How Lawyers Get New Clients by Utilizing Digital Marketing
Discover how lawyers can get new clients by choosing the most optimal strategies they can do themselves or via a marketing agency.
It is 2022, and you still rely on lawyer referrals to get new clients? It is about time to expand your horizon and learn how digital marketing can do wonders for your law career. Digital marketing taps into online sources, which can be a treasure trove of leads and potential clients that you would otherwise miss out on.
Digital Marketing for Lawyers
Any business could use digital marketing to help sell its products and services. Digital marketing for lawyers covers various marketing techniques to bring their legal brand to the fore and grow their practice.
While there will never be a shortage in legal issues and lawsuits, getting clients can still be challenging given the highly competitive law industry. Hundreds, if not thousands, of legal practitioners in one’s geographical area bid to represent a client. It is why the uptake of digital marketing has become imperative even among lawyers and law firms, especially since most people now rely on the internet for virtually everything, including legal options.
The beauty of this endeavor is that they are doable, repeatable, and measurable. And that only means you can trace which paid ad or organic search your inquiries come from, what worked and what didn’t, and other vital insights that allow you to do better.
Laying Your Digital Marketing Foundation
Before you work on attracting new clients with digital marketing, you must check first if you have the basics in place. One is a functional and professionally designed website that lists your firm’s legal services. It should be easy to navigate and able to load web pages quickly. Since you will be embarking on digital marketing, ensure that your website is mobile-responsive or optimized for mobile viewing. Otherwise, it will only increase users abandoning your site. Remember, user experience is king when sustaining web traffic.
Digital Marketing Planning
Your digital marketing initiatives will largely depend on this aspect – financial. Especially when you are considering paid advertising, check how much your budget allocation is so you can choose the marketing strategies you will use and plot them in a timeline. Meanwhile, you must identify what your goals are in this endeavor. They could be about increasing the number of inquiries and signups and getting new clients, among others. Whatever they may be, make sure they are realistic and measurable.
Best Digital Marketing Types for Lawyers
There are several types of digital marketing, each with distinct methods to achieve its purpose. But for lawyers looking to get new clients, here are the best considerations for your practice:
- SEO. Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a marketing exercise of enhancing website visibility by ranking high in search results using organic methods. For example, if you type personal injury Las Vegas lawyers, having your website at the top of results is ideal, or at least be among those on the first page of Google. You can work on your SEO by claiming keywords where your website can rank high through the help of an experienced agency. Alternatively, you can also do this yourself, although it may take a lot of time and research.
- Content marketing. Content refers to any information you include on your websites, such as blogs, videos, and others. It overlaps with other types of digital marketing like SEO and works symbiotically with them. You use content to attract new clients by making it more engaging and relevant to your products or services. But unlike other digital marketing tactics, content marketing should be considered a permanent strategy. Building up your content library, which may consist of infographics, evergreen pages, law discussions in layman’s terms, etc., will only help build your brand and authority over your industry. Thus, your site becomes a valuable reference for users, most of whom may consider your services when they need them.
- Email marketing. Sending emails is a digital marketing approach to reach out to a network of leads and existing clients with almost no effort. It is also an inexpensive way to do marketing that can bring a high ROI such that a dollar spent on a lawyer’s email campaign can get an average return of $38.
An email automation software can facilitate the process wherein you will only have to craft your email content (which should be compelling, by the way) and take care of the rest. Even if you are away for a court case, the system will send your emails based on your preset times and user response. Not only will this strategy work with large volumes, but also an excellent means to maintain customer touchpoints like sending a thank you message or an appointment reminder. For your newsletter subscribers, you can rewrite your most popular blogs, promote community events, announce law updates, share industry-related issues, etc.
- YouTube marketing. YouTube has become a great platform for getting the attention of prospective clients; hence even lawyers are taking advantage of its wide reach and visual appeal. In fact, among the social media platforms, YouTube seems the best choice for legal eagles, enabling them to bring the law to the level that most people can understand and appreciate. Your video content does not have to be this boring and lengthy discussion of different statutes. For example, you can focus on one specific topic like oral defamation, keeping it short but packed. If done regularly, you become this go-to lawyer, not just when people need explanations on laws but also when they need legal representation.
Other Digital Marketing Tips That Reel in New Clients
There are several other marketing options you can use to get new clients.
- Maximize use of free digital marketing platforms like Google My Business, and legal directories like FindLaw.com and Lawyers.com
- Keep your content fresh and your contact information updated, so you do not miss out on potential clients. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
- Encourage your clients to write reviews of their experience with you and respond to them cordially yet professionally, even if they have an unfavorable opinion.
- Your calls to action must be visible on your website and social media accounts.
- Consider hiring a digital marketing professional to bring your marketing A game just as clients would hire skilled lawyers like you.