INSIGHTS
Top 10 inbound marketing tips for lawyers
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Inbound marketing for law firms
Inbound marketing offers a quick and cost-effective way to generate new business enquiries for law firms. Unlike traditional ‘outbound’ marketing (such as cold calling and adverts in the printed media), inbound marketing allows clients to find you, when they need you.
Below, we have provided some targeted tips for lawyers which will hopefully help you to maximise your time and resources and help your law firm implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.
Specialise in a particular area of law
Establish yourself as a thought leader in one particular area and make sure existing and new clients know that you are focused on this area by promoting your expertise on your website, online platforms, corporate promotional materials, paid advertising including search engines and social media ads.
Ranking as a leading lawyer for your particular specialism in the main legal directories and getting nominated in specialist categories at relevant awards can also boost your authority.
You may think that this may not work for B2B services however, it can offer the greatest opportunity. In comparison with some of the more retail areas such as personal injury or family law, corporate legal services in terms of online competition is in its infancy.
Don't forget your existing clients
Before going out and targeting new clients, don’t forget your low-hanging fruit: your existing clients! These are the people who already know you, trust you, send you work and pay you. It’s important to work at getting to know them better in order to see where else you can add value to the relationship.
REMEMBER: Positioning yourself as an indispensable business advisor to your existing clients is a sure fire way to generate more instructions.
Touching base with your clients semi-regularly is an easy and cost-effective way to generate new instructions from within your existing client base. This type of activity, most often carried out in the format of email marketing, does require an up-to-date list of client contact details.
With this list, go that one step further and segment your audience into distinct client personas to ensure that you are delivering content that is relevant to them.
Create an effective law firm website
Whether you are setting up a new practice or a part of a long established law firm, your website is crucial to the success of your digital marketing efforts. If properly developed and supported, your website will help to establish your key stakeholders as thought leaders and experts amongst existing and prospective clients.
Your site should really showcase what you do, clearly stating your specialty and your niche. If you offer several different services within your type of law, outline them very clearly. For further information on what makes an effective law firm website, check out our website design service here.
Use content to build your credibility
If you want to generate more profitable business and establish yourself as an authority in a particular area of service, you need to write about it. Effective content marketing helps attract visitors to your site, provides answers to the questions your prospective clients’ are asking and helps build trust from the outset.
It’s important that you fully leverage the business generating potential of the content you produce. One way of doing so is to develop a content plan that considers all the different ways you can repurpose and redistribute what you write.
For example, bullet points from an article can be expanded upon and repurposed for a new landing page or blog.
For maximum exposure, don’t forget to share your blog post and articles across all of your online platforms. Cross-posting will expose your work to a broader audience and increase its sharing potential.
You can learn more about content marketing here.
TIP
Make it easy as possible for those who do use social media to share content by including social sharing buttons throughout your website.
Don't be afraid to provide free information
For example, write a guide or white paper on your area of expertise and make it available on your website and to all your connections on LinkedIn. This type of activity helps you establish a position of thought leadership and engage with potential instructing agents.
Build a presence on social media platforms
With many of the law firms we visit, there is still often a feeling that social media marketing isn’t for them. Perhaps it’s too informal, or too risky, or lacking in a viable target audience.
The power of social media is immense and, when harnessed correctly, can be a great tool to help grow your law firm in the following ways:
Brand awareness and thought leadership
Increased search engine rankings for your website by virtue of social media bookmarking
Getting content from your website in front of a targeted, valuable audience
Networking with thought leaders in your field
Development of new business relationships
Increasing website visits with warm leads
Generation of new business for your law firm
The need for law firms to be active on social media channels is prevalent and something we can help you with. Get in touch with our expert team if you need help with your law firm’s social media.
Establish trust through reviews
We all check the web for reviews of products, restaurants, hotels and all kinds of other businesses. As legal services are increasingly sought online, why shouldn’t this apply to lawyers too? Ensure that your firm stands out in both organic and paid search results through the use of review sites which allow your rating to be included in SERPs.
It’s also a good idea to set up your Google My Business listing to take advantage of Google Maps and Google reviews. When people search for a lawyer online, your local Google directory listing will link to public reviews of your practice. It makes sense to ask happy clients if they would mind reviewing you.
Another way to gain reviews is to have a draft email ready to send to clients with simple instructions as to how they can complete this simple task – try our free review request email template.
Suggested reading: Master the art of online reviews: how law firms can boost their reputation.
Where to start with your law firm marketing?
Cleansing your client databases, updating your website, building a presence on social media, organising events – a law firm marketer’s day is never dull and their task list never-ending. If just starting out, our advice would be to pick one thing to get right, and do it really well. Then, move on to the next thing.
For example, make sure your website ticks all the right boxes before embarking on a social media campaign. Understand what it is you are trying to achieve through your various marketing campaigns and activities, establish KPIs, and work back from there.
If it's not measurable, don't do it
The beauty of online marketing is that it is immediate, transparent and trackable. For example, each month we are able to tell our clients how many new enquiries their website has generated for them, conversion rate, cost per enquiry etc (check out our case studies).
Traditional offline marketing activities are difficult to point to a definite positive return on investment (ROI), mainly because they have no way of monitoring success.
Our Strategy Director, Dave, says:
“It’s a truism that what gets measured gets managed. A joined-up online business generation strategy is not only more affordable than ‘traditional’ marketing activity, it’s much more transparent. A good reporting process is a way of measuring success, and a valuable decision-making tool for your business.
Making sure that enquiries are logged, tracked and appropriately attributed to their source gives you the data to make strategic business decisions.”
You can learn more about managing and tracking leads here.
Hire marketing professionals (preferably with niche legal expertise)
When your day job involves managing increasingly challenging billable hour targets, spending time on developing a marketing plan may not be possible, or indeed advisable! Speaking with marketing professionals, particularly those who understand the challenges faced by the legal sector, can take some of this responsibility off of your shoulders.
They will also be more knowledgeable about how to go about promoting you and your firm without the need for as much trial and error.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
FAQs
At its core, a digital marketing strategy is a comprehensive plan designed to achieve specific business objectives through various promotional activities and channels. Think of it like a roadmap for your law firm’s growth. It outlines the steps you need to take, and the tools you’ll use, to reach your desired audience, connect with potential clients, and convert them into loyal ones.
With a solid digital marketing strategy, law firms can ensure they’re targeting the right people, at the right time, in the right way, maximising their potential for success. Remember, in the world of legal services, staying ahead means not just having expertise in law, but also a strategic approach to reaching those who need your services.
Using relevant keywords and valuable content that speaks to your site visitors, your digital presence and showcases your expertise.
In the realm of digital marketing, we usually identify four cornerstone strategies that can grow your law firm, designed for online success:
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): This focuses on enhancing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages, making you more discoverable to potential clients.
Content marketing: This involves creating valuable, relevant content (like blogs, videos, or guides) to engage and educate your audience, positioning your firm as an industry thought leader.
Paid advertising (PPC): Using platforms like Google Ads or social media ads, you can target specific audiences and drive immediate traffic to your website or services.
Social media marketing: By leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, you can build relationships, showcase your expertise, and engage with prospects in a more informal, personal setting.
Combining these strategies can create a holistic digital presence, ensuring your law firm is always top-of-mind for potential clients.
Online advertising, often referred to as digital advertising, is the practice of using internet platforms to promote products, services, or brands.
It encompasses a range of digital ads: including banner ads on websites, search engine ads, social media advertising, and email marketing, among others. The beauty of online advertising is its vast reach and the ability to target specific demographics, ensuring that your message gets in front of the right eyes at the right time.
Advertising your law firm is a blend of understanding your unique value proposition and reaching your target audience effectively. Begin by identifying your firm’s specialties and strengths. Then, choose the right mix of traditional and online marketing activities that cater to your audience.
Remember, it’s not just about being visible, but also resonating with your potential customers.
Whether you opt for search engine marketing, social media marketing, paid advertising, content marketing, ensure your message is clear, consistent, and aligned with your firm’s ethos. Our top 10 inbound marketing tips can assist you to refine your digital strategy and impact law firm growth.
Online advertising can be a game-changer for your law firm! Here’s how:
Enhanced visibility: Digital ads can position your firm prominently on search engines, social media, and other platforms, ensuring potential clients see you first.
Targeted outreach: Online advertising lets you target specific demographics, behaviours, or interests, ensuring your ads resonate with the most relevant audience.
Immediate engagement: Unlike traditional methods, online ads can drive instant traffic to your website, increasing the chances of immediate conversions.
Measurable results: Digital platforms offer detailed analytics, allowing you to see which ads are performing best and where to optimize.
Cost-efficiency: With options like pay-per-click, you only pay when someone interacts with your ad, ensuring better return on investment.
Embracing online advertising can elevate your firm’s outreach, bringing in a steady stream of inquiries and clients, and positioning you as a modern, forward-thinking legal entity.
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Grow your online presence with a digital marketing strategy
If your online presence isn’t currently contributing to your firm’s bottom line and you want to partner with an agency who is focused on helping your law firm grow, get in touch today by calling us 0333 342 2722 or completing the online enquiry form.
