Writing content with the entire world in mind isn’t a winning plan. A trite – yet true – marketing adage says, “If you’re talking to everybody, you’re talking to nobody.” The opposite also holds true. Compelling content speaks to you because it was written for you. Or at least for someone just like you. This is the effect you ultimately want to achieve whenever you put pen to paper when writing content to connect with your clients and prospective clients.
Blessedly, there’s a shortcut to tune out noise and write content that converts: create your ideal client profile. Through this process, you identify the assortment of traits and circumstances you’re best positioned to serve. Are you seeking repeat business from a certain type of client or a particular industry? Then this is for you. The ultimate result is a clear mental picture of a person to whom you’re uniquely positioned to speak. This sparks imagination, empathy, and clarity, allowing you to fill the page with the exact information and solutions your ideal client needs.
Here are a few simple steps to get started:
Be specific. When asked to identify their ideal client, most attorneys paint with broad strokes. From “car accident victim” to “CEO,” general categories offer a solid starting point but lack the necessary details to finish the job. Yet, most lawyers are reluctant to limit their target any further, concerned about putting their practice and future clients in a box.
In reality, your ideal client profile is essentially a writing exercise. It serves as a prompt that draws on your successful client experiences and offers a specific set of feelings and circumstances to which you can respond. Don’t hesitate to get detailed about the exact person you’d like to clone for your practice. You’re not leaving out everyone else; you’re just increasing the chances of drawing in your ideal clients.
Talk to people. Real people inspire the best ideal client profiles. Maybe you have a strong relationship with a former client or a friend who faced a problem you can solve. Maybe you’ve even been in your prospective client’s position and can offer yourself some insight. The idea is to question a few choice people about their mindsets when choosing an attorney. What drew them in? What turned them off? What were they looking for but couldn’t find? What information gave them a sigh of relief, and what gave them anxiety?
The answers to these (and other) fact-finding questions can be incredibly instructive when drafting marketing content. You’ll know you’re on the right track when a set of paragraphs pour out of you based on what you learned. And they ultimately help you offer a finished product that reads like a compassionate instruction manual to a person needing legal help.
Let it go. Once you have a clear sense of your reader, there’s a fine art to writing with that person in mind. One effective approach is to imagine you’re sending them an email. This will help you get your ideas out, write in your own voice, and strike the right tone. After you’ve filled the page, you can edit as needed to make the language more universal.
Still not sure? Get a coach. Tips 1 through 3 will give you a solid start in creating an ideal client profile. But if you hit a wall, an effective attorney marketing coach can be a game-changer. Law school taught you how to be a skilled counselor. However, few law schools teach how to find clients, much less how to develop and maintain client relationships. Realizing their new business pipeline is drying up, some attorneys get conflicting advice, and it is hard to sift through what will work and what won’t. Some focused and carefully tailored coaching sessions can help demystify the marketing process so lawyers can identify what they truly need and want when creating their ideal client profile.
Taking the time to imagine your ideal client before launching a marketing campaign may make the difference between throwing random darts at a wall and hitting the bullseye on potential clients that fit your practice.
