6 Content Marketing Challenges (And How Law Firms Can Overcome Them)
Content marketing should be an integral aspect of any law firm’s marketing toolkit. Sharing quality content will help you:
- Raise awareness for your firm
- Strengthen your brand
- Grow your professional network
- Stay top-of-mind with potential clients and referrers
- Attract more leads
However, while content marketing is valuable, that doesn’t make it easy. Many law firms who try their hands at content marketing quickly run into obstacles and give up.
To help you build a content marketing strategy that lasts, here are some of the most common challenges law firms face—and how you can overcome them.
1. Finding the Time (Or Money)
One of the most common reasons law firms give up on content marketing is the resources it takes. This might mean the time needed to create and publish the content yourself or the money needed to hire someone else to do it for you.
Many law firms find themselves asking, “Can we afford to focus on content marketing?” The real question should be, “Can we afford not to?” In the digital age, content marketing isn’t a nice-to-have for legal professionals. It’s a must.
It’s true that content marketing always requires an investment, regardless of whether you take care of it in-house or outsource it to someone else. But either way, it’s an investment that can pay for itself many times over—when handled correctly.
If you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for yet, the solution is to adjust your approach, not to scrap the idea entirely.
2. Reaching Your Target Audience
In order for your content to do any good, it has to reach the right people. Shouting into the void won’t help anyone. Unfortunately, reaching your target audience doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional.
Don’t expect your audience to come looking for you, either. Go where they already are.
Social media can be a priceless tool for connecting with prospects. Popular platforms for attorneys include:
Start by discovering who your target audience is. What demographics are you trying to reach? Then, do a little research to learn where you can find them.
3. Staying Consistent
For many law firms, starting a content marketing strategy isn’t that hard. Maintaining one, on the other hand, proves to be a real challenge. This is often because attorneys try to do too much, too fast, and end up burning themselves out.
The key to a successful content marketing campaign is consistency over time. Content marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race.
Start with a realistic plan. For example, decide that every month, you’re going to publish:
- One blog post
- One newsletter
- 10 social media posts per platform
Then, give it a try. If that plan turns out to be too ambitious, scale it back. Find a rhythm you can manage, then stay consistent. Posting one blog post every month is better than posting four in one month, then none for the next year.
4. Measuring Results
Content marketing is an investment, and you’re expecting a return. But how do you know if your investment is paying off?
That can be tricky. To start with, you’ll need to decide what success looks like to you. What are you hoping to accomplish in the first place, and what channels are you using to accomplish it? Once you know that, you can find the right tools to help you measure how successful your content is across various platforms.
For example, every social media platform has built-in analytics tools you can use to gauge factors like:
- Engagement
- Post reach
- Profile visits
- Traffic directed to your website
Your website, blog, newsletter, and all other content marketing channels will have similar metrics. Depending on what goal you’re aiming for, these numbers will tell you if you’re on the right track.
5. Playing the Long Game
When it comes to content marketing, the most important skill in your toolkit is always patience. Success doesn’t happen overnight. It may take some time before your investment brings much of a return. But once you get there, it will be well worth the effort.
Take the time to prioritize content marketing. Find your audience and speak directly to their needs. Optimize your approach and stay on track. With time, you’ll find your way.
6. Keeping Up with Competitors
These days, more and more law firms are embracing the benefits of content marketing. That means you’re bound to have competition, even in your own niche. This can make content creation feel like an arms race.
Once again, the solution is not to stay out of the game. Instead, you will have to make quality content a priority at your firm. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. There are countless companies whose whole business model is helping law firms produce quality content to gain a competitive edge.
So rather than stressing about how to get ahead, consider leaving that to the pros. (Chances are, your competitors are already doing the same.)
Get Expert Help for Your Social Media and Newsletter Marketing
Running an effective content marketing campaign takes time, energy, and plenty of patience. Why not let someone else handle the headaches? By adding professional help to your law firm’s social media campaigns, you save time, money, and stress while kicking your online growth strategies into overdrive.
At Let America Know, we give trial attorneys the support they need to take their social media campaigns and newsletters to the next level. Just contact us, and we will design a custom social media marketing strategy that suits your needs. Then, we’ll manage the entire process from start to finish.
Click here to learn more about our done-for-you social media program for lawyers like you.