as thought leaders and caring organizations that want to deliver the best in information to those who need it most. Content that is educational, interactive and even entertaining creates the right buzz surrounding the law firm’s services, boosting their visibility and generating real leads.
The Benefits of Content Diversity
Digital marketing for lawyers is not limited to just written content. Instead online content can include written material, images and videos. Here are some of the top ways lawyers can use content to market to prospective clients:
Blogs
Many law firms feature blogs on their websites. Blogs are a great way to share important information with people who need expert legal advice and guidance. Blogs that are updated weekly with helpful tips and suggestions will keep prospects coming back to visit the website often. Blogs should be well-written, concise and full of valuable details that will leave a good impression on the mind of the reader. What’s more is that links to blogs can be included within social media content for a well-rounded approach that covers all angles.
Videos
Video content is another great way to reach prospective customers and in a meaningful way. Videos are one of the top forms of content being used by today’s lawyers and with excellent results. This is because people appreciate video content that is relatable and that puts a face on the law firm. Many lawyers have created videos where they speak about tough legal matters. They answer many pressing legal questions and they showcase their own personalities so prospective customers can get to know them better.
Infographics
Infographics are a fun, innovative and entertaining way to grab the attention of prospects that are in search of a new lawyer. Infographics are elaborate representations of data in picture format that explains information in an eye-catching manner. Infographics are impactful for a number of reasons. First, they feature real data like graphs and statistics. They are also vivid and often feature bright colors. They are also easily scanned by the human eye so that the reader has a better opportunity to relate to the information that is being presented.
White Papers
White papers are another great content marketing tool that lawyers can use to connect with their core audience. White papers are persuasive documents that contribute directly to a law firm’s professional image. White paper content is top quality material that speaks volumes to and attests to the expertise of the lawyer. These documents are not sales-oriented. Instead they are created to provide value to the reader so that he or she can learn more about the law firm’s services.
Social Media Images & Graphics
Social media images and graphics are another important way for lawyers to connect with prospective customers online. Today, millions of people rely on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram to connect with friends, family and colleagues and also to follow businesses they are interested in. A law firm can gain an advantage by maintaining a strong social media presence. This is very true when the law firm posts interesting visuals and graphics that grab the attention of social media followers. Graphics such as quotes, important updates in pictorial format and even actual photos of happenings and events at the law firm can all leave a good impression in the minds of those who are searching for legal representation.
The Benefits of Content Marketing for Lawyers
Content marketing provides immense value to customers who are in search of specific information that meets a need within their lives. An effective approach to content marketing helps to establish the lawyer as a thought leader within their field. Here are a few additional noteworthy benefits of content marketing for legal professionals:
Cost Effective
When compared to traditional marketing, content marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing approaches around. In fact, many of the tools used in content marketing can be created and shared for free! For example, there are some companies who have proudly proclaimed that they created entire video content series from the cameras on their mobile devices. The most time-consuming part of content marketing actually resides in researching the needs of the customer as well as in creating the content. Remember, content should be grammatically correct, it should be visually appealing and it should grab the attention of the reader.
Global Reach
Because content marketing is conducted over the internet, there is the potential for global reach when it comes to sharing content. While a law firm may be situated locally, there is no limit as to who will receive their messages. While someone across the globe may not hire the law firm per se, there is an immense potential for increased networking as well as making meaningful relationships with others within the legal profession no matter the geographical distances.
Boosts Brand Recognition
Content marketing helps a law firm increase awareness of its brand. As the law firm shares more and more content over time, this content will become synonymous with the company’s name, logo and brand. Content marketing is an excellent branding tool that helps to separate one law firm from the next. When content is branded it gives credit to that law firm for creating and providing such helpful information.
Reputation Management
Good content also goes hand-in-hand with online reputation management. A lawyer’s professional image and online reputation are just as important as their reputations within the community. When a lawyer consistently shares meaningful content that was created with good intentions, over time the public will come to respect the lawyer as a knowledgeable and reliable source of information. Even during times of public relations mishaps, good content marketing can save the day by reversing any negative impressions that were made and instead replace them with helpful content that can restore faith back to those who are searching for the best lawyer to meet their needs.
Interactive
Online content is also highly interactive. This is especially true when content features a call-to-action (CTA). A call-to-action is essentially an invite from the lawyer to do something such as opt-in to receive e-mails from the law firm or to even call them directly for a free consultation. Content posted on social media can also be interactive as it encourages followers to take actions such as to leave comments on certain posts or to even share the post with others who they know.
Allows for Optimization
One other benefit of content marketing is that it provides many opportunities for optimization. One way law firms can ensure their websites and even their social media pages show up in these results is to regularly post keyword enriched content. Content such as blog posts, frequently updated websites and active social media posts are all excellent ways in which to improve a website’s rankings.
Measurable Results
Content marketing is also results-driven. Much of the content that is shared online can produce measurable results through the output of analytics and data that is available once the content has been shared. For instance, the number of likes on social media posts as well as website page clicks (such as clicks on a blog page) can all be measured. This is important because it provides a direct glimpse into who the lawyer’s core audience truly is. This can help the lawyer better target their content and provide the precise information these followers need at the most opportune time.
The Importance of a Content Marketing Strategy
Successful law firms understand that effective content marketing is a process. Just as with traditional marketing, content marketing requires a specific plan of action for successful deployment. This is why a formal content marketing strategy is highly recommended. As a digital marketing strategy, content marketing can be maximized by taking a well-rounded, formal approach that not only includes sharing of direct content but that also includes social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). A formal marketing plan can help to organize all of the lawyer’s marketing ideas.
The key to content marketing success resides in the law firm’s effort to clearly define goals and objectives surrounding their content. In other words, the law firm must set intentions on the number of people they would like to reach as well as how many of those they would like to convert into new clients. While content marketing does take time and effort to plan, the benefits of these marketing efforts are tremendous. Content marketing increases traffic (both website and foot traffic to the law firm), it is highly targeted and best of all it provides sound information to those customers who are searching for information that can address their legal concerns. What better way to forge long-standing relationships with these potential customers than by meeting their needs in a non-obtrusive, helpful manner?
To learn more about content marketing for lawyers as well as content marketing best practices. Contact a team of highly esteemed digital marketing professionals today for more information.