Like any business in today’s online world, law firms recognize that investing in a results-oriented and effective digital marketing strategy is essential to remain competitive. When a potential client in your area begins their search for an attorney, they usually start with a simple Google search. They may enter terms like “personal injury lawyer near me” or “Do I need a criminal defense lawyer?” and peruse the results that the search engine presents. When search engines receive user queries, these algorithms attempt to match the keywords with web content that is reliable, relevant, and local to the person performing the search. In order for your law firm to remain visible to search engines and those looking for legal services in your area, it’s critical to invest in a robust and comprehensive digital marketing strategy for law firms.
A core aspect of your law firm’s digital marketing strategy is writing clear and engaging content that connects with potential clients and makes your website visible to search engine algorithms. With the increasing capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT that generate original content within minutes, it’s understandable that your law firm may want to let this technology take over your content marketing efforts. However, before you entrust AI with such important work, it’s important to consider the known limitations of AI tools in the context of content marketing for law firms. Let’s take a look at some of the significant limitations and potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on using AI for law firm content writing so your law firm can rise above your competition and engage more meaningfully with potential clients.
Surface-Level Understanding of Legal Topics
While AI content generative tools like ChatGPT have shown promise in their ability to synthesize and summarize information at an alarming pace, the quality of the written material has been somewhat underwhelming. These tools are designed to scan all relevant sources and information that’s currently available on the web, meaning that the quality and reliability of the information can vary significantly. When it comes to legal topics, AI technology can be trained to recognize various legal terms and their corresponding definitions. However, they may fail to grasp the nuances of legal terminology, leading to content that contains errors or that applies the terms incorrectly or inappropriately. Attorneys spend years learning the complexities of legal terms and principles, and they remain the authorities on such matters. If you use AI technology to generate content for your law firm’s website or marketing materials, it’s essential that you review the content carefully for errors or potential issues that, if left unresolved, could mislead or misinform potential clients and damage your law firm’s reputation.
Inability to Convey Emotion or Connect With Readers
Many fields of law deal with sensitive matters that can be highly emotional for your clients. For instance, those facing criminal charges often feel intimidated and anxious about how their case will unfold, while people who have suffered an injury at the hands of a negligent party tend to feel vulnerable and concerned about their physical recovery and the corresponding financial impact. When a potential client is looking for legal guidance, they often respond well to an empathetic tone and content that conveys an attorney’s genuine concern for the client’s well-being. So far, content generated by AI demonstrates a limited ability to convey emotion or showcase empathy. If your goal is to connect meaningfully with your clients, it’s best to write the content yourself to ensure that your words resonate with your audience.
Struggling to Produce Original Content
AI content generation tools do their best work when asked to summarize a topic. Since these algorithms are designed to scan and synthesize information that already exists, the written products are simply pieces of content and information from several sources that are stitched together in a readable and easily digestible way. However, these tools struggle to produce original content. When you rely too heavily on using these tools to generate content marketing materials, your law firm will likely notice that the results sound similar and repetitive. Search engines like Google reward businesses that refresh their websites regularly with fresh and original content. If you exclusively use content generated by AI, Google’s algorithm may view each refresh as too similar to the previous content and penalize you for using too much recycled or overly similar content.
Missing an Intangible “Human” Element
Although content generated by AI tools may be readable and technically correct, many people find that there is still some aspect of this writing that just sounds “off.” There is still a robotic undertone that permeates the content generated by AI technology, and the lack of human emotion, empathy, and intuition is noticeable (especially in longer-form content). For now, humans still do the best job of capturing the essence of a law firm’s mission and values, allowing the human connection to shine through the words on the screen. While it can be nearly impossible to identify what makes AI-generated content seem stilted and off-kilter, most people simply say that they respond more genuinely and intuitively to content written by attorneys and digital marketing professionals.
Your Law Firm Deserves the Best
It’s important to acknowledge that AI technology will continue to improve and evolve at a rapid pace. While your law firm may be excited to explore new ways of integrating these tools into your practice, it’s a good idea to exercise caution and mindfulness as you approach these cutting-edge capabilities. Not all digital marketing strategies deliver the same results; your law firm has unique needs and goals, so it deserves a customized content marketing strategy that will deliver your desired results. Consider working with a digital marketing professional who understands the nuances of creating a marketing strategy for law firms. Together, you can articulate your goals and develop a personalized digital marketing for law firms strategy to help you grow your business and serve more clients in your community.
If your law firm’s goal is to engage with more clients and grow your practice, talk to the LegalRev team today about how we can help. Call us at (800) 893-2590 or schedule a quick meeting here to discuss your vision and marketing goals.
