Prospective clients don’t want to read or listen to an attorney talk about the law. They don’t want information, they want help. Attorneys should spend their time doing legal work, not writing blog posts and articles or recording podcasts and videos.
Many attorneys believe this. But is it true?
Sorry, it’s fake news.
More than anything, prospective clients want information. They have questions and go online looking for answers—about their legal situation, their risks, and their options. Or, they know they have a problem and go looking for an attorney who can help them with that specific problem.
Many attorneys say they are the best choice. They’ve got a lot of experience, satisfied clients, and they want to help. That’s fine, but most prospective clients (and the people who refer them) want more.
It’s all about information. Because if it’s not, how are they supposed to know what to do and which attorney to choose?
Your content shows them you know the law and have handled this type of problem before. The information you provide and the stories you tell about other clients you’ve helped prove it.
Your content builds trust and helps people understand why you are the right choice.
Prospective clients get answers to some of their questions. They see you have experience and you are generous in providing this information. They hear your “voice” and get a sense of what it would be like to work with you.
Your content not only attracts prospective clients, it sells them on hiring you.
So no, content marketing is not a waste of time. Nor is it difficult to do.
You write (or hire someone to write) blog posts, articles, reports, ebooks, and/or record podcasts, videos, or presentations, and you disseminate this. Prospective clients find your content and consume it, see why they need to do something, and why they should hire you or connect with you to learn more.
Your content also has a long shelf life. Something you write today might bring you search traffic and leads and new clients five years from now. You can also re-use and repurpose your content into other formats, for different markets or for different legal situations.
Content marketing also gives you great posture. It’s inbound marketing. People come to you.
And when they do, if they’re not yet ready to hire you, your content can help build a list of prospective clients, allowing you to stay in touch with them, remind them you’re still available to help them, and continues to show them why they should choose you.
