Content Marketing: Giving away the secret sauce to attract clients

By Edith Reinhardt

Many lawyers tout their extensive experience and knowledge as the reason they should be hired over their competitors. Yet those same attorneys often stick to providing generalized information in their public writing and speaking because they fear giving away their “secret sauce.” The result is content that isn’t distinctive and doesn’t help them stand out from the pack. To avoid this problem, attorneys should ask themselves these three questions:

1. What information is truly their secret sauce?

Simply because content is detailed or explanatory, doesn’t make it proprietary. Much of an attorney’s knowledge about the law or legal process is common to any experienced attorney. The secret sauce is using that information to develop and implement a successful strategy that addresses a client’s unique circumstances. Lawyers can share insights about a legal problem without revealing every detail of their approach or sharing confidential information or trade secrets. The key is to provide enough information to help potential clients understand the complexity of their legal issues and highlight how the attorney can assist them with solving their problems.

2. Can prospects handle the matter themselves using the attorney’s content?

Lawyers sometimes worry they will lose business if they provide too much information in an article or presentation because prospects will use it to handle the legal matter themselves. This is rarely the case. If anyone could learn how to represent themselves by simply reading a few articles, lawyers wouldn’t need to spend years in school and in practice to learn their craft. Further, the people who try to do it themselves are not good prospects because they don’t value a lawyer’s knowledge and skills. However, if the DIYers try and fail to solve their legal problem, they may turn to the attorney who wrote the article to get help to fix their mistakes.

The same is true about potential competitors. They may gain some tips from articles and presentations to help them represent a client, but that content is no replacement for real-world experience and won’t give them the skills to handle complex issues.

3. Do the benefits of providing the content outweigh the concerns?

Competition among law firms is fierce and it is essential to stand out. One way to do that is by consistently sharing valuable content. It gives attorneys more visibility and enables them to stay top of mind with referral sources and prospects. When a legal issue arises, the lawyer wants to be the trusted resource that the person remembers and contacts for assistance.

Content is necessary to build credibility. Most lawyers get the bulk of their business through word of mouth and referrals. Prospects who got the attorney’s name will research them by visiting their website and social media pages and using Google. Providing high-quality informative content enhances a lawyer’s reputation as uniquely knowledgeable and committed to helping clients.

Importantly, prospects are also likely to be comparing multiple referrals to determine who to call first. While having substantial content online doesn’t guarantee the attorney will get the business, they may lose the client if other lawyers look more impressive.

Publishing useful and targeted content is also an excellent way to get found by search engines. Websites that provide current and helpful information will show up higher in organic search results driving prospects to the firm. The best leads often come from people searching for highly specific and detailed information, not broad searches. Attorneys have an opportunity to attract particular types of prospects by producing content that focuses on the key questions and concerns those individuals are likely to research online. This is yet another way for firms to distinguish themselves from competitors who are just writing about general legal issues.

Conclusion

Attorneys shouldn’t fear revealing their secret sauce in their public writing or speaking. They can hold back proprietary or confidential information and still provide content that helps establish them as a credible source and attract clients that appreciate their willingness to share insights.

Edie Reinhardt, Esq. is principal of RDT Content Marketing, which specializes in helping attorneys showcase their expertise and target their marketing to attract more clients. She can be reached at [email protected]