Education-based “content” marketing is a long-established method for showing prospective clients you have the knowledge and experience to help them. Writing blog posts and articles, doing seminars and presentations, writing books, creating videos, posting tips on social, and so on, allow you to attract prospective clients and show them why they should hire you.
You don’t have to convince anyone. Your content does that for you.
Some lawyers don’t use content marketing, or not much of it. They say they don’t want to give away their knowledge and advice, they should get paid for it. They don’t want to train their audience to expect “free” and not see the need to hire them.
Other lawyers give away too much information and regret it for that very reason.
There is a middle ground. A way to use content marketing appropriately by showing clients the wisdom of hiring you and paying top dollar to do it.
Here are some content marketing best practices:
- Use content marketing to educate your market about “why”. Why they have a problem or need, why what they’re doing isn’t working, why they need a lawyer’s help, and why that lawyer should be you. Show them what’s at stake, what might happen if they do nothing, and why they could make things worse if they try to “fix” their problem on their own.
- Use content marketing to show the “big picture,” not the complete step-by-step. Show them what needs to be done, not how to do it. Show them that solving their problem is hard work, there are many moving parts and deadlines and details, and that it won’t be easy. But also show them the rainbow after the storm, that all the work will be worth it.
- Use content to show how you are different from other attorneys. How you are better and faster, you are ready to go to work, and that you are worth more because you deliver more.
- Use content to let them hear your voice—your personality, your philosophies, your stye, and what it is like to work with you.
- Use content to show that you understand them and truly care about helping them. Use stories to show empathy and how you have helped many others in the same situation.
Information is cheap. Clients can get it in many places. Let them get it from you.
Give information generously. If you give too little, it looks you’re holding back. But don’t give too much or, true or not, they may believe they don’t need you.
Use content marketing to teach the why, hint at the how, and sell the need for your services.
