What is Thought Leadership for Law Firms? 

There is no uniform definition of thought leadership. So, the first challenge of is to figure out exactly what it means to you: 

• Some describe it as presenting the point of view of experts on industry trends, to help clients think of new ways to solve business challenges.
• Others consider it to be presenting the latest thinking of issues that matter the most to business and management.
• Others describe it as presenting ideas and information designed to improve how companies operate.

How you define thought leadership is up to you. But whatever it means to you, be clear on what you want it to accomplish. 

With this caveat in mind, we suggest that for law firms, thought leadership should embrace the following goals: 

• New business generation. Ultimately, the purpose of your online presence is to attract new clients. Everything else you do—educating, informing, and showcasing your knowledge—is secondary to this main effort. 
• Setting you apart from your competitors. Most law firm websites concentrate on building trust by highlighting what they know about the law. While there is nothing wrong with this, prospective clients already expect you to be knowledgeable. You need to show them more than competency. You need to position your firm as a leader in its field.
• Establishing trust and confidence. As noted above, this is a valid purpose of your website and other digital marketing. But unlike most of your competition, it should be an ancillary goal of thought leadership, not the primary one.

Blogs Establish Effective Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is something you must demonstrate consistently. One of the most effective ways you can keep reaching your prospects is with fresh content and new ideas through your website blog. 

Although your blog will not be the only way to show thought leadership, it is a core component of your overall effort.  

Thought Leadership Blogs Convey Your Passion

Thought leadership isn’t just about rational thinking. It is more than simply explaining the meaning of a new court decision or the impact of a change in legislation.  

There is a strong emotional component to it, which is just as important as showcasing your expertise. One of the most important messages your firm’s thought leadership blog posts convey to your readers is passion. 

At the root of all human purchasing decisions is buying emotional state. This includes the decision to purchase legal services from you. In ways direct and indirect, your customers key off your own belief in and emotional commitment to what you are selling. 

Passion is infectious. It inspires. It motivates others to act. An illustration of the power of passion is a line from a film based on a true story, Hacksaw Ridge: 

“Most of these men don’t believe the same way you do. But they do believe in how much you believe…and they want a piece of it.”  

Similarly, when your blogs’ readers can see your unrelenting commitment to improving in your profession and sharing your insights, they may not fully understand everything, but they will emotionally understand that you are committed to being the best. This inspires confidence, trust, and the belief that you’ll do your best for your them. 

Write Thought Leadership Blogs that Resonate

Writing compelling thought leadership blogs is not as hard as it may seem if you use a consistent architecture of persuasion with them. Here are some key points to keep in mind to prepare to write, and to build into your writing. 

Relevance to the Reader is Paramount

When you are choosing thought leadership blog topics, start by putting yourself in your intended reader’s place and asking, “What’s in it for me?” 

Some firms give in to the temptation to write thought leadership content to impress an audience of their peers instead of to inform prospective clients. Do not let yourself fall for this.  

Your passion for the law may rub off on your clients, but it is how that passion relates to their self-interest that will decide whether they read your blog and what value they take from it. 

What is it about the topic that will affect your client’s life or business? How will it do so? Write to the readers in a way that shows you understand what is important to them, not just significant to you. 

When you write thought leadership content targeted to your specific audience needs and concerns, they will view you as more credible and capable than other attorneys covering the same topics at a general level. This is because you are speaking directly about what is important to them. 

Seize Attention Immediately with Compelling Headlines and Leads

Professional copywriters often spend what can seem like an inordinate amount of time to come up with a strong headline. There is a good reason for this. If you do not hook the reader’s attention right away with your blog headline, your post is likely not going to be read. 

Don’t be subtle when writing your post title. Point out a key benefit to the reader or address a pain point, preferably in a way that will hit a core emotion. 

If your headline does its job, then your next immediate concern is to craft a lead paragraph sentence that will draw the reader into the rest of the post. Don’t bury the lead; get to what is critically important for the reader to know. 

What about the topic is going to make a meaningful change in the way the reader does things? Will it solve a problem? Require making a significant change to the way the reader does business? Will it impact the reader’s bottom line? 

It is no exaggeration to say that 80 percent or more of the battle for your reader’s attention will be won or lost with your post title and its first paragraph. Invest your time and effort accordingly.  

Add Value Even if You Don’t Make a Sale

Thought leadership is ultimately about getting clients. But another way they contribute to your firm’s positioning in a competitive legal services market is to build up goodwill. This is true even if the client does not pick up the phone or visit your website at the end of the blog post. 

A good rule to follow is to ask yourself, “Even if the reader doesn’t follow up with me, does the piece still give that person something of value as a takeaway?” 

Your blog is an ongoing campaign to win over the reader as a new client. Each post is one battle in that campaign. If your reader comes away knowing that you give value every time, this improves your chances of that individual coming back to see what you have to offer in your next post.

Keep it Simple

“I am sorry to write you a long letter, but I did not have time to write a short one.” 

It is natural to think that others are just like us, including in how we communicate. This is a trap to avoid when you are writing client-oriented blogs. 

To get your JD, you spent up to 20 years in school. In law school, you learned how to deal with complex written subject matter. But chances are, unless your reader is another lawyer, that person does not share your wealth of education and training. 

It is not insulting to your reader to write at a seventh or eighth-grade level of reading comprehension. Most people comfortably read at this level even if they are college graduates. Professional sales writers even strive to get their reading level down to a fourth-grade level. 

Your reader wants you to get to the point quickly and efficiently in plain language. Using big words and jargon may feel comfortable to you and impress your peers. But unless you are marketing to other lawyers, always be looking for a simpler way to write your message. 

Use active voice. Use short sentences. Try to keep your paragraphs to no more than two sentences. 

If you need help with plain English writing style, consider using a third-party platform like Readable.com, Hemmingway, or Grammarly. 

Consider Partnering with a Professional Marketing Agency

“It all looks good on paper…”  

How are you going to launch and sustain your thought leadership blog campaign? 

Not every law firm has the people and the time to devote to a sustained thought leadership strategy. This is true when it comes to keeping up a steady flow of informative blog posts that lead to client conversions. 

At KPC Marketing Solutions, we understand this. That is why we offer professional thought leadership blog posting services for lawyers. 

We collaborate with you to craft precise, engaging, and tailored blog content for your target audience. All our writers are attorneys or have JDs. We know the legal landscape, and how to simplify complex legal language to give valuable information to everyday readers without sacrificing professionalism. 

Every blog post we create for you is:

• Optimized for SEO 

• Written to engage and inform 

• Crafted by legal industry professionals 

• Designed to turn readers into leads 

With KPC Marketing as your digital marketing partner, you can stay focused on serving your clients while we help you get new ones. We are effectively your ghost writers, transparently working with your lawyers so your prospects only see you.  

With our help, your thought leadership blogs will reap the following rewards for your firm: 

• Increased visibility online to your target audience
• Stronger trust and confidence in your capabilities and your expertise
• Better prospect engagement

We only serve law firms. Our services are customizable to your needs and affordable. 

To learn about how we can serve your firm’s digital marketing needs, give us a call at (866) 457-2627. Or, if you prefer, reach out to us online. 

Effective thought leadership through blog posting is a phone call away. Get in touch with us today, and we will help you get started.