For lawyers, time is money. When things get busy, anything that takes you away from billing clients tends to get put on hold.
But content marketing works through consistency – you need to keep writing and keep getting your message out there, even when it seems you have no time for it.
So, if you’re struggling to find the time for content marketing, here are 6 cheats that will help make it easier.
1. Plan it
Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the event. No one likes looking at a blank screen and wondering what to write. So plan your content in advance by using a simple, flexible content calendar that maps it out.
By knowing what you’ll write about in advance, you give your mind time to turn things over – the ideas will start forming before you even put pen to paper.
Better still, planning will help make sure your content matches your strategic objectives. So schedule your content marketing into your week or month, and make it a habit. Be consistent in how often you post articles (it doesn’t have to be often) and how you promote them.
2. Write once, use many times.
Generally speaking, there are three main wheels to the content marketing cart: your website, your social media and your eNewsletter. Each should play an important role in getting your content seen.
Often people think they need original content for every medium. But that’s simply not the case. If it’s on your blog, don’t feel as though you can’t also include it in an eNewsletter, push it out on social media, and tell everyone about it – even if that means modifying it slightly for a different medium.
If you’ve written an article for another publication or event, promote it on your blog and through social media (asking permission first). And if it’s still relevant some time later, promote it again.
3. Don’t just create, curate too
You don’t need to write your own lengthy articles in order to get in on the content marketing scene. Curating interesting and reputable content by writing a short intro and linking to other great articles is an easy way to do it.
Just make sure you keep it relevant to your audience and goals. And don’t forget to supplement it with original pieces – like blogs and infographics – where you can.
4. Draw on your experience
All businesses have great stories to tell, even if they don’t know it. Writing about your own experiences can make it easier to produce engaging content for readers.
For instance, using case studies and “how we did it” style stories or snapshots can bring real depth to your blog and often make for quick, easy wins. And it doesn’t always have to be written – a picture or infographic can often work wonders.
5. Concentrate on what works for you
Content marketing shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. Different things work for different businesses and audiences. If you’re doing content marketing you’ve got the ability to analyse who likes it, reads it and engages with it; how and where; and ultimately what works best for you.
So don’t second guess it. Use some decent analytics to create a feedback loop and give your audience more of what it likes.
6. Outsource
There’s little point in content marketing unless you’re doing it well. If you really haven’t got the time or resources for it – or if you think your time could be better spent elsewhere – outsource it.
There’s a number of content marketing agencies out there, ours included, that can take content marketing off your hands and make sure it’s done well.
And finally…
There’s no escaping the fact that content marketing takes both time and effort. But by using these shortcuts you’ll be able to reduce unnecessary work and maximise the time you spend on it.
Ralph Grayden and Emma Sorensen run Antelope Media, a content marketing, copywriting and communications agency that specialises in professional services.