[Author: Noreen Fishman]

Law firm content marketing is hard. Unfortunately, in the legal industry, the first words people use to describe content are usually not fun, exciting, or engaging. The content that most law firms publish often has a bad reputation for being boring and uninteresting. Also, many digital he marketers are hesitant to work in the legal industry and will avoid legal marketing projects. Nonetheless, law firms that want to demonstrate their knowledge and experience to prospective clients and clients need to create and publish compelling content.

Content marketing for law firms offers many opportunities for lawyers and law firms to develop unconventional and innovative ideas and strategies. Below are some tips for creating compelling and noteworthy content for law firms.

Content Marketing Tips for Law Firms

1. Create content that covers each step of the client journey

Knowing your audience is critical when creating compelling marketing content for a law firm. Instead of appealing to a large online demographic, try to create content that relates directly to your target audience and where they are in their client journey.

The client journey consists of four phases: Awareness, Consideration, Conversion, and Retention. To create content for each of these stages, you must first understand them. Check out this podcast on client journey mapping and learn how to optimize your content at each step.

2. Get to the point

Items such as headlines, meta descriptions, URLs, and intros should clarify the purpose of the content. Headlines and testimonials are your first impressions and chances to click and keep reading.

Don’t beat the bush with your stylistic choices when it comes to intros and meta descriptions.

Finally, the headings and subheadings should help readers better understand what each section is about. Remember: readers are there because they want answers. Don’t lead them down the rabbit hole of not being able to find answers to their questions.

3. Shape your content around the pain points of your target audience

Everything you create should have your target audience in mind. Start by creating your ideal client profile. This profile is built with your target audience’s demographics, interests, lifestyle, and attributes. Next, identify the client’s biggest pain points/questions.

From there, you can come up with content that offers solutions to these problems and relieves the stress they’re feeling.

For help creating your ideal client profile, check out this free guide: A Law Firm’s Guide to Creating Your Ideal Client Profile.

4. Use different formats to your advantage

You can offer different types of content such as blogs, e-books, white papers, etc. Blogs alone have many subtypes, such as how-to guides, listicles, and thought snippets.

Think about how much information you need to fully answer your target user’s question or solve their problem. If you need to read a lot, consider creating an e-book. Or, if it’s something you think can be communicated fairly quickly, make a descriptive list.

Don’t waste your time uploading a blog the length of an eBook when putting that information into chapters will get a better response.

Finally, consider experimenting with other types of content, such as webinars and videos, to engage and educate your audience. In our experience, many users prefer learning about complex topics through audio and video content rather than churning out long, complex blog posts.

5. Create content that appeals to the human experience

Online users often respond to engaging, emotional, and/or controversial content. With this in mind, there are ways to create content that truly resonates with your target audience, and educating your audience on current trends and developments in law is one way he does this.

Marketers need to ensure that their content is timely and relevant to their target audience. Think about how you can incorporate current events, popular culture, and trending topics into your content to capture and intrigue your audience. Try to create content that is relevant and interesting to your audience. You need to make sure your content resonates with your audience and encourages engagement. Make sure your content is authentic and doesn’t get too technical.

6. Use visuals/videos where appropriate

Readers today are eager to read blog posts and longer content if they are filled with images, infographics, or videos. If you want to break down something with a lot of vocabulary, consider creating a colorful infographic and using it together. If you want to elaborate on a topic, create a short explainer video with detailed information on that topic.

Above all, make your visuals engaging and fun. Stock images are fine if you want, but creating your own content will make your writing even more engaging.

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7. Let go of passive knowledge

Law firms in particular can often be guilty of creating passive content that is only informative and overly technical. However, it is not effective for conversion. Creating informative content may only reach audiences searching for that specific information, whereas content that utilizes applied knowledge can engage a broader base of potential clients. You can. Applied knowledge-based content not only provides information but also helps your audience understand the information. It should inspire, direct, and help readers take action, whatever the problem or topic.

Using applied knowledge in content marketing shows your audience that you understand them and their experiences. The most important aspect here is not to bog down the client with overly technical or boring information. Instead, apply the information in a way that appeals to your client’s needs and desires. This is also a great opportunity to incorporate charts and infographics into your content to share numerical and technical data in a more intimate way. Providing applicable knowledge helps clients make informed decisions and builds trust that your firm is providing valuable expert information.

8. Use storytelling to your advantage

Just explaining the legal jargon can get pretty boring. Include stories, examples, and metaphors to amplify your content and make it easier to understand. Not only does this help further illustrate your point, it also makes your writing more enjoyable to read.

9. Write in a casual tone – avoid legal jargon

Imagine you googled how baking powder works and then read a blog by a chemist who just explained the process without breaking it down in chemical terms. Although the terminology may seem easy to understand, it is not always so to the layperson. Readers want information, but if they find your blog confusing, they’re quick to click.

Above all, try writing the way you speak. Consider having someone outside the legal industry read your writing. Or try speaking the sentences out loud. If the words don’t leave the tongue naturally and sound like everyday conversation, they may be too formal for your online readers.

10. Make it executable

It’s nice to hear legal jargon and news clarifications, but what should readers do about it? This makes it clear what you want your readers to think and do. And don’t forget to include a clear call to action at the end so your readers know exactly what to do next.

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Boring and uninteresting content can get in the way of attracting, retaining, and retaining new clients. Unleash your creativity by creating insightful and interesting content that appeals to and leverages applied knowledge. This type of content can generate leads and increase awareness of the services your law firm offers.

Need content marketing help for your law firm? Struggling to develop a cohesive content strategy that resonates with your target audience? We can help.

This post has been edited and republished from September 8, 2019.