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When it comes to law firm marketing, many lawyers don't know what to do or where to start. This may be because law school focuses more on teaching law best practices instead of acquiring clients for a law firm. The business side of running a law firm can be treated as an afterthought because most lawyers don't have to worry about it if they work in a big law firm.
This guide is focused on closing the gap between legal knowledge and digital marketing knowledge and how the two can work together to get more legal clients from law firm websites.
The legal industry is different, and law firms must ensure that their online marketing strategies are competitive. Here are a few steps to take when focused on digital marketing and tactics that many marketing agency companies utilize to get potential clients for law offices around the country:
Steps to Take for Marketing a Law Firm
When focused on law firm marketing, each law firm must think about how to attract legal clients who are looking for their practice area services in their city. The right marketing agency always starts with these steps:
Create a Marketing Budget
Having a marketing budget is crucial for any law firm business plan. To figure out how much is needed to invest in the law firm marketing initiatives, it's crucial to identify the goals of the law firm and how much revenue is necessary to make that a reality. Then, it's essential to determine how many cases a year there are to bill to meet the goal. This, of course, varies depending on the area of practice.
Once the groundwork is done, it's possible to figure out the law firm marketing budget. Take note of the stage the law firm is in. For example, is it well-established or new? It's also important to think about how competitive the space is. When it comes to personal injury lawyer marketing in a large city like New York, it's likely to cost more to build in each area of practice.
When the law firm marketing budget is complete, it's crucial to stay within its limits for digital marketing. In the end, getting more cases doesn't help the firm grow if the bottom line is ruined.
Build a Well-designed Site
The law firm website is usually the first impression for the potential client. It's the chance of the law practice to make a great first impression to those website visitors who want to hire a lawyer.
A good start of digital marketing is to use quality photos that concisely and clearly state the services offered and the practice areas covered. With that, law firms should highlight any recognitions, awards, and important experiences they have. Another good idea is to list the contact information of the law office prominently on the law firm website.
If a website already exists or the lawyer wants to build one themselves, it's crucial to understand the critical components of a high-converting and high-quality website. It is usually best to hire a marketing agency to put those marketing dollars to good use.
Convincing paying clients to hire a law practice requires a lot of trust because so much is on the line for these potential clients.
Ensure the Site is Optimized for Search Engines
Creating a law firm website to market the firm is important, but if no one finds it through search engines, how do potential clients become aware of the firm? Lawyer SEO is the number one way to acquire clients online right now.
To get the most from the law firm website, it must follow SEO best practices. That means the site is well-designed and has helpful and quality content. That's what search engines and potential clients want.
It's also important to make sure the content targets the correct keywords and variants of those keywords. Instead of using the term "lawyer" repeatedly, it's better to diversify with combinations of the firm's law service focus and city. On top of that, it's a good idea to know how other lawyers position themselves to the prospective client. That way, the sales process can be better designed, and new business can be developed.
Most law firms want to attract potential clients in a particular area through local SEO, so a Google My Business listing is crucial. With that, try to get as many positive reviews from existing clients as possible to increase the visibility of a law practice in the search results.
Whether they are a family lawyer, focus on estate planning, or beyond, law firm SEO is where every law firm should be focusing on getting more paying clients.
Have a Social Media Presence
In order to attract new clients through online advertising, it's important to go where they are in this digital age, which often means social media. There are various social networks out there, so it's good to figure out which platforms are best for the law firm and practice area.
With thoughtful investment into law firm marketing, social media advertising can significantly impact the growth of the law firm.
Here are just a few ways that social media can be used to gain new clients:
Set up law firm social media pages separate from the personal attorney profiles.
Follow community leaders and engage in conversation with these profiles.
Create advertising campaigns to position the law firm as a trusted option to gain new clients.
It's crucial to follow the advertising rules and ethics within the law firm's jurisdiction. Potential clients don't want to hear that someone is an expert or specialist if they aren't. Though an online presence is crucial when practicing law, it's never a good idea to mislead viewers to gain new business. Even if other lawyers do this, the goal should be revenue growth from hitting marketing goals ethically and sustainably.
Manage Online Reviews Effectively
Once there are various online profiles set up and running for the law firm, clients might leave reviews. It's critical to manage those because potential clients might look at them to determine if they should hire a particular law firm.
Though a few negative reviews might not hurt, an ongoing stream might make possible clients pause.
Make it a part of the process to ask for online reviews when closing each case, especially if the client is satisfied. Check the state bar's advertising rules to make sure that the request is appropriate. Typically, a marketing agency can assist with online review management and can build a custom strategy.
Consider Content Marketing
Content is crucial for developing client trust, so it should be used to grow the law firm whenever possible. Blogging or content marketing can build authority for the brand. Content is used to show expertise in an area, and it's great to offer answers to general questions that potential clients might have. That way, they gain confidence and trust in the law firm.
Starting a blog means taking a thoughtful approach to identifying evergreen content topics. The content must have a clear focus and stick to a regular cadence. That way, it could be found in an organic search and promotes the lawyer's own brand.
Though it might not directly relate to revenue growth, it can appease the search engine demand and reach the target audience.
Invest Time in Business Development and Networking
In a more traditional marketing approach, most law firms spend time attending bar events and local networking opportunities, so get the most from them. Create conversation strategies for how and where to spend time and energy. Prepare to engage in some meaningful conversations to build the law firm brand and gain referrals.
Referrals from other firms are always crucial to the business development of the law firm and for revenue growth. Figuring out how to build those relationships with other firms and attorneys is a worthwhile investment.
However, networking doesn't just focus on shaking hands and mingling with other lawyers. Public speaking about the legal process and attending community events can assist with law firm internet marketing, too. Once the event ends, add photos and content about it to generate news stories and boost public relations!
Consider Traditional Marketing
Depending on the practice area and location, traditional marketing might be suitable for the law firm. People do still look at billboard ads.
However, it's crucial to remember that whatever the clients hear, they're likely to research online before hiring someone. Local SEO with a custom strategy is vital to enhance traditional marketing because after looking at a billboard, a potential client's following action is most likely the search engine.
Measure the Law Firm Marketing Efforts
Regardless of how law firms decide to market themselves, it's essential to measure the ROI of the law firm marketing efforts. Without it, there's no information about which campaigns bring in more clients and which ones are flops. This step shouldn't be overlooked.
If the marketing tactic isn't working well, stop investing in that method and focus more on the ones that do. Maybe the goal is to bring in more new clients or focus on the positive reviews received from past clients. Look at the numbers!
Ask clients how they heard about the law firm. Then, use Google Analytics to gain insights into the traffic to the website. This can also tell lawyers what the search engine wants to see. This information can be given to the web designer or marketing agency to help with new methods and a new marketing plan.
Overall, Google Analytics helps lawyers see how potential clients found their site, what they did on the site, and how many visitors are seen each month. This also indicates if the marketing plan is suitable for the target audience and whether local SEO options are working as they should.
Law Firm Marketing Strategy Tactics
Having the right law firm marketing strategies is crucial for the marketing plan. Local SEO is essential, and the web designer must understand what the company is about and the goals of the website. Here are the topics to focus on:
Building a Brand
Branding isn't about having expensive business cards or stationery and winning awards. If the goal is to shape an appropriate marketing strategy, the right message is important. It must be based on the fundamentals of the image for the law firm. With that, it must take into account these things:
Why Is the Law Firm Unique?
The law firm offers legal services for a specific practice area. Look at what other websites do for their marketing plan and figure out how to be different or unique.
For example, if the firm focuses on bankruptcy, it might be nice to focus on a no-money-down option to file the case. It makes the firm appear flexible to the client's financial situation. How a firm position itself with and against competitors makes for a good brand.
Why Should People Listen?
Overall, the marketing efforts of any law firm are to give people a reason to focus on their firm instead of another as a trusted option. Be clear about the target audience and why people should hire that firm.
Trust is a huge factor for potential clients. It is best to find ways to position the firm as the most trusted and respected option in the local area to solve the client's legal issue.
What Does the Law Firm Consistently Do Better than the Competition?
Branding shouldn't be complicated. Focus on what the customers need and keep the legal marketing strategies simple. Once the messaging is established for the law firm, work it into every marketing channel (professional networks, social media, website, offline literature, and more).
Demonstrating Authority and Credibility
The best law firm marketing strategy focuses on active and passive activities. A great example of passive marketing is website copy because it helps build authority and credibility around the firm.
Overall, it doesn't necessarily help get new clients directly, but it does list the legal services in a way that clients can understand. Here are a few examples of what to include in online marketing this year:
Awards Received
If a law firm earns awards, it's a good idea to list them. If logos or images of the awards can be found, it's a tremendous legal marketing opportunity to display how trusted the firm is.
Reviews from Past Clients
Instant credibility can be provided by testimonials and reviews from past clients. Consider featuring reviews for every practice area, and detailed case results. The top law firms engage in this practice, and it works well to position themselves as the local authority.
Demonstrating Capability in Practice Areas
Another important branding area for the law firm is to communicate the full extent of what goes on with a case and the capacity to deliver. While case studies and reviews help with that, they aren't the only legal marketing strategies out there. Fulfill the marketing efforts by focusing on these items:
The Breadth of Service Provided
Be clear about the extent of the law firm services in all legal marketing initiatives. There should be no doubt in the visitor's mind as to what is offered or how the firm can help.
Number of Lawyers Available
If the law firm employs various attorneys, it's good to list them all. The goal is for visitors to know and feel a connection to the attorney that is representing them. Provide phone/fax numbers and email addresses where applicable.
It's also good to show the successes and credentials of each attorney. Just make sure that it stays updated.
Running SEO Campaigns to Improve Visibility for Google Search Results
Every law firm must focus on law firm SEO at all times because about 75 percent of searchers never get past that first page of Google. With that, 93 percent of online experiences start with a search engine. Therefore, the firm has to be seen in the results pages to get traffic and clicks.
More technical aspects of law firm marketing through local SEO include:
Professionally written descriptions and titles
Keyword research
Maintaining the website architecture
Using a secure/fast hosting platform
Other Key SEO Aspects to Consider
Reducing bounce rates by making descriptions and titles clear and the pages relevant to the chosen keywords
Focusing on more long-form content because it outperforms short-form content and is shared more often
Using schema markups for the law firm to detail page contents for the search engines
Making the site mobile-friendly (Google penalizes websites that don't display well on mobile devices)
Authority sites and link-building
Review solicitation and citation building
With that, many law firms hire SEO professionals to handle these complex topics for them to maximize their local SEO and fully-optimized Google My Business accounts.
Running Optimized Google AdWords Campaigns
Paid search is still a great way to add new leads to the law firm. Ads cover about 85 percent of the space above the search results page. Therefore, a well-planned-out and optimized Google Ads campaign could send large volumes of qualified traffic to the website to help with lead generation and conversion.
If the firm hasn't achieved the results they want from Google Ads in the past, it is likely because they have:
Tried to compete for highly competitive keywords
Not put in enough time for research or hired the wrong legal marketing professional to manage the campaign
Not optimized the AdWords campaign
Adwords can be an excellent channel for paying clients if it is managed appropriately.
Effective Landing Pages
Make the landing pages a priority for the law firm website and strategy. They are the primary function of turning website traffic into more clients.
Optimizing a landing page requires research, split testing, load speed optimizing and much more. This should be handled by a professional to maximize Google Ads revenue.
Building and Optimizing Landing Pages
To be effective, the landing pages must be:
easy to navigate and quick to load
Optimized for action-related keywords
Professionally written to inspire a particular action
Increase the Law Firms' Presence within Legal Directories
Whatever thoughts the lawyer has about legal directories, it's crucial to be featured in the main ones, such as FindLaw. They help boost traffic and offer a citation and hyperlink for the website.
The best law firm marketing strategy focuses on developing attorney profiles in directories. Citations (mentions of the law firm from third-party sites) can improve SEO. Plus, including the firm in the main directories is simple and affordable in terms of legal marketing. Some allow the lawyer to add details for free, but there are paid listings, as well.
Video Marketing
Most of the top law firms use video marketing to attract more clients. If the law firm hasn't done this yet, it could be a good idea to look into it.
Many times, the audience prefers to gather information through videos. Therefore, employing them on the website builds trust to improve conversions. Plus, it's advantageous if the goal is to attract a younger clientele. Videos bring instant credibility to the site and engage with visitors on their terms.
Introduce the Attorneys
One way to implement videos into law firm marketing is by introducing the attorneys. Give them a voice and let them talk about their areas of expertise and the options they offer. That way, people feel more confident in the law firm's ability.
How-To Articles and FAQs
Legal marketing should provide how-to articles that relate to the industry. Most small law firms don't realize the benefits of how-to articles. It doesn't have to be how to represent themselves; instead, law firms should focus on the reasons to get a lawyer and how to find one.
Along with that, an FAQ section is helpful for the client. Every potential client has questions, and when the firm answers them without a prompt, the user can self-vet themselves by getting the information they need without having to call in, use an online form, or request live chat assistance.
Consider using videos for these areas; have the real lawyers of the law firm answer top questions and give frequently demanded information!
Feature Testimonials and Client Reviews
Consider asking previous clients to craft video reviews and testimonials. Then, use snippets in other videos to build credibility. If there's room in the budget, it might be better to videotape the person and ensure that the quality is good. Otherwise, let the clients use their smartphones and other methods to create videos on behalf of the law firm.
Using a Mobile-first Marketing Strategy and Building AMP Pages
Successful law firms have a mobile-first approach to the website. Typically, this should already be done to reap the benefits of law firm marketing. However, if it's not completed yet, now is the time to focus on a mobile-friendly website.
If the website performs badly on mobile, it damages the relationship the law firm has with its clients and Google. The mobile-first index from Google proves this.
Roughly 48 percent of all users say that if the website doesn't work on mobile, it indicates that the business doesn't care. It's quite easy to create a mobile-ready website, and the most successful companies do this.
However, for those who already have a mobile-friendly design, it's time to go a step further. AMPs (Accelerated Mobile Pages) are getting more of a highlight, and no one wants to miss out on getting more visibility than the competition.
AMPs are the Google initiative that began in 2016. In a sense, they are stripped-down HTML copies of the current website, which replaces standard HTML5 documents.
Overall, the benefit here is speed. It produces a fast-loading website, which is crucial to keep people on the page once they get there. The time of buffering is in the past; people everywhere have fast internet connections and expect the websites to load and work immediately.
Why AMPs Should Be Taken Seriously
These are the primary reasons for a law firm to take AMPs seriously:
Page load speed is a crucial ranking factor on Google for desktop and mobile indexes.
Even a one-second delay in the web page speed could decrease conversions by seven percent.
AMP is a ranking factor for Google's mobile-first index.
Overall, law firms should speak to their web designer about AMP pages. They can increase load times for pages of the website. If the professional is skeptical, as many traditional designers are, it could be time to bring in a new expert. AMPs might just be the future of websites overall.
In fact, about 31 million domains now feature AMP, and the trend continues to rise.
Creating Inbound Marketing Campaigns
Inbound marketing can attract prospects passively to the law firm. Usually, this happens via:
Branding efforts
Social media marketing
Content marketing
SEO
Powerful content is crucial to building awareness of the brand and demonstrates value and expertise. This draws people to the website.
Many law firm websites still use gated content as their preferred marketing strategy.
Some law firms already provide valuable and free content such as:
Newsletter articles offering legal updates
How-to videos/articles
Educational articles with legal assistance
Case studies
FAQs
This is excellent for brand awareness-building strategies. However, some of the most valuable work could be reserved for gated content. That attracts clients who are willing to provide contact details to get more content.
Once the law firm has the contact details, it can grow a database and focus on email campaigns to reach out to potentials. This is a valuable asset and could be a focal point of a law firm marketing strategy.
Using Newsletter Marketing for Some Practice Areas
Earlier, newsletter marketing was mentioned, and this is an important strategy for law firm marketers now and in the future.
Many law firms now encourage sign-ups to a newsletter right from the homepage of the site, though this isn't recommended.
A regular newsletter sent to those who've signed up can:
Keep the firm at the top of the client's minds
Help to show that the firm is updated with legal news in that practice area
Demonstrate authority through informative content
Newsletters don't have to be long and wordy. They can include various types of content, such as:
Practice area news and legal updates
Community activity details
Introductions to the attorneys and lawyers
Details about awards
Recent case studies
Article snippets that include links to point to the latest blog posts
The important thing here is to show the community that the company is active and produces valuable content in specific practice areas.
Adding Live Chat to the Website
Some lawyers recoil at the thought of adding live chat to the website. They imagine that it provides clients with hours of free advice and takes away from other efforts. However, live chat could be a good idea for some firms to include in the law firm legal marketing strategy.
Here are some pros:
Immediately answer client questions right there
Turn interest into leads
Keep the website open 24/7
Doesn't have to take up the lawyer's time; hire agents to handle queries
It makes the site and lawyers appear more modern and progressive
Roughly 56 percent of all web users utilize live chat to engage with a brand or company. The primary con for a law firm to have a live chat is simply that tire-kickers flock there. We find that it is best to have a straightforward call-to-action instead of four or five ways to contact the firm.
If a firm decides to get a live chat tool, make sure it doesn't create annoyances. The boxes can be small and to the side with ways to exit out of them if necessary.
Investing in Public Relations
Sometimes, law firms feel that public relations is an old-school approach. Yes, communication has changed, but so has PR work. Just because it's now online doesn't mean it lessens the value of the positive effects for law firm marketing.
Print publications like magazines and newspapers are now digital, and there are bloggers in every imaginable field. Therefore, digital marketing with a strong media outreach campaign can work alongside others to generate leads for law firms. Media outreach works because:
The Firm or Attorneys Might Get Mentioned in Legal News Websites
Being mentioned in a major publication, such as the National Law Journal, might offer valuable exposure for the law firm. If the lawyer's name is mentioned and that of the firm, people tend to take notice, especially when it is in a trustworthy publication.
Feature Press Releases as Content on the Website
It's a good idea for each law firm to publish press releases on the website. This brings instant credibility and makes visitors trust the firm more.
Third-party Endorsements Generate More Credibility for the Law Firm
Law firm marketing should also focus on getting third-party endorsements. As the law firm gets more and more of them, they can be shared on a specific page of the website, such as News and Knowledge. That way, it promotes the lawyers and the brand.
Backlinks from Authority Sites Improve Rankings
Press releases help the law firm grow through SEO as well because these PR features double as backlinks. This is one of the most valuable benefits for a law firm when it comes to modern public relations because a feature in the Associated Press or Google News builds trust with both a potential client and the Google algorithm.
Target the Audience with Specific Market Publications
Major publications, such as The Lawyer, tend to have dedicated sections for various industries. It's important for each law firm to try to get put in such a directory because it's a way for others to notice and want to learn more about the brand.
Leveraging Social Media Marketing
Social media is helpful for law firm marketing, and it's continuing to get bigger and grow.
To stay relevant and connect with prospective clients effectively, law firms must have a Facebook account. In a sense, the goal is for the social media pages to support the website. Repurposing content on these channels to keep the firm looking active is an easy way to appear established.
Though the youngsters of today are the clients of tomorrow, that's not the only factor. Whether the firm wants the attention of the millennials, their parents, or their grandparents, clients are probably using social media in one form. Connecting with them where they hang out demonstrates personality and expertise. That means it's easy to raise social proof and credibility.
Creating Facebook Audiences
Social media marketing tends to suit some law firms better than others. If it does work, then it is worth investing money and time into it.
The ways to market to and connect with a defined target audience are becoming more powerful and constantly being perfected. Therefore, if Facebook works, another thing to focus on is Facebook Ads, which is based on lookalike audiences.
This tool allows law firms to connect with audiences who share the characteristics of current prospects or customers.
It's possible to build a Facebook lookalike audience by:
Uploading the best contact list to Facebook based on what targeting parameters are included in the ad
Compiling data on campaign engagement from the website or Facebook
Using fans of the current page to create a better audience profile
Then, it's easy to use those lookalike audiences to target others with advertising. Studies show that campaigns based on lookalike audiences perform the best on Facebook and have excellent cost-per-acquisition numbers and click-through rates.
Though this doesn't work for every law firm, it can help estate planning lawyers, though divorce law and criminal law might be too broad for such a tactic.
Writing Blog Posts or Articles in Each Practice Area
Contributing articles to the blog, guest blogging on other sites, and submitting legal articles to publications can have various benefits and do have a place in law firm marketing.
These benefits include:
Demonstrating Expertise and Know-how in the Main Practice Areas
Law firm marketing should always focus on demonstrating the expertise of the lawyers. Therefore, it can be helpful to publish a wide range of articles on the site that reflect the many practice areas out there. Then, the blog posts can be promoted from the homepage and the blog section by newsletter and elsewhere.
Raising Credibility for Target Audience
Consider a prospect looking for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law for Washington. They are more likely to choose a law firm that has various blog posts on that subject. However, be sure that they are organized so that people can get the information they need quickly.
Improve SEO with Guest Blogs and Articles on Other Websites
It's a good idea to write guest blogs or articles for other websites whenever possible. This is a tactic for law firm marketing that isn't used much. However, it's an effective way to get backlinks without having to pay or beg for them.
Include one outbound link to the law firm website with appropriate anchor words!
Demonstrate Activity of the Site with New Content
Many SEO experts believe that website updates work like a refresher factor. This includes when new content gets added. Though Google denies using publishing frequency in the algorithm to determine site rank, this is a deciding factor.
Google knows the difference between valuable and quality content and poorly written filler content. With that, it states that it penalizes sites that never bring anything useful or new to the table.
Ultimately, digital marketing for a law firm must focus on crafting new content that's valuable and helpful. When this happens regularly, people take notice, and Google does too.
Stepping Up Email Marketing Campaigns
In most cases, email marketing isn't the only type of outbound marketing that should be done, but it is the most common. Even though social media has since matured, email still remains an effective way to reach potential and existing customers. Roughly 60 percent of marketers claim that email is the biggest source of ROI for them for direct outreach.
Email marketing is only as valuable as the email list that it is running on.
Newsletters are a good way to communicate with the mailing list to include tips, news, and articles. With that, gated content and lead magnets can capture email addresses to be used throughout law firm marketing functions.
From there, the law firm should regularly add new contacts to the email list. They should be segmented based on various criteria, such as:
Location
Stage of buying cycle
Practice area of interest
Their role in the decision-making process
From there, it's easy to set up drip campaigns. These are personalized emails within a series that educate the target audience and encourage them to move to the next step.
Configuring a CRM Solution
Sometimes, law firms wonder how many hours they lose each week while they track leads, clients, and prospects. Though it's crucial for digital marketing success, it's unbillable hours that don't add to the profits and could result in lost financial opportunity.
As small law firms invest in the techniques talked about here, they may want to get a CRM solution to manage their new inquiries.
A CRM supports the law firm by:
Automating lead nurturing and conversions
Simplifying client referral and sign-up management
Integrating with current case management software
Monitoring text messages, e-signs, email marketing, and call tracking
Creating Custom Retargeting and Remarketing Campaigns
Remarketing benefits some law firms by keeping their brand top-of-mind after they leave the firm's website. These ads are often used by e-commerce stores to market to those who showed interest but didn't buy anything. The same concept can be applied to law firms.
The law firm website or social media page is there to attract a ton of visitors, but most of them aren't likely to contact the firm after the first visit. They might not be ready to hire lawyers, don't like what they see, have something else to do, or were distracted and clicked away.
For example, say there is an employment law firm that offers to get unpaid wages for those who were denied overtime or underpaid. The Law firm marketing approach includes running a video ad through Facebook. Many watch the ad but don't contact the firm or visit the website without contacting them. Remarketing lets law firms set up a pay-per-click campaign to ensure that those ads are seen again.
However, there is a downside because retargeting ads aren't suitable for every law practice, such as divorce lawyers, personal injury, and criminal law. Those cases usually have stressed clients and require access to sensitive personal information, so ethical issues might be present in some states.
Facebook and Google guidelines state that it's not ethical to use sensitive information about the app or site visitors when creating those lists. This includes medical information, allegations of any crime, financial information, and information relating to divorce or marital status.
Therefore, this immediately rules out many law firms, and others might reject the tactic because it could be intrusive. Still, it's available for those who want to try it.
Developing Referral Marketing Campaigns
Referrals are the oldest type of lead generation, and it's still strong today. They still matter for various law firms and are the "low hanging fruit" that should be picked first.
The problem here is that some law firms only use them as an excuse for not using other strategies to supplement and enhance the referrals. Having a well-managed and proactive marketing campaign that generates new cases allows you to strengthen the referral relationship by trading referrals instead of only receiving them one way.
How to Run Referral Marketing Campaigns
With this form of law firm marketing, firms should:
Identify who they are targeting referrals from, such as other lawyers, clients, and professional services
Build a database and system to contact these potential referral relationships
Create introduction letters, which are a series of templates to use for each referral source type
Start emailing/mailing the letters
Get someone from the office to follow up
Meet face to face for other professional service providers and lawyers
Generate your own cases to offer value in return
Done correctly, digital marketing and traditional marketing should enhance one another, as they are both needed for a healthy firm.
Developing Effective Sales Processes to Convert Leads
It doesn't make sense to turn the website into a lead generation machine that works 24/7 if leads can't be converted into cases. This just adds to law firms spending money for law firm marketing purposes that get very little in return.
Developing an appropriate sales process is something that some law firms find a challenge. However, it's good to identify when the marketing-qualified lead turns into a sales-qualified lead.
Prospective clients tend to approach the lawyer and law firm with information inquiries. This is a way for them to evaluate the services offered. When they're ready to hire legal counsel, they might call or email that firm. That's when the skill for converting comes into play.
Successful firms are the ones that actively measure and try to improve the time between the lead being submitted and when it's responded to. Once the lead is captured, it's important to respond quickly.
When prospective clients call in, what do the associates say? Is there a set of processes that the client goes through to qualify them and determine how the lawyer can help? Do the lawyers communicate the benefits of hiring them clearly, or is the conversation more arbitrary or done on a whim?
The ins and outs of the sales process are good to consider, especially if the law firm has a poor record of converting their inquiries.
Conclusion
It's usually hard for law firms to come up with a marketing plan because they aren't sure what might work for them. However, following the steps for marketing effectively and using the law firm marketing strategies mentioned here can be a great start.
For those who have no idea what to do or don't want to do it alone, it might be time to hire a marketing professional. Phase Marketing understands law marketing options and can help law firms take care of things quickly and effectively to get firms the results they need.