Marketing a law firm is a lot like marketing anything else: it takes a lot of time and energy to do it right.
For starters, you’ll need to come up with the right marketing plan for your firm. Then, you’ll need to decide where to invest your resources. Finally, you’ll have to figure out how to reach your target audience.
Some of you may say, “I didn’t go to law school to be a marketer!” This is true, but these industries have more in common than you realize. For both lawyers and marketers, the key to success lies in asking the right questions.
So, how do you go about creating a marketing strategy for your law firm? Start by following this seven-step guide to law firm marketing!
Come Up With a Budget
Your first step should be to create your budget. Identify your marketing goals, then determine how much revenue you’ll need for them.
Once you have your revenue target, find out how many cases per year you’ll need to meet it. This will largely depend on your practice area. Once you’ve done the groundwork, it will be much easier to figure out your budget.
One key factor here is the stage of your law firm. Are you a well-established firm or are you just starting out? Also, are you trying to create a client base in a small city or a competitive place such as New York?
Once you’ve finalized your budget, it’s essential to stay within it. Further investments may get you more cases, but won’t reflect well on your bottom line.
Design a Law Firm Website
For most clients, your website will be their first impression of you. If you want them to hire you, you need to prove you’re worth their time right away.
Start by concisely stating the practice areas you cover and the services you provide. If you have any awards and recognitions, put them in a prominent place. Make sure to use high-quality photographs and videos.
As for visual design, that will also depend on your practice area. For example, personal injury lawyer marketing benefits from bright colors and bold buttons. Estate planning lawyers are better off with trust-evoking blues.
Create a Good Google Ads Strategy to Drive Leads in 14 Days (Get Leads NOW!)
As good as your website is, it won’t be enough by itself. To attract new clients, you’ll need to go where they are—to the search engines, where the high intent leads are searching. (Think about it when you have tooth pain do you go to Google or Facebook? The answer is simple Google ads is a high intent and high volume channel to get legal clients now)
Most search engines offer some benefits to law firm digital marketing. For instance, text ads are a great place to engage with legal searchers. A Google ad campaign can help you position yourself as an authority in your space while getting the top spot today. The big advantage is that you start driving leads in 14 days and you start getting revenue in 30 days or less for most legal practices.
Still, no search engine is better suited for your needs than Google as it has the monster share of the traffic (Monster share = 95%). Setting up an effective law firm Google My Business page is a great way to stand out amongst peers. For best results, optimize your business profile as well as you can.
No matter which network you use, don’t forget the rules within your jurisdiction. Unless you’re formally credited as an expert, don’t market yourself as such.
Attend Networking Events
If you attend a local networking event, make the most out of it. Knowing what to focus on will make the event more successful—and more fun!
First, do your prep work. Have a conversation strategy to decide where you should spend your time and energy. Investigate the discussion topics so you can talk about them more confidently later on.
Keep in mind that these events aren’t about you. Talk to other lawyers to get an idea of what kind of clients they can help. These conversations are a cornerstone of any successful referral relationship.
Use SEO Practices
Can your clients find your website when they search online? If not, your search engine optimization (SEO) practices may need some work.
The key to SEO is to have useful, quality content. After all, that’s what most people who use search engines are looking for. Having a well-designed website will ensure that they can find this content more easily.
Next, you’ll want to focus your SEO efforts on long-tail keywords. For example, instead of just using “lawyer,” include the name of your city as well. This gives you the best chance of competing with local competitors.
Want to attract clients from a particular geographical area? Consider setting up a Google Business listing. Use it to provide a useful description of your services and add your contact information.
Consider Content Marketing
Content marketing is another big part of law firm digital marketing. Think of it as a chance to make the most out of your knack for the written word.
Your main goal with content marketing should be to build your authority. If you have a blog, use it to provide answers to any questions your clients may have. On top of proving your expertise, this is a great way to build trust.
When writing your content, take a thoughtful approach. You can’t offer specific legal advice, but you can still write with a clear focus in mind. Be persuasive, stick to a consistent cadence, and provide helpful information.
Measure Your Marketing Efforts
Law firm internet marketing comes in many types. The big question, then, is which of these efforts will bring the most value to your firm.
In some cases, anecdotal evidence may do the trick. For instance, you can always ask your clients how they heard about you. For a more in-depth analysis, though, you’ll need to look at the actual numbers.
One way to track your marketing efforts is to implement website tracking. Google Analytics is a good solution here. This tool helps you identify many useful metrics, such as how long visitors stay on your site.
Once you know which marketing efforts yield results, stick to them. If no methods seem particularly successful, consider hiring experts to help.
Marketing a Law Firm Made Easy
There’s no denying it: marketing a law firm is a lot of work. It’s also a necessary part of the job—especially in a crowded market. Even if you have the best law firm in the world, it won’t matter if people don’t know about it.
Need some help with figuring out how to market your business? If so, our law firm marketing agency can provide a helping hand! Contact us here to learn more about the services we offer.
