Content creation Archives - Page 13 of 14 - The Attorney Marketing Center

Captain obvious

April 15, 2021 by David M. Ward

When I was fresh out of law school, I volunteered time at a legal clinic, speaking to indigent people, mostly about family law matters. At the time, I didn’t know squat from shinola about restraining orders.

Fortunately, the clients did.

They’d talked to friends and other people who were similarly situated. They knew what forms to file and what they would need to prove. Usually, they just needed help cleaning up their declaration.

From that day forward, I always assumed my clients and prospective clients knew more than I might think.

You should, too.

Listen to what they tell you or ask you. You’ll be able to do a better job for them when you know what they know.

On the other hand, when you write a newsletter or article or blog post, when you post something on social media, you don’t know how much your readers know.

You have to assume they know nothing, and cover the basics, even if you’ve covered them before.

You probably know much of what I share with you, because you’ve heard it before or you have personal experience with the subject.

Or because it’s just common sense.

And that’s okay. What I share with you, what you share with your readers, doesn’t have to be “news”.

Often, we write to remind our readers to do what they already know, because knowing isn’t the same as doing. Or we show them other ways or better ways to do it.

You surely know the value of staying in touch with your clients and contacts, for example, but do you do it as often as you should? Hearing me talk about it (again) might catch you at just the right time when you needed to hear it and prompt you to get back on track.

You certainly know the value of referrals, and I know you want more of them, but you might not be comfortable asking clients for referrals, until you read about a way to “ask” without speaking to them.

We remind our readers about what they already know, show them different ways to do what they know they should do, and inspire them to do it with our examples and stories.

Share new ideas when you get them. But never hesitate to share old ideas, or assume your readers already know them.

How to get referrals from your clients without asking

Filed Under: Content creation, Email, Newsletters

The easiest (and quickest) type of article or post you can write

April 13, 2021 by David M. Ward

When you’re in a hurry and you need to crank out a blog post, a newsletter article, a social media post, or any other type of content to be consumed by others, one of the easiest (and quickest) types of post to write is a “list” post.

!0 Ways to (do something)
3 Reasons (something doesn’t work),
7 Steps to (getting a specific result)
5 Things I tell all my clients about (something)
4 Places to Find (information, people, forms)

Yeah, a list.

Write the list, add an intro and a closing comment or call to action, and you’re done.

Readers enjoy these types of articles because they can read them quickly, they’re easy to understand, and if some of the items on your list don’t apply to them or resonate with them, something else might.

These are easy to write because it’s just a list. Each item is a sentence or two. Or, go crazy and write 3.

Where do you get items to include in the list?

You can start with this short “article” I just wrote to answer your question:

5 Places to Find Ideas For Your Blog Post or Newsletter Article

From articles you’ve saved in an “ideas” folder
From your old articles and posts. Find something you wrote two years ago and reuse part of it
From presentations, videos, or podcasts, you’ve consumed (including CLE)
From websites or newsletters dedicated to clients and advisors in your niche market
From memory. Interesting clients, strange cases, funny answers in depos, things you tell clients to do or avoid

Just about anywhere.

So, here’s my challenge to you. Take ten minutes right now and outline a list article, AKA a “Listicle”.

You’ll thank me later.

For more article ideas, see my Email Marketing for Attorneys course

Filed Under: Content creation, Email, Newsletters, Writing

Do you make this mistake in writing your newsletter?

March 2, 2021 by David M. Ward

You may have thousands of subscribers to your newsletter but when you send your list an email, remember to write to one person at a time.

Don’t write as if you’re speaking to a group. Unlike social media, email is an intimate medium, sent from one human to another, who reads your message as if you sent it to them and them alone.

Don’t address your readers in the collective. Don’t say things like, “Some of you. . .”. Don’t even hint that there is anyone else reading your message.

A writer I follow put it this way:

“I just got an email today with the line, “I can’t wait to see you guys in the webinar!”
The comment was innocent enough, but it was enough to snap me out of the one-to-one conversation this person’s email had with me.”

Your readers no doubt get other newsletters. They read yours, or read yours first as many of my subscribers tell me, because you don’t just deliver useful information, you speak to them as a friend or colleague.

And people crave personal relationships.

Your readers know there are other people getting the same message. They also know they can reply and ask a question or continue the conversation, and they like knowing that a real person will read what they write.

Take advantage of email’s greatest strength and use it to build a relationship with your readers. At first, it may be a simulated relationship. Eventually, it can turn into a real attorney-client relationship.

How to write an email newsletter that brings in clients

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Email, Newsletters, Writing

4 ways to produce more content in less time

February 9, 2021 by David M. Ward

Content marketing is a simple concept. You write or record something that educates your target market about legal problems and solutions and thus show them what you do and how you can help them. This brings you more traffic, more subscribers, more followers, more new clients, repeat clients, and referrals.

You can use articles, blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, video channels, social media, and other means to disseminate your content.Â

Sounds good, right, but producing a steady stream of content for a blog or newsletter or podcast, takes time, and you donâ€™t have that time.Â Â

Never fear, here are 4 ways to get the job done more quickly.

1) Donâ€™t write, re-write

Re-write your old posts and articles with fresh examples and stories, updates to the law, or different ways of saying what you said before.Â

You can also â€œslice and diceâ€. Cut up old posts and combine them into new ones.Â

No doubt have lots of material on your hard drive that can be re-written, updated, or re-purposed. Or, if itâ€™s been awhile since you published something, publish it again.Â

You can also re-write someone elseâ€™s content. Use their idea and basic structure but your words, examples and stories.Â

2) Donâ€™t write one article, write ten

Instead of writing one blog post on a topic, write 3. Or ten.

Take a subject you know well, or research for an hour or two, and write a monthâ€™s worth of articles on different aspects of that subject.Â

Itâ€™s called â€œbundlingâ€ or â€œbatchingâ€ and itâ€™s a great way to produce a lot of content.Â

If you handle personal injury, for example, you could write about tort law, the claims process, how cases are evaluated, medical treatment, liens, first party insurance, negotiation, and a lot more. And that doesnâ€™t include litigation.Â

3) Write less

Instead of writing lengthy newsletters, like I see many attorneys do, cut them up into shorter articles, one subject per post.Â People donâ€™t have time to read 3000 words. Help them (and yourself) by delivering 300.Â

4) Write faster

You can write content more quickly by outlining it first and then dictating it. Pretend youâ€™re teaching a class or doing a presentation on the subject–talk, record, transcribe, edit, done.

Something else:

The more you write, the quicker you get at writing. Write often and youâ€™ll soon crank out a lot more content in a lot less time.Â

I’ve used all of these tactics and they work. They’ve helped me produce millions of words, which have brought me millions of dollars.

Now it’s your turn.

How to write more content for your blog

Filed Under: Content creation, Productivity, Writing

What secret word unlocks email marketing success (But isn’t a secret)?

January 26, 2021 by David M. Ward

One word. A word that can turn a boring newsletter, blog post, or article into something your subscribers look forward to reading. A word that helps you forge relationships with your readers and bring them closer to hiring you and referring you.

The word is hardly a secret. You use it every day in conversation, but perhaps not so much in your newsletter, articles, and blog posts, because “experts” tell you to avoid it.

The word? “I”.

Yes, talk about yourself.

Of course you will mostly talk about your reader–their problems, their wants and needs, their niche market or community.

Talk about subjects that interest your reader, but don’t leave yourself out of the picture.

Tell your story. Let people get to know you and what it’s like to work with you.

Because you are the solution to their problems.

When you talk about the law, use examples and stories from your practice. Talk about how you’ve dealt with these issues before, on behalf of other clients.

Describe yourself in action, talking to people, creating documents, writing letters, arguing or negotiating on behalf of your clients.

Your readers what to know what you’ve done for other clients, because it shows them what you can do for them.

Don’t make your newsletter all about you. But don’t forget to talk about yourself, because that’s how your readers get to know, like and trust you.

Email Marketing for Attorneys

Filed Under: Content creation, Email, Newsletters, Writing

Your idea stinks. Congratulations.

January 15, 2021 by David M. Ward

Your lists are overflowing with ideas. Ideas for growing your practice, managing your investments, raising your kids, places to see and things to do and thousands of other things you saw or heard or thought.

You have pages of notes and “someday/maybe” tasks, deferred projects, techniques for getting more organized, strategies for increasing your productivity, and ways to find inner peace.

You have lists of books to read and videos to watch, ideas for blog posts and articles to write, courses to take, and websites to explore.

Am I right or am I right?

I know I’m right because I have these, too.

Let’s be honest. Let’s admit that most of these ideas aren’t very good and (thankfully) we’ll never do most of them.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop collecting bad ideas because out of that massive list of bad ideas come a few good ones.

And a few good ideas is all we need.

The thing is, if we only pay attention to good ideas, we stifle our ability to find the good ones.

Seth Godin said:

â€œPeople who have trouble coming up with good ideas, if they’re telling you the truth, will tell you they don’t have very many bad ideas. But people who have plenty of good ideas, if they’re telling the truth, will say they have even more bad ideas. So the goal isn’t to get good ideas; the goal is to get bad ideas. Because once you get enough bad ideas, then some good ones have to show up.â€

—Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

The lesson is simple: if you want more good ideas, write down more bad ones.

Filed Under: Content creation, Productivity, success

What topic could you be interviewed about for 30 minutes with zero preparation?

January 8, 2021 by David M. Ward

This was a headline for an ad I saw on social media. It’s a good headline and a good question for those who want to create more content to use in their marketing.

Which is something every lawyer should do.

My challenge to you is to answer that question and then turn your knowledge into a short presentation, a long article or blog post, or a series of emails for your newsletter.

Because people want to know what you know.

When you share your knowledge this way, they’ll want to ask you about their specific situation and hire you to help them.

Put your content online and it will live there forever, bringing you clients for years to come.

An easy way to do this is to have a friend interview you about your subject. Give them some starter questions to ask you and have at it.

Or, interview yourself.

Record yourself speaking about the subject for 30 minutes, transcribe the recording, and you’ll have a valuable piece of content. Or at least the first draft.

Or, keep talking for another 30 minutes and you’ll have enough for a short book.

One thing I can tell you, if you know your subject, the time will go quickly. 30 minutes will feel like 5. Which means you’ll have the rest of the day to talk on another topic people want to know.

My ebook, The Easy Way to Write a Book, shows you everything you need to know

Filed Under: Content creation, Writing

I’d like to interview you

January 6, 2021 by David M. Ward

Getting interviews is easy. Tell people you’d like to interview them for a book, an article or blog post, or as a guest on your podcast or channel. Most people will say yes.

Most people are flattered to be asked and excited to get exposure for their work or their cause.

What’s in it for you?

More content for your blog or newsletter or channel. Or a book–I turned an interview with successful appellate lawyer, Steven Emmert into a book, How to Build a Successful Appellate Practice
More traffic to your blog or web site or book sales page from followers of the interviewee or people searching for them
You get to connect with influential people you might otherwise never meet, which could lead to other marketing opportunities or referrals
You get to learn something you can use in your practice or personal life
They may ask to interview you for their blog, podcast or book

You can interview one expert or several (and aggregate them for your article or book).

You can record and transcribe the interview, as I did for my book, or email questions they can answer at their leisure.

Interviews are easy. Here are 3 tips for making them even easier (and better):

Before the interview, ask them to send you their profile or “introduction” and what they want to promote (their book, their website, their offer, etc., and links thereto).
Ask them to send you five or ten questions they’d like you to ask them. Add these to your own. Your readers or listeners will get better information and you’ll get a better (and easier) interview.
Ask open ended questions. Get them to open up, share examples and stories, and reveal something interesting about themselves.

Interviewing fellow professionals and other experts is an easy and effective way to market your practice. I should write a book about it. Wait, I already did: The Easy Way to Write a Book

Filed Under: Content creation, Marketing legal services

The biggest sin in marketing legal services

November 12, 2020 by David M. Ward

There are a lot of ways to go wrong in your marketing. Here are just a few:

Wasting time or money on strategies that aren’t working
Shotgun marketing: trying to sell everything, e.g., all of your services, to everyone at the same time
Not pre-qualifying prospective clients
Chasing instead of attracting
Not using a “call-to-action” (telling prospects what to do)
Not differentiating yourself from other lawyers
Not following up with prospects
Not building a list
Not staying in touch with former clients

These can all cost you clients and hurt your bottom line.

The biggest sin in marketing, however, is being boring.

People won’t read boring articles. They won’t watch boring videos or listen to boring podcasts. They won’t follow boring people on social media.

You might get your marketing message in front of a lot of people who need your help or who can refer people who do, and get nowhere because they never read or relate to your message.

If you want people to hire you or build a relationship with you, you’ve got to get and keep their interest.

Fortunately, this isn’t difficult to do.

It starts with researching the people you want to attract.

Study their market or industry, their problems and desires, so you can show them you understand them and what they want or need, and are uniquely qualified to help them get it.

How to research your target market and ideal client

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Marketing legal services