Clients are the lifeblood of a thriving law firm. However, like in any other industry, those in the legal business have some fierce competition in terms of attracting new clients and retaining their existing ones.
This is where a solid and effective digital marketing plan comes in. You can always hire seasoned digital marketing firms to help you come up with one. For more details check dnovogroup.com, or implement the following tactics to grow your law firm and expand your client base:
1. Invest In Quality Website Development
Your law firm website is perhaps your most powerful marketing tool. Think of it as your firm’s digital real estate. All your other marketing efforts would lead back to it. This is why you should invest in an amazing website with modern design and functionality.
Your website should be:
User-Friendly
In order to be user-friendly, a website has to be easy to access and navigate. The content on it should be easy to read, and images and all other elements should be properly sized and formatted.
Optimized For Search Engines
Your website content should be keyword-optimized, clear, and aligned with your firm’s branding so the site can have better search ranking.
Mobile-Friendly
With more people now using their phones on the daily, it’s important for you to have a responsive website, allowing users to navigate your site on any device.
2. Local Search Engine Optimization
In the digital business world, search engine optimization (SEO) will always be essential. Good SEO ensures that your law firm shows up in online searches. However, general searches aren’t the primary way for potential clients to find you, especially since law firms provide location-based services.
So nearby clients will be able to find you online, you need to optimize your law firm’s ranking in local search results. This means incorporating local SEO into your law firm’s marketing strategy.
The best practices for local SEO include:
Setting Up Google My Business
Creating your Google My Business (GMB) page is the first step to ensure that your firm is visible in local search results. This page includes details such as photos, contact and map information, and a link to your website.
Generating Client Reviews
Authentic and positive client reviews for your GMB page and sites like LinkedIn, Avvo, and Yelp are a great help for local SEO.
Optimizing For Local Keywords
To rank in local searches, you also need to optimize your website with local keywords. For instance, if you’re a family lawyer in Chicago, then you need to add terms like ‘Denver family lawyer’ to your law firm site.
Updating Your Name, Address, And Phone
The name, address, phone (NAP) citations on your website should be updated and formatted consistently anywhere it exists online, such as your Facebook page, for local SEO purposes.
3. Utilize Videos
People love videos. Videos are more expressive than infographics or photos and more engaging than articles. Thus, they’re an excellent marketing option for law firms.
Lawyers and the legal industry have a reputation for being complicated and stuffy. However, video content can help make legal concepts and processes easier to understand, provide valuable information to potential clients, and prove to them that your firm is experienced, trustworthy, and knowledgeable.
Create informational videos related to the legal questions of your audience. Show them the legal processes involved in your specific practice. You can also do a video podcast where you’ll explain various legal topics.
In terms of promotion, you can generate traffic via YouTube marketing or include the videos you’ve produced in your blog posts.
4. Show Proof
Like any business, a law firm would tell people what the practice can do for them and how it can help them with their problems, which in this case are legal issues. However, simply informing potential clients about your services may not be enough.
Businesses will always market themselves in a positive and convincing way to get people to use their services. Thus, many individuals tend to be skeptical about taking a company’s word for it. They instead want to hear from others who’ve already experienced your service to determine that you can really help them out.
In short, they prefer to read reviews and testimonials.
Strong reviews carry a lot more weight than other marketing tactics. In fact, research shows that 98% of respondents say reviews matter when looking up law firms.
So on your site, you should show social proof that your firm is indeed reliable. You can get reviews and testimonials from your past clients. These would convey to potential clients that you’re experienced and have helped many others before them.
Also, you can use case studies to demonstrate exactly how you’ve helped clients in specific situations.
5. Use Newsletter Marketing
Regular newsletters sent to users who’ve signed up to your list can help keep you on top of mind with potential and existing clients. They also allow you to show that you’re always up to date with the legal news in your area of practice. What’s more, a newsletter gives you the chance to demonstrate your expertise and authority to a highly targeted audience through informative content.
So make sure to encourage sign-ups to your newsletter on your website. Your newsletters don’t need to be lengthy. You can include various content including:
- Recent case studies
- Article snippets linking to your latest blog posts
- Legal news and updates
- Details about awards
- Introductions to your attorneys
- The important thing is that you let your audience know you’re active and producing valuable content in your practice area.
6. Focus On Customer Service
Most organizations think that exceptional customer service means going above and beyond. However, the true driver of customer service for retention and loyalty is the ease of having one’s problems solved.
So first, you need to focus on consistently meeting expectations and avoiding unpleasant surprises. You also don’t always need ‘speedy service’ but service that’s willing, courteous, and helpful.
Make sure to provide support on the right channels. Live chat is always preferred. You can also go with phone support and a self-help knowledge base.
Conclusion
There are other marketing strategies out there that law firms like yours are free to take advantage of. However, the above tactics should be your utmost priority to attract new clients and maintain loyalty from existing clients for years to come.