
Are you prepared to elevate your law firm's marketing game this year? As you plan your marketing strategy, establishing your firm’s digital presence should be a priority. With roughly 70% of searches for legal services beginning online, you want to be visible to prospects seeking your expertise.
Your firm’s website, social media, digital content, pay-per-click advertising, Google business listings are opportunities to build your law firm’s brand and reach your business goals. Let’s get started mapping out your marketing options — which include things you can do on your own, and others that can produce more return on your investment with the help of a legal industry-specific marketing services provider.
Do-it-yourself marketing tactics for law firms
“It’s critical to make sure your law firm’s digital presence — your website, logo and branding, social media channels, the tone you use in your digital content — conveys how you want to be represented in the market in order to attract the right clientele,” recommends Karen Gray, chief customer officer at Legalfit.
Some simple marketing tactics you can do on your own to lay this foundation for your firm’s online brand include:
Create a basic website. It doesn’t have to be fancy — you just want to give your prospects a digital front door to your law firm where they can contact you and learn how you can help with their legal needs.
Manually manage social media accounts. At the very least, set up a Facebook business page as another way people can find you online. You can also use social media to answer prospective clients’ questions and engage in online communities.
Post occasional content. This includes content on your website and social media. A good place to start is to answer the questions you get most often in a blog post and Facebook post. You might want to create a simple calendar of what types of content you’ll create and when to ensure you have a consistent stream of information.
Handle lead generation personally. This involves fielding phone calls as well as various forms of digital touchpoints. For example, if someone asks you a question on Facebook, it’s important to respond quickly to ensure that prospective client feels heard. This increases their likelihood of forming a positive impression of you and your law firm.
Limitations of a DIY approach to law firm marketing
While the marketing tactics described above aren’t difficult, they do take time and consistent maintenance to effectively build your law firm’s digital brand and help generate the right business for your firm. Consider these drawbacks of managing your firm’s marketing on your own:
Time-consuming. Your brand can’t be built in a day. You’ll need to nurture it consistently, updating your website and social channels regularly, responding to online comments and reviews, and looking for new marketing methods to stand out in a competitive market.
Limited reach and digital visibility. Having a website and social media profiles doesn’t guarantee people will find you. You’ll need comprehensive marketing strategies to help you reach more of the right audience online.
Inconsistent branding. Consistent application of your law firm’s logo and other branding elements across all marketing assets can be hard to monitor and update.
Low lead conversion rates. You might feel like you’re doing all the right marketing activities on your own, but if you’re not attracting the right type of client, you could spend excessive time fielding inquiries from prospects that aren’t the right fit for your firm.
Strategic advantages of marketing services platforms
Given the limitations of running marketing programs on your own, partnering with a legal-specific marketing services platform can help you achieve better marketing results. These providers can implement a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes website development, SEO, content creation, social media and reputation management, paid search ad campaigns, and branding.
You’ll get an organized, holistic approach to establishing your law firm brand, gaining trust and credibility among your desired audience, attracting the right prospects to your firm and converting them into clients — and you’ll free up your time to practice law.
Specialized website development
You'll get a higher-performing website compared to what you can create on your own that is SEO-optimized, includes professional branding and photography, and incorporates content specific to your practice area.
“We've been building websites specifically for attorneys and law firms for nearly a decade. We know exactly what helps attract leads and convert them to customers. We know how to maintain state bar compliance, and we're always focused on making sure that the sites are SEO-optimized first.” - Brian Bieschke, senior director of creative services and implementations at Legalfit
When it comes to branding and photography, Brian says that these are key elements of a comprehensive marketing strategy for law firms.
“We like to interview our law firm clients, get to know them and their business and what they want to say to their clients,” he explains. “Our in-house designers then create a brand strategy for establishing this information on every piece of marketing collateral — website, social media, Google Business profile, and ads. It's all cohesive, so no matter where the prospective client is coming in via the internet, they're going to recognize the law firm.”
Targeted digital presence
Rather than casting your marketing to a wide net of ill-matched prospects, a marketing services firm will take a focused approach. This includes precise audience targeting, platform-specific strategies and content for each of your social media profiles, pay-per-click campaigns, and paid social media campaigns that factor in your ideal client’s demographics and online usage.
"Social media allows you to establish yourself as a thought leader. By sharing legal insights, case studies and frequently asked questions, you're really demonstrating your expertise." - Alexis Coulston, marketing services strategist at Legalfit
Lead generation tools
As you attract more of the right leads, a marketing services provider can set up tools and processes to ensure you engage with leads quickly. These include 24/7 live chat solutions that qualify leads from your website and Facebook, custom forms relevant to your case types and clientele to streamline client intake, and a performance tracking dashboard to help you see your law firm’s marketing results.
Most important, these specialized law firm marketing capabilities can deliver significant results:
Up to 66% more leads captured with live chat tools
98% increase in website traffic
Up to 95% improved conversion rates thanks to professional imagery
Improved online visibility
Consistent, professional brand representation
The fundamental difference law firm marketing services provide is transforming marketing from a time-consuming task to a strategic business growth engine for your firm.
While DIY efforts provide basic visibility, professional services like Legalfit offer a holistic, data-driven approach that directly impacts your firm’s client acquisition and business development. Contact us today to jump-start your law firm’s marketing strategy.