If you’re reading this article, it’s likely because you want to learn how to build a stronger law firm marketing strategy. You want more clients and more profits, but you also want better results from the marketing budget you commit to each year. To do just that, this guide will help with marketing tactics that will help your firm win more clients, retain existing ones longer and generate more business for lawyers in all practice areas.
Develop a winning brand
Branding is a critical part of marketing. It’s about creating a unique identity for your firm that makes clients feel like they’re part of something special and different from everything else out there.
It’s important to understand that branding isn’t just about your logo or how you dress at conferences, though those things are certainly important elements in building up a strong brand identity. A lot of it has to do with how you communicate with potential clients and current ones alike so that they feel like they’re being treated as individuals rather than just another case file number or dollar amount on your balance sheet.
One way to develop an effective and winning law firm marketing strategy is by taking time every day (or week) to ask yourself these questions: “What can you do today?”; “What did you learn yesterday?”; and “Why are you doing what you’re doing?”. Making sure these questions are answered will ensure that all eyes remain on where you want them—on your clients.
Create exceptional client experiences
You know that you need to make your clients feel valued. You know that you need to be a problem solver. This is because they’re the ones who pay your bills and doing so will ensure that they stick around. And while it’s important to remember this, it’s also easy to fall into a rut where you’re doing the same things over and over again just because they work—if only in the short term—without considering if they’re still effective or even necessary at all.
To build a stronger law firm marketing strategy, consider what exceptional client experiences look like for your practice area, industry, and geographic location. Then use these insights as inspiration for creating exceptional client experiences.
You can do so by providing exceptional service and going above and beyond for clients on every case. To do this, you should make sure you are addressing their needs immediately as well as providing proactive communications about their case status at every step of the way through regular updates. You can also make your clients feel valued by getting out from behind closed doors whenever possible (i.e., hosting events) so that everyone knows how much you appreciate them supporting your business with their hard-earned money year after year.
Tell your firm’s story and create trust
In the legal industry, it’s all about storytelling. Your firm needs to be able to tell its story in a way that resonates with potential clients and inspires trust, loyalty, and an emotional connection. A powerful story will not only build your brand; it will also help you attract new clients and retain existing ones.
The power the stories have had on audiences goes beyond entertainment value; they’ll inspire you to think more deeply about what happened and what it means in the lives of people today, which leads back to the original question about why lawyers should care about marketing themselves effectively online.
Be where customers are looking for you
Once you have a clear picture of your ideal client and how you can reach them, it’s time to figure out where those customers are looking for you. You’ll want to be where your competitors aren’t. If one of your biggest competitors has an office in the same town as you do, but they are getting all the business and don’t even know who you are, then clearly that isn’t going to work for you. You’ll also want to be where people need and want your services—not just somewhere they saw a billboard or heard an ad on the radio once years ago.
The best way to find out is by reaching out directly to potential clients ourselves or through your trusted networks. This method leads directly to some great opportunities; however, if this isn’t working for whatever reason, consider using other methods such as social media advertising campaigns that target specific audiences based on location or interest-based keywords.
Foresight is 20/20
When it comes to marketing, it’s important to understand that the client is king. If you can’t identify and meet their needs in a way that makes them want to return again and again, then you’re going to be in trouble.
While this may seem obvious, many attorneys are guilty of treating their clients as just another number on a spreadsheet or database entry. These same attorneys will go so far as to assume that their clients know what they want when they don’t even know themselves.
For your law firm marketing strategies to succeed, they should be proactive rather than reactive. Don’t wait around for someone else at your office (or another firm) to solve your problems—instead, take matters into your own hands by thinking carefully about what needs improving in your practice areas. And make sure those improvements happen consistently so that potential clients always have something new left wanting from working with you.
Conclusion
The law firm’s marketing landscape is changing. The days of building your brand with ads in the Yellow Pages and newspapers are long gone. Instead, firms need to focus on creating a strong digital presence and developing relationships with potential clients. These tactics can help you develop a winning brand that resonates with clients and brings them through your doors.
