The Many Benefits of Content Marketing
Content marketing is becoming an essential channel amongst most organizations. Many people have realized the benefits of content marketing for law firms, but aren’t quite sure how to measure it. Obviously, return on investment (ROI) is a key measurement of success for most marketing tactics. However, content marketing offers more than a simplistic financial return on investment. Legal marketers need to make sure they’re not short-changing their efforts by looking at the hidden benefits of content marketing for law firms. Here are four of the less obvious advantages law firms can experience through content marketing.
Why is Content Marketing Important?
Content marketing refers to a type of marketing in which firms create and share online materials such as blogs, videos, ebooks, etc. that don’t directly promote the law firm but rather stimulate some type of interest in the firm’s services. Content marketing is important for today’s digital landscape, as consumers have become more and more numb to typical advertising tactics. Rather, content marketing positions your firm as a thought leader and gives your audience something of value and interest.
Many are aware of the typical benefits of content marketing like increased lead generation, however, creating content will do much more for your firm than just that.
1. Valuable Content Creates Trust
Many marketing experts agree that being highly trustworthy is key to gaining a competitive advantage. One reliable way to earn more people’s trust is to create truly helpful content and then give it away for free. When trust is the goal, your firm should attempt to sell without selling – that is, aim to transfer something valuable from the institution to the individual. Doing so is an effective way to nurture relationships and become a reliable resource.
2. Thought Leadership Can Help With Recruiting
Potential employees will research all facets of your firm. Showcasing content that displays your expertise and thought leadership will both intrigue them and help to convince them that your staff is at the forefront of the legal industry. Many firms would be surprised to see how much engaging content can impact the decisions of people they are trying to recruit. This is especially true for individuals who plan to develop a personal brand and want to be viewed as a leader in their niche. Consider partnering with your HR department to ask new hires if content made any difference in them signing on with your firm. Then share that information with your internal teams and make sure content creators collaborate with new staff who want to highlight their expertise.
3. Content Marketing Improves Social Media Presence
If you’re not seeing a lot of engagement on your social media, creating content may be the answer. By sharing helpful content on social media, you’ll create better relationships with your audience as you add value to their feed and are bound to see better engagement than if you just simply posted about topics without a content offer included.
Related: Advanced Social Media Strategies for Law Firms eBook
4. Positive Content Can Boost Internal Morale
Content that gets published can really excite the staff of your firm (and make them want to work for more). That’s even more true for websites, publications, or journals that your attorneys read. Furthermore, others in your firm will “cheer on” the effort and happily share your content on social media, which is free promotion for your firm. Don’t be afraid to “market” the popularity of certain content internally. It’s always nice to know what makes your company stand out!
5. Content Marketing Can Generate Better Quality Leads
Sure, it’s been said many times that content marketing is great for lead generation, but putting out great content actually also helps you ensure that the leads you’re generating are higher quality. If someone engages with your content enough to become a lead, chances are they’re already deep enough into the awareness stage to understand your firm’s offerings and whether it’s a fit for them. Gone are the days where you nurture leads that won’t go anywhere!
6. Content Gives People Something to Converse About
Great content gets people inside and outside of your firm chatting. It provides colleagues something to share with one another (as well as those outside the firm). It can even offer opportunities to recruit more advocates or participants for future content. Content marketing touches a surprising amount of functions within a firm, so it can be an area to improve relationships and collaboration.
7. Showcases Your Personality
Nowadays, consumers want to work with brands that they can relate to, and law firms and lawyers are notoriously challenged in trying to remain relatable in the eyes of the public. With content, you can easily showcase a voice, brand, and style that helps your audience understand your values and, above all else. will humanize your brand.
8. Improved Search Visibility
SEO and content marketing can and should work in tandem. Posting more content on your site and updating pages has the potential to help boost how often search engines crawl your page. Better yet, the pieces of content you post can be used to target specific keywords.
9. Useful Content Can Streamline Meetings
The initial consultation and first few meetings are bound to be full of many questions. Providing potential clients with informative content at every stage of the buyer’s journey can help them answer questions they may have before even stepping foot in your audience.
Related: The Law Firm Guide to Content Marketing eBook
10. Saved Money
Content marketing is great because it’s notoriously cost efficient as long as you’re willing to learn. There’s also a lot of great writers out there, such as the Legal Writers Bureau, who are willing to write content for you. Putting together content can be a cost efficient tactic that garners a great ROI, unlike online ads where you’ll always have to keep spending money.
Takeaway:
As with most things marketing-related, it’s smart to measure in quantifiable ways when possible. Several platforms and tools can help you to monitor the success of your content marketing, but it’s important to keep these intangible benefits in mind as well. Marketing success and failure can often depend on the effectiveness of your content marketing, so it’s critical to get it right. If you don’t feel like your firm has the bandwidth to create compelling content regularly, consider working with one of our writers from The Legal Writers Bureau.
This post has been edited and republished from Jan. 20, 2022.
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