A decade ago, the legal industry became oversaturated. Now, many law firms are reliving this trend. This has made it more difficult to get ideal clients, and as the competition ramps up, it can become even more difficult getting the right talent.
So how do law practices circumvent this issue? Well, like every business, law firms are not excluded from creating a solid digital marketing plan. But what is ‘law firm marketing’? Successful online marketing strategies can consist of several components, which will be covered in this article. For law firms, a digital marketing strategy can accomplish two things: more client leads and better talent acquisition.
But don’t think this concept is foreign to most law firms–in fact, one reason why there is so much competition is due to the accessibility of digital marketing. Many other law firms have already caught on and are increasing their leads.
How To Market a Law Firm in 2020
“Before the digital age, law firm marketing was pretty straightforward. Referrals made for the bulk of their new business, but most marketing strategies were consistent with other traditional modes of advertising (print ads, TV, radio, billboards). These methods are still very effective today, but much has changed,” said a spokesperson for London Defense, a criminal defense law firm based in Minnesota
Why SEO is the King of Online Law Firm Marketing
Instead of Yellow Pages, there’s Google. If someone needs an attorney, they will search for one. 97 percent of people looking for legal advice are carrying it out through a simple Google search. They want their questions answered, not to be bombarded with ads.
The first goal, then, is to consider doing search engine optimization (SEO). Rather than planning an elaborate and costly campaign, SEO is constant. When you up your SEO game, your website will rank better on Google.
“For instance, if someone searches ‘personal injury lawyer’ on Google, the top few results that are not sponsored would be considered websites with good SEO. And being in the top positions, let alone on the front page, is your number one goal, as most people will only click on the first few results, and will rarely ever go past the first page,” said a spokesperson for Personal Injury Lawyer Washington.
How to Boost SEO Through Content Marketing
Content marketing is a fairly simple concept: you create content for your blog that is not only informative but also beneficial to your SEO. Creating a blog section is essential to SEO, but you shouldn’t view it as only a means for SEO. Having well-written, thawed-out blogs will establish credibility for your website. And in the legal industry, clients want a lawyer who has some authority. What is on your website, and how it looks, will be what determines who will contact you.
If you have a website when was the last time you looked at it? Does it make it easy to read the content? Is it professional-looking? Think of your website as a salesman: it needs to be encouraging for potential prospects.
At the end of the day, every law firm needs a professional-looking website with loads of informative content. Like every successful marketing campaign, there needs to be a harmony between the design and the message.