Gone are the days when word of mouth, attorney referrals and an exceptional track record were enough to make your law firm stand out. In modern times, your firm’s digital footprint may be more important than all these factors combined.
Content is king in the Information Age. For law firms, this means your organic content should serve as a guiding beacon for prospective clients. The sooner your law firm adapts to this new paradigm and embraces its many possibilities, the sooner your firm will exponentially grow and become a household name in your practice area — not just locally but nationally.
To understand why content is so important in the current digital landscape, you must first understand the journey of a prospective client. When someone has a legal issue, they generally won’t be calling law firms about it directly; they’ll be researching it on Google. Whether or not they decide to work with an attorney will largely be based on the information they find and how closely it aligns with the legal issue they’re facing. In other words, if your organic content helps a prospective client expertly navigate the intricacies of their legal issue, they’re more likely to interact with your firm.
Let us illustrate with an example. Suppose you’re an estate planning firm. Analytics show that a question thousands of internet users ask is: “What goes into an estate plan?” If you create an informative and engaging blog post around this topic using targeted keywords, you eventually could end up as a top search result. Not only would this automatically build trust among prospective clients, but it would establish you as an authority in the area of estate planning. This way, when a prospective client becomes ready to create an estate plan, you will be at the forefront of their mind.
With the vast sea of legal information already available online, it’s natural to wonder whether content marketing for lawyers is an endeavor worth pursuing, especially if organic content has not been a predominant element of your marketing strategy thus far. We’re here to tell you it’s never too late to hop on the legal content marketing bandwagon. While you will have to make an investment of time and money to get the ball rolling, it’s an investment that almost always pays for itself in the long run.
If your firm already is utilizing content marketing for lawyers but is failing to see results, chances are that your strategy needs to be tweaked. There is a formula for successful legal content marketing, and it can be summed up in three words: quality over quantity. You can crank out blog post after blog post, but if there is no concrete strategy behind them, your marketing efforts will likely fail.
Through quality content, you will be positioning your firm as an authoritative compass in your area of the law. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You also are likely to generate more website traffic, brand awareness, leads and possibly even media attention.
Content marketing for law firms can be complex — which is why you need a fractional CMO who works exclusively in the legal niche. Not only can a fractional CMO tailor your marketing strategy to meet your specific needs and goals, but they can work with you to find ways to sustain your progress so that over time you won’t need them.
Continue reading to learn what content marketing for attorneys entails.
Content marketing (also known as inbound marketing) consists of creating and distributing content that is relevant to your business and its prospective clients or customers.
Unlike paid advertisements, which aim to expressly promote a service or product, content marketing aims to educate, engage and/or entertain prospective clients or customers. While the explicit goal of content marketing may not be to scale your business, it often has that effect.
The value of content marketing cannot be overstated. If paid ads are an overly persistent salesperson who calls you every day in an attempt to get you to purchase what they’re selling, organic content is a friend who shares a story about an experience they’ve had that’s similar to yours and gently nudges you in the direction of someone who can help.
Because people are constantly bombarded with ads everywhere they look, they generally don’t wield the same power they once had. Most of us are acutely aware of the fact that ads are trying to sell us something, so we take what they have to say with a grain of salt.
Organic content, on the other hand, is much more subtle. Businesses can use it to share valuable information with their prospective clients or customers to build trust and connect with them in a meaningful way.
Inbound marketing for attorneys will not utilize the same strategies as inbound marketing for other types of businesses. As such, it’s advisable to use a content marketing agency for law firms that has a demonstrated history of success in creating winning content marketing strategies and executing them.
Legal content marketing can include:
One of the most effective ways to begin website marketing for attorneys would be to create blog posts and videos around the most common issues your prospective clients are facing.
For example, a personal injury firm may want to post an article about steps to take after a car accident. In the same vein, a probate firm may want to post an article that explains the steps of the probate process. This, however, is an oversimplification.
A lot goes into a successful piece of content. That is to say, if your law firm wishes to publish an article, the writing process can’t just start without any preparation. You will need to research keywords and incorporate them into the meta tags and copy. You will also need to write clearly and concisely, and avoid using legal jargon. Lastly, you will need to be careful to not stray from the topic at hand.
While most copywriters can churn out legal content, there aren’t many who can produce high-quality legal content that’s accurate and optimized for search engines. Luckily, our fractional CMOs work with copywriters who have years of experience and a proven track record of creating high-performing legal content for attorneys.
If you are trying to sell someone your legal services, it’s unlikely you’ll win them over by beating them over the head with why going with your firm would be the best choice. It would be preferable for the prospective client to arrive at this conclusion on their own.
How might they do that? The answer is organic content. Through your content, prospective clients can take the time they need to absorb information surrounding their legal issue and consider their options without feeling any pressure to hire your firm. That, however, isn’t all. In the following subsections, we go over some of the specific benefits of content marketing for lawyers.
Did you know skillfully crafted content can increase traffic to your website?
When people use Google to find legal information and/or services, its algorithm tends to only produce relevant, reliable and well-written content to display in the search results. Consequently, top-notch content generally boosts your search engine ranking and site authority, making it easier for prospective clients to come across your firm.
Are you struggling with getting prospective clients to reach out for a consultation?
Organic content could change that for you. If you can consistently publish high-quality content that provides valuable insights and solutions to people’s most pressing legal concerns, they will be more motivated to take decisive action. Also, you will be more likely to generate leads that are qualified.
For example, if you’re a firm that deals strictly in probate law, you’d be less likely to receive calls from individuals who are interested in estate planning, thereby freeing up your resources to focus on clients with probate matters.
Why limit exposure of your brand to one area when it has the potential to be recognized nationally?
On the surface, it can seem futile for your content marketing to target a national audience if the attorneys at your firm are only licensed to practice in your state, and therefore, can only take on clients who are local. But this is the wrong way to look at it.
By creating content that is shareable across state lines, more people will become aware of your firm’s values, offerings and prowess. You may even be approached by media outlets that would like for you to guest blog or appear on their podcast, which would be good for business.
What steps has your firm taken to establish its authority in its areas of practice?
While paid ads may increase exposure for your firm, they generally won’t contribute to your firm’s trustworthiness. That’s the function of attorney content marketing.
Prospective clients want to feel assured you are well-versed and experienced in the issue they’re coming to you with, so if your organic content does a good job of showcasing your expertise, it could be the very factor that drives the client to make the leap from merely searching for information to reaching out for a consultation.
It’s an unfortunate but true fact that many people have a negative view of attorneys. Your organic content, however, could shift their perspective. If you craft your content to subtly highlight your firm’s values of honesty, compassion and attentiveness, as well as its unique, quirky qualities, a prospective client may feel more comfortable becoming an actual client.
To put it simply, your trustworthiness factor could make or break you. Being that legal content marketing is one of the only tools your firm has available to establish its authority and build trust among the general public, it would be a mistake to not tap into its potential.
Your organic content may be a prospective client’s first introduction to your law firm, so it’s important to make it count. Search engines employ complex algorithms to curate search results, which is why the key is to craft content that’s not just informative but strategically optimized to climb their ranks. Use your content to address prospective clients’ specific legal concerns and demonstrate the value your law firm brings to the table.
Search engine optimization is not a static process; it is ever-changing. As a result, the way in which you craft content will have to constantly evolve. Crafting high-value legal content requires adaptability, accuracy and meticulousness. In other words, it’s unlikely content will perform if it’s haphazardly thrown together for the sake of populating your site. You’re more likely to see results if you take the time to create quality content that genuinely helps your audience.
Entering the realm of search engine optimization is no easy feat, but by working alongside a legal content marketing professional who understands the tricks of the trade, you will start to see results in no time.
Learn useful tips for law firm content marketing from the following subsections.
Most people don’t consume legal content for fun; they consume it because they are themselves dealing with a legal issue or know someone who is. For this reason, legal content should not be targeting the general public. It should be targeting individuals who are dealing with the exact legal issues your law firm handles.
To figure out who your target audience is, you may wish to look into demographics you have surrounding visitors to your site, and your current and former clients. You also could use your logic.
For example, if you practice family law, your audience will likely be parents or current or former spouses. If you practice probate law, your audience will likely be the loved ones of deceased or incapacitated persons. If you practice personal injury law, your audience will likely be injured persons. Once you have a topic, you may be able to narrow down your audience even more.
Next, you’ll want to place yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you were an ordinary person with no legal expertise, what would you want to ask about your legal issue? Would you want to learn about your litigation options? Would you want to know about attorney fees and costs? Would you want to be presented with possible resolutions?
For your law firm content marketing to be effective, don’t ever lose sight of your target audience.
Research, research, research.
Before you can take the proverbial pen to paper, you will need to conduct research. First, you will want to research keywords using a tool like Semrush, Moz or Google Analytics. Next, you will want to research your potential competitors.
Keywords (also known as search terms) may be the most important aspect of inbound marketing for lawyers. They generally should guide the content creation process and be incorporated into the copy in very specific ways. Understanding how to find the right keywords and group them into right “buckets” is a skill every law firm content marketing professional should know.
The first thing to keep in mind about keywords is that you will want a mix of generic keyword and long-tail keywords in your content. What we call long-tail keywords (i.e., keywords that are more targeted and generally are three or more words long) tend to perform the best.
As an example, if you are writing an article on how to win a wrongful termination lawsuit, you will use the broad keyword “wrongful termination” throughout your article without even trying, but you will also want to utilize long-tail keywords like “what do you do if you are fired unfairly” and “california wrongful termination examples” to address your audience’s specific search queries.
Next, you will want to be careful to not engage in the practice of “keyword stuffing.” Search engines are becoming smarter and smarter every day. They can detect if you are stuffing your articles with keywords that don’t add value and may penalize your firm as a result, which could not only lower your rankings but cause your content to be removed from search engine indexes as well. It is preferable to use keywords with intention so they can seamlessly blend into your content.
Once your keyword strategy is set, the next step is to have a look at your competitor’s articles on the same topic. To do this, all you have to do is perform a simple search on Google with the same search terms you plan to use in your content.
Analyze the highest-ranking search results. Consider what keywords they used, what their meta tags consist of, how the pages are organized, and what questions they answer. While you don’t need to create your content to precisely match these search results, you should attempt to model your content in a similar fashion.
Search engines have a soft spot for long-form content, especially when dealing with intricate topics. Embrace a high word count if the subject demands it. However, bear in mind that not every topic deserves 5,000 words, so use your best judgment in determining the optimal length.
Search engines also like for your content to be well-written. This means you should double- and triple-check your content to make sure it is free of errors, and avoid being too verbose. It’s also a good idea to steer clear of legal jargon — which can be difficult for attorneys to do. While their writing skills tend to be impeccable, the content they produce often is too academic for the average person to grasp. When doing so is possible, it’s ideal to create content for a sixth-grade reading level.
Lastly, when creating content, take special care to not stray from the topic at hand. The rule is: one article, one topic. By covering multiple topics in one article, you will be confusing the search engines, which could make it more difficult for your content to achieve the high rankings you seek.
If your content is ranking, then chances are that it’s garnered you some leads. Perhaps prospective clients have filled out your contact form. Perhaps they’ve subscribed to your newsletter. Perhaps they’ve downloaded your whitepaper. Perhaps they’ve called you directly.
If you think your legal content marketing ends there, you’d be wrong. Your content marketing efforts should not terminate until you’ve either determined that a lead is unqualified or the lead has transformed into a client.
We reside in a time where distractions abound. A person could be interested in hiring a law firm one day, and then completely forget about hiring a law firm the next. This is precisely why leads need to be nurtured once you have them.
There are many ways to do this; however, one of the most potent is sending them automated emails with targeted content. Suppose you’re a personal injury firm attempting to nurture a lead that had gotten in touch about a potential medical malpractice lawsuit. One email could contain basic information on what to do if you believe you have a medical malpractice matter on your hands. Another email could contain the success story of a client with a similar matter. Another email could serve as a reminder to get in touch.
By nurturing leads, your firm is likely to remain at the forefront of prospective clients’ minds. You, however, should not be too persistent or intrusive, as that could have the unintended consequence of the prospective client permanently losing interest in hiring your firm.
As we already touched on, search engine optimization is an ever-evolving process. What this means for your content is that it also needs to evolve. Your law firm content marketing strategy should include plans to regularly revisit the content you’ve posted to update and fine-tune it with everything from changes in the law to new keywords and internal linking.
That said, we must advise caution if you are considering significant revisions to content that is already performing exceptionally well. Sometimes, significant revisions can have the effect of sending shockwaves through your rankings.
Because of this fine line you must walk when making changes to your content, collaborating with a seasoned law firm content marketing professional who understands the nuances of search engine optimization is key. These marketing pros can look into content analytics to prescribe a course of action that is low risk and likely to boost your rankings even more.
As we already touched on, search engine optimization is an ever-evolving process. What this means for your content is that it also needs to evolve. Your law firm content marketing strategy should include plans to regularly revisit the content you’ve posted to update and fine-tune it with everything from changes in the law to new keywords and internal linking.
That said, we must advise caution if you are considering significant revisions to content that is already performing exceptionally well. Sometimes, significant revisions can have the effect of sending shockwaves through your rankings.
Because of this fine line you must walk when making changes to your content, collaborating with a seasoned law firm content marketing professional who understands the nuances of search engine optimization is key. These marketing pros can look into content analytics to prescribe a course of action that is low risk and likely to boost your rankings even more.
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