Criminal defense attorneys are one of the most in-demand services in the legal industry. So, if you’re struggling to get clients, then you need to stop and look closely into your current marketing strategies and look for ways to improve. While traditional law firms still rely on referrals – and you shouldn’t turn your back on those – there are more creative and powerful ways to get criminal defense clients.
Let’s dig deeper into criminal defense attorney marketing and uncover strategies that will get you more leads, inquiries, and hopefully, more business.
5 Ways to Get Criminal Defense Clients
Here is a fact that criminal defense lawyers and law firms need to know: if you want to be hired, you need to be online. It does not mean that you have to ditch any existing marketing schemes that you have such as referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. They’re still going to help boost your number of clients.
But if you want to stay competitive, you need to be online. This is where most of your clients are, and your competition is also targeting them there.
With that said, here are five proven strategies on how to get criminal defense clients for attorneys and law firms.
1. Optimize for Organic Searches
Wouldn’t it be nice if you reached number one on Google search engine results for a relevant keyword? You’ll definitely get more leads and inquiries from potential clients. But reaching number one on Google is easier said than done. That’s why you need to ramp up your search engine optimization efforts to rank organically high.
Here is another reason why you need to boost your organic search engine efforts: about 80% of web users click on organic search results on Google rather than paid ads.
Needless to say, being in a competitive position on Google search engine rankings can be the secret to having more clients. You can choose to work on your own on-site and off-site SEO or you can hire a digital marketing agency to help with this.
You can optimize your organic search performance by identifying the right keywords to target. The keywords you use are an integral part of your success because you want to be able to predict the search terms used by your prospective clients to find your services online. The best approach is to target a mix of popular and non-popular keywords. You can review your Google Analytics to see which keywords are generating the best results and then you can retain the strategies that are more effective.
2. Google Ads
In addition to optimizing your law firm website’s organic search performance, you should also try hands on Google Ads. You can definitely pay your way to the top by bidding for specific search terms relevant to your practice. If you win the bid, your website will show up on Google search results as one of the top paid ads.
In this day and age, Google Ads has become imperative for lawyers and law firms to compete. Combining your ad campaign on Google with an organic search is a great way to beef up your online presence and to connect to more potential clients. This, too, will also involve proper planning and keyword research for optimal success.
3. Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
It’s clear that Google is definitely where your efforts should be focused when it comes to marketing your criminal defense law firm online. After all, this is where most of your prospective clients go when searching for legal services.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to claim your Google My Business listing so your law firm is visible online. It will enable you to add your business information such as your law office address, contact information, email, and your website. It will serve as your online directory listing on Google.
You can even provide maps so your potential clients will know exactly where your law firm is located. It is a tool that is designed for local businesses and allows you to connect with clients within your geographic area. To maximize your reach and potentially find more clients for your criminal defense law firm, it is best to update your Google My Business listing often. For example, share updates about your law firm and provide information about the services you offer.
There is also a page within your Google My Business listing that lists reviews left by clients about your practice. This will be visible online when people search for your law firm on Google. Make sure to observe the best practices when managing reviews online.
4. Get on Social Media
Social media is a powerful platform that has transformed from being a place where people socialize and connect with each other into a platform for business marketing and promotion. Your law firm should have a social media presence too. After all, this is where your target clients are probably spending their time.
Promotion on social media is a little tricky though. You don’t want to be too promotional. Your goal is to establish yourself as a leader in your niche – a legal expert. Focus on sharing useful content and resources. Offer free consultation and advice. Try to engage your audience as much as you can.
It’s a good marketing strategy to build a strong link with your community and your target audience.
5. Don’t Forget Your Website
Last but definitely not least, you need to have a clean, professional, and well-designed website for your law firm. A lot of lawyers and law firms spend a great deal of time marketing themselves online and on social media but neglect their own website.
Make sure you have a user-friendly and easy to navigate website. The content on your website should be professional and well-written, as well as educational. Make sure to provide as much information about the services you offer so that it will answer any questions that your prospect clients might have.
High-performance websites can boost your conversion rate, especially for lawyers because it also reflects on your reputation and credibility. Don’t get so caught up on how to get more criminal defense clients online that you sacrifice the quality of your website.