Marketing and Advertising for Lawyers
Table of Contents
In addition to guest posting on the UpCity blog, Jives Media Marketing Agency is featured as one of the Top Advertising Agencies in the United States. Check out their profile!
Looking for innovative ways to promote your law firm? Well, it’s time to ditch traditional advertising methods and switch to digital marketing online. The world has moved online and if you haven’t yet already, it is time to do so.
Let’s start with a simple question. Why are marketing and advertising so important for law firms?
Simply put, digital marketing helps grow your business by increasing awareness online.
Effective advertising not only helps you extend your reach to a wider audience but also helps you beat out competitors. As a result, your legal business will gain the traction and recognition it deserves.
Regardless of your legal focus, digital marketing is a must! Our agency works with a ton of law firms that focus on the following areas: criminal law, personal injury law, divorce law, DUI / traffic violations, employment discrimination, etc. Digital marketing allows you to raise awareness about both your practice and your various specializations.
Wondering where to start? We’ve assembled this guide to help you navigate through law firm SEO.
The Beginners Guide to Marketing and Advertising for Lawyers
Outlined below are the top strategies you should deploy for successful marketing and advertising of your legal firm or solo law practice. Assuming you’ve laid the groundwork and already have a well-structured website that is up and running, these strategies will help you achieve a strong online presence.
Optimize Your Website and Google My Business Page
Gone are the days of Yellow Pages and paperback directories. With today’s “digital-first “world we live in, it is no surprise that approximately 90% of consumers search online for the high-quality products and services they need. Your law firm’s website is the online face of your company and therefore needs to be optimized with keyword research to maximize conversions.
Did you know that your website only has 10 seconds to create a lasting impression? More times than not, it is less than 10 seconds to turn a prospect into a lead.
In layman’s terms, your website needs to “WOW” visitors quickly to keep them engaged.
How do you do this?
You can start by reviewing this checklist to ensure your website meets the baseline criteria below:
- Is it fast?
○ Users have grown accustomed to the quick pace that society now operates by. We like things fast and we expect websites to load instantly. If your site doesn’t load in under 3 seconds, you are likely losing potential clients who will move on to a competitor’s site.
- Is it mobile-friendly?
○ Given the prevalent use of smartphones, you are responsible for ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile use. Around 63% of all online searches are from smartphone users, which is why being mobile-friendly is non-negotiable.
- Is it appealing?
○ You don’t need us to tell you that most people judge the credibility of a company based on their website. Optimizing your website for User Experience (UX) is key.
- Does it have relevant content?
○ High-quality content not only adds value to your site but also builds trust with online visitors. Ultimately, the content you share determines whether visitors will stay or leave.
- Can clients find you easily?
○ Since legal services are need-based, most clients prefer to hire locals. Your website, therefore, needs to be optimized to appear at the top of local search engines for relevant searches.
But how do you get to the top of Google search algorithms to reach the competitive first page? Implementing our second strategy will get you there.
Ensure Clients can Find You Online
Having a well-designed website and quality content are excellent first steps, but if your website is buried on Google then your results are going to be limited. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into the picture.
SEO is integral to your online marketing strategy because it allows visitors to find your website through organic search. SEO generates online traffic by directing prospect clients from Google to your website without ads. Meaning, the leads that come to your website are through FREE clicks.
Improving your website’s SEO allows it to rank higher for relevant searches like “best lawyer near me.” When it comes to small businesses, local SEO plays a very important role. It helps you reach potential customers in your area, which as a result boosts your local presence.
Content is Key
Plain and simple.
Content marketing helps build connections with your audience
Well-written and engaging content serves to entice potential clients and draw them towards your firm’s services. It is critical to create enticing blog posts and share taglines or testimonials highlighting why prospective clients should opt for your services. Develop impressive original content for your website. Lastly, your content should be useful and easy to understand so that it strikes a chord with your target audience.
Social Media Makes a Difference
A social media strategy is crucial for a law firm. Our law firm clients see specifically strong results on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. These social media platforms can play an important role in generating traffic to your website.
Don’t believe us?
95% of millennials expect businesses to have a Facebook presence
It is important to pay special attention to creating an impressive profile since your bio is your calling card. Social media platforms should be utilized to build your brand, connect with your audience, drive traffic to your website and increase new clients. You can do this by:
- Publishing quality content (you can repurpose what you already have on your website and tailor it to meet the requirements of the social media platforms you’re using)
- Creating custom hashtags to drive a larger audience to your page
- Listening to and interacting with your followers using likes and comments
- Analyzing metrics to determine what you’re like
Hear From Industry Experts
Read the latest tips, research, best practices, and insights from our community of expert B2B service providers.
Advertising Matters
Investing in Google ads and social media ads will help generate instant results for your law firm. Have you heard of Google PPC ads, also known as Pay-per-click Advertising?
If you are looking for a quick way to generate high-quality leads for your law firm, then PPC Advertising is what you need. Compared to SEO, lawyers can acquire clients almost immediately with Google PPC marketing. Google PPC allows you to maximize your impact by specifically showing your advertisements for specific keywords that are targeted to your audience.
Of course, you should also extend your reach towards audiences across interactive social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Strategy
Traditional email marketing continues to remain an important tool for marketing, even for lawyers and law firms. From a compelling email highlighting your firm’s unique selling proposition to monthly newsletters, emails are an excellent way to draw in new clients or stay present in the minds of past and present clients.
Focus on sending out personalized, relevant, and valuable emails
Email segmentation is key and will allow you to better personalize your emails and maximize the deliverability.
Keep an Eye on the Numbers
Metrics play a paramount role in the success or failure of any business, so it is critical to analyze your firm’s marketing performance closely. Measuring the success of your business and quantifying your key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you gauge the efficacy of your marketing efforts. This includes the performance of your PPC, social media, and SEO strategy along with their impact on your top-line metrics.
Focus on Building your Reviews
Most customers check out the reviews before deciding to hire a lawyer. Here’s the proof that reviews matter;
- 90% of online purchases have been influenced by reviews
- More than 80% of consumers stated that positive reviews influenced their views of local businesses
- Online reviews are responsible for almost 30% of website traffic
Reviews can improve the visibility of your law firm on Google. They also let you know what you’re doing right and wrong.
It is critical to make reviews your new best friend. Follow-up with current and former clients to request them to share their positive experiences. You may want to skip asking the unhappy folks. The reviews of your firm craft the reputation of your business and assist in building social proof. This includes both positive and negative reviews. While having all positive reviews is great, it is unlikely. Addressing negative reviews as soon as you receive them will convey that you care, and helps keep your reputation in good standing with both Google and people reading your reviews.
Conclusion
This article has (hopefully) convinced you to optimize the online presence of your law firm. I created this guide to help you master all the ins and outs of digital marketing. Deploying these tactics will allow you to maximize the reach of new prospects and stand out against the competition. You can contact us for any additional marketing questions. We are here for you!
About the author
Jay Ives
Jay Ives, founder of Jives Media, lives at the crossroads of storytelling, design, data, and tech. With over 15 years of experience in the fields of marketing and advertising, Jay supports businesses from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 organizations across the globe.
