News avoidance is real and has been building for some time. More than 42% of Americans say that they actively avoid the news. People avoid news for various reason – negative, unsettling, sad (politics, Covid, mass shootings, war, the economy), not interested, too many platforms (tv, radio, print, social media, streaming), too repetitive, news frequency overload (inundated), feeling of powerlessness, groups feel underrepresented, etc.
Today’s consumers of news are looking for positive news, hope, storytelling, entertainment news, and solutions news. Many readers/viewers, especially younger audiences, are turning away from traditional news sources (print, radio and television) and are using newer platforms like Podcasts and TikTok.
To complete for one’s attention today you may need to adapt your law firm’s messaging. You need to produce relevant, accurate, and interesting news and opinions that reach and touch people where they are. It’s important for attorneys to know and understand their clients and their prospects needs and wants. Then you must produce interesting and relevant content and provide it on the media platforms where you find those potential clients – whether its print and traditional media, or digital platforms like Facebook and TikTok, etc.
For your firm communication, think about including some positive news. Include your local sponsorships, photos of your community involvement, share staff/team photos, your client testimonials, and helpful tips. If you share client stories and case results, don’t focus solely on the negative event that brought them to you, but also include the positives as a result of your representation such as stories of inspiration. These stories of inspiration will help drive more readers of your articles and perhaps more potential clients.
Remember to lighten up a bit! Your goal is to have your content read and shared, ultimately resulting in new business and positive reviews of your firm.
