Steven Andersen

As we all hunker down at home, practice social distancing and contemplate the eerily quiet world around us, it's hard not to ask: What comes next? What is the new normal going to look like? No matter how soon the COVID-19 pandemic ends, there is the dawning realization that a lot of things are going to change permanently.

Indeed, the early hopes that the crisis would pass in weeks or months have given way to the grim realization that even if this first wave is contained, we'll be living with the risk of a resurgence for quite a while. That means a lot of work will be done remotely for the foreseeable future, including legal marketing.

A recent report on the impact of coronavirus on marketing shows a pivot from live events and conferences to online content, webinars, blogs, and virtual events. This is to be expected, but what shape will legal content take as it assumes an increased role and we all adapt to a new and different reality?

Legal content creation has been trending toward remote work for many years, fueled by a confluence of industry and economic trends. As newsrooms have been winnowed and non-legal professional staffs pared during the past decade, a significant volume of content work, from thought leadership to nominations, has been directed to outside contractors—most often former legal journalists and legal marketers. The pandemic will only accelerate that trend. But there are many more ways it will reshape the ways law firms use content to promote themselves.

Buy-In From the Top, New Players

An informal poll of our company's client managers and senior account executives—the people who manage the flow of daily media opportunities to our clients—revealed a notable uptick of interest in publishing opportunities. This is not surprising, since there's so much to analyze about the impact of coronavirus. What is surprising is who's getting involved, and how.

We're seeing firm leaders—chairpersons and management or executive committee members—being increasingly hands-on as they reassess the way to use content to differentiate their firms. With many firms putting out similar client alerts on significant legal developments, there seems to be a newfound interest in creating content that stands out in the market.

This content takes many forms. From a surge of interest in webinars and podcasts to virtual roundtables and other online forums, firms are looking to harness the value of the content they already have and are creating new content in a more strategic fashion. While the traditional content generation mode of "I have written an article, let's get it published somewhere" is still very much with us, we're seeing a fresh top-down emphasis on creating content campaigns that are harmonized across practice and industry groups. The pandemic has forced firms to think even more strategically about how they are using content to drive business.

"Brexit and other disruptors recently provided a hint of this," one senior account executive told me, "but now it's firmwide. Firms are getting more organized. Everything is on message, on brand. It's breaking down silos."

We're not alone in seeing this. "Law Firm leaders realize that this is the time to reach out to clients and to provide them with relevant guidance," says Deborah Farone of Farone Advisors. "That guidance may come in the form of phone calls, webinars and client memos, and good content is central to all of those methods."

These are welcome changes and could go a long way to transform the way lawyers view content marketing and understand the value of integrated media strategies. In fact, this shift has already become evident in the new people we see throwing themselves into the mix.

One client, a high-performing partner who focuses on business strategy and governance, has recently embraced webinars because he sees them as the best way to deliver real-time insight. Previously, he was reluctant to engage in PR activities because of his busy schedule, but the pandemic prompted a thoughtful shift in his marketing priorities.

He's not alone. "People are coming out the woodwork," another senior account executive told me. "We're seeing a higher volume of requests and a lot of new people."

We're also seeing engagement from practice areas that often keep a low profile. Bankruptcy, restructuring and distressed asset lawyers are having a run on publishing articles. Part of that is cyclical, but having been through decades of economic ups and downs, I think it's different this time. We are in uncharted waters, and it's forcing everyone to reassess their marketing approach.

In time many of these people may revert to their former ways, but they will have had sustained exposure to content marketing and its many forms. That should create a lasting impression and foster meaningful change.

Isolation and Connection

Any writer working on a piece of substance knows that sustained focus is essential. Quality work can't be done in fits and starts, interrupted by a constantly ringing phone or pinging inbox. To write well, you sometimes need to put the blinders on and give your mind the time and space needed to process your research or personal perspective into a compelling narrative.

Although quarantine is stressful in many ways, it does provide more room to think—to fully realize ideas and see them through. Whether content is being created by lawyers, with the help of associates or staff, or outsourced, the upside of lockdown is the quiet it affords. Embracing the solitude, uncomfortable as it may be, can result in better ideas and greater insight. It also helps you understand what makes you unique.

Quality content often stands out based on the subjective experience and personality of the writer, or how well that essence is captured by a ghostwriter. If content is being created by any third party, this is the toughest part to coax out, at least over the phone. It's easy to gather a lot of information in a relatively brief call—enough to craft a solid and informed article—but capturing the personal element can remain elusive.

One thing that has already become clear is that video meetings have broken down walls that we didn't even realize were there. Where once we met in personal offices or austere conference rooms that conveyed a sense of professional distance, we now see each other in our own homes, with the occasional appearance of a curious child or pet. There's something humanizing about this. We get a better sense of each other, and that adds value.

Video conferences have been increasingly common in recent years, but quarantine has embedded them in the standard toolkit. Their advantages will take root, and they will replace some of the formality that made the personal element hard to capture. That, too, will feed better content.

What Good May Come

I recall a conversation with an older partner who lamented the lost hustle and bustle of a law office in earlier years. Ringing phones, personal assistants, fleets of paralegals rushing about, commotion, collegiality. I could relate. I'm fortunate to have begun my career at the tail end of the newspaper era. I fell in love with the romance of the newsroom—the singular buzz and sense of purpose on a big news night.

Things change. Law firms and newsrooms are both a lot quieter than they used to be. They are silent now and may remain so for some time to come. And when people do return to the office, it will be different in ways we can't yet anticipate.

One positive change that I've seen myself, and that has been verified by my peers and colleagues, is that these days people are more empathetic, less prickly and more engaged. They're more mindful of other people's time. That helps smooth the way for doing any kind of work well, not just content. A crisis can bring out the best in us. If there's one thing we take away from this terrible and unprecedented pandemic, I hope it will be that increased sense of connection. If we've learned anything from this experience so far, it's just how much we need that.

Steven Andersen is Vice President for Content and Client Strategy at the international communications firm Infinite Global. He is based in New York.