Ebooks can help your law firm showcase its experience while improving the number of leads for new clients. You have likely read ebooks, but writing one is a different matter. Fortunately, the process is not nearly as complicated or harrowing as you might expect. Keep reading to learn why you should consider publishing an ebook for your law firm.
The Benefits of Publishing an ebook
If your law firm has never published an ebook, you might question the relevance of doing so. Writing, publishing and promoting an ebook can be time-consuming, so it may not seem worth the hassle. However, there are numerous benefits law firms can achieve, including improved brand awareness, shared education and increased leads.
Build Your Brand
Individuals and companies looking for legal services want to work with a firm they trust. It can be challenging to establish trust with potential clients. However, publishing ebooks may be your way in. When you publish ebooks that convey your services and breadth of information and establish your firm as a well-known and respected brand, you increase your chances of obtaining new clients.
Educate Potential Clients About Your Services
The majority of potential law firm clients are seeking legal services for the first time. They may not be aware of the legal process, how hiring a lawyer works, or what they can expect should they need to file a lawsuit. Fortunately, you can answer many of those questions in an introductory ebook. When potential clients have some base knowledge on how you can help them, they are more likely to schedule a consultation.
Collect Potential Leads
In terms of releasing your ebook, you will most likely do so for free. However, you may choose to “gate” your content. Offering gated content means that visitors can have free access to the information so long as they provide basic contact information, like an email address or phone number. Once you have that information, you can send targeted emails with firm news or other relevant content. Note that you will need to include a disclaimer for how you will use any contact information and provide a way to unsubscribe from your mailing list.
How to Use ebooks in Your Marketing Strategy
For your ebook to be compelling and generate leads, you need to understand the process for developing the content and how to include it in your overall marketing strategy. As with any phase of a marketing strategy, you want to start with setting goals. From there, you can focus on choosing your topic, writing, publishing, promoting, and ensuring your work stays relevant and accessible.
Set Goals
Before you decide on a topic for your ebook, consider your goals. Here are some common ebook goals for law firms:
- Generate new leads.
- Improve brand awareness.
- Establish yourself as a leader in your field.
- Build an email contact list.
The goals you choose will depend on your overall marketing strategy. You can also implement secondary objectives, like improving your SEO or building a more extensive social media following.
Choose Topics
For your ebook to even begin to succeed, it needs to be relevant to your prospective clients. Consider what you regularly write about in your blogs and your focus practice areas. Can you target a specific topic that you know will interest potential clients? You might also consider providing more general information to ease potential clients into your marketing funnel.
Once you pick the topic, it is time to start writing. You may find it easier to tackle the ebook in chapters, or, if the subject is not particularly lengthy, you may find a stride and write it in one go. Remember that what you write needs to be clear, concise and easily digestible by people not well-versed in the law.
Promote the ebook
Once you are ready to publish your ebook, you need to choose a promotional strategy. While you will undoubtedly include the ebook on your website, you should also consider social media and email marketing. The more platforms you use, the more likely it is that your ebook will receive attention.
Repurpose the Content
Once you have published and promoted your ebook and are analyzing the results of its success, you should consider repurposing the content. Reuse parts of the ebook as relevant. You might include specific points in another piece of content you publish and link back to your ebook. You can also turn the topic into another type of media like a podcast.
Examples for Law Firms
Sometimes, choosing the topic for your ebook can be the most challenging part of the process. You may not know what information to share, or you may worry the topics are too complex to break down in a helpful manner. No matter what area of law you practice, here are issues you could consider:
- Explain the legal process. While the legal process may vary depending on your practice area, you can likely provide a general overview of what a client could expect should they seek your services.
- Explain the need for a lawyer. Hiring a lawyer can be an intimidating process. In some cases, a person may feel as though they can handle the legal matter independently. With an ebook, you can explain why it is often recommended to seek legal counsel.
- Establish your firm as a thought leader. If you are in a highly competitive market, consider writing an ebook that explains why your law firm is the right choice. Sharing facts and statistics about the firm while making it clear you cannot guarantee results will let potential clients know what you have been capable of in the past.
Showcase Your Expertise With ebooks
Ebooks are valuable tools for attorneys and their law firms. With the right topic and strategy, your ebook has the potential to land clients and improve your firm’s brand awareness and online presence.
Illustration ©iStockPhoto.com
You Might Also Like These From Annette Choti:
Subscribe to Attorney at Work
Get really good ideas every day for your law practice: Subscribe to the Daily Dispatch (it’s free). Follow us on Twitter @attnyatwork.
