Some products and services solve problems you don’t know you have. Think about the person who thinks they don’t need an estate plan—and don’t take the time to learn about the benefits of having one—because they figure their spouse will inherit everything when they pass away. Then there’s the person who accepts the settlement offer from the insurance company after a personal injury because they aren’t aware they have other options.
Some people will deliberately search for content to solve their problems, but not everyone falls into this category. These prospects don’t seek a solution because they don’t realize they have an issue, much like the potential estate planning and personal injury clients mentioned above. For these types of clients, you aren’t creating demand for your services, but rather, you’re helping people realize that they already possess the demand. They simply are unaware of it. Content helps people make this connection.
Who Lands in this Category
One of the things that people get confused about is what their prospects (your potential clients) are unaware of. The assumption that most people jump to is that the prospect doesn’t know who you are. Law firms make the mistake of thinking people will contact them to resolve their issues if they can get their name out there. However, unaware prospects do not know that they have a problem. Therefore, even if you were to walk up to them and introduce yourself, they would likely ignore what you have to say. From their perspective, you have nothing they need.
Because of this unawareness, traditional direct-response marketing methods, aggressive advertising, and calls to action will be ineffective. Your target audience is unwilling to listen or hear solutions because they don’t know they have a problem. Rather than selling yourself, you have to focus on educating them. (This is one of the reasons why firms that offer free seminars or workshops have found so much success.) The goal is to introduce concepts and ideas that may be recognized as relevant to their needs. If you’re a business law attorney, offer efficiency tips or explain how your future clients can protect themselves with well-drafted contracts. The prospect may discover their current contracts fall considerably short of the mark based on your explanation of what makes a contract valuable. You’re educating others and getting your clients to become problem-aware, which is the focus of the next blog in this series.
Crafting Content for the Unaware
Many people do this without thinking about it. Our clients will realize the need to educate their audience because a law has changed or they have noticed how many current clients are unaware of something. Ironically, you should be aware of the levels of awareness because it gives you an idea of who you are communicating with and keeps your messaging consistent from post to post.
For instance, speaking to unaware prospects requires an indirect or soft approach. You should introduce issues that people may face by relating general information to common problems in their industry or lives. This can be accomplished through short videos or blogs. When your prospects read it, it may spark curiosity or lead to self-questioning. The content should make your audience feel like they are not alone because other people have had these issues and found practical solutions. Engaging stories or case studies showing how others have identified and addressed these problems is effective.
Your content serves as a bridge, making the unfamiliar familiar and the unacknowledged acknowledged. It does not push them to make an immediate change but opens their minds to the possibility. By providing these gentle insights, you can help move someone from being entirely unaware to becoming curious about their own problem (and potential solutions).
Embrace Content MarketingContent is the component that makes all marketing work better. If you need help writing blogs or creating videos for your audience, regardless of their level of awareness, get in touch with us to learn how we market your firm appropriately.
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