writing for good readership lessons in storytelling thought leadership and common sense lma july...

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Writing for Good Readership:Lessons in Storytelling, Thought Leadership

and Common SensePresented by

Keith Ecker, Content Strategist at Jaffe&

Jennifer Schaller, Managing Director at the National Law Review




A Presentation in Two Parts1. How Legal Marketers Can Effectively Use Storytelling

2. How to Get the Stories You Develop Seen




What Is a Story?




What Is a Story?1. It has a beginning, middle and an end.

2. It has characters.

3. The characters have relationships.

4. There is conflict.

5. There is action.

6. There is resolution.

7. There is transformation.




Laying the FoundationThe “Why”




Define Your Storytelling Goals

What do you want your story to do?•Raise awareness of an attorney, practice or the firm

•Educate your audience

•Develop the “verbal brand” of an attorney, practice or the firm

•Position an attorney, practice or the firm in the legal market

•Encourage the audience to take a specific action




Define Your Scope

What will your story to cover?•A broad range of legal topics (i.e., the “catch-all” approach)

•A specific practice area

•A specific industry or sector

•A specific legal issue (i.e., litigation readiness, pharma IP, etc.)




Define Your Audience

Who is your target?•General counsel

•Other attorneys

•C-suite executives

•General business people

•Consumers

•Other referral sources

•Reporters and the media




Selecting What Stories to Tell

The “What”




Defining “Newsworthiness”

Relevance

Timeliness

Impact

Uniqueness




Sources for Topics

Current news and events

•Provide summaries and commentary on topics that are already circulating in the press.




Sources for Topics

Curation from third-party sources •Have you read an interesting study? Did another blog provide commentary on a topic? Summarize and link to their information while adding your own analysis.




Sources for Topics

Repurposing from firm-owned assets

•Give your past efforts new life by reusing them as source material for new content.

•Remember to use a call-to-action to drive traffic to the asset.




Creating the StoryThe “How”




The Dramatic ArcThe dramatic arc is the backbone of every story. Legal marketers and lawyers can leverage it with great

effect when writing blog posts, white papers and other thought-leadership content.




Case Studies




Legal Analysis




Frequently Asked Questions




The Takeaways

1.Define WHY you are telling a story.

2.Define WHAT story you will tell.

3.Define HOW you will tell this story.




Your Headline is the First — Maybe the Last Impression You Make on Your Audience.

Headline – Part of Title Section of a Webpage.

The optimal length of Title:

•Google Desktop Search: 55 to 60 characters (actually 512 pixels)

•Bing: 65 characters in length – Yahoo up to 67 characters.




Word Order Really Matters in Search. Search Engines Will cut off title display BEFORE next full word

URL = http://www.natlawreview.com/article/five-biggest-mistakes-employers-make-when-laying-employees Red = Title [Red= 53 characters]




Most Important Words at the Front. What are the Most Important Words?

•Include Terms Folks Will Use In Search – Short Versions of Case Names (No Cites), Legislation Names, Include City – State, Country

•[GOOD] FMLA Same-Sex Spouse Final Rule Enjoined in Some States

Obama v. President Obama - Actual Title: President Obama Signs Executive Order To Encourage Information Sharing




Algorithms Don’t Appreciate Wit, Irony, Humor, or Style. [Mashable]

Keep Calm and Carry On – What to Do With a Letter From Bar Counsel

Keep Calm and Don't Carry On Proven Tactics to Defeat and Settle Claims Asserted by Bankruptcy Trustees and Debtors




Key Words First Then Hook.

Titles: Answering Questions.




The Whos, Whys and Hows of the Click Through

Source: NewsCred: How to Write Blog Headlines People Will Actually Click on [Report]




Click Through-able Titles [Useful, Ultra-Specific, Urgency]

• Use Brackets in Headline [VIDEO] [INFOGRAPHIC] [WEBINAR] • Implementing a Counterfeit Enforcement Program [VIDEO]

• Who – Specify: State, Company Involved in Law Suit, Type of Tax • Court Refuses To Reconsider Bifurcation Order

• UltraSpecific – Use Numbers, Use Dates (also can create urgency)• Ten Ways the 2014 Election May Affect Privacy and Data Security Law• June 1: OSHA’s Revised Hazard Communication Standard Deadline for

Compliance




The Two Step Approach:Good Titles + Meta Descriptions




Questions?Keith EckerContent Strategist at [email protected]

Jennifer SchallerManaging Director of the National Law [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

writing for good readership lessons in storytelling thought leadership and common sense lma july...

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