A report from JD Supra found that content marketing will play a critical role in web marketing campaigns for law firms moving forward.

As legal websites develop more comprehensive marketing strategies, content marketing is expected to play a critical role in the future of the industry, a report from JD Supra found.

Like most industries, the legal sector suffered greatly during the recession and has altered its plans to boost revenue moving forward. JD Supra reported the legal website will serve more as a centralized marketing and informational platform, integrating marketing efforts from several platforms, including social media and customized content.

Among the primary benefits of this shift in web marketing strategy is the ability to convert clients outside a firm’s typical geographic location. Rather than turning to the yellow pages for a list of attorneys and firms in their area, prospective clients now use the web. For firms to attract these clients, SEO is a vital tool.

A comprehensive SEO strategy should include the development of a content marketing campaign and a social media presence. In terms of content development, law firms see the value in creating news-based content that highlights growing trends in their market. Creating content that both informs potential clients and includes targeted keywords is more likely to result in ROI than traditional marketing content reformatted for the web.

Digital marketing has already manifested itself in the legal community on other platforms. Brafton reported last week that 35 percent of law firms use QR codes to direct prospects to informational content on their websites.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.