Marketing is key to getting your name out there and to grow your firm. However, you do not need a marketing genius to get clients in your door. Our technology-driven age has made it easier (and cheaper) than ever to promote your law practice like Don Draper. A good marketing strategy for your firm can be implanted quickly, affordably, and with little stress. The following are some helpful tips to consider when designing your marketing plan.
Build a Brand
Branding and marketing is the first step to increase your firm’s business and professionalism. Effective branding and marketing takes planning, time, and a clear vision. You know best what your firm’s brand is and the clients you want. Brand yourself. Good branding starts with you differentiating yourself from your competitors. Focus on what services or personal style are unique to you and your firm.
Once you know what sets you apart, represent it in your logo. Logos add professionalism and consistency to your firm’s website and marketing materials. Create a professional logo on the cheap from a variety of websites like UpWork.com and 99Designs.com.
Put your logo out there. Coffee cups, beer cozies, hats, banners, business cards, blog posts, print and web ads. Every part of your marketing plan will work around your brand. Reinforce a consistent message to make your brand memorable and successful. Therefore, clients will soon recognize and associate your firm with that message over other firms.
Advertise Online (for FREE!)
The digital age has changed the business and marketing fields. Lawyers must have the good web presence to draw in more clients. Lawyers can use online marketing to increase their firm’s visibility without spending a lot of money. This is especially true for solo and small firms as they compete with larger firms for clients.
Social media is one of the easiest ways to advertise your law practice to clients. You probably already use and are familiar with Facebook or Instagram. If not, creating an account with them is free and they are easy to use. A Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn account for your firm can help you connect with locals in your area. Thus, you can advertise your firm’s services, specialties, pricing, and brand through these platforms.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is quickly becoming the new norm in online marketing. Google Adwords will host your ad on a website or their search for engine for free. You pay them a fee every time someone clicks on your ad. Moreover, you have the freedom to set up ads in multiple places and track where you are getting the most clicks. Thus, Adwords is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways of marketing your firm.
Online reviews are another easy and free way to advertise your firm. Most people can speak to how a Yelp review influenced their opinion of a restaurant. Reviews give potential clients a positive or negative perception of your firm. Firms should ask their clients for constant feedback and use it to see how they can improve the way they deliver their services. The more positive reviews your law firm has, the more likely that clients will choose you over other law firms.
Likewise, create a free listing in online directories like Avvo or FindLaw. The more reviews you have the higher on the list you will be placed. Furthermore, you can pay for their premium services so you will be featured on the top of their directory and on Google searches.
Website SEO and Blogging
Today, clients are more likely than not to find your firm online. A website is like a business card. It looks unprofessional if you do not have one. Also, if potential clients cannot instantly find your website then they will find someone else. Lawyers need to familiarize themselves with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to get more attention to their website. The higher your website ranks in search engine results the more visible you will be to potential clients.
Thankfully one of the easiest ways to improve SEO results is to blog. Lawyers often forget to blog, if they have a law blog at all. I know blogging can seem time-consuming, but it is one of the most effective marketing tools firms have. A blog connected to your firm’s website will give you the opportunity to draw more people to your site if you are offering interesting and informative content.
A blog is a good way to share your legal knowledge with others. This establishes you as an expert in your field and portrays you more professionally to clients. Since you can share your posts on social media, you can give your social networks fresh content daily. This will draw more attention to your law practice and generate more leads.
As you create and share catchy content you will increase your visibility online and increase traffic to your website. This leads to better SEO results and your firm will show up higher on search engine results.
Lawyers should post at least one new blog post a week. Do not let your blog wither away due to lack of attention. The more you blog, the more credible you look and the more visitors you will get. Blogs do not need to be dissertations. Users expect short, useful, and interesting posts. Always make sure to include a call-to-action so potential clients can explore your website further and increase the chance they will become a paying client.
Network
There are plenty of low-tech marketing options to meet your marketing needs. Sometimes you need to pound the pavement and press the flesh. Get involved in your community. Go to as many events as you can and get your name out there. Network with community leaders and local businesses. Consider setting up speaking engagements or sponsoring an event in the community. This will give you a chance to hand out business cards, flyers, and make connections. Keep your firm on people’s minds and you will get more referrals.
Look at the Numbers
Now that you have a marketing strategy in place you need to keep up with the numbers. Do not assume that your first marketing plan is perfect the first time. If people are visiting your website, but are not being converted into clients, then your plan is useless. You need to track and measure your strategy’s performance to see what is working best and what is not.
Track how many people are reading which blog posts. This way you know which topics people search and you can give them more content. Track which pages on your website clients view the most. Now you can edit the flow of your website to guide clients to where you want them to go. Constantly improve your marketing plan so are doing what works and get rid of the rest.
Marketing your law firm is not a difficult or expensive process. Technology has removed much of the hassle and expenses. Solo and small firms can compete with larger firms without breaking the bank. Follow these tips and your firm will succeed.
