Law firms in all practice areas can benefit from executing effective content marketing campaigns. Whether your goal is to generate inquiries through your firm’s website or to build an online presence to connect with potential referral sources, professional legal content writing can be a cost effective and not overtly promotional way to grow your law firm’s book of business.
There are several key aspects to effective content writing for law firms. We’ve covered some of the key aspects of legal content writing previously, and in this article we’re focusing on the strategic aspects of building a successful campaign. So, if you’re interested in learning what it takes to build your law firm’s online presence, keep reading to find out what you need to know.
The Keys to Effective Content Writing for Law Firms
What do managing partners and law firms’ chief marketing officers need to know about building a successful content marketing campaign? Here are seven keys to effective legal content writing for law firms:
1. Identify Your Target Audience
One of the first keys to building an effective legal content writing campaign is identifying your target audience. You probably know your target audience already, but the key is to keep this audience in mind when choosing what to write about, how to write about it, and where to publicize your law firm’s content. Too often, law firms’ content marketing campaigns focus on getting website visitors, period. While some marketing agencies take the approach that any traffic is good traffic, in our experience this isn’t the case.
Keeping your target audience in mind is critical when deciding what to write about on your law firm’s website. For example, an article with car accident statistics might get some clicks, but are these clicks valuable for a personal injury law firm? Most likely not. If someone needs a personal injury lawyer, they aren’t going to be looking for data. Instead, they are going to be looking for answers to their specific questions.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
When it comes to developing a successful legal content writing campaign, identifying your target audience is just the first step. You need to understand your target audience as well. For example:
- If your content is targeting prospective clients, what are their pain points? What are their questions? What information do they need in order to be convinced to pick up the phone?
- If your content is targeting potential referral sources, what is their level of expertise in your firm’s areas of practice? What types of clients are they likely to be able to refer, and what information will they need to be able to convey on your firm’s behalf?
- Regardless of your target audience, what is their level of comprehension? What format of content is likely to work best? How can you use your law firm’s static website content and blog articles to show that your firm is the right choice?
None of these questions have easy answers; and, even within individual practice areas, the answers will be different for different law firms. As a result, a custom-tailored approach to legal content writing is key—not only in terms of the content itself, but also in terms of the firm’s content marketing strategy.
3. Leverage the Power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) remains a powerful tool for law firms seeking to grow their online presence. While nearly all practice areas have become extremely competitive, there are several tools and tactics that have proven to effectively deliver results over time. Whether you are primarily interested in targeting prospective clients or referral sources, leveraging the power of organic SEO in particular can deliver long-term results with a significant return on investment (ROI).
While organic SEO was something of a guessing game 10 to 15 years ago, this isn’t the case today. Professional SEO providers use multiple applications to test, track, and constantly hone their strategies in order to generate website traffic. Again, generating the right traffic is critical, and this is one of the main reasons why it is important to work with an experienced legal content writing agency that understands the legal market.
4. Broadcast Your Law Firm’s Content on Social Media
While leveraging the power of SEO is one way to build your law firm’s online presence through legal content writing, it isn’t the only way. Law firms can also generate leads and referrals by broadcasting their content on social media. Summarizing and linking to your law firm’s blog articles, alerts, and other updates on LinkedIn and other relevant platforms can extend your firm’s online reach and generate valuable traffic without relying on high Google rankings.
5. Connect with Potential Referral Sources on Social Media
Most social media consultants will tell you that broadcasting content on social media isn’t an effective strategy—at least not on its own. While we don’t necessarily think this is the case, we do believe that engaging on social media can be an effective way to further enhance a law firm’s online presence.
A simple way to get started with social media engagement is to pose a question when you post an article. Simply asking “What do you think?” at the end of your post can encourage readers to comment. In turn, your law firm can comment in response, and this can help to foster new online relationships.
But, while you’re on LinkedIn, it may be worth commenting on a few other people’s posts as well. Comments don’t have to be lengthy or reflect deep insights, but they should be professional and reflect an informed perspective. Combined with organic SEO, over time, a well-crafted social media strategy can be an effective complement to professional content writing for law firms.
6. Keep Your Firm’s Website Content Up to Date
Shifting gears a bit, it is important to keep your law firm’s website up to date. Replace former attorneys’ bio pages with new ones, and go back and edit any blog posts that have been rendered inaccurate by new statutes or other developments in the law.
Leaving outdated content on your law firm’s website isn’t a good look; and, in the worst-case scenario, it can lead prospective clients in the wrong direction. As an example, Florida recently slashed its personal injury statute of limitations from four years to two years. If law firms are still telling people that they have four years to file a claim (which many are), this can put them in a risky position.
7. Publish Consistently with Specific Goals in Mind
Finally, when it comes to content writing for law firms, consistency is key. But, it is also important to write and publish legal content with a specific goal in mind. There should be a reason behind everything your law firm publishes. If there isn’t, the content won’t necessarily do any harm—it just isn’t likely to do any good, either.
Legal content writing can serve several purposes. While most content is geared toward attracting potential clients or potential referral sources, there are various sub-categories of content and sub-goals within each of these areas. Once you have a clear understanding of your law firm’s goals, then you can leverage the power of legal content writing effectively.
About Smart Content
Smart Content is a U.S.-based content marketing agency that works primarily with law firms, but also with other professional services firms and other select clients. We have written legal content for law firms in most states and in multiple countries around the globe.
Why Law Firms Choose Smart Content
Why should you choose Smart Content for your law firm’s legal content writing needs? Here’s what we have to offer:
- Decades of Expertise – Our CEO and SEO Director each have over a decade of experience helping law firms get found online. Our CEO is also a non-practicing lawyer.
- Focus on Legal Content Writing – We are a boutique agency that focuses specifically on content development and content strategy execution for law firms and other sophisticated clients.
- Thousands of Pages Written – We have written thousands upon thousands of pages of content for law firms in the U.S. and worldwide.
- A Professional Approach – Since we work primarily with law firms, we take a professional approach that is well-suited to the legal niche.
- Reasonable Rates Due to Low Overhead – All members of our team work remotely, which reduces our overhead and allows us to deliver professional legal content services at a fraction of the cost of other agencies.
Our Content Writing and SEO Services for Law Firms
Unlike other law firm content marketing agencies, we don’t claim to do it all. Instead, we focus exclusively on doing what we do best—and that’s developing and executing effective legal content writing strategies. Our services for law firms include:
- Website content buildouts for both new and existing law firm websites
- Monthly content writing services, including blog articles and updates to existing content
- Content writing for LinkedIn, JDSupra, National Law Review, and other third-party platforms
- Organic SEO services for law firms in all practice areas and geographic locations
- Content writing services for international law firms targeting the U.S. market
Contact Us to Get Started Today
If you are interested in learning more about how we execute effective content marketing strategies for law firms in all practice areas, we invite you to get in touch. Please contact us online to get started today.