Authored By: Candace Whitman
Content marketing can be a great marketing strategy for trial law firms. It can establish your firm as an expert, build trust with potential clients, and drive valuable website traffic. Here are tips for content marketing, including how to brainstorm content ideas that fit your firm.
Understand Your Audience
To craft relevant content, you must first know who your audience is and what they want to know. Your audience may include clients, potential clients, and other attorneys. A personal injury lawyer's specific audience could be individuals searching for "what to do after a car accident" or "how to file a medical malpractice lawsuit."
Write down common questions, concerns, and misconceptions you hear from your clients and potential clients. Your content should address those common questions and concerns your clients have. Use your experience to identify recurring issues clients bring up during consultations.
Brainstorm Ideas
Team Brainstorming Sessions
Collaborate with your team to come up with ideas. Each team member brings a unique perspective on your clients' needs. One productive way to generate ideas is to hold a brainstorming session. First, designate someone to take notes on ideas. Then, propose a question or discussion topic, go around in a circle, and allow each person to share an idea. If someone has no ideas to share when it's their turn, pass to the next person. Keep going around the circle until everyone passes. After the brainstorming session, review the ideas, determine which ones seem promising, and create a plan to make them a reality.
Leverage News and Trends
Write about timely issues in law, like new legislation, focusing on how they impact your practice area. Example: "How a Recent Supreme Court Decision May Affect Personal Injury Cases."
Repurpose Content
Turn existing content into new formats. For example, use blog ideas to create videos, break podcasts or videos into short clips to post as reels, or create infographics for social media based on blogs. You can also rewrite or update your most popular or most useful content and publish it again at a later time.
Avoid Using Legal Jargon
Avoid overly technical language that may alienate non-lawyers. Your goal is to educate, not overwhelm. If you use a legal term, take the opportunity to explain it in a simple way that anyone can understand. This approachability also demonstrates to potential clients that you will work with them and make sure they comprehend what is happening with their case.
Create a Content Calendar
Plan your content to ensure consistency. On your calendar, include the topic, the content type, when it will go live, who will be writing it, and any other critical details.
You can also use events and holidays for inspiration, so adding those to your calendar for the entire year can be beneficial so that no content opportunities go unnoticed.
Promote Your Content Effectively
Share your content on social media, include links in newsletters, and optimize your website for SEO. Ensure every piece of content directs readers to a call-to-action (CTA), encouraging them to contact your firm.
Content marketing doesn't have to be overwhelming; pre-planning can relieve much of the stress involved. By focusing on your clients' needs, using brainstorming techniques, and staying consistent, your trial law firm can produce valuable, engaging content that builds trust and drives business.
