When it comes to content right now, your only guiding principles should be 1) sensitivity to current market conditions and 2) dissemination of content and programs that are designed to inform your clients and help them navigate these times.

Here are a few things not to do right now during the pandemic when it comes to content and digital marketing:

• Turn off all non-coronavirus related pre-scheduled social media posts, emails and reminders. A firm I know sent out an email about an already cancelled event and then had to send another email explaining their mistake.
• Don’t post content that is self-congratulatory or launches a new service/product – hang onto these for later. I keep seeing firms post content unrelated to COVID-19 and only does it make you seem tone-deaf, but it also likely means that content will get lost in a sea of coronavirus resources. I’m keeping a running list of these for my clients and preparing the content and visuals for these posts so they’re ready to go at the appropriate time.
• Don’t name your COVID-19 content the “Coronavirus Resource Center” – nearly every firm that has launched a special online section to help clients navigate COVID-19 is using that same verbiage – make yours stand out with a unique name. This will also help with SEO and Google search results.
• Don't use the coronavirus cell structure as the image in all of your visuals, especially with a red background. It can be viewed as quite off-putting to some – and it’s been overused by nearly every firm and news outlet. Again, think outside of the box and come up with a more unique image.
• Don't send out multiple COVID-19 alerts to the same email list every day. Instead, aggregate the content and create one newsletter with various articles. You don't want to bombard your audience with too many emails.
• Instead of bombarding your clients with emails on webinars and client alerts on coronavirus updates, pick up the phone and ask your clients how they are doing, listen to them carefully and ask them how you can help them right now.
• Do not pitch or aggressively market yourself. This is not the time to do the hard sell (that's never a good idea) – or to send formal pitch materials to a prospect. This is the time to be human and use relationships to engage. Your firm bio and LinkedIn profile will let your abilities shine without you drawing attention to them.

And finally don’t do nothing. There are some firms that are pulling back on their marketing efforts and remaining quiet, wanting to flatten the curve first. This is such an important time to be a market leader and to help your clients navigate these unchartered waters.

I hope these tips help you - don't stop creating smart and helpful content and getting it to market quickly. Stay safe.

*

Stefanie Marrone helps law firms, individual lawyers and companies of all sizes with brand building and revenue generating strategies and tactics in marketing, business development and communications. She serves as outsourced chief marketing officer to large, mid-sized and small law firms and provides customized social media and business development training for firms.