Face-to-face meetings help legal professionals form relationships with new clients and win business. Our experience of copywriting for legal companies tells us that nurturing these relationships is essential for their success. But as the effects of the coronavirus outbreak continue to ripple and we all dramatically reduce contact with others, law firms must evolve to build these connections early.
The tech side of law
Over the past two years, investment in lawtech has tripled. Last year alone, firms invested £62m in software and tools that would enable them to automate admin tasks, generate smart contracts and communicate using advanced chatbots. Given the current movement restrictions and the need for remote working, we imagine the investment was well timed for many firms. However, a question mark hovers over whether these tools help or hamper relationships.
New ways of working
Law firms looking to attract clients will need to develop new relationships from scratch without a face-to-face meeting. It is challenging, given that clients need to feel comfortable with their lawyer to speak frankly about topics that might be difficult or emotionally charged. Though from our experience, lawyers are adapting to the circumstances and proving that lawyer-client relationships without meeting in person can be just as strong.
As the legal content writing agency for many law firms, we’ve had an insight into their working practices while the UK is on lockdown. Many firms are busier than ever, providing their clients with a steady legal hand as they steer their way through uncertainty.
They’re working remotely (like many businesses at the moment) and setting up video calls to continue with face-to-face meetings. Although some cases are experiencing delays, legal professionals are helping to keep the process moving. Many are also looking into ways to get vital documents legitimately signed and witnessed remotely.
Law firms are offering the same level of support, which we imagine will be reassuring to their current clients. So, when it comes to winning new business, firms need to mirror this flexible approach and demonstrate that they will still be just as hands-on and contactable.
Building trust and credibility remotely
We work with clients across the world, so we’re used to building relationships from the ground up remotely. From our experience, there are lots of ways to create connections and demonstrate credibility without face-to-face meetings.
Here are some of the ways you can use your client touchpoints to earn trust:
- Set up video calls – being able to see the lawyer a client will be working with can be very reassuring. Suggesting a video call during the enquiry phase will help put a name to a face and establish that you will be proactive and approachable during even during the lockdown.
- Show your personalities – give new clients an indication of who they will be working with even before they get in touch. Employee bios are most powerful with a smiling photo and engaging copy that illustrates their expertise, approach and personal side. You could go one step further by encouraging your lawyers to get involved with creating blogs and using LinkedIn to reflect their outlook.
- Refine your web copy – lots of new clients will find you online, so make sure your web copy reflects the human and supportive side of your business. Edit out anything that sounds ambiguous and use examples to convey your authenticity.
- Create thought leadership pieces – legal content writing should demonstrate that your lawyers are experts in their fields, helping to win a potential new client’s trust. Write well-researched pieces that have a compelling argument to set you apart as a leader. You can market these pieces through email campaigns and social media, when and where appropriate, which can help to drum up new business.
- Keep content updated – articles can quickly become out of date, especially in situations that are evolving daily. Giving prospective clients information they can rely on will make you the obvious choice when they need legal help. We suggest having a clear and streamlined process in place so you can sign off and upload insights quickly.
- Include data and stats – to be credible, all legal content writing needs to be supported with good references, data and stats. Many of our clients refer to decisions made in other cases, and we suggest aiming for around two to three of these sources and others in an article to provide a balanced view. You could also use quotes if little research has been carried out in an area.
Digital legal content writing needs to work harder than ever to humanise businesses, especially law firms where trust is integral to success. The right words will illustrate your team’s expertise and credibility, and when balanced with a human tone, will form the building blocks of winning client trust. For an assessment of your online touchpoints and tone of voice, get in touch to speak to our content strategists.
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