Creating great content for blogs, websites and other online venues takes more than just a way with words.  Professional writers experienced in content marketing know things like the importance of creating compelling calls-to-action, optimizing for search, using formats that draw readers in using things like bullet points and lists, and other tricks of the trade.

Some lawyers love to write and have educated themselves well on content marketing, but there are circumstances that should compel you to call in a pro; here are 5 of them:

1.  You’re not a good writer.  Good writers love to write, but if you’re not in that group, there are plenty of people out there for you to hire or partner with in creating great content for your law firm.  Yes, we do this for our attorney clients.  There are also some great freelancers on Elance.com and other online job boards.  Or maybe someone at your firm has this hidden talent.  Find it, invest in it, and reap the benefits.

2.  You don’t have the time.  Creating content for blogs, social media and websites takes consistent effort and the investment of someone’s time, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be your time.

3.  You need expertise you don’t have.  If you’re not up to speed on the latest SEO practices for online content, you need to either educate yourself or find a good writer with this expertise.  Maybe you can write blogs, but you need help with your e-newsletter or free reports – this calls for a specialist with a particular skill set for creating content that will entice prospects.

4.  You can’t see the forest for the trees.  Most attorneys are great at writing…for other attorneys.  Most are too close to their subject matter and lose sight of the importance of writing for a specific target market.

5.  It’s too important.  If you’re convinced of the importance of having the best possible messaging going out to your prospects and clients, and building your online reputation, leaving the development of that content to chance is a sure way to screw up.  Bad content can kill your credibility.

Whether you do it in-house or hire a professional writer, remember that you are always in charge of your messaging.  Your writer should be your marketing partner, understand your firm and your target market as well as the legal ethical standards you are held to, and maintain your high standards.  Even if you are not doing the actual work, the final responsibility for your legal marketing rests with you.