by Kaymie Owen
September 3, 2024
Effective marketing is crucial for law firms to attract new clients, retain existing ones, and stay ahead of the curve. It's clear that traditional marketing methods alone are no longer enough. To truly stand out, firms must embrace progressive technologies and strategies that position them as industry leaders and trusted advisors.
Thought leadership enables lawyers to establish themselves as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) within the legal arena and to prospective clients. Thought leadership can be easily integrated into your legal marketing strategy. Thought leadership is not just about self-promotion; it's about providing genuine value to your audience and positioning yourself as a trusted authority in your field.
Thought leadership involves sharing your expertise, insights, and perspectives on relevant legal topics through various channels, such as:
- Content Marketing
Develop high-quality content like blog posts, whitepapers, and webinars that address your client's pain points and demonstrate your firm's knowledge and capabilities. Enlist the help of your firm’s strongest speakers to highlight your firm’s indispensable areas of expertise. For example, post legal conference, ask your attorneys to create a plain English write-up of a session they attended with key takeaways an individual should talk to their lawyer about as a blog.
- Social Media Presence
Engage with your target audience on social media platforms like LinkedIn, or Facebook. Share valuable content, participate in industry discussions, and showcase your firm's proficiencies. Leverage your legal team’s insights on current case topics that appear in the news. The public’s interest in legal proceedings and thirst for knowledge has never been more evident. Make your social post concise and easy for the public to follow. Use a free readability analyzer to gauge the comprehension level of your posts. You can test readability via your computer’s readability statistics. PC users: Go to File > Options > Proofing > Click “Show readability statistics” box. Mac users: Go to Word > Preferences > Spelling and Grammar > Click “Show readability statistics” box. You can also use online tools like Readability Analyzer.
- Identify Your Target Audiences
Know who you want to target. Prioritizing multiple audiences is common when it comes to thought leadership. Understand your desired clientele. Understand the type of material they seek and the channels they use. However, don't limit your audience to only your customers. Instead, examine how you want others to perceive you as a thought leader.
- Speaking Engagements and Podcasts
Seek opportunities where your SME team members can speak at industry events, conferences, or podcasts. This not only showcases your firm's unique skills but also increases your visibility and credibility. Your firm is full of subject matter experts who are constantly leveling up their knowledge base in their practice area. Encourage your team to share their perspectives with your community. Ask your marketing department to help create a presentation template.
- Thought Leadership Publications
Contribute articles, case studies, or opinions to industry publications, both online and offline. This positions your firm as a go-to resource for legal insights. Start with your own website and dedicate a section to blogs. Or suggest your staff self-publish via LinkedIn or use your LinkedIn office account to share information where prospective clients will see it.
- Collaborate with Other Thought Leaders
Collaborate with other respected attorneys, legal experts, or industry influencers. Co-authoring articles, participating in podcasts, or engaging in panel discussions can increase your visibility and reinforce your position as a thought leader.
- Encourage Client Engagement
Actively engage with your clients by sharing content and seeking their feedback or insights. This not only strengthens your relationships but also provides valuable input for future content.
- Be Consistent and Persistent
Building a strong thought leadership platform takes time and consistent effort. Commit to a regular content creation schedule, actively participate in industry discussions, and persistently promote your expertise across various channels. Content publishing has increased substantially in the past few years. Work with your marketing team to establish a content publishing calendar monthly or more frequently if manageable.
- No Pressure but Try Gen AI
If you have every suffered from even 10 minutes of writer's block or like a creative writing exercise booster, try a free generative artificial intelligence tool like Chat GPT, CopyAI or Claude by Anthropic. Watch this mini video from Neil Patel, digital marketing and SEO guru, 5 Prompts for Marketers Using Chat GPT. Leverage Gen AI when reviewing your content ideas for the quarter, creating an article outline or suggesting powerful headlines. Test out AI tools with older blog rewrites for a fresh angle. Gen AI can assist when simplifying complex topics, eliminating legalese and enable you to tell a story that tracks with all of your clients. Please ask your Gen AI tool to draft your blog meta description, your SEO person will thank you.
A strong thought leadership strategy can boost your marketing efforts this year and beyond. Not only will this content help attract new clients, but it will also solidify your firm's reputation as a trusted and knowledgeable leader in your practice areas. The combination of these versatile tools serves marketing and business development initiatives plus can attract new team members across your organization.
Remember, effective marketing is an ongoing process that requires continuous adaptation and improvement. Bookmark the InterAction+ blog page if you found this content helpful. You can also follow us on LinkedIn for legal marketing insights.
Digital Marketing Manager
Kaymie is a digital marketing manager for InterAction+ and oversees paid advertising, social media, and content marketing. Kaymie has over 25 years of experience as a marketing communications professional and a proven track record of successful events and campaigns for corporate, government, and nonprofit clients around the world. She received her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2007 and has produced events for up to 6,000 attendees. Kaymie is proud to be a third-generation graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.