When creating legal content it’s imperative there is a specific goal in mind. For that reason there generally isn’t a uniform answer for which 1 style of content that will do every job in one; being informative & educational, promoting brand awareness, or encouraging conversions etc. There’s also the fact that even within 1 target audience, individuals will resonate and engage with different types of content. Some people like to read, some like to watch, and some like to listen.
There’s pros and cons to creating legal content and distributing it as far and wide as possible across multiple channels. Likewise, there are pros and cons to picking 1 very unique content strategy and sticking within that 1 singular style and channel. These 2 contrasting styles both have avid supporters. Instead of picking a preference however, let’s explore the merits of each strategy, so you can pick which best suits your law firm.
CODE – Create once, distribute everywhere.
Our first strategy is CODE. As the acronym suggests this content is a multi focused as possible. Every time you produce a piece of content you comb through it and pick out certain parts that can be used for other channels. Let’s say you create a podcast, for example. Firstly, you might pick out 2 quotes to use for your email newsletter. You then might highlight a few snippets of audio and use them on social media alongside some photos/quotes. You would then transcribe said podcast and use it on your website to benefit your SEO strategy. Finally the podcast itself is uploaded to several places. That 1 piece of content has now been repurposed to 4 or 5 different channels.
Pros:
- Publish to multiple channels simultaneously, giving you the opportunity to reach a wider audience.
- Saves time & money resources on making 5 different pieces of content.
- Ensures there is a steady flow of content on multiple channels.
- Your content will have consistent messaging.
Cons:
- Inability to tailor content to certain channels. Each channel is different so it should be treated as such with your content.
- With the same content spread widely you’re unlikely to generate different audiences on their individual channels. Varied content will generate more unique interactions.
- Jack of all trades, but master of none.
Pareto’s Principle
Pareto’s principle focuses on the rule of 80/20. 80% of your outcomes (sales, conversions, traffic etc.) comes from 20% of your inputs (customers, channels etc.). The argument is what’s the point of focusing effort on every channel, when I know which channel I can double down on to give me the best ROI. It is essentially making the most productive channel the absolute priority and not worrying about anything else. Now Pareto’s principle isn’t a marketing principle, but in the world of legal marketing it can be applied.
It simply would mean finding your one super effective channel, finding 1 style of content, finding 1 angle to attack your audience with, and putting all your eggs in one basket for a fairly long time.
Pros:
- Creating ultra-targeted and focused content to your priority target audience
- Become an expert within 1 certain field to 1 certain audience
- Can improve your ROI by focusing on the most efficient channel
- Helps identify problems with your overall digital strategy
Cons:
- Relies on the past, you can’t guarantee that whilst the 80/20 rule did work for you previously, it will in future.
- Provides a very quantitative relationship between input and output. Whilst direct results may come from 1 channel, who’s to say indirectly results aren’t coming from somewhere else?
- You’ve got all your eggs in 1 basket, no backup strategy if something doesn’t work.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it. The 2 contrasting styles of creating legal content from a channel and style perspective. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer, there’s just an answer that works for your law firm, and not for another. It’s always useful to understand where your results are coming from in reference to an input/output stance, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be quantified by a direct return. Assess your current marketing strategy, and choose an option that works for you!
If you’d like to understand more about digital marketing, and creating legal content, contact us here for a quick chat!
