How to Develop a Content Strategy in 7 Steps | Wacmediya

Most businesses don't have a content strategy. They have a content hope.

They post on LinkedIn when they remember. They write blog posts about whatever seems relevant that week. They share industry news everyone's already seen. And they hope something sticks.

Then they wonder why content marketing doesn't work for them.

Here's the truth: content without strategy is just noise. And the internet has plenty of noise already.

A real content strategy isn't complicated, but it does require thinking through what you're actually trying to accomplish before you start creating. Let me show you how to build one that actually drives results instead of just filling up your content calendar.

Step 1: Figure Out What You're Actually Trying to Achieve

Before you write a single blog post or record a single video, answer this question: what business outcome are you trying to create with content?

"Get more clients" isn't specific enough. Neither is "build brand awareness" or "establish thought leadership." Those are vague goals that don't give you any direction.

Get specific. Are you trying to:

• Generate consultation requests from a specific type of client?

• Position your firm as the expert in a particular practice area?

• Reduce repetitive questions your staff answers all day?

• Nurture leads who aren't ready to hire you yet?

• Support your sales process by educating prospects?

Each of these goals requires different content. Content that generates consultation requests looks different from content that educates existing clients. Content for cold prospects needs a different approach than content for people already in your pipeline.

I see law firms creating content with no clear purpose. They write articles because someone told them blogging is important. They post on social media because they think they're supposed to. But they can't explain what they expect to happen as a result.

If you can't articulate the specific business outcome you want, you're not ready to create content. You're just adding to the noise.

Step 2: Know Exactly Who You're Talking To

Here's where most content strategies fall apart. People try to write for "everyone who might need our services."

That's too broad. When you write for everyone, you connect with no one.

You need to pick a specific audience and create content specifically for them. Not multiple audiences, one audience to start.

For a law firm, this might be:

• Small business owners dealing with employment law issues

• Individuals going through divorce with complex asset division

• Personal injury victims navigating insurance claims

• Mid-sized companies needing contract review

Pick one. Write for them specifically. Use their language. Address their specific concerns. Answer the questions they actually ask.

The content that works isn't generic "5 Tips for Better Contract Management." It's specific: "What Happens When Your Employee Claims Wrongful Termination: A Guide for Small Business Owners."

One targets everyone vaguely. The other speaks directly to someone with a real problem.

When you write for a specific person with a specific challenge, they read it and think "this person understands my situation." That's when content starts working.

Step 3: Map Out Your Client's Journey

People don't go from "never heard of you" to "ready to hire you" in one step. There's a journey in between, and your content needs to support each stage.

Here's typically how it works:

Stage 1 - Problem Aware: They know they have a problem but might not know what to do about it. Content here is educational: "Signs You Need an Employment Attorney" or "When Contract Disputes Require Legal Help."

Stage 2 - Solution Aware: They know they probably need a lawyer, but they're researching options and trying to understand the process. Content here answers questions: "What to Expect During a Personal Injury Case" or "How Long Does Business Litigation Usually Take?"

Stage 3 - Provider Aware: They're evaluating specific firms. Content here builds trust and credibility: case results, client testimonials, attorney backgrounds, your specific approach to cases.

Stage 4 - Decision Ready: They're ready to hire someone. Content here removes final barriers: consultation process, fee structures, what to bring to the first meeting.

Most firms create content for only one or two stages, usually Stage 3 and 4. They're talking to people ready to hire them. But they're missing everyone in earlier stages who will eventually need their services.

Your content strategy should include pieces for each stage of this journey.

Step 4: Decide What Topics Actually Matter

Now you know your goal and your audience. Next question: what should you actually create content about?

The answer comes from listening to the questions people actually ask.

What do prospects ask during consultations? What do clients ask repeatedly? What misconceptions do people have about your practice area? What do people Google before they call you?

These questions become your content topics.

For example, if you're a family law attorney and every consultation starts with someone asking about custody arrangements, that's content. "How Courts Decide Child Custody in [Your State]."

If you're an estate planning attorney and people always ask about avoiding probate, that's content. "Probate in [Your State]: What It Is and How to Avoid It."

If you're a personal injury attorney and people don't understand why cases take so long, that's content. "Why Personal Injury Cases Take Months (And What's Happening During That Time)."

The best content topics come from real questions, not from guessing what might be interesting.

Keep a running list. Every time someone asks a question more than once, add it to your content ideas. You'll never run out of topics.

Step 5: Choose Your Channels (And Don't Try to Be Everywhere)

This is where people make a critical mistake: they try to be on every platform.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, their blog, a newsletter, a podcast. They spread themselves thin and do everything poorly instead of doing one or two things well.

Pick the channels where your actual clients spend time and focus there.

For professional services and B2B, LinkedIn usually makes the most sense. That's where business decision-makers are thinking about work problems.

For local services or consumer-facing practices, maybe Facebook or local community groups matter more. And if you're wondering whether social media is even worth the effort, I wrote about Whether social media actually drives business results and what metrics matter in this blog

For certain practice areas, YouTube might work if you can commit to video content consistently.

The key word is "commit." It's better to publish weekly on one platform than to post sporadically on five platforms.

And here's something nobody tells you: your blog on your own website matters more than social media. Social media drives attention. Your website converts that attention into consultations. You need both, but if you only have time for one, focus on creating solid content on your own site that ranks in search results.

Step 6: Create a Realistic Publishing Schedule

Be honest about how much content you can actually create consistently.

If you can write one quality blog post per week, great. If you can only manage one per month, that's fine too. The key word is "consistently."

Inconsistent publishing is worse than less frequent publishing. Better to publish monthly and stick to it than to publish weekly for two months, then disappear for three months.

Here's a realistic schedule for most small law firms:

• One blog post every two weeks (that's 24 posts per year)

• Repurpose that blog into 2-3 social media posts

• Send a monthly email newsletter highlighting the best content

That's manageable. That's sustainable. And it's infinitely better than the firms who publish five posts in January and then nothing until June.

You can always increase frequency later. Start with what you can actually maintain.

Step 7: Measure What Actually Matters

Most people measure content success by vanity metrics: page views, social media likes, follower count.

These don't tell you if content is helping your business.

What actually matters:

• Consultation requests: Is content driving people to contact you?

• Time on page: Are people actually reading your content or bouncing after 10 seconds?

• Email signups: Are people interested enough to want more from you?

• Search rankings: Are you showing up when potential clients search for their problems?

• Conversion assist: When someone becomes a client, did they read your content first?

If you have a CRM (and you should), track which content prospects engaged with before they contacted you. You'll start seeing patterns certain articles consistently appear in successful client journeys.

Those articles are working. Create more like them.

The articles nobody reads or that people bounce from immediately? Either improve them or stop creating that type of content.

Putting It All Together

Let me show you what this looks like in practice.

Goal: Generate consultation requests from small business owners dealing with employment law issues.

Audience: Business owners with 10-50 employees who are dealing with their first employment law problem.

Journey Stage Content:

• Problem Aware: "5 Employee Situations That Require Legal Help"

• Solution Aware: "What to Expect When You Hire an Employment Attorney"

• Provider Aware: "Our Approach to Employment Law: Prevention Over Litigation"

• Decision Ready: "How Our Employment Law Consultations Work"

Channels: LinkedIn (where business owners are), blog for SEO, monthly email newsletter.

Schedule: One blog post every two weeks, share on LinkedIn with commentary, monthly newsletter compiling the best content.

Metrics: Track consultation requests, which blog posts people read before contacting, search rankings for key terms like "employment attorney [city]."

This is specific. This is actionable. This is a real content strategy, not just "we should probably blog more."

Common Content Strategy Mistakes

Creating content in a vacuum: Writing what you think is interesting instead of what your audience actually needs.

No connection to business goals: Publishing content that's interesting but doesn't move anyone toward hiring you.

Inconsistency: Publishing sporadically then wondering why it's not working.

Trying to be everywhere: Spreading thin across too many platforms instead of dominating one or two.

Never updating or repurposing: Creating something once and moving on instead of updating successful content and repurposing it in different formats.

Ignoring data: Not tracking what's working and what isn't, so you keep making the same content mistakes.

Starting Your Content Strategy Today

You don't need to have everything figured out to start. You just need clarity on three things:

What business outcome do you want? Who specifically are you trying to reach? What's the one question they keep asking?

Answer those three questions and you can create your first piece of content today.

Then commit to a realistic schedule. Even one piece per month, done consistently, builds momentum over time.

Content strategy isn't complicated. But it does require thinking before creating, consistency over time, and willingness to measure what works and adjust accordingly.

Most businesses skip these steps. They just start posting and hope for the best.

Don't be like most businesses.

Need help building a content strategy that actually drives business results? At Wacmediya, we help law firms develop marketing strategies that connect with their CRM systems for measurable results. Let's talk about what makes sense for your practice. Schedule a consultation