Effective Online Marketing for Law Firms
August 2017In the old days, people would check the yellow pages in local phone books to find lawyers and law firms. Those days are gone. Telephone directory use has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and most traditional marketing strategies—including billboard, newspaper ads, and TV or radio commercials—seem poised to follow. If you want to promote your law firm effectively, you need to invest in online marketing.
Related: Using Social Media to Market Your Law Firm
The question is, what type of online marketing is most effective in the legal industry? After all, there are a lot of ways you could spend your money on online promotional techniques. Below, we’ve outlined the methods that are most likely to yield a positive ROI.
1. Optimize your website: Too often, law firms get excited about online advertising and social media and put their focus there. While these techniques are helpful, neither can succeed if you don’t have a fantastic, user friendly website. Your website is the foundation of your online marketing campaign, and the machine that is going to drive your conversions. As such, it needs to be your top priority. You need a site that offers an intuitive design, a flawless user experience, and easy navigation. You want your visitors to have no trouble finding the answers they need. Given the percentage of consumers that browse the web largely via smartphones, your site also needs to be responsive and optimized for mobile use.
2. Invest in quality content: No one hires a lawyer without doing homework first. People want to know you are experienced, knowledgeable, and can help them with their current situation. When it comes to online marketing, quality content is the best way to ensure prospective clients that you are the person for the job. Flesh out your service pages with detailed descriptions of what you do, how you do it, and why you are passionate about it. Write blogs that answer frequently asked questions or address theoretical client situations. Include an “About” page that includes detailed bios for your lawyers. Not only will these steps show clients that you are knowledgeable, but it will also provide you with a SEO boost.
3. Ask clients to review you online: We’re living in an era of influential customer reviews. When researching products or services online, most people will make their decisions at least in part based on what other customers are saying. Asking your past clients to rate or review your firm on sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, or Avvo will help push new people toward your services.
4. Consider PPC advertising: As the legal industry is so competitive (and because organic SEO takes so long), it might be in your brand’s best interest to pursue PPC (pay-per-click) advertising. PPC on platforms like Google (with AdWords) and Facebook (with Facebook Ads) can increase the online visibility of your site and give you the added authority associated with a sponsored post. If possible, consider hiring an agency that specializes in law firm marketing to help you. While it’s possible to handle SEO and PPC on your own, it will save you a lot of time and deliver better results for your firm if you engage the services of someone who is experienced in these realms.