We swear we’re not making this up: lawyers are absolutely dominating the field of content marketing. According to Contently, law firms both large and small are getting into the game of providing regular (and useful) content for potential clients. This is perhaps a little surprising considering the profession’s reputation for keeping its valuable information to itself.
Actually, if there’s any industry that is ripe for content marketing, it’s the legal profession.
The Big and the Small
Some of the most recognizable BigLaw names out there are aggressively typing away and populating blogs covering everything from intellectual property rights issues, data privacy, and SEC regulations. The firm of Covington & Burling LLP has 12 different blogs covering a broad swath of different topics — all of them very dynamic and all of them constantly changing: tech privacy, copyright, cyber-security.
It’s no surprise, when one comes to think of it. The amount of new law that gets produced even on a weekly basis is enough to keep bloggers and professional writers busy round the clock. Small time attorneys are also finding advantages in getting their names out through the use of blogging as well.
Word of Mouth — and Google
Findlaw has written about this topic before. Because of the potential client pool’s increased dependence on using the Internet to meet their legal needs, it has become that much more important to have an online presence in order to stand out. Simple issues that are relatively benign have been taken over by more enterprising clients who feel they can represent themselves. But legal issues that are unusually complex or catch the client in the moment of emotional instability are the lawyer’s bread and butter. Such controversies require professional intervention.
Tips for Content Based Marketing
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Use English: During training, lawyers are generally required to use words like res judicata and de minimus non curat lex. Content marketing is aimed at potential clients, not other lawyers or academics. Your goal is to write something that is readable and accessible to your potential client so that she can actually glean useful information from what you have to write. Ultimately, you want that client to contact you and establish and attorney-client relationship.
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Use Current Material: We mentioned above that there is no shortage of content out there. Everyday someone is getting hurt, sued, or is about to. That’s just life. it may be the case that there is not material for your firm’s personal injury blog today, but there will be tomorrow. Use examples of other people’s unfortunate accidents, honest mistakes, or plain simple stupidity to make an interesting and compelling point.
A Profession of Content Geniuses
If there was any industry more properly suited for content-based marketing, it’s the law. This may surprise some because there’s this notion that if lawyers give useful information to potential clients, they’ll lose clients who choose to say, file their own forms.
But content marketing like blogging is more nuanced than that. It allows clients to see that you’re there if they decide to let a professional handle a matter. Even if your clients never read your content, the Internet crawlers will give your website that much more visibility.
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