Elmfields

Whether at the top of the inbox or the top of the social feed - success in law firm brand awareness is increasingly tied to the authenticity and connection that helps to make firms memorable.

Firms are no longer required to operate within the traditional marketing frameworks that defined the legal sector for decades.

Driven in part by younger audiences' preference for more authenticity and relatability - and by broader shifts in how people engage with business and media - firms of all sizes are feeling the ripple effects and it is impacting how law firm leaders show up, both in the office and on LinkedIn.

Firms with strong brand equity increasingly sit at opposite ends of the spectrum: some taking a more considered approach more closely aligned with their roots, while others take to TikTok to connect with younger audiences.

The focus for newer firms is on expanding visibility through hyper targeted marketing and PR investments, deepening referral relationships and collaborations, and finding new ways to stand out and connect with underserved audiences and segments.

What started with em dash rapidly turned into a *landmark shift* that's *reshaping the future* of legal content marketing. It's not about producing content, but producing content that *lands*.

If these terms sound familiar, you probably already know why.

It's because more than 60% of businesses are using GenAI to generate content.

In our experience some AI tools fare better than others, but on the whole, most commercially used tools produce content that, well, reads like AI.

With content creation now easier than ever, the focus remains to be on creating content that supports brand awareness, converts visitors into leads, and actually sounds like it was written by a human.

Cutting through the noise created by a sea of AI-generated content remains a key challenge for firms. Perhaps unexpectedly though, standing out is becoming easier than ever.

While there's no denying that AI can speed up workflows and generate ideas, it's the brand, the voice and the people behind the scenes that make a law firm credible and unique. Content performs well when this shines through - however that is achieved.

As widespread AI adoption means readers can more easily identify AI-generated content, often within the first few lines, firms will need to do more to build trust and prove to clients that they're more than a Google Business Profile with an AI subscription.