Lawyer Marketing 101

It isn’t enough to keep current with new laws and new courtroom procedures, anymore. Especially if you’re managing your own practice, you’ll have to be as proficient at marketing your practice, as you are at practicing law and operating the business aspects of your office. In this respect, you can do all of the marketing by yourself or enlist the help of marketing companies who specialize in legal advertising, such as Law Firm Sites. Here are just a few tips to get you started in exploring the exciting field of lawyer marketing.

This is vital in today’s digital age. Everyone from teenagers to financial advisors has their own websites. Therefore, your law firm should as well. It’s the first step in establishing your social media footprint and creating a positive online image. Law Firm Sites can help you create a unique and original website, utilizing state of the art technology and top web designers. Once you’re online, you can begin reaching a virtual global community.

When designing your website, you’ll want to make sure it includes a blog. This is important, because blogging will help you to establish yourself as an expert and as the “go to guy” for legal advice. It’s important to write at least one blog per week, though more entries are recommended. In deciding what to write, remember you’re trying to establish yourself as an expert in the specific areas of law in which you practice. For instance, a corporate lawyer wouldn’t be well-served by writing a blog about drunk driving laws. Keep it relevant to your practice.

Join Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and post often. You can share your blog posts or you can post videos or memes and caption them with generic legal tips. Recommend checking tire tread in the winter months, for example. This is another way to attract potential clients. Knowing the optimal times for posting is also important. For instance, posting between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Eastern time is often recommended as the best times to reach the most Twitter users. Always “like” and reply to comments. The point of social media is to connect. Furthermore, if users think you’re simply trying to sell them something, you’ll lose followers and limit your reach.

If you plan on attending any professional events throughout the year (and you should), why not get more involved? Ask event organizers if you can volunteer in some capacity. Perhaps ask to be a greeter. This will allow you to meet a large portion of the attendees and give you an opportunity to learn something about other attorneys in the area. This is a great suggestion for those who aren’t socially outgoing.

One major aspect of marketing for law firms is generating referrals from former clients. This isn’t done solely through achieving a successful outcome in those cases. Though, that will go a long way towards establishing a positive reputation for your firm. Additionally, it’s important to stay in touch and make those clients feel valued. Send them holiday greeting cards, invite them out for coffee or drinks, or call them on their birthday. If they feel appreciated as a client, they’re more likely to return themselves and recommend your firm to friends through law firm sites reviews.

In many areas, attorneys are required to take on a percentage of pro bono cases. Even if it’s not required where you practice, it may still make good business sense to do so. In addition to giving back to your community, it allows you to showcase your professional skills and earns you a reputation as an empathetic community leader.

This is also a great way to network with colleagues. For instance suppose a corporate practice has been referring criminal matters to your office and you learn one of that firm’s attorneys has a son facing criminal charges. By taking on that case, you can return the favor of those previous referrals and do something good for a colleague. In the future, that firm may refer more cases to your practice.

By volunteering to speak at lectures or help a local charity, you can better establish your presence in the community. People will remember you from those events and begin to associate your practice with those events. It will help you build a better reputation and make it more likely that locals will bring their legal needs to you, instead of to a competitor’s practice.

These are just a few tips that can help you get a competitive edge on marketing your law firm. While some of these suggestions may apply best to new practices, even established firms can benefit from these suggestions. Taking the time to network online and in your community may not always be possible, so considering the help of a professional service, such as Law Firm Sites, can help you establish an attractive website with an SEO-geared blog that will help you develop a growing following.