Attorney Content Marketing: What Types of Content Should You Create?

After developing a website, optimizing the website, and creating an effective bio, the next major step in developing business online is content marketing. Below is a basic overview of the tactics and media you can use to fill your website with content and get your online business development machine churning.

To search engines and searchers, a website is only as good as the content on it. Your blog can include many different forms of media, whether it is text, video, infographic, or embedded podcast, and should be the most active part of your website. Each blog post should be engaging and informative; written with a goal in mind; and provide a call-to-action that encourages a reader to learn more. 

To rise above your competition, you have to think beyond the basics (e.g. “what is bankruptcy?”) and produce content that readers and search engines want to read. Luckily, there is always something new to write, and there is always someone in need of information. When brainstorming blog topics, consider the following formats (courtesy of Mockingbird Marketing, Paper Street, and Rainmaker Institute):

1. How-To Posts (how to get creditors to stop calling you, etc.)
2. Checklists (what to bring to an estate planning appointment, etc.)
3. Lists (seven mistakes people make at a DUI checkpoint, etc.)
4. Frequently Asked Questions (frequently asked questions about immigration in the US, etc.)
5. Op-Eds on Current Events (how the Trump administration will change libel lawsuits, etc.)
6. Use Your Legal Expertise to Analyze a TV Show or Hobby (Law and the Multiverse)
7. Educational Posts Explained in Laymen’s Terms (how to research case law, etc.)

8. Weekly or monthly round-ups of industry/specialty news

While your blog is where you demonstrate your expertise, your website pages/landing pages are where you talk about who you are, what you have done, and everything else a potential client should know about you. 

Search engines are designed to deliver the most accurate and relevant answers to searchers, and today, queries on search engines are longer, more specific, and more conversational than ever. Therefore, your landing pages need to address a full question that a potential client may have. Best practices for landing pages include:

- Never putting all your practice areas on the same page—create a single page for each practice area; and
- Clearly explain each practice area, including common questions, talking points, examples, and an explanation as to why you are better equipped to handle these types of cases than your competitors.

For more advice and inspiration on creating landing pages, this Instapage blog shares critiques of the top 100 landing pages across the web.

Whitepapers (8-10 pages) and eBooks (10-100 pages) are long-form content pieces designed to get someone to fill out their contact information for something unique and valuable. Consider combining blogs into whitepapers, and putting the whitepaper behind a log in page for an easy way to fuel your lead generation.

Maybe your prospective client wants to learn something on their drive to work, while cooking dinner, and/or during his or her lunch break. Podcasting and video are two ways to put your name and message out there without requiring them to read a word. If you feel better suited for talking than writing, both of these forms of media are perfect for you to share your knowledge. Better yet, embed videos and podcasts on your blog to drive even more people to your website. 

Learn more about examples and best practices on our Podcasting for Attorneys blog, and consider getting inspiration for your video and podcasting strategy from leaders like Skiba Law Group and JDBlogger, and from Brian Heidelberger’s YouTube Channel.

If you have successfully helped a client, and they would like to thank you for it, a case study is a way to go. With their consent, share their story from the time they found you to the end of the representation, documenting the problems they faced and explaining how you solved them. Case studies are a good way to demonstrate your ability to help clients. For good case study questions, read this: 100 Case Study Interview Questions.

Content marketing creates a competitive advantage for attorneys looking to improve their business development practices and build-out their referrals network. By writing about interesting topics, distributing them through a multitude of media, and building a following, you can expand your reach, becoming a trusted source of information and insight. Expand your reach by posting your blogs and articles on Legal Services Link and get more clients from the comfort of your office. Join today!