Content has been a mainstay of every law firm’s business development plan for some time. During the last year it has played an even more prominent role. While restrictions have been in place, maintaining contact and profile required us to utilise all the available alternatives to meeting in person.
The main reason of producing a regular flow of fresh new content is to feed Google because as we know, Google is a very demanding mistress. Again, the need to rank as high as possible in the relevant search engine results has only increased during the pandemic because internet research has pretty much replaced personal referrals.
However, content can also be employed in a more individual way to support your business development efforts.
With less opportunity to meet our clients, contacts, and targets, we have had to become a little cuter in the way we manage our personal networks. However, in their eye-line is no less important. In fact, it is arguably even more important.
We are now in a much tougher trading environment and clients could be getting itchy feet as they eye alternative suppliers who they believe could provide a higher level of service at a keener cost.
This means that finding new ways to stay in front of our clients, contacts and targets is now more important than ever. This is where content can really help.
In the classic movie The Untouchables Robert De Niro’s Al Capone explains to a group of reporters that where he came from you would get further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word. This is a perfect analogy of how you can marry your firm’s content with your own BD.
You know you need to drop people a line from time to time to stay visible. This is your ‘kind words’.
However, to make these contact points more potent, you need to have a reason to get in touch otherwise it’s just another email and as one employment partner told me recently “nobody needs one more email”. Think of your reason for getting in touch as your ‘gun’.
If you really think about it there is always going to be a reason to get in touch with someone.
At the top level it could be to invite someone to an online social event or to take part in a panel discussion your firm’s planning or, in the case of a referrer, to ask if there could be any ways to collaborate on a marketing initiative aimed at your shared audience.
If you’re a bit more devious you can set up Google alerts on your key clients or take a look at their website and social media to pick up their latest news. You can then use a congratulations or offer of help related to that news as your reason to get in touch.
Or you could send across a link to an article you know will either be of professional or (better still) personal interest. This is one of my favourites as it shows you are not only thinking of them which is flattering in itself but also that you know them well which is even more flattering.
Another option is your content. If you or your firm has recently published an article that is relevant to work you’ve done for that client in the past, issues you know are relevant to their personal or working lives or covers something that will impact on their sector or local area, pop it over to them with a simple but tailored personal email:
The reason for getting in touch is we recently published an article that is very relevant to (matter/sector/geography/other) and I thought it would be of interest. If it raises any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line and we can set up a call.
In fact, it’s been so long since we caught up that as we’re now a little more able to get out and about perhaps we could meet up for (a coffee/lunch/a walk/a drink)?
The next step is the most important in terms of maximising the likelihood of your approach succeeding. If you leave it there, it’s all a bit open ended, and people will be less likely to reply. Instead bring the prospect of a coffee, lunch or walk into sharper focus and coax a reply by adding one more line to your email:
At the moment I’m free on the afternoon of the 13th and the morning of the 20th. Which works best for you?
At the very least the recipient will come back with a third option more convenient to them and then you’re in! By doing no more than adding a gun to your kind words, you have used your content to create a conversation rather than just relying on it to work its magic in the search engines.
Douglas McPherson is a director of 10 1/2 Boots , a specialist agency that helps chambers and law, IP and accountancy practices grow by improving the way they approach marketing and business development.
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Need some help with PR? Feel free to drop me an email to arrange a 30 minute complimentary call or take a look at some of the packages I offer law firms, accountancy practices and other b2b businesses.