Buy a car today and the expectation is that it will get you from A to B. It's assumed that a car will do this on such a basic level that manufacturers no longer even sell cars based on this primary usage. Cars are now WiFi ready, eco-friendly, comfortable, and accommodating.
Thankfully, while the traditional client portal may have been born of a simple necessity - getting your files and information to your client quickly - law firms and professional services firms alike are, through a new era of portal tools, taking their online offerings to their clients to a new level. No longer just a private space to provide alerts to specific audiences, but instead a multi-functional environment ready to excite, educate and engage both the clients you have, and the ones you've not yet met.
There is a real opportunity for organisations, law firms included, to achieve so much more with their client portals. But to do this, an organisation must recognise that not just one single component or tool will provide a great user experience, but instead a number of mechanisms combined can create a dynamic and engaging client portal.
Understanding that a portal must support the requirements of a number of key groups is vital. Here, we will discuss the three core factors in achieving a successful client portal, and why your content marketing success could hinge on choosing the right portal.
Drive engagement
Does your firm have a content marketing strategy? If not, then it might be time you started, with 83% of B2B marketers reported to have one. A client portal provides companies with a platform to create content, and with it, drive engagement with their clients. There are a few factors that should highlight whether you have a successful client portal. To begin with, are you able to create content easily and intuitively? Content creation is at the forefront of any portal, and accordingly, producing marketing collateral should be a simple and sharp process.
Secondly, are there well-defined routes available in the portal to drive engagement? Once you have created your content, is it clear what the destination is? It’s all well and good writing a fantastic piece of content, but if it’s not being viewed, then it becomes obsolete. You need to have a solid understanding of where your content will be posted and who it will be sent to. An effective content management system with a client portal will see your work posted in the most applicable destinations. You also need to personalise your content for specific organisations and clients. One of the most effective ways of building client relationships is to first learn about your client, find out what they want to read, and then create personalised and specific content in accordance with that. The final step in that process doesn't rely on the publishing technology but more so leveraging it to build great relationships. It's been demonstrated that a call to client X outlining how the advice effects their business specifically allows them to build greater touch points with the client, but also leverage the content more widely.
Thought leadership
A recent study revealed that 70% of people learn about a business from articles instead of adverts. More so than ever before, companies are investing in high quality blog posts, instead of temporary adverts. Promoting awareness for your firm, especially in a sector as competitive as legal, is essential, and creating informative and engaging content through a client portal is becoming one of the key ways to achieve this. Thought leadership has become a vital part of content marketing, with a senior or experienced member of your company sharing knowledge both internally and externally. People who write thought leadership pieces are often viewed as recognised authorities; and accordingly, readers may be more encouraged to read these posts, hoping to gain knowledge from someone at the pinnacle in their field.
A succesful client portal needs to have your content reach the target audience, without fuss, while presented in the clearest and most visually appealing format. If there’s one thing the internet isn’t short on, it’s content. You need to make your content stands out, making it something that people don’t just get around to reading, but instead, need to read. If you can reach a point where you have a fair number of loyal readers, all awaiting your next article, then you’re on the right track.
Generate impact
The internet is ever-changing and evolving, and with it, more and more people are using mobile or tablets to surf the web. Ten years ago there were 26 million mobile internet users worldwide, however now, there are 2,781 million accessing the internet from a smartphone. Due to this, your client portal has to be user friendly and purpose built for multiple devices. If your content is easy to view from a computer but not through a smartphone, the audience’s ability and desire to engage will diminish.
You content has to generate impact, and create a relationship between the firm and your readers. Optimising your content to suit all devices and readers' preferences is a huge step in the right direction. A suitable client portal needs to assist you in enhancing your content to its maximum potential, making it as impactful as possible. Along with having the legal content augmented for your readers, it also has to be optimised digitally and from a design perspective. The typography and use of imagery is just as important in attracting readers and making sure they stick around, with research showing that if your content includes compelling images, you can average 94% more views than counterparts with less appealing images or none altogether.
Client knowledge portals
A client portal should be an essential part of any company’s content marketing strategy. Just as important, however, is choosing a portal that’s right for you. HighQ Publisher is an enterprise content management and digital experience platform that combines digital publishing and content marketing with event and campaign management tools. It simplifies content management and allows you to transform your content, expertise and know-how into tailored and engaging experiences across multiple channels for internal or external audiences.
Your portal should be for both existing and future clients. It allows you to double up, using the same portal for both, and in the long run, becomes a cost saving platform. Click here for more information on how to leverage your firm’s valuable expert insight to create tailored and thought-provoking content.
Moving forward
The evolution of the client portal has shifted some of its focus, and no longer are organisations only wishing to demonstrate expertise and share knowledge with just their own circle of clients. Blogging and content marketing has become a significant part of online advertising for reaching both current and potential clients, and having a successful portal could be a deciding factor in whether or not your content marketing strategy flourishes.
The scalability for content solutions is continually increasing. Enterprise cloud tools now offer organisations with even more avenues for content marketing success. Moving forward, remember how vital a client portal could be to your firm’s digital presence, incentivising you even more to select the right platform.
