
Our friends and partners at JD Supra have long been in conversation with in-house counsel and other readers of law firm analysis and commentary to understand exactly what they want from legal thought leadership.
During a recent conversation with JD Supra’s Adrian Lurssen about the LIMELIGHT/JD Supra survey of GC currently underway, we compared notes with LIMELIGHT’s own anecdotal list of editorial do’s and dont’s when it comes to such content.
Here’s a distilled version of that conversation: a list of what to avoid when publishing thought leadership that aims to reach legal decision-makers and drive visibility and relationships. Share these best practices with your firm’s authors.
1. Your target readers don’t want legalese
Yes, they’re trained lawyers. Yes, the topics are complex. But they don’t want to read dense legal language for two main reasons:
- They’re busy and need to understand your main point and the takeaways quickly.
- They often want to share your insights internally, particularly with their executive team, and legalese doesn’t translate well.
Legalese slows the pace of your smart insights reaching as wide an audience as possible with clients or prospective clients.
[The takeaway: use clear, direct language that enables busy executives to understand the main points quickly. Bonus: answer-engine platforms like ChatGPT and others also prioritize plain, straightforward writing when it comes to finding and quoting sources in their responses.]
2. Your readers don’t want a treasure hunt
They don’t want to go in search of the main point, buried within a sea of words. (See above re: busy-ness.)
Don’t bury your insight in the final sentence of a one-page alert. Lead with the takeaway, right at the top, then explain how you arrived at it.
We often see firms publishing 100-page eBooks in which several authors contribute their sharp, experienced analysis, insights, and guidance for page upon page upon page. Unfortunately, most readers won’t read the whole thing. And a GC looking for one specific takeaway likely won’t find it.
[The takeaway: start every piece of content by focusing on what matters most to your reader. If you’re publishing a longer guide, break it into shorter parts. If pages 66-67 of your IP eBook cover patent litigation in life sciences, pull those out and publish as a standalone article with a targeted title for those readers.]
3. Your readers don’t want to know that you are smart; they want to know what they should do next
Think about every GC panel you’ve attended at legal marketing and BD conferences. What is the one line we hear again and again?
“Know my business.”
Law firm thought leadership authors always showcase their expertise. They are smart, experienced professionals who know what they are talking about. But that’s not enough.
When a GC or C-suite executive finishes reading your piece, they shouldn’t think, “That’s a smart tax attorney.” They should think, “This person understands my business, knows my challenges, and can help me solve them.”
That’s an impression that leads to more LinkedIn followers, more subscribers to your newsletter, more requests for a conversation or meeting.
[The takeaway: Focus on the reader. You are not the subject. The law is not the subject. The real subject: the people and businesses impacted by the law, and what you can do to help them.]
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As our GC survey results start to come in, I’m fascinated by other best practices emerging from the responses. Stay tuned. We’ll release findings later this year.
And, if you are part of an in-house legal team – or the C-suite, including chief compliance officer, CEO, or other – please take a moment to complete our quick survey. It takes just a few minutes and your input will shape how law firms communicate with you in the future.
What matters to you? Click here to let us know!
Amy Hanan is Chief Growth Officer of LIMELIGHT, a growth communications and marketing firm for legal and other highly regulated sectors. Connect with her on LinkedIn.