Content marking is essential to any business’s strategy to acquire new customers and build authority for the brand.
The hard part is that creating exciting and engaging content for fields in a more serious line of work can be challenging.
But, figuring out the best way to resonate and potentially inspire potential clients to reach out doesn’t need to be an arduous process.
Instead, you can take some simple steps to better your content marketing strategy.
It’s time for content marketers to reinvent the way they look at creating content for a ‘boring’ niche.
Rethinking Content Marketing For A ‘Boring’ Niche
Content marketing presents numerous opportunities to think outside the box and engage with a target audience.
While many aspects of digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) can be highly technical, web content provides a space to get creative and speak to your audience on a deeper level.
Unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity for many marketers who aim to focus on the technical gains of content marketing.
In other words, sometimes they miss the point: that content is meant to reach and resonate with your client’s audience.
The ultimate goal is to help your client make more money by creating content that brings people back to their website and entices them to contact the law firm.
The stereotype is that marketing for a “boring” niche often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Marketers expect “boring,” so they produce “boring.” This doesn’t serve your business or your clients well.
Now is the time for marketers and SEO pros to shift their perspectives on content marketing for legal firms and open their eyes to how creative content can help their clients.
Legal Content Marketing For Relational (And Technical) Gains
If you go into content marketing only thinking about the technical benefits, you only see one piece of the puzzle.
High-quality, creative, authentic, and conversion-friendly content opens the door to links and rankings and can serve your clients in many other (arguably, more important) ways.
Effective content marketing can:
- Position your client as an authority in their niche.
- Increase brand awareness.
- Generate leads.
- Drive traffic and circulation.
- Encourage partnerships with other brands.
- Secure speaking engagements and networking opportunities.
- Drive free publicity.
- Improve their social media presence.
- Identify a new market.
Being mindful of these possibilities frames content marketing in a new, relatable way.
Moreover, it opens up opportunities that marketers may have been initially blind to in their strategy.
Moving Beyond The Usual KPIs
Content marketing isn’t solely about the algorithm. Instead, it’s about forming new relationships (professional, technical, or otherwise) with your clients.
That could mean creating content that:
- Speaks directly to your client’s audience, increasing brand loyalty.
- Secures them a spot at a prominent speaking event.
- Opens up a new market for them in a typically crowded niche.
Focusing on KPIs will only get you so far. Instead, think outside the usual framework of content marketing, and you will tap into the creativity that shapes content built for relational and technical gains.
3 Ways To Get Creative With Your Legal Content Marketing
No more boring blog posts. There are many more creative ways to drive brand awareness, generate links, and land more opportunities for your legal clients.
Below are three innovative strategies for creating authentic and conversion-happy content for law firms.
1. Appeal To Each Step Of The Customer Journey
Know your audience. Rather than casting a wide net when creating content, the best route is to create pieces that relate to each step of the customer journey.
It’s crucial to research the demographics of the existing client base and followers among their online platforms and listings.
Breaking down the demographics, looking at reviews, and finding the content that was performing highly can give insight into how you address clients at each step of the customer journey.
The customer journey consists of several stages: the Discovery, Nurture, Purchase, and Retention phases. And the approach you use in your content will differ for each phase.
Ideally, you’ll be creating content that resonates with your client’s audience every step of the way.
Discovery Phase
Otherwise known as the “information gathering” phase, potential customers in this phase notice what grabs their attention and are actively looking for more information.
This can be an opportunity to create engaging, thought-provoking, or emotional content.
This content should meet the user’s intent and encourage them to take notice.
For example, if your client practices family law, you may want to create content like “3 Ways To Tell That Your Partner Is Considering A Divorce” or “To Adopt Or Not To Adopt: 3 Families Share Their Stories.”
These examples are eye-catching and niche-related but don’t overwhelm the reader with information too much information in the title.
In other words, it lets them know you understand their struggles and can speak their language.
Then, this content can be circulated in ads, social media, or online forums to get it in front of the right people.
Nurture Phase
People in the Nurture phase have already interacted with your client’s brand in some way but may not be ready to make a purchase.
Perhaps it’s not the right time, the budget isn’t there, or they need more information.
This reveals more opportunities for engagement.
This is an excellent time to conduct market research to determine what your client’s audience struggles with most and what the deciding factors are in their buying process.
Often, you’ll have to contact these people via an email list or lead generation tool. You may choose to run a remarketing ad or an email campaign.
Create content that nurtures their feelings of relatability with the brand.
Addressing the fears around cost, trustworthiness, expertise, or other concerns you uncover in your research through the content you produce can have a lasting impact.
Purchase Phase
Your leads are ready to buy, so how do you get them there? It may take a bit of coaxing.
This is where marketers generally lay on the charm – and by charm, I mean a call to action. Think about the next step the potential customer should take.
For example, include internal links they can click on to navigate to your service or contact pages. It’s also crucial that your client is available to receive questions at this time since this can be the last step before they commit.
You should also provide more in-depth, brand-neutral information. Testimonials or case studies make people feel your client’s brand is the best fit for them.
You may want to circulate content that differentiates your client from their competitors. You can do this through strategic guest posting on:
- Well-positioned blog posts on other sites.
- Facebook groups.
- Forums.
- Other places where potential clients may be interacting with the brand.
Retention Phase
So, your legal client has closed a new client – now what?
In the legal field, it may seem like once a lawyer-and-client relationship ends, it’s all over.
However, there’s always a chance that this client may need help with legal issues in the future – or could refer a friend or relative their way.
These contacts should be available via an email list or CMS for follow-up contact. That way, they can send content that maintains brand awareness and loyalty to their clients.
One option is to send an email once the engagement has ended.
This can be to thank them for their business, ask for a review, and prompt them to follow your client on social media. Then, you can run a continuous email campaign of legal tips, events, promotions, and more.
2. Create Timely, Relatable Content
We’ve all seen the trending and “click bait” articles on social media.
As annoying as they may seem, there is a lesson to be learned that can be applied to content marketing.
Users like content that is engaging, inspires an emotional response, or is controversial.
They also like to stay up-to-date on what’s going on, and by creating timely, engaging content, you can accomplish this without creating clickbait. Here’s how:
Staying On Top Of The Trends
The best way to get content in front of the right eyes is by creating timely and relatable content.
Is there a current event that’s making its rounds on social media? Offer a lawyer’s perspective of the issue.
Celebrities going through a divorce? Outline the top 10 benefits of having a prenup.
By making timely content or responding to current trends, you can be confident about creating fast circulation and shareability.
Content with a human element will ensure that it will resonate with the audience and inspire them to engage.
The right content will get them to click, think, and share. Or give your client a call.
3. Sharing Applied vs. Passive Knowledge
The way users engage with content is constantly changing.
People are increasingly looking for content that entertains them, gets them thinking, or makes them feel warm and fuzzy.
The legal niche is especially guilty of creating passive content that informs its audience about a topic. While this can be good for SEO, it’s not particularly good for conversions.
Creating content based on applied knowledge is different. It usually:
- Inspires.
- Teaches.
- Understands.
- Helps.
For instance, a blog post titled “3 Things That Happen When You Get A DUI” serves to inform.
However, a better piece of content for inspiring users to convert may be “Got A DUI? Here’s What You Need To Know.”
This content may outline what the user should do for a DUI case, such as hiring an attorney or tips for overcoming the embarrassment of a DUI.
Pieces like this can help accomplish several goals at once. This can encourage potential clients to trust the law firm and see them as empathetic while informing them of the steps they need to take.
The Power Is In Their Hands
This kind of content is excellent for honing in on a particular audience rather than simply meeting the search queries of those looking for more information about DUIs.
There is also potential to incorporate interesting tools, charts, and infographics to increase engagement. Incorporating visually appealing graphics can help break up content and better engage the reader.
What’s important here is not to overwhelm readers with too much information at once. If you find a piece has too much info, feel free to break it into a series of posts.
When you offer practical knowledge, you give readers autonomy and put the freedom of choice in their hands.
In addition, they will trust you as the expert because you provide valuable information but won’t feel pressured by a hard sell.
Final Takeaways
Law firms have much to gain from content marketing, such as attracting new clients, getting more website traffic, and building themselves as an authority for legal advice in their communities.
By thinking about the customer journey and shifting to creating content that will resonate with their target audience, content marketers can turn around the way legal firms engage with clients.
Producing high-quality, well-researched, interesting content will help firms meet their goals and create valuable pieces to promote across multiple platforms.
When marketers shift to timely topics and content that people can relate to, they will see better results that will interest people and help their SEO presence.
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