When it comes to marketing your law firm, a quality case study can be an effective way to showcase the abilities of your attorneys both in and out of the courtroom. Though creating them can take time, there are many different ways to build a compelling case study for your firm. Utilizing best practices for curating an effective case study can help your firm gain quality leads and increase its digital reach, while also visually exhibiting the successes of the firm in a fascinating way – beyond just listing a long line of representative matters or case results.
A case study is a self-contained explanation of how a client was able to prevail in a case with the help of a law firm. Well written case studies use a beginning, middle, and end to describe how the legal problem came to be, what the law firm did to help the client and the successful resolution of the matter. Displaying them on a law firm website and/or highlighting them in a social post boosts the firm’s authority and exhibit practical successes to potential clients. According to HubSpot, comprehensive case studies can help to convert and accelerate most online leads.
Tips to Create an Effective Law Firm Case Study
While there are many different ways one can go about writing a case study, be sure to include the following items in order to thoroughly assess the case and effectively entice your audience to learn more about the case and/or the firm:
Get Client Permission Before Writing
Because legal matters often deal with personal and/or sensitive information for the parties involved, it’s incredibly important to get your client’s written permission before beginning to write out a case study. Partnering with your client in the creation of case studies builds further trust with that client and shows that your firm values the relationship. In addition to client permission, always be sure that any information you share does not violate a court order, agreement of the parties, release, or other legal document involved in the resolution of the legal matter.
Tell a Story
It’s no secret that people love a good story. Books, movies, and television shows all have story elements to them that make them attractive to both readers and viewers. Because of this, it’s important to review the subject case like a story within the case study and to avoid confusing technical ‘legal speak’ as much as you are able. Follow the classic narrative arc that details a rising action, climax, and resolution to create an easy-to-follow story even around the most complex issues.
Select Cases an Ideal Client Could Relate to
When determining which cases your firm would like to utilize as case study material, it’s important to choose matters to which your ideal client could relate. The cases used should identify common problems encountered by clients who seek out your firm’s legal counsel and/or those the firm would like to assist in future work.
Simplify and Ensure the Content is Easy to Read
Case studies shouldn’t be treated as long-winded articles or even blog posts. Write succinct sentences and short paragraphs without any ‘fluff’ not only keep content concise but also to make it easier to read as well.
Ensure They Are Easy To Find
A case study should be easy for potential clients to find, whether it’s on a website, on social media channels, or in an email newsletter. If they aren’t included on the law firm website homepage, they should be made easy-to-find in a dropdown menu or in a section separate from where client testimonials are displayed. It’s also a good idea to link from case studies to the corresponding practice area page or pages so a potential client can gain further insight on services they may need.
Have Realistic Expectations
Once the case study has been written and published, it’s important to have realistic expectations. In the event the case study doesn’t perform as well as your firm’s best piece of content, don’t get upset because they aren’t intended to. Legal case studies are designed for audiences already considering using your law firm. Though this audience may be smaller in size, it includes qualified leads more likely to convert – or to reach out to your firm.
Need More Law Firm Marketing Help?
Though they can take time, creating comprehensive case studies to showcase the successes of your law firm greatly helps with online marketing efforts. At Stacey E. Burke, P.C., our team can help you determine which cases can best benefit your firm’s digital marketing. We create full-scale marketing plans for small to medium sized law firms across the country in a variety of practice areas. If your law firm would like to know more about our services, contact us today for more information.
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