For a company operating in today’s landscape, content is king. But when every business is writing blogs, and producing podcasts, and adding to the 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, lawyers need a compelling content strategy to realize a return on the investment.
Nicole Abboud, a former lawyer turned influential podcaster who now owns Abboud Media, and Alycia Kinchloe, the owner of Kinchloe Law and host of The Growth Goal podcast, want lawyers to become thought leaders and put the “social” back in social media through compelling and shareable content across every medium.
Watch the full presentation, 8 Ways to Create Compelling Content, here:
It starts with what they call the First Commandment of Content: make it about the clients. Many lawyers make the mistake of producing content about themselves. But potential clients want to read blog posts, watch videos, and listen to podcasts where they envision themselves and connect with the message. That’s what makes people pick up the phone and call a lawyer.
Creating an experience for the audience, and engaging with them through a platform that others want to be part of, is essential. One example is hosting workshops or seminars that don’t focus on marketing, but instead let clients talk about themselves and their lives.
“I didn’t expect anything in return, but the very first [seminar] I did had 100 percent return on that investment,” Kinchloe said. “Every gentleman came in for a paid consultation or hired me.”
For many lawyers, the biggest hurdle to creating compelling content is strategizing and scheduling. Abboud and Kinchloe stress the importance of thinking about what you want to achieve and taking time to plan it out.
Taking time to plan and schedule content releases ahead of time ensures your marketing is purposeful, not rushed and random. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and CoSchedule can help you generate topic ideas and schedule every piece of content you create.
Attorneys should also be timely with content, and not shy away from sparking controversy or conversation. While planning content is essential, now and then, something will happen in the news or pop culture that you can comment on and become part of the discussion. For many lawyers, it may be difficult to step out of their lane and comment on potentially controversial topics, but these are the moments that make lawyers more approachable and more human to clients and referral sources.
So whether it’s a topic you’re passionate about, or an issue you’re interested in but not necessarily related to your practice, lawyers should be bold and go for it.
Going for it also extends to not so serious topics as well. Whether it is a blog, video, podcast, or seminar, the content that resonates most with an audience is content that tells a story. If you want to be approachable and for clients to trust you, Abboud says you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously.
“Don’t be afraid to show your human side because that will attract clients,” Abboud said. “They want to see that side of you.”
It’s especially important for lawyers to understand this and to produce content, not clogged with case studies and citations, which relates to shared human experience and love of storytelling. By doing so, attorneys and legal marketers can create something their clients or potential clients can’t help but share across social media.