With approximately 450,000 law firms in the United States, content marketing is essential for those looking to attract new clients and grow their practices. But with busy caseloads, many lawyers aren’t utilizing content marketing to its full potential. Here are seven important content marketing tactics that your law firm should be doing, but probably isn’t:
1. Regularly Updating Your Blog
Consistently publishing fresh blog content shows prospective clients that your firm is active and engaged with current legal issues. But over 75% of law firm blogs sit stagnant, with only a handful of posts per year – if that. To fully leverage your blog for lead generation and SEO, aim to publish at least one post per week on topics that matter to your ideal clients.
What should you blog about? Consider covering recent legal developments in your focus areas, answering frequently asked questions, profiling your attorneys, or covering commonly searched-for topics in your area of expertise. Posts focused on issues your target demographic cares about will demonstrate your firm’s relevance. Share perspectives on hot-button topics to establish thought leadership. And optimize posts for SEO by including strategic keywords.
Pro tip: Hire law blog writers to repurpose long-form content like special reports or attorney presentations into blog posts to get more mileage from your best content. Just break the content down into a blog-friendly format.
2. Sending Newsletters
Email newsletters allow you to proactively reach out to prospects and clients with valuable legal insights. Segment your list so you can send targeted content to referral sources, former clients, and other groups tailored to their interests and needs. Focus each edition on a trending topic or practice area update relevant to that segment. Provide truly useful information your subscribers can apply.
Just be sure to keep the promotional language to a minimum. The goal is to establish your expertise and nurture relationships. Avoid sounding overly salesy. Send your newsletter on a consistent schedule, such as monthly or quarterly, so readers come to rely on it as a go-to legal resource.
Pro tip: Promote your newsletter on your website, in email signatures, and on social media. Offer an opt-in form and/or make sign-up easy.
3. Actively Publishing on Social Media
While many lawyers have firm social media pages, few utilize them to their full potential. Be sure to post daily content on high-visibility networks like LinkedIn and Twitter to significantly raise awareness of your firm’s expertise. Share content from your blog, legal news, attorney accomplishments, event updates, practice area overviews, relevant articles, and more.
Respond promptly to any comments, questions, and messages. Make social media engagement a consistent habit, not an afterthought. Participate in relevant legal conversations happening on social platforms. Be helpful, not just promotional. The more you engage, the more visibility you gain.
Pro tip: Repurpose your best content across multiple platforms for maximum exposure. And don’t just post – spend time networking and connecting with ideal prospects.
4. Optimizing Your Content
Is your website content fully optimized for search engines and user experience? Take time to evaluate all of your content – from blog posts to attorney bio pages – to ensure you’re utilizing strategic keywords and providing maximum value to site visitors.
Refresh any old, outdated content and fill in information gaps that users may look for. On-page SEO and site user experience are critical for search engine visibility and conversion rates. Make sure content is well-organized, easy to scan, and answers the questions prospects have when researching legal services.
Pro tip: Include targeted keywords in titles, headers, image names, meta descriptions, and content. Check that site speed and mobile responsiveness meet best practices.
5. Sharing Success Stories
Promoting client wins and positive case results shows potential clients the real-world value you provide. Write up case summaries, transaction spotlights, or client testimonials to feature on your website or link to from social media. Always get client consent before sharing details publicly.
Success stories build credibility by demonstrating you get results for clients facing situations like your prospects. They also help drive conversions when you can point prospects to examples of what you’ve achieved. Feature a different case study or client story every month.
Pro tip: Quote or interview clients directly when possible. Identify stories that align with your ideal client’s needs and obstacles.
6. Issuing Press Releases
Press releases allow you to secure media coverage that strengthens your firm’s visibility and authority. Draft and distribute press releases when your firm has news worth sharing, such as new hires, big case wins, attorney awards, new services, community involvement, published content, and more.
Pitch the releases to reporters who cover the legal industry for print, online, and broadcast media outlets. Securing press mentions lends third-party credibility that your own marketing materials can’t match. But focus on newsworthy stories, not just self-promotion.
Pro tip: Tie press pitches to trending topics in the news. Follow up personally with reporters to increase pickup likelihood.
7. Paying Attention to Competitors
Keeping tabs on competing firms’ content and marketing activities can give you valuable insights to help improve your own approach. Start by reviewing their website content, blogs, attorney bios, social media presence, and any downloadable materials.
See what topics they’re covering, how they position expertise, who they partner with, and where there are gaps you can fill better. Use competitor analysis to shape content that outperforms rivals. Monitor their activities consistently to inform your strategy.
Pro tip: See which of your competitor’s content performs well on organic search and social media using free tools. Let this intelligence guide your focus.
The Bottom Line
Implementing a comprehensive content marketing plan takes significant time – time that lawyers could better devote to serving clients. A professional legal content marketing service can handle these essential tactics on your behalf, freeing you up to focus on legal work. But be wary of services that use overly self-promotional content that sounds more like advertising than value-adding insights.
With a thoughtful strategy combining educational, helpful content across platforms, your firm can leverage content marketing to attract and retain new clients. Consistency and high-quality execution are key to succeeding with these tactics long-term.