According to a recent report, 67% of lawyers consider keeping up with their competitors to be a significant challenge. Effective marketing strategies help lawyers distinguish themselves in a competitive market and communicate their expertise to their target audience. But they should be client-centric.
Today, potential and existing clients want to know more about you, your services, and if other clients had a positive experience working with you. So tell them.
This article examines marketing tactics that can help law firms increase brand awareness, gain new clients, and strengthen existing relationships.
Building your law firm’s online presence
A strong online presence is crucial for law firms that want to build their client base and establish authority in the legal field.
Gone are the days when the only way to trust a service provider was through friends and family recommendations. The credibility of a business can now be determined from a quick Google search. In fact, nearly a quarter of consumers won’t hire a lawyer without an online presence.
Some of the best ways you can improve your online footprint are:
A user-friendly website: A website is often the first point of contact for prospective clients, so make it count. Make sure your website is easy to find with highly optimized pages. Include engaging content and easy navigation to improve the user experience.
Social media presence: Law firms should maintain a strong social media presence on platforms where their prospective clients are most active. Create and share relevant content that increases your online reach and credibility.
Reviews and lawyer directories: Positive reviews and listings in legal directories can improve your online presence. The more you appear online, the better chance prospects have of finding you.
Remember, a strong online presence is not just about being seen – it’s about being seen as the best option available.
SMART goals for marketing success
The SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) can help lawyers with their marketing goals. Using this framework means your marketing objectives are well-defined and more likely to result in a successful outcome.
Here’s how you can apply the SMART criteria to your law firm marketing efforts:
Specific
One of the most important aspects of developing an effective marketing strategy is defining precise marketing goals. Setting vague goals such as ‘increase client acquisition’ may seem like the easier option, but it makes the strategy harder to complete and lacks direction.
Instead, get specific about your goals by setting target numbers, establishing a timeline, or determining a platform focus. These specifics can keep your marketing strategy on the right path and ensure you’re working towards a tangible goal.
Measurable
Utilize metrics to track your marketing progress. One way to track your efforts is through quarterly profit measurements. This allows you to see how your marketing is impacting your bottom line.
Another useful metric is monthly website traffic analytics. Analyzing traffic data lets you see which pages are performing well and which may need improvement. You can also identify where your traffic is coming from.
No matter which metrics you use, data helps you make informed decisions about optimizing your marketing strategies.
Achievable
Set realistic goals based on your firm’s past performance, available resources, and current market conditions. Targets should be within reach to enhance motivation among your team.
While it’s important to strive for growth and progress, setting goals that are beyond your firm’s current performance level can result in unnecessary stress and pressure.
It’s important to strike a balance between setting challenging goals that push your team’s capabilities and ensuring that they’re attainable.
Relevant
Every marketing objective should align with your firm’s key goals. Think about what your firm is trying to achieve and make sure your marketing efforts are contributing to the bigger picture.
Additionally, consider your target audience and their needs when creating marketing objectives. By understanding your audience and what they’re looking for, you can create objectives that resonate with them and encourage them to engage with your firm.
The more relevant your marketing objectives are to both your business goals and your target audience, the more successful your marketing efforts will be.
Time-bound
Establish deadlines for each goal to maintain momentum and urgency. A timeline also creates a sense of accountability and motivation to work towards them.
You should regularly review and adjust timelines to account for any unforeseen challenges or opportunities. This will help you stay focused on your goals and make progress within the desired time frame.
An example of a SMART goal for your law firm marketing could be: “Increase traffic to our law firm website by 20% over the next six months.”
This goal is:
- Specific (improve website traffic)
- Measurable (20% increase from when the goal was set)
- Achievable (a realistic number)
- Relevant (to boost online visibility and client engagement)
- Time-bound (to be completed in the next six months)
By incorporating SMART goals into your law firm’s marketing plan, you can create a structured and focused strategy that drives meaningful results. This approach clarifies your marketing objectives and provides a roadmap for achieving them.
5 must-follow marketing trends for a stronger strategy
The way that law firms approach marketing is evolving rapidly. In 2024, several key trends are shaping the future of law firm marketing. Incorporating these tactics into your marketing strategy will set your firm up for success.
1. Online review management
Reviews have become the most influential factor in hiring a lawyer. With 98% of consumers saying they would look at an attorney’s reviews before hiring them, review management is critical for your 2024 marketing strategy.
Effective online review management involves two key factors: monitoring and responding.
Lawyers should regularly check any major review sites, including Google and Yelp. While Google remains the top review site for consumers, lawyers must also consider legal-specific sites such as Avvo, LegalMatch, and FindLaw.
Respond professionally and proactively to all reviews to show that you value client feedback and are committed to improving your services. According to a 2024 survey, the more reviews you respond to, the more likely you are to get their business.
2. Optimizing your law firm website
Did you know that 75% of consumers will judge a company’s credibility based on its website design? Not only that, but 85% expect a website to be as good, if not better, on mobile devices than on desktop.
In today’s digital world, many of us don’t get the opportunity to make a first impression face-to-face. For service providers, such as lawyers, your website will likely be the first point of contact for prospective clients.
To keep up with consumer expectations, your website must:
- be mobile-friendly
- have a clean design
- include up-to-date content
- provide easy navigation
A seamless user experience can significantly reduce bounce rates and improve your chance of converting visitors into clients.
3. How to show your authenticity through storytelling
As AI use continues to rise in popularity, storytelling marketing is becoming more important than ever. Clients are looking for more than a professional service provider with generic messaging; they want to know the people behind the firm.
Storytelling marketing helps humanize your law firm. While lawyers want to appear professional and knowledgeable, legal jargon (or ‘legalese’) can create a divide between you and the client. Instead, share relatable stories that showcase your expertise in a much more approachable way.
You can share your firm’s story, successes, and even challenges to connect with prospects and clients through:
- Client testimonials (video testimonials could increase trust even more)
- Case studies
- “Behind-the-scenes” look at your firm
By connecting with your clients through storytelling marketing, you can increase customer loyalty and establish your firm as a trusted legal provider.
4. Video content for a personal touch
The idea of doing a video might be intimidating (or only something for the professional TikToker), but they’re one of the best-performing tools you can use in your law firm marketing strategy.
According to a recent survey, video content works well for both the user and the business:
- 96% say that video marketing increased user understanding of their product or service
- 95% say it’s helped increase brand awareness
- 90% say video marketing helped them generate leads
You can use video to introduce your team, explain complex legal concepts, or share client stories.
Outside of your law firm’s website, consider using social media platforms to distribute your video content. Video content on social media can generate 1200% more shares than text and images. Video content, as a result, can increase your law firm’s reach while providing a more personal touch to your online presence.
5. Using social media
Using social media platforms is a fantastic way for law firms to connect with their target audience, but what platforms work best in 2024?
This all depends on your ideal client. For instance, LinkedIn can be a great platform if you’re targeting professionals. However, if you want to reach a broader audience and showcase your firm’s personality, platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be more effective.
Before you start creating social media accounts, make sure you spend ample time researching your key demographic. If you jump in with little to no research, you’ll likely stretch yourself thin across every social media channel. Remember, you’re more effective on a few platforms that reach the right people, than on all platforms and missing the mark.
As a starter, it’s worth sharing a mix of informative content, industry news, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your firm. This helps to keep your audience engaged and interested in your firm. It also allows you to track what content your audience interacts with and can help you determine your content plan going forward.
By incorporating these trends into your law firm marketing strategy, you can enhance your online presence and build stronger connections with potential clients. With each of these marketing trends, the key is consistency and genuine engagement with your audience.
Our key takeaways
With so many ways to market your law firm, it can be difficult to know where to start. While marketing trends come and go, they all have three key things in common:
- Understand your audience: Define who your ideal client is to ensure your marketing efforts are tailored and effective. When you establish your potential clients’ needs and how best to reach them, your marketing will perform.
- Client-centered approach: Focus on establishing relationships and building trust with potential clients. This marketing approach is crucial for long-term success and law firm client retention.
- Measure and adjust your plan: Regularly measure the success of your campaigns to ensure they’re driving business growth. Adjust your strategies based on data analysis and performance metrics.
The focus should always be on delivering value to your audience and differentiating your firm from the crowd.
Remember, every law firm is unique. It’s crucial to experiment with different strategies, track your results, and continually refine your approach based on what works best for your firm and clientele.
Law firm marketing isn’t a quick fix, it’s a long-term investment. It requires patience, persistence, and flexibility as the digital landscape changes.
You also need to be willing to adapt your marketing strategy to the ever-changing needs of the client. After all, at the heart of every law firm is your clients. Always approach your marketing strategy with the question “Does this help my client?”. If the answer is yes, you’ve already won half the battle.
