Deborah C. Scaringi, The Daily Record Newswire
Developing informative, rich content is a solid approach to positioning yourself as a thought leader in your field. Successfully sharing your compelling content is the critical next step necessary for competing in today’s crowded legal marketplace.
Sounds straightforward enough. But do you know where to begin? Taking advantage of plentiful online tools makes easy work of gaining coveted visibility for your legal knowledge. Here are five tools for sharing content successfully.
Website — Make your website the first stop for everything you create. It is an ideal repository to house and organize a wide range of internally and externally created content such as news, articles, advisories, press releases, blog posts, videos, biographies, infographics and representative matters. By placing all content on the firm’s website, you may then direct visitors from all other platforms to your site to consume all of your related content in one place. (Hint: Google punishes sites that copy and paste the same exact content repeatedly on multiple pages. Instead, post each piece of content once and hyperlink the page to every related area on the site.)
LinkedIn — With freshly added content on your website, now is the time to put it to work. Social media outlets expand the reach of your knowledge, and Linked In is a great place to start because it is a comfortable environment that was built for sharing professional knowledge. Place your content as a status update, make an introductory comment, and link the post directly to your website. (Hint: consider posting your content within a group discussion; just be sure it is relevant and helpful to the group. Never force your content into a discussion, but rather come from a position of adding value to a specific conversation.)
Twitter — Tweeting is one of the easiest ways to quickly share your brand and knowledge globally. (Hint: Use a bit.ly link — a url-shortening service — to save space for commentary. Using 140 characters, attract your reader with carefully selected key words or phrases that invite viewers to read more. Don’t forget to use hash tags to indicate search terms.)
Blogs — A blog is an easy-to-use branded platform for sharing your knowledge on a specific topic over a prolonged period of time. Don’t have the urge to develop a blog on your own? Ask to be a guest blogger. Blog owners are always interested in timely content from smart resources. (Hint: keep your content relevant, brief and frequent so that readers come to rely on you as a resource for timely information on topics that matter to them.)
You Tube — Video is a great way to create content and it is among the easiest to consume. Short, informative videos display your ability to present an issue and a solution succinctly. It is also a way to translate complex information clearly and instantaneously to a broad audience. Video technology has come a long way, and it’s easier than ever to record your message and push it out. (Hint: Once your video is hosted on You Tube, embed a link on your website and share the content via the other social media platforms discussed above.)
Savvy lawyers know that content is a huge differentiator. Sometimes getting started is the hardest step. Sharing knowledge over multiple platforms provides a quick and expansive approach to broadening the scope of your visibility. Get started with one tool at a time until you are comfortable and then add others. Soon enough you will be on your way to building visibility for all you create.
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Deborah C. Scaringi is a consultant who works with law firms and other businesses to develop strategic programs for marketing communications and business development. A former president of the Legal Marketing Association’s New England chapter, she can be contacted at deb@scaringimarketing.com or by visiting www.scaringimarketing.com.
