When someone asks you, “What do you do?” you may say, “I’m an attorney who specializes in business law, or IP, or PI, or litigation.” Are you really, though?” Are you really in the business of law? I have a different idea for you, and fundamentally, it will show you why lawyers need to do content marketing – sharing your knowledge freely.
Lawyers are really in the risk mitigation business
I propose that you’re not just in the business of law. You are also in the risk mitigation business.
The information that is the ubiquitously available to all of us for free right now – because of the internet – democratized knowledge. So, anything that any of us want to try as a do-it-yourself job – right this second – is available for free, whether that be cooking, or plumbing, or law. Yet, somehow restaurants, and plumbing companies, and law firms still exist.
Why is that? It’s because people want to take things that they have on their mind – that they want done right – and give it to someone else.
Any of you – like me – that have tried a do-it-yourself plumbing job, only to have it leak two days later know what I’m talking about. Because after that happens – after you try something yourself – it’s still your problem. When you hand that thing to someone else – like a plumber who is going to do it and do it right – if something happens, it’s his problem. He owns it.
That’s really what you’re doing with your law practice as well. You’re taking things that are really, really hard for laypeople – that they could try themselves – but yet, you’re making them feel good about hiring you because they can mentally check it off of their list.
Content marketing for lawyers
How can you or anyone else do better business development in the risk mitigation business? I’d ask you to produce more information intended on educating your target clients. This is oftentimes referred to as content marketing, and it’s something lawyers need to do now. I know this is a little hard at first because you think you may be giving away the store or maybe giving away too much information, because then people don’t want to hire you.
Well, those people who take that information and try themselves are not your clients anyway. Anyone who wants to own their own issue is not your ideal client. So, by you taking the time to distill down something really hard and very daunting to somebody and making it easy for them, they will only grow to know and to trust you more and increase the chances of you being hired as their counsel.
Have you produced information-based material to give away to attract your target clients? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.