I think a fair amount about content marketing—the act of creating and publishing content to position a practice as having expertise in the field.

We pump out articles, videos, and audios on our divorce site and in other places.

I like to compare our efforts to other family law practices, and I come out feeling pretty good in that comparison.

Except I just realized that I’m comparing myself to the wrong content providers.

You see, I’m not competing against the other practices. I’m competing against anyone seeking the attention of my audience.

I’m trying to reach a certain group of people in need of family law services.

Other businesses also need the attention of the people I need to reach. They aren’t necessarily selling family law services. They may be selling something else entirely, yet they still need the attention of the same people I’m trying to attract.

For instance, mental health professionals need the attention of people struggling with their marriages. So do sellers of very fast, sweet little red sports cars. Financial planners need to reach these folks, as do real estate agents and a host of other sellers of products and services. Many of those sellers offer products and services that have nothing to do with what I’m selling, but they need the attention of these folks for their own purposes.

We need to approach our content from the perspective of the prospective clients. We’ve got to put ourselves in their shoes and think about the forces competing for their attention. Being the best at providing family law information may not do the job. Are we meeting the needs of our prospects? Are we giving them what is required to gain and keep their attention? Simply providing what we think is necessary won’t cut it in the competitive environment in which we market our family law practices.

What does that mean? Well, I think you’ve got to ask prospects what they need. Ask them where they direct their attention and what content attracts their interest. Your prospects are the experts on what matters to them. Ask them.

Most importantly, don’t be lulled into believing that you’re winning if you’re only comparing yourself to other family law practices. Step back, look at the big picture, and see the world from the same perspective as your potential clients. They see things very differently from you and me.