With the advent of the Internet, relying solely on traditional marketing such as TV commercials, billboards, or newspaper ads won’t suffice. Today, clients are primarily looking online, defaulting to large search engines like Google over more traditional means like the Yellow Pages. Law firm marketing needs to account for traditional as well as modern methods. This article will provide tips on how to market a law firm effectively in 2020.
How to Build Your Brand
Building a brand is one of the most essential law firm marketing strategies to consider. Before your client even picks up the phone or sends an email, they will first interact with your brand. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure that the first impression is a positive one. Building your brand involves the following:
- Choosing a name: Your name should be short, memorable, and capture the essence of your firm.
- Logo: Have a professional looking logo that is simple and visually appealing in aesthetics.
- Website: Keep your website clean and easy to navigate. Ensure your domain name matches (or is very similar to) your company name.
- Consistency: Keep all your marketing materials (i.e., website, blogs, social media, logos, ads, etc.) consistent in aesthetics and tone.
SEO Best Practices
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, cannot be avoided when planning online marketing for law firms. Think about it, when was the last time you clicked on anything past the first page of a Google search? Ensuring your website is optimized involves abiding by the following SEO best practices:
- Research and target for keywords
- Write relevant titles, descriptions, and headings
- Website copy should be easy to read
- Make sure the site is easy to navigate
- Keep site updated with relevant and valuable content
- Ensure site is mobile-friendly
- Optimize for local SEO by registering for Google My Business account
- Incorporate link-building strategies from authority sites
Don’t Underestimate Your Website and Social Media Presence
Having a well-designed website is by far the most important tool in marketing for legal firms. Browsing an unprofessional site that is glitchy or plagued with long load times can instantly turn off potential clients. A website is where clients and customers first interact with who you are as a company and what you offer. If your site is poorly maintained and unkempt, it ultimately reflects poorly on your business as a whole. Being active on social media is also vital in law firm marketing for two main reasons:
- It humanizes your brand: Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook offer opportunities for you to show the behind the scenes and the people behind the company.
- It builds authority: Actively engaging and providing value-added content on social media builds trust and authority with your law firm. It’s a great place to share content focused on your brand. If you’re a personal injury attorney, share pedestrian accident statistics, if you’re a car accident attorney, share vehicle recall news, etc.
Content Marketing and an Up-To-Date Blog
Content marketing for lawyers is an excellent way to build up authority and provide value-added material. The purpose of a blog is not solely to promote your company and its services but to offer insight on industry news, developments, and trends. It’s also a way to answer common questions that may arise from your services. An up-to-date blog also helps to rank your site higher in search engines. Search engines reward sites that are optimized and frequently updated. The more consistent you are with blog contributions, the more organic traffic you will see to your site. Finally, take advantage of your website’s blog by sharing it on your social media platforms. This strategy provides valuable content for your social media marketing. Law firm content marketing requires effort in coming up with material, so make sure you get the most mileage out of your blog posts.
Lean Into Your Customer Reviews
Another tactic for marketing law firms is customer reviews. Having positive customer reviews can be powerful in gaining potential business. Positive reviews garner trust among your prospective clients and make them more willing to work with you. There are various ways to obtain reviews, but the best way is to simply ask your past clients. You can offer incentives, such as gift certificates, for leaving a review. The various platforms that enable customer reviews include Google My Business, Facebook, Avvo, and Yelp. Utilizing customer reviews is not only one of the most powerful marketing ideas for law firms, but it also helps businesses improve in its offerings and services.
Referrals and Community Relationships
A list of great law firm marketing ideas cannot be complete without the tried and tested method of building genuine relationships. One of the best ways to grow and sustain your legal business is through strong, positive referrals. If you’ve provided excellent service for your clients, why wouldn’t they refer your company to their own network? There are two main ways you can obtain referrals. The first is through previous clients, and the second is through other legal firms. In both cases, it’s paramount to develop a sense of trust through a relationship. It can be as simple as touching base with your contacts through lunch or coffee just to see how they’re doing. While law firm marketing has increasingly gone digital in recent years, don’t underestimate the power of referrals and building relationships within your network.