Content marketing has been around for a very long time. Much longer than its explosive rise to buzzword status in the early 2010’s may lead you to believe. In fact, you could say that content marketing has been around since 1895. That’s the year that John Deere first published their magazine, The Furrow, which aimed to help farmers increase their profits by offering important agricultural information. The magazine is still in publication to this day, reaching readers in 40 different countries.

Another early example of content marketing occurred in 1950, when Betty Crocker released their iconic “Picture Cook Book”. It quickly became a best seller that many of us still remember from our parents or grandparents kitchens. The cookbook helped establish the Washburn Crosby Company (now better known to us as General Mills) as a leading food producer in the US, and became a memorable part of millions of lives.

For years, companies have been providing information in the form of articles, magazines, and videos in order to not only better serve consumers, but also to promote their brands.

It’s not hard to see the appeal of this type of marketing. Most people have learned to ignore traditional advertising. We’re inundated with ad copy and images everywhere we go, and many view advertising as annoying and invasive. If a company can offer potential customers information that they’ll actually be interested in seeing, while at the same time increasing their brand visibility, everyone wins.

Further Reading: The Benefits of Video Depositions

Content Marketing Today

Now, content marketing is used by all sorts of companies to sell all sorts of things. But what is modern content marketing exactly?

The Content Marketing Institute defines it as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience – and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer actions.” This can include anything from publications like the ones mentioned above, to articles, Tweets, videos and even video games.

For law firms, this usually means creating and maintaining a blog that speaks to the legal issues of the day, and gives useful information regarding legal situations in which everyday people may find themselves.

What Content Marketing Can Do For Your Law Firm

So why is content marketing for attorneys important? What exactly will maintaining and promoting a blog do for your firm?

1. It can help establish you as a leader in your field – By regularly publishing editorials written around current news items (frequently called “news jacking”), you can position yourself as an expert engaged in the conversation surrounding current topics. By weighing in on the news of the day, you can demonstrate your expertise and help stear the conversation.
2. It can increase brand awareness – By regularly blogging, and by consistently promoting your blog, you can do a lot to increase your brand’s visibility. Everyone is online now, and usually at multiple times throughout the day, seeking to fill many different types of needs. You need to be there as well, and not just in the form of paid advertisements or a website that isn’t getting enough traffic. People go online for information. If you give it to them, they’ll remember you.
3. It can help you get new clients – By providing important legal information and making sure it’s available to be found online, you can bring in new clients. Say someone in your geographic practice area is trying to find information after being injured in a car accident and they find your blog post about that same topic. You’ve already made a positive impression on that potential client. You’ve already begun to help them find answers and solve their problem. That’s something that an ad on a bus stop bench can’t do.
4. Your competition is already doing it – As content marketing gains momentum across different industries, more and more law firms are seeing the real value that it can provide for their practice. According to the 2014 State of Digital and Content Marketing Survey, 84% of law firms asked, planned on adopting content marketing campaigns as part of their overall marketing plans in 2014. Can your firm afford to not be a part of the conversation everyone else is having?
5. It can drive traffic to your site and increase your organic search engine rankings – Content is important, but just producing content doesn’t mean that it will get noticed. It’s important to have distribution and promotional efforts in place to bring attention to that content. Law Father’s Law Firm Fast Lane marketing packages have been proven to send large numbers of high quality traffic to our clients websites. And when a site gets a lot of traffic, the search engines notice and that can dramatically effect where on the search engine results page your law firm’s website ranks.

Work With a Content Marketing Expert Today

At Law Father, we’ve understood the power of content marketing for years, and have made it a key part of every marketing package that we offer. We only work with attorneys and understand how to properly promote law firms and help expand their client base. Contact one of our content marketing experts today to find out how we can help build your practice. Call (800) 325-7715, or fill the contact form on our website.

The post Content Marketing For Attorneys – 5 Reasons You Should Leverage Your Expertise appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

Content has been “king” for years now; but for an attorney, knowing that you need to write is not the same thing as knowing what to write to get you the clients that your law firm needs. You probably already know that website content should be fresh, updated regularly, written well, and written for the people who read it. But let us explain a little about what that means to you, your personal injury law firm, and the potential personal injury clients you can find online.

Use the words and phrases that your clients would use.

Nobody but a lawyer talks like a lawyer. So you use words potential clients would use, not legalese. If you do this right, new clients will contact you because something about your content speaks to them personally. Also – speak in specifics, not generalizations. Potential clients search for information about the specific legal issue they have, not in generalities. Don’t try and lump personal injury, tort, and car accident all into one article. Break it out and simply right something about what to do if you’re hit by an uninsured driver. Your potential clients will search for words like car accident, injuries, slip and fall, hurt, money, settlement, their hometown, and of course attorney. Your content should use words that speak to these clients simple and specific ideas. If there are regional subtleties such as car wreck instead of accident or lawyer instead of attorney, be sure to use them too. Using words that your clients will type into a search engine is the first big step to getting them to your door.

Write in a professional style that anyone can understand.  

When a person is hurting, they don’t want to know how many Latin words you learned in law school. They don’t even care if you call yourself a trial lawyer or a personal injury attorney. And they might not even know the term “personal injury.” When they click on your website they will be looking for a legal professional with empathy, professionalism, knowledge, and the ability to help them.

Clients with personal injuries come from all walks of life. Your website content has to relate to them all. That doesn’t mean you have to dumb down your articles or blog entries to the lowest common denominator. But you should write in clear, everyday language that any non-legal professional can understand.

Use content to show what you can do.

When a person is hurt, they want to know that you can handle their case and that you’ll work hard to get the settlement they deserve. If an auto accident victim visits your law firm website, he wants to see that you handle auto accidents. If he was hurt in a slip and fall, he wants to know that you can handle it. If he has issues with the other guy’s insurance company, he wants to know that you will deal with the insurance adjuster.

Injured clients want action. If you keep it simple, living, fresh content can inform them about your expertise, your track record, your specialties, and your ability to get the job done. You can keep it fresh with a consistent schedule of topics that will be of interest to personal injury clients:

• Blog about simple legal concepts in layman’s terms (liability, comparative negligence, statute of limitations)
• Review your case evaluation process and invite new clients in for a free consultation.
• Share anonymous case studies–how much money you recovered for other clients
• Talk about the insurance company investigative process
• Explain local civil procedures
• Share local and regional news stories about injury cases similar to those you handle.

It’s worth the effort.

It can take a lot of time and energy to get your content program up and running. But when it brings you to the top of the search engines and the phone starts ringing, you will realize just how important and impactful it can be.

If you need help with content or any other website issues, contact us. We’ll be happy to discuss our Law Firm SEO Services, an all inclusive package that provides fresh practice area content, back link development, blog writing, and a host of additional website optimization services.

The post Increase Your Personal Injury Website’s Visibility With Fresh Content appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “Content is King”. Yet content is so much more than just king. Your online content is a direct representation of your firm. Weak content or content that is riddled with spelling errors conveys shortcomings on your part–a lack of intelligence or experience, etc. When potential clients are searching for an attorney, they are also searching for assurance. Assurance that their needs will be met and that their issues will be resolved. They want to know that YOU understand what is important to them, and that YOU are the person who can help them. Quality content gives readers that assurance by demonstrating that you not only have the knowledge and skills to accomplish those goals, but that you also understand their needs and the issues that are most important to them.

Search Engines LOVE Great Content

Quality content is viewed favorably by today’s more complex search engines, which can distinguish between content with strategically placed keywords and material that is readable and informative. Yet too many legal marketing companies place a wrong emphasis on keyword stuffing that is not only outdated, but also not likely to convert web searchers into clients. Keyword stuffing is unnatural and is detrimental to building trust with your clients. Your content must be written with the client in mind—not the search engines.

Good Content Accelerates Link Building

Worthwhile content also facilitates link building. As important as search engines are, inbound links can provide your website with a significant amount of traffic. Bloggers and webmasters will be more likely to link to your pages if they are filled with pertinent, reliable information. These links help to substantiate your firm as an expert in your field, and because search engines place significant value on links, your site will be rewarded with higher rankings.

Good Content will be Shared

Content that is functional and beneficial to readers is more likely to be “favorited” and added to social bookmarking sites. Catchy headlines and articles or blog posts filled with pertinent information will be rewarded with more votes, making your article more visible on these sites, which translates into more traffic for your website.

Good Content Keeps them Coming Back for More

Valuable content will also encourage more subsequent visits from your readers. Recent blog posts or timely stories about things going on in your area of expertise will engage readers and keep them checking in for more and talking to their friends.

Content Written with Your Clients in Mind is Good Content

Unfortunately, too many law firms and legal marketing companies build content strictly around search engine optimization. While that is certainly part of the puzzle, it is not what is most valuable to your reader—or to potential clients. Injured accident victims or divorcing couples want answers to their problems. They want to read about how to save for college after a divorce or how to care for a loved one after a traumatic brain injury. When you provide them with valuable content that addresses their needs and problems, you are building trust and establishing yourself as the lawyer to call.

Why You Need a Professional Legal Content Writer

Not just any writer can write legal articles, blogs, and press releases that are both optimized for search engines and engaging to potential clients and readers alike. If you want your website and blog to begin converting web traffic into clients, then you need a professional legal content writer with an experienced legal marketing company in your corner. Your legal content writer will be able to help you find the online voice that is best for you and your firm and build an online presence that showcases what is best about your firm. This allows you to focus on your clients—not your website.

The power of quality site content should never be underestimated. When readers are impressed with the quality of your content, they become frequent visitors. Frequent visitors are more likely to become clients, and satisfied clients will recommend your services to their family and friends.

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