August 16, 2024
Looking to get more clients for your legal business?
The more potential customers you can get in front of, the better your chances of expanding your law firm are. In fact, this is the goal of every successful digital strategy:
Now, while 38% of legal service buyers discover their lawyers through an online search, the reality is most legal businesses don't prioritize search engine marketing.
If you don't have a strong digital marketing strategy in place, you're missing out on conversions and money on a daily basis.
For that reason, hiring a lawyer marketing service or team that can help you achieve your growth goals is a good idea. Lawyer marketing companies are experienced professionals that will be able to teach you the in's and out's of being successful online.
The legal industry has evolved over the last decade.
Before the internet, a lot of lawyers relied on physical advertising methods like yellow pages ads and newspaper advertisements to get new business. Today, potential clients will research their options online before ever making a call.
Take a look at this stat: 85% of potential clients will use Google as their primary search engine when looking for a lawyer. If your website is not appearing in organic search results, then it's invisible to most of your target market.
However, there's an additional critical aspect to having an online presence.
Think about how you research products and services before making a purchase. You'll probably go to their website, read reviews, look at their social media pages, etc.
Potential clients will do the exact same thing when searching for a lawyer. If you don't have a professional online presence, it may give potential clients a reason to not trust you and go to a competitor that does.
Your website is the heart of your digital marketing strategy.
It's often the first thing potential clients will see when searching for your services, so you want to make sure it's done right. What are the key elements of an effective lawyer website?
Your website needs to look professional and trustworthy. Clean and intuitive design, clear navigation, and mobile responsiveness are critical.
Why? More than 50% of website traffic is from mobile devices. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you're losing clients every day.
The messaging on your website should be clear about the following:
Calls-to-Action are very important for your website because they can help lead potential clients to contact you or fill out a form.
Search engine optimization is where most law firms see the best return on investment.
Fun fact: According to the same stats, 79% of surveyed legal professionals rate search engine optimization as the most effective marketing channel for acquisition of new clients. This is due to the fact that when a person searches for a lawyer online they are usually ready to hire a new one within a short period of time.
The majority of legal services are location based. This is why your local SEO strategy should be a priority:
Blogging is a highly effective SEO strategy that positions you as an industry expert.
Blog posts that answer common legal questions, articles about the legal process, and even case studies will work well.
Consistency is key here. Regular, high-quality content will signal search engines that your website is active and worth ranking highly for.
Technical on-page optimization matters too:
If this seems technical, don't worry! Most lawyers partner with SEO professionals to handle this work for them.
Social media can be a great asset for lawyers and legal firms, but there are some special considerations.
Lawyers will typically have a different social media mix than other industries.
LinkedIn is a great platform for lawyers and law firms that focus on B2B legal services or professional networking. You can use LinkedIn to share industry knowledge, connect with other legal professionals, and position yourself as an authority.
Facebook is effective for family law, personal injury, and other consumer-facing law practices. You can post educational content and use it to engage with your local community.
Video is very effective for lawyers. You can make videos that break down complex legal topics, answer frequently asked questions, and give potential clients a sense of your personality and approachability.
Social media marketing for lawyers requires a good balance, though.
You can't manage what you don't measure.
The important metrics to track are:
Track your rankings for important keywords. Your goal should be increasing these rankings over time, which should lead to more website traffic.
The majority of law firms that have invested in a digital marketing strategy start seeing real returns within 6-12 months.
Here's a secret that most successful lawyers know: the most successful lawyers in the world focus on their area of expertise and delegate everything else.
Digital marketing is a complex field that is always evolving. This is why many law firms hire specialized marketing companies that understand the unique aspects of the legal industry.
The reality is: your time is better spent servicing clients than it is on trying to keep up with the latest Google algorithm change.
The reality is every successful lawyer or law firm had to start somewhere.
If you have never done any marketing before, the most important thing is just to get started. Updating your website, claiming your google listing, or publishing that first blog post may seem like small actions, but that first step is more important than waiting until everything is "perfect."
Start with the basics and get those right:
You can experiment with more advanced strategies like paid ads and video marketing after those are in place.
In this digital age, it's critical to have a strong online presence if you want your law firm to survive.
Lawyers that invest in online marketing will have a significant competitive advantage. The longer you wait, the more clients your competitors are winning every day.
Pick one or two of these tactics and start building your online presence now.
Consistent action and patience for results will pay off. Your future clients are searching online right now, so make sure they can find you.
Digital marketing is crucial because most potential clients, around 85%, use Google to find legal services. Without an online presence, your firm remains invisible to a large part of your target market, and you miss opportunities to build trust.
A legal website needs a professional, mobile-responsive design, clear messaging about your legal specialities and experience, and prominent calls-to-action. These elements help convert visitors into leads and establish credibility.
Local SEO is a top priority for location-based legal services, including claiming your Google My Business listing. Content marketing through regular blogging and technical SEO, such as fast loading speeds and secure connections, are also highly effective.
LinkedIn is excellent for B2B services and networking. Facebook works well for consumer-facing practices like family law, and YouTube is superb for explaining complex legal topics and showcasing your personality through video content.
You should monitor website analytics, including visitor numbers and conversion rates, search engine rankings for key terms, and lead generation metrics like phone calls and form submissions. Tracking your return on investment is also vital.
Many successful law firms hire specialised marketing companies. Digital marketing is complex and constantly changing, so delegating it allows legal professionals to focus on their core expertise and client service, while experts manage their online growth.
