Competition for clients among law firms can be intense; when it comes to marketing, you can not just sit on your hands, whether yours is a small local firm, a medium-sized regional practice or a large national offering. However, employing strategic online marketing practices will provide a means for your firm to stand out in the field. A successful plan will involve the following elements, at a minimum, though you should continue to evaluate the ever-changing marketing landscape.
Roll Up Your Sleeves
Whatever elements you include in your overall marketing blueprint, be prepared to work at and refine those elements on an ongoing basis. You can not just set up your framework and sit back to watch returns. You can bet that your competition will continually push its marketing message as well.
Create an Efficient Website
Once you have the hard-work mindset in place, aim your initial focus toward your website. Gone are the days when your site serves merely as a static placeholder containing contact information, pictures of your staff and a few random accolades; rather it needs to be both user-friendly and dynamic. First, design pages that are easy-to-navigate and multi-platform efficient — you want them to load effectively on any device; second, make the site mobile friendly so that potential clients can use it on the go.
Provide Value
The website should also be the first place clients turn as a general resource. Load the site with educational information that not only demonstrates your expertise but also provides value-added service. The content could include any of the following:
- Videos
- Downloadable guides
- Question and answer pages
- Directed messages from firm partners
- Consumer-language case study synopses
Focus on Search Optimization
Without good search engine optimization strategies, law firms fail to appear early in search engine results, and everyone knows consumers rarely dive deeper than the first page or two. Make sure your marketing team is grounded in SEO fundamentals, or outsource this step to a company that is.
Use Social Media
Currently, few businesses reach their potential when they do not embrace social media, especially both LinkedIn and Facebook; just make sure to provide formal content that showcases your professionalism. Also, note that users rely heavily on user reviews when researching, so find a way to embed them.
Avoid Working in a Vacuum
No matter how far you go, you need to ensure your strategies are working. Use analytics to study your results so that you can continually refine your approaches and messages.
Your law firm’s marketing must be effective if you want your brand to become a household name. Nailing down a focused online strategy will ensure your firm continues to gather a steady stream of clients.