Think from the consumer's perspective: what keeps them awake at night?
Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 6:04 am
The intimate round table sessions were interesting, always for a maximum of eight to ten people. At Albert Jan Huisman , marketing director at Kennedy van der Laan , twice as many people gathered around such a round table. Huisman explained how he got his law firm to work on content. “Lawyers and entertaining content, that is not exactly a combination you would expect”, he revealed with a slight laugh. “At the beginning, many lawyers thought of writing books when they heard the word content.” In that respect too, the firm has made a major transition in the past two years. From a dead corporate website to a content-driven site. And it works. “12,000 visitors per month who stay 3 times longer; 9 minutes instead of 2.5. More importantly: the conversion increases. For newsletters and events. That feeds the reputation of the agency that wants to be a leader and has already distinguished itself with the blog Mediarapport.nl .
Other lawyers have also recently started taking up the pen. To blog on Marketingfacts, for example,list to data or to shine in other media with their specialism. Are they “writing clumsy” or do they not have enough time for writing? In that case, Huisman puts them in front of the camera or behind a microphone in the in-house studio. In any case, keep a video short, he says. He thinks a webinar takes too long. He hates the fact that you have to register for a webinar/white paper/video. “Make sure everything is open, then content is shared faster. If you want your content to be distributed as a company, make it as shareable as possible. Give your own staff bite-sized chunks with a bit.ly to share on social media.”
Content does not mean that Kennedy van der Laan does everything online. For the seminar 'The mayor is competent: what can, may and must' the agency made a magazine. Simply because the visitors, indeed, mayors, are not yet online "en masse". This was recently made clear again, during Project X Haren. Huisman's main learning: "Think from the consumer's perspective. What keeps them awake at night, where do they look for their information, what do they want from you? Make sure you have an idea of your target group and adjust your content accordingly. People do not search for employment law or corporate law, but for words such as dismissal, mergers and company takeovers. That is also what we sell." It took some getting used to for many lawyers that the office did not display all specialisms on the homepage. That same homepage does not really have a content-driven look and feel. "That is because 70% of the visitors come via Google," Huisman explains. “So why a homepage that loses too much of its feeling with the legal world? With art on our homepage we want to show that we are a little bit different.”
Other lawyers have also recently started taking up the pen. To blog on Marketingfacts, for example,list to data or to shine in other media with their specialism. Are they “writing clumsy” or do they not have enough time for writing? In that case, Huisman puts them in front of the camera or behind a microphone in the in-house studio. In any case, keep a video short, he says. He thinks a webinar takes too long. He hates the fact that you have to register for a webinar/white paper/video. “Make sure everything is open, then content is shared faster. If you want your content to be distributed as a company, make it as shareable as possible. Give your own staff bite-sized chunks with a bit.ly to share on social media.”
Content does not mean that Kennedy van der Laan does everything online. For the seminar 'The mayor is competent: what can, may and must' the agency made a magazine. Simply because the visitors, indeed, mayors, are not yet online "en masse". This was recently made clear again, during Project X Haren. Huisman's main learning: "Think from the consumer's perspective. What keeps them awake at night, where do they look for their information, what do they want from you? Make sure you have an idea of your target group and adjust your content accordingly. People do not search for employment law or corporate law, but for words such as dismissal, mergers and company takeovers. That is also what we sell." It took some getting used to for many lawyers that the office did not display all specialisms on the homepage. That same homepage does not really have a content-driven look and feel. "That is because 70% of the visitors come via Google," Huisman explains. “So why a homepage that loses too much of its feeling with the legal world? With art on our homepage we want to show that we are a little bit different.”