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by Clare Brown on April 29, 2024
Before we get started, have you read any memorable books recently? I can recommend Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus! It covers wonderfully disparate themes - chemistry, gender politics, cooking, life in 1950s America and an unlikely “speaking” dog. The positive emotional flavour lingers long after you’ve finished it! For me, that’s the sign of a great story.
It is that lasting positive feeling that I want to consider here. This post explores the integration of the "Show Me You Know Me" marketing approach with effective storytelling techniques to enhance client engagement, build loyalty and inform content strategy in the legal marketing space.
"We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” - Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal
Some helpful definitions to get us started
The problem and the pursuit
A recent TED Talk by Kelly D. Parker reminded us that corporations use “stories to infuse a human element into our businesses, our brands and our programs in order to draw people in”. She emphasises the need to understand your audience through the problem and pursuit.
What does this mean? She explains,
- Their problem is where they are right now. It's the issues that they're facing in their current state and how they feel about it.
- Their pursuit is where they want to be. It's who they want to be, and it's how they will feel in this future perfect world.
To craft a strategy that resonates, you need specifics; a specific person, a specific challenge, specific imagery and specific feelings. Without specifics, you cannot identify the problem or the pursuit - so you have to get to know them...
Show Me You Know Me
"Show Me You Know Me" is more than just a sales/marketing/business development phrase. It’s about making people feel seen and valued, known and recognised. How often have you felt frustrated and unheard when a bank, lawyer, or vendor didn’t remember previous calls with you?
At the very least, organisations - on a personal and business level - should remember who you are. They should be able to recall previous conversations and interactions.
One example of its definition and use is in a relatively old Accenture guide to “The new omni-channel approach to servicing customers” (2013). It remains relevant because it details how personalised offers and clear, tailored communication are crucial to fostering customer or client loyalty.
Show me you know me: targeted promotions and marketing techniques
“…Personalizes offers and target products and promotions at a price that’s right for me given my likes.”
“…Helps me comprehend the benefits in easy-to-understand language tailored to my profile/account type, context and knowledge level.”
I appreciate that this is business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing but over the past few years, businesses have recognised the importance of forging deeper emotional connections with their customers or clients. Ultimately - and this is key - it’s about gaining clients and retaining their loyalty.
Recently, "Show Me You Know Me" has been expanded, repackaged, reinvented and reinvigorated by Samantha McKenna for the business and legal markets. As she says,
The quickest way to get me to disqualify wanting to work with someone is when they get on a Zoom and ask, “So, where are you based?”. “Show me you know me” is the concept of showing clients and prospective clients alike that we have done our research on them in advance.
What I want to argue here, is that it doesn’t matter whether it is B2C or B2B marketing. If loyalty and repeat business is your firm's long-term goal, you need to:
- build relationships
- add value to your offerings
- and most importantly - know and understand your clients!
These are all essential in the legal marketing world. Once we can show our clients (and prospects) that we know them, we can create stories, communications and newsletters that really resonate and spark stimulating conversations!
Adding value through personalised engagement
Understanding the difference between content marketing and content curation is crucial. Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable content to attract and engage specific and well-researched audiences. Content curation involves identifying existing content to show them you know them.
Content curation can be as simple as dropping a line to a key client:
Hi there,
In light of our conversation about your property issues at the recent networking event, I wanted to send you this article. [Link] This particular comment [...] is relevant because […] Let me know if you want to discuss further. [Link to Calendar System]
Yours
Or it could be a carefully curated round-up based on existing client interests - with added personal touches, such as congratulations, anniversaries, or other personal notes and invitations. Personalised content is key to building lasting relationships and trust.
Adopting a "Show Me You Know Me" approach combined with strategic storytelling and the support of powerful content aggregation tools like Vable can significantly enhance the way legal firms engage with their clients. This strategy not only meets the current demands of the legal market but also sets the stage for building loyalty and ensuring deeper, more meaningful client relationships in the future.
