Are you looking to get more clients to your law firm without breaking the bank on advertising?
Content marketing is one of the most effective (and underutilized) marketing strategies for lawyers. The problem is most law firms get it all wrong. They publish dry, generic content that nobody reads.
Creating compelling legal content doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think. And when done right, it can form the foundation of your entire client acquisition strategy.
Let’s break it down…
Table of Contents
Why Legal Content Marketing Actually Works
Legal content marketing is the process of creating useful, relevant content that addresses the questions your potential clients are already searching online.
Stop and think about that for a minute…
If someone has a legal problem, what’s the first thing they do? Right, they go online and search for answers. In fact, FindLaw’s research found that 97% of people who searched for attorney information used a search engine – and not just any search engine, Google.
This is huge opportunity for every law firm.
The best lawyer marketing services know this and it’s why building a solid lawyer marketing strategy around content is so powerful. It puts your law firm in front of potential clients when they need help the most, while also building trust.
How powerful?
Law firms investing in content marketing and SEO have an average 526% return on investment in 3 years.
That’s not a typo.
Done properly, content marketing provides massive results.
Here’s why it works so well:
The law firms that get this are winning, the ones that don’t are scratching their heads wondering why their phone isn’t ringing.
The Types of Content That Attract Clients
Not all content is created equal.
Some types of legal content work far better than others at attracting potential clients. Here are the most effective content formats:
Blog Posts and Articles
Blog posts are the bread and butter of legal content. They help you answer the exact questions potential clients are typing into Google.
Focus on targeting the right topics/questions. Target questions that show search intent. “What to do after a car accident” is much better than “history of personal injury law.”
Keep each blog post focused on one specific question, make sure it’s easy to read (short paragraphs) and jam packed with actionable information. Nobody wants to read a 2,000-word info dump. Give your readers value and they will trust your firm.
FAQ Pages
FAQ pages are one of the most effective legal content formats you can create.
These pages directly answer common questions and have a tendency to rank very well in search results.
List every question you get from clients during consultations and create dedicated FAQ content that answers each question in detail. You’ll often find these FAQ pages become some of the highest performing content on a law firm website.
Video Content
Video content is rapidly becoming a major force in law firm marketing. It helps build connections faster than any other content format.
Short videos where you explain legal processes, answer common questions or simply introduce yourself and your team all perform well. Prospects want to know who they’ll be working with before they even pick up the phone.
How to Create Content Your Audience Will Love
The key to creating content that actually gets results is to understand what your audience needs. Not what you want to tell them. What they need.
Start With Client Questions
Every consultation is a goldmine of questions your potential clients have.
These questions are your content topics.
The best legal content answers real questions, in plain language. Avoid legal jargon as much as possible. Write like you’re explaining to a friend who just so happens to need legal help.
Focus on Readability
Here’s one of the biggest things most law firms get wrong about content marketing:
Formatting is everything. Long paragraphs of text scare people off. Break your content into short paragraphs. Use headers to section it off. Bullet points work well where applicable.
Make sure there is white space on the page so the content can breathe. Keep paragraphs to 3 sentences max. Make your content scannable and you dramatically increase the chances of it being read.
Optimise for Search
If nobody can find your content, it’s not doing any good. Optimise every piece of legal content for search.
This includes using target keywords naturally, writing compelling title tags and meta descriptions, proper header structure, and adding internal links to related content. Optimisation doesn’t mean keyword stuffing. It means structuring content in a way that’s easy to read for both humans and search engines.
Stay Consistent
A single blog post won’t transform a law firm’s online presence overnight. Consistency is what separates successful content marketing law firms from the ones that struggle.
Set a realistic publishing schedule and then follow it. It doesn’t matter if it’s one post per week or two per month. Regularity is more important than volume.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Results
Even with the best intentions, many law firms end up shooting themselves in the foot with content marketing. Here are some common content marketing mistakes to avoid:
Writing for Lawyers, Not Clients
Content stuffed with legal jargon is inaccessible for regular people searching for help. Content marketing is about your potential clients, not your own legal knowledge.
Being Too Generic
Content that could apply to any law firm in the world won’t help you stand out. Be specific. Reference local information/experiences where possible.
Neglecting Calls to Action
Every piece of content should clearly point readers toward the next step. Schedule a consultation? Download a guide? Call the office? Make sure that step is easy to follow and don’t forget to include a call to action.
Giving Up Too Soon
Content marketing is a long game. Firms that expect results overnight or give up after 6 months are missing out on compounding benefits.
Wrapping It Up
Content marketing is one of the best investments any law firm can make. It’s an incredible tool for building trust, establishing authority, and attracting potential clients actively searching for legal help.
To quickly recap:
Content marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. But for law firms committed to doing it right, the results speak for themselves. A 526% ROI doesn’t come by accident.
Start putting in the work to create content that genuinely serves your potential clients and watch as it transforms your firm’s ability to attract new business.
