A thoughtfully constructed blog post can be a powerful content marketing tool for your law firm. A good blog post will draw in valuable new traffic and ultimately help you match up with relevant search queries. However, writing a blog post can be time-consuming for attorneys, and if you don’t compose the article effectively, then you might as well not write it at all.
Here are our top five tips to help you write the most effective blog post:
1. Choose the Right Topic for Your Legal Blog Post
Choosing a topic is one of the most difficult steps in writing a blog. With a world of options out there, it’s easy to overthink it. Here are a few of the steps we take every time we work on choosing a blog topic:
Identify Your Target Audience
Determining your law firm’s target audience involves reflecting on previous clients and understanding what your ideal clientele looks like. This will help you write a focused and relevant piece that is more likely to reach the right readers. Knowing who you're writing for is key to producing compelling content.
Write About What You Know
It's likely that you may have a focus within a broader practice group. Write about the area of law in which you're an expert. Writing about what you know will make the practice of writing much easier, and it'll take you less time. When you write about a subject that you already know in-depth, it comes across to the reader as a smoother, more engaging piece of content vs. a post that feels forced.
Don’t hesitate to look at your law firm’s competitors to see what they are writing about and add your own perspective on that matter — but, of course, be careful not to use any of their content verbatim.
2. Incorporate Keywords
Before you begin writing, you will need to do some keyword research to help you identify search terms people are using to find your business. Use language that your reader would use to describe their legal challenge rather than how an attorney typically phrases the topic. You should collect a list of keywords and their alternatives to be naturally weaved throughout your blog post. This will help improve your blog post's search engine optimization. You need to incorporate keywords in several places throughout the page including the:
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URL
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Title
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Headings
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Body content
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3. Use Relatable Language
It’s not uncommon for lawerly written content to be a snore to read. If there is one thing that will stop a reader from subscribing, it is long-winded and boring content.
So how do you make your content more engaging, without compromising quality?
Write as if You're Talking to a Friend.
Being conversational with your content will help you build a connection with your audience and encourage them to read on. You will make them feel comfortable in your ability to resolve all of the issues they are experiencing.
Avoid Legalese
Lawyers spend their days using formal language. But when it comes to writing blog posts, that language should be left in the courtroom. Avoid using words like:
- Furthermore
- Hereinafter
- Forthwith
- Hence
- Thus
Remember, the goal is to make your content as approachable and reader-friendly as possible. Choosing words that are direct and straight to the point will help keep your reader focused on your content.
4. Make Your Content Easily Digestible
A long wall of text is neither approachable nor appealing to any reader online. To make your content more easily digestible, it is essential that you find ways to break up the text. Here are some of the techniques that we recommend incorporating.
Headings to Break Up Your Content
Headings and subheadings are a great way of organizing your content in order to provide your readers with more guidance about topics of interest to them. Headings should represent the essential takeaways of your blog. Adding headings throughout your body text will help you break up your content, while giving readers a better sense of what they are about to read. In addition, don't forget to be strategic about incorporating keywords into your headings and subheadings.
White Space as a Tool
Contrary to popular belief, white space on a page is not a bad thing. You can use white space to enhance the impression that your article will be a straightforward read. In addition, white space will draw the eye back to your content and help readers focus.
Bulleted & Numbered Lists
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Don’t be afraid to add bulleted & numbered lists.
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Everyone is busy, and lists are easier to read and digest.
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Keep your points short and straight to the point.
Bold to Highlight What's Important
Bolding words, phrases and sentences will help you show readers what content you find most important. Bolding is a great way to improve your readers’ experience. It is an easy way to make your content more approachable. Use bolding to indicate key takeaways.
If you put all of our bolded words together, you’ll understand our point.
Bolding words, phrases and sentences is an easy way to indicate key takeaways.
5. Write to Benefit Your Audience
The last, and maybe most important, tip we have is to avoid marketing your business in your blog posts. Your blog should be a source of information for readers, not an ad about why they should hire your law firm. Make your blog more about informing them and addressing their needs. This will help you build trust with your audience and become a source of authority.
We urge you to use your blog as a place to educate and save your marketing lines for calls-to-action and other areas of your website. Begin to incorporate these tips throughout your blog posts, and before long, you will be writing effective articles in your sleep.