“We write about matters that assist our shoppers.”
My colleague Adrian Lurssen tells a narrative of listening to Laura Hudson, CMO at Ward and Smith, current at an LMA Southeast regional convention on the subject of thought management in legislation corporations. (This was quite a lot of years in the past; again then I believe we simply referred to as it ‘writing’). Adrian was additionally a part of the day’s programming and had simply spoken on content material advertising and marketing greatest practices, as he additionally sometimes does.
Laura took the stage, nodded at Adrian, and began with: “Those are all true and worthwhile practices, however I at all times start by telling my attorneys to faux they’re speaking to a single consumer of their writing. Provide worth to 1 reader, making sense of issues for an current consumer, and a lot of all the pieces else will fall into place after that.”
Provide Value for One Reader, Pretend You Are Speaking to a Single Client
Adrian shared that second – and I recount it now, in my second recap of a current Office Hours Zoom session with Laura and JD Supra shoppers – as a result of it reveals the sharp, on-the-ground expertise and focus Laura has at all times dropped at her advertising and marketing and enterprise growth work, irrespective of the exercise.
And the extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical.
By that, I imply that within the decade-and-a-half since they spoke at that early convention, Laura’s client-centric focus has not modified on the core, as evidenced by our current dialog on working a profitable content material advertising and marketing program in a agency.
In our Zoom session, Laura recounted the success of certainly one of her attorneys who writes about collectors rights and “has developed a selected voice and an actual following. He could make creditor’s rights content material entertaining, which is a very uncommon ability!”
When requested about his success with content material, it shortly turns into clear that that is extra than simply about being entertaining (though, I believe that helps!). Laura quoted her legal professional as saying: “People name fairly frequently. We’ve gotten consumer work out of it. We at all times get some feedback, emails from shoppers, from contacts, and it reveals we’re occupied with issues our shoppers want to consider. Definitely really feel it’s time effectively spent.” (Emphasis mine.)
Write About What You Want to be Known For (For the Person Who Needs to Know It)
And what does the alternative of this kind of focus appear like? Again from Laura, describing the runaway ‘success’ of a selected put up written throughout COVID (my emphasis once more): “Everyone was determined for information, and we printed content material at an alarming fee within the first three months of COVID. Every time a consumer had a query, we tried to have a solution, and thought-about writing about it. I requested one of many litigators to jot down a fast article on ‘COVID-19 Canceled My Event. What Now?’ He does appellate work, and wrote the article as a favor. Then he spent the following yr cursing my title as a result of each bride within the Southeast referred to as him to attempt and get their deposits again! So lesson realized, solely write about what you wish to be identified for!
I now inform individuals ‘Don’t write about it until you wish to get calls about it for years to return.’”
A Level Playing Field: Unleash Your Firm’s Experience and Insights
Laura’s insights in regards to the position of content material in a mid-sized or small agency function inspiration for all of us: “Marketing our thought management is a key technique for us. We can’t compete when it comes to promoting —we’re not promoting in airports— and we don’t have a PR company. What we’ve, in abundance, is expertise that we are able to reveal, exhibiting how we take into consideration fixing our shoppers’ issues. We write about matters that assist our shoppers.
What we’ve, in abundance, is expertise that we are able to reveal…
One of the attorneys in our labor and employment part says frequently, in agency and follow group conferences to different attorneys, ‘Hey, that’s new. I didn’t know that. Laura goes to ask you to jot down about that, proper, Laura?’
To that finish, we publish authentic attorney-authored content material twice per week.”
Deliver Your Insights to Your Readers
Laura has been a JD Supra consumer throughout a number of corporations for a few years now, all a part of a profitable content material advertising and marketing technique of delivering your work to readers the place they collect: “JD Supra is certainly one of three content material extension providers we use, and the one which will get us the very best variety of reads, yr in and yr out. We monitor each service on a month-to-month foundation, and have since mid-2016, so I can say that with the authority of the info by means of the tip of April! JD Supra is a vital advertising and marketing associate for us, and I do know I’ve informed you that in non-public, Paul, however wish to say in public, too. Your service is invaluable! I admire what you do for us every day!”
Be Timely (And Creative, and Entertaining)
Imbued in Laura’s insights is, once more, a concentrate on shoppers. But she additionally touched upon different methods to interact readers on an ongoing foundation, together with a well timed injection of “themed content material” into a number of months of the agency’s editorial calendar. (Early outcomes have been constructive: “We promoted it closely for our first theme month in February. Our natural site visitors was up 15% over January, and that held up throughout March.”)
I lengthen my thanks as soon as extra to Laura for her time in dialog with us. JD Supra shoppers can take heed to the total session by logging into their account dashboard and searching for the Office Hours hyperlink. Meantime, I finish with Ward and Smith’s 2024 month-to-month themes, must you want to incorporate one thing related into your editorial calendar:
February: Love, Relationships, and the Law – Navigating Legal Relationships
Navigating Legal Relationships facilities round exploring the intersection of affection, relationships, and the authorized framework that governs them. Throughout this month, the articles will delve into numerous matters that straight profit shoppers by offering priceless insights and steering in navigating the authorized elements of their private and skilled relationships.
May: Laboring Through Difficult Times
“Laboring Through Difficult Times,” revolves round acknowledging and addressing the challenges people and companies face throughout a recession. This theme emphasizes the resilience and perseverance required to navigate troublesome labor-related conditions, enterprise hardships, credit score points, vendor administration, household legislation, and monetary points.
July: Independence and Justice – Legal Rights, Responsibilities, and Regulations
“Independence and Justice – Legal Rights, Responsibilities, and Regulations” promotes consciousness of authorized rights, moral tasks, and the rules that govern our companies. The matters explored all through this theme goal to profit shoppers throughout numerous follow areas by empowering them with data and insights that straight influence their authorized rights and obligations.
September: The Power of Preparedness
“The Power of Preparedness” focuses on the significance of being proactive and ready in numerous elements of life. This theme emphasizes the advantages of anticipating potential challenges and mitigating dangers earlier than they escalate.
November: Family Matters
“Family Matters” encompasses many matters that considerably influence households, whether or not in a carefully held enterprise, going by means of a life change, dealing with divorce, loss of life, baby custody points, elder legislation, fraud and private damage, and property planning.
Thanks once more for the inspiration and insights, Laura! Now the query for everybody else: what’s in your editorial calendar for this yr?
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Paul Ryplewski is JD Supra’s VP of Client Services.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/client-focus-and-successful-content-9575263/
