• Home
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Community Involvement
    • Mission and Values
    • PRecision Curriculum
  • Services
    • Public Relations
    • Content
    • Chambers Law Firm Rankings
    • Crisis & Litigation PR
    • Supreme Court Litigation
    • Media Training
    • Digital
    • Video
    • Poston Programs and Webinars
    • Podcasts
    • Public Affairs
    • CEO and Executive Leadership Communications
    • Internal and Employee Communications
  • Industries
    • Legal
    • Financial Services
    • Real Estate
    • Health Care
    • Architecture, Engineering and Construction
    • Associations & Professional Societies
    • Other Professional Services
  • Results
  • Blog
  • Careers
    • Openings
    • PRecision Curriculum
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Community Involvement
    • Mission and Values
    • PRecision Curriculum
  • Services
    • Public Relations
    • Content
    • Chambers Law Firm Rankings
    • Crisis & Litigation PR
    • Supreme Court Litigation
    • Media Training
    • Digital
    • Video
    • Poston Programs and Webinars
    • Podcasts
    • Public Affairs
    • CEO and Executive Leadership Communications
    • Internal and Employee Communications
  • Industries
    • Legal
    • Financial Services
    • Real Estate
    • Health Care
    • Architecture, Engineering and Construction
    • Associations & Professional Societies
    • Other Professional Services
  • Results
  • Blog
  • Careers
    • Openings
    • PRecision Curriculum
  • Contact
  • Search

Client Alert Checklist: How to Write Content That Adds Value

  • Posted by Leslie Valenza
  • On September 24, 2021
  • content, Poston Content

Share This...

Leslie Valenza

A court has handed down its decision in a closely watched case. A merger between two corporations has been announced. A federal agency has unveiled an extensive change in regulation with significant implications to key industries. Your firm’s lawyers race to draft an alert detailing the news and deliver it to clients ahead of competitors.

Here’s the thing, even if your firm’s alert hits general counsel’s inboxes before competitors’ do, your clients likely have already read about the development in news articles – the same way you did. Being first to report news stories is a top priority for reporters and – considering reporting is their actual job – lawyers are hard-pressed to compete with journalists in that effort.

While timeliness is important, relevance is perhaps more critical to writing client alerts. Aim to craft alerts that provide value beyond the basic “who, what, when and where” details already covered by reporters. Rather, leverage your legal background and experience to offer what most reporters cannot – insight on “why” that will be important to your clients.

Provide insight on what the development means for particular industries, businesses or areas of law; brief background on how the development came to be; clarity on possible outcomes based on the facts presently known; background on how this issue has played out in the past, and other useful context.

Client Alert Checklist

As you begin writing an alert, provide context by addressing the following questions that may be on the minds of clients:

  • Why should I care about this case, deal or change in the law?
  • How will it affect my business or the way I do my job?
  • Do I need to worry about this issue? Or have we seen this issue in the past? And if so, how has it played out before?
  • What happens next?

After you’ve provided relevant background on the matter, outline actionable insights that guide clients toward a path forward. Consider addressing the following questions:

  • What do I need to know about this issue in order to prevent a problem or solve a problem?
  • What steps should I take to achieve that goal?
  • What things should I consider or takeaway from this development?

To conclude your alert, consider providing additional resources that may be useful to clients in further exploring the issue. Consider including:

  • Links to past alerts, blog posts, webinars or other firm content that addresses related issues
  • Direct readers on how to reach the appropriate firm contacts who can assist in handling the issue
  • A list of frequently asked questions for additional context on the issue

Our Poston Content team is available to assist law firms with writing and editing client alerts, blog posts, bylined articles and other firm materials that demonstrate your lawyers’ knowledge, experience and valuable insights on pivotal legal matters.

0 Comments

Recent Posts
  • Chambers and Partners USA 2023: Congratulations and What’s to Follow
  • Poston Communications Recognized as 2023 Daily Report Best Of
  • APR Month: A Celebration of Public Relations Excellence
  • Chambers USA 2024 Research Schedule Released: What Law Firms Need to Know
  • Poston Adds Award Winning PR Professional to Growing Team
Archives
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • December 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016

Nominating Clients and Prospects for Legal Industry Awards: Key in a Law Firm’s Business Development Toolbox

Previous thumb

Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month: A Q&A with Cynthia Velasco, Content Project Manager at Poston Communications

Next thumb
Scroll

What We Do

  • Services
  • Industries
  • Results
  • Blog

Who We Are

  • Our Team
  • Community Involvement
  • Mission and Values

Poston Communications is a public relations agency focused on professional services companies including law, accounting, architecture, associations, construction, engineering, financial services, health care, human resources, interior design, investment banking, management consulting, real estate, recruiting, technology and venture capital.

404-875-3400 | [email protected]

  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy

©2022 Poston Communications LLC - All rights reserved