What Does “Client-Driven” Content Mean?

One idea that gets thrown around a lot in marketing and content creation these days is the concept of “client-driven”. But what does the term mean and how does it apply to law firms and legal content writing?

Let’s break it down. At its core, client-driven content refers to content that’s created with the client in mind. Clients “drive” the content, in other words. Before a blog post, practice area page, video, social media post, or other piece of content that’s made for the public eye is created, the creator asks one question: “What are my clients and potential clients (audience) looking for, and how can this piece of content provide that?”

It’s an important question to ask yourself if you’re creating any type of content made for marketing purposes because what you’re interested in creating doesn’t always match up with what your current and potential legal clients are interested in viewing. The number one goal for any type of marketing content should be to reach others. If your content doesn’t reach anyone—via organic web traffic, search engine rankings, social media channels, or even word of mouth—your content’s essentially useless.

Let’s say you’re sending out a few quick Tweets from your practice’s Twitter account. You might be tempted to state your views about what happened in the last political debate. Resist that urge. While some clients and potential clients may find your views interesting, others will not and may automatically unfollow you. Instead, opt for something all your viewers would be interested in. How about sharing your upcoming travel plans or talking about a fundraiser your firm sponsored?

The same goes for content writing. When writing a blog about a case you settled, you might be tempted to simply copy/paste the court proceedings document which states the final results. Hold up. Guess what else that document includes? A whole lot of legal jargon, often referred to as “legalese”. While it’s a great idea to tell potential clients about success stories, you need to put those stories into language your audience understands. Doing so will also make your firm seem a lot more relatable.

There’s More to Legal Marketing Than Results

In the business of legal marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in results. The legal industry revolves around results. Case results, settlement amounts, verdicts, deposition results, and court rulings. If you’ve ever chased search engine rankings, you also know that search engine optimization (SEO) also revolves around results. That magical first page—and then the top 3. Both types of results obviously matter, but they need to be worked on, achieved, and delivered with your clients at the forefront.

When a potential client clicks your site and chooses to call your firm, they’re doing more than clicking the first Google result and punching in a number—they’re looking at your website. They may not stick around and read everything, but I guarantee you this—they’re at least looking. Does your site look good? Does it load quick? Are testimonials easy to find? Are reviews displayed on the home page? Is the copy user-friendly or does it look like it was written 20 years ago? Presentation matters.

Client-friendly content is designed with presentation in mind as well as results. The two go hand-in-hand. It’s the equivalent of preparing a great speech and ironing your best suit before speaking at a conference. You wouldn’t do one without the other, so why would you neglect either when it comes to your firm’s website?

Putting a Plan into Action

Let’s look at 7 actionable ways you can create better, more presentable client-driven legal content:

• Answer questions. What questions does your staff commonly receive? What might a potential client ask when contacting you? Take these questions into consideration when creating content and answer them directly. Anyone who searches via voice will thank you.
• Share what matters. Does your firm take part in sponsorships or company events? Talk about these things in blogs. Share pictures over social media. This gets you attention from clients and your local community (which is your ideal potential client base).
• Include all staff members. Content creation isn’t a one-man job. Have all your firm’s employees pitch in and play an active role in social media, blog creation, and more. This ensures everything gets updated while adding extra voices to the mix.
• Create content guidelines. The more people you have creating content for you, the more you’ll have to make sure consistency is in place and that no one’s harming your reputation by doing something they shouldn’t. Tools like style guides can be a huge help.
• Prioritize the right website features. Your site’s home page should contain all the crucial elements that help boost search rankings as well as boost viewer retention. This includes reviews, testimonials, info about your firm, practice area highlights, results, social media links, location info, pictures, and user-friendly navigation options.
• Don’t publish robotic content. Content writing that’s accessible to readers, authoritative, and mixes in all those juicy SEO tidbits is your golden ticket to success. Accessibility matters more now than ever regarding written copy. Don’t neglect your audience.
• Get with the times. Is your website responsive? Is it secure over HTTPS? Both factors are essential to ranking and user-friendliness.

Are you confused about anything mentioned above? Maybe it’s time to ask for help. At Legal InSites, we understand the importance of client-driven content and know how to create content that gets search engine results while retaining your potential client base. Get in touch today to learn more.