In general, an attorney or a law firm is called upon when there is some type of legal turmoil or situation that a client cannot handle independently. For those clients, the attorneys at these law firms have the knowledge and experience to help them get through an often complicated battle in court. However, it often happens that once the case has been resolved, the client will no longer need the legal services of that law firm.
While this is common in the legal field, it is not great from a business development perspective. So what is a law firm or attorney to do in this situation?
Simply put, the path to recognition in the current, modern legal field involved disseminating knowledge and information pertinent to clients and others in the field. This means that legal professionals need to begin investing their time and effort into creating content for thought leadership as well as publishing and sharing thought leadership marketing content.
What Is Thought Leadership?
Thought leadership uses the skills, knowledge, and experience that members of law firms have gathered over the years to begin establishing themselves as experts in their specific legal practice areas. To become a thought leader, an attorney must be among the most successful attorneys in the field, foremost authorities in the practice area, and relied upon for their expertise and analysis for various legal situations.
Those who write thought leadership content based on legal questions discuss various topics and legal challenges facing those in their audience and use many different media types. These can include:
- Blog posts
- Podcast episodes (your podcast or guest spots)
- Bylined articles
- White papers
- Other types of writing to become a trusted advisor in the law
When creating thought leadership marketing for lawyers, the law firm must understand what topics and issues most concern their prospective clients and others in their legal practice. It is not enough to reiterate the types of content that one could find in law textbooks. Thought leadership content such as insights, analysis, new ideas on a legal issue, and unique legal opinions that provide new perspectives in the legal field would be most beneficial in establishing a law firm as a legal authority and pushing them into the thought leadership role.
Why Should Law Firms Have a Thought Leadership Marketing Strategy?
When a law firm provides legal services to clients, they have established itself as a business. In addition, a crucial part of business development efforts is in marketing and promoting your firm and its legal services. This marketing effort should also include any thought leadership content you and your team have created.
You need to carefully consider the type of thought leadership content you should craft and market it effectively. Thought leadership marketing content should be shared and promoted very carefully to ensure the right audience sees it. This requires a well-developed strategy and the exact execution of that strategy for maximum visibility to the people who most need that content.
Without a proper strategy, many lawyers’ thought leadership marketing efforts may start strong but will likely dwindle as the business increases, and more prospective clients begin to make contact. The strategy – laid out very particularly – will ensure that your legal teams stick to the plan and continue to create more thought leadership marketing content and sharing it widely. Legal marketers know that even the greatest content will not be useful to your firm if no current clients, potential clients, or other legal experts are aware of its existence.
The Benefits of Thought Leadership for a Law Firm
In the past, success for a law firm was based on the number of clients they had and how many cases they won. Although this is still important for the firm as a business, thought leadership marketing efforts for lawyers also contribute to the overall success of a law team. Some of the top benefits of thought leadership include: achieving expert status, respect in the legal industry, and continued business development.
Establishment as an Expert
When lawyers are considered the go-to experts in particular practice areas, their opinions, and analyses of a legal situation are held in the highest esteem. They will be in constant demand for their insights because they are the foremost authorities. This expertise cannot simply be given to anyone – it must be earned. A great way to gain this expert status is through thought leadership and skilled content marketing efforts.
Related Content: Thought Leadership vs. Content Marketing
Respect in the Legal Industry
Throughout the United States, there are thousands of lawyers all vying for clients in their particular regions. Out of those many lawyers, only the best of the best will be given the high esteem and respect that thought leaders have earned. Respect and success most certainly go hand-in-hand in the legal industry.
Business Development
When the attorneys in your firm have written blog posts and other writing pieces based on their expertise in the practice areas and content marketing efforts have been a major focus, your business will increase. Your lawyers’ expertise will be recognized, and more website visitors will be converting from would-be clients to actual clients as they realize that you have established yourself as an expert.
Need Thought Leadership for Your Law Firm? Contact Us Today!
If you are a lawyer looking to publish thought leadership content but are unsure how to get started, Wow Factor Websites can help. We assist businesses in becoming thought leaders in their industries and gaining greater awareness among clients. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to get law firms focused on the benefits of thought leadership writing and how it can positively impact the future of their business development.
Contact Wow Factor Websites today to learn more about the world of being a thought leader, craft content such as an effective blog post, get an example of a successful article in the industry, and begin your journey to becoming a critical person in the legal field.
