As a law firm marketing consultant, I often find there are basics that most small law firms are unaware they should be paying attention to. When we get started working with a law firm we hope that someone has helped them set up a strong foundation.
Marketing plays a critical role in helping small law practices grow, establish a new client base, and fine-tune their reputation. However, not all digital marketing strategies are equal – nor do they yield the same outcomes.
Here we’ll explore how partnering with the right law firm marketing consultant at Joseph & York can help you establish your brand as a trustworthy pillar in your community. Let’s dive in.
Ensure You Have Access to All Your Digital Assets
We get it. Sometimes it’s really hard to know what tools you are already using. If you In today’s hyper-connected world, having a digital marketing presence is more important than ever. Firstly, surveys show that clients seeking legal services rely on online reviews and feedback. Additionally, having a comprehensive website and online presence can help you deliver a stellar first impression to potential clients.
When it comes to building your online presence, it is critical to ensure that you have access to key digital assets. These include:
- Google Business Profile: Enhances your visibility in local searches, helping potential clients find your services easily.
- Google Ads: Allows you to reach specific demographics through paid search campaigns, effectively increasing client leads.
- Analytics Platforms: Provides insights into your website traffic, helping you understand user behavior and improve your marketing strategies.
- Website Domain and Hosting: Ensures the integrity and security of your online presence, making it easier to implement updates and content changes to your professional website.
With these tools at hand, you can control your marketing efforts and fine-tune your marketing strategy.
Engage and Communicate with Your Marketers
When outsourcing your marketing efforts, nothing is as important as maintaining a line of communication open and efficient with your marketers. Your law firm marketing consultant will work with you to understand your needs, wants, budget, and expectations. Working together and collaborating on this project can help ensure optimal outcomes and results.
Some key tips to make your communication more experience include:
- Participate in strategy meetings.
- Schedule regular check-ins to review progress.
- Ask for explanations of key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Be open about your expectations
- Share your firm’s values and goals
- Provide feedback when needed to ensure your marketing strategy aligns with your goals
Prioritize Local SEO Strategies
Often the lowest hanging fruit for small law firms is getting clients in their own neighborhood. Between local services ads and local SEO, this is one of the quickest way to put the firm on the map. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your online content and profiles so your firm appears prominently in search engine results. For small law firms, local SEO is particularly crucial.
Local SEO focuses on attracting clients within your geographical area, making your services more visible to those who need them most. Local SEO for lawyers is an extremely powerful tool, and should be cultivated early on in your marketing efforts.
Here are some key steps to get started:
- Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
- Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) is consistent across all online platforms.
- Generate local backlinks through community engagement and partnerships.
- Encourage clients to leave positive reviews on Google and other local directories.
- Utilize local keywords in your website content and metadata.
- Get listed in local online directories and industry-specific platforms.
Focus on local, and make sure your marketers have a focus on local, and you’ll be growing your practice in no time.
Leverage Client Testimonials and Reviews
I can’t stress enough, are important for small a law firm’s success. By not taking your firm’s reputation seriously, you not only leave yourself often to potential bad press, but also eliminate a number of marketing avenues of which you could easily be taking advantage.
As a general rule of thumb, your firm needs to have at least 5 Google reviews to appear map results on search. If you want to participate in local services ads, Googles local advertising platform for local business, you also need at least 5 reviews.
Without reviews you can kiss a ton of great client opportunity goodbye!
Not to mention, according to a recent Thomson Reuters White Paper, the needs of legal clients are changing, and some of the most common complaints firms deal with involve lack of communication and lengthy timelines. However, each practice will have unique challenges. To understand what you could improve and what you are doing best, it is crucial to leverage client feedback and reviews.
These can provide valuable insights and make your law firm appear more trustworthy, capable, and reliable. A law firm branding consultant can help you better understand how to gather and leverage reviews across different platforms. If you want the best bang for your buck, focus on generating Google Business Profile reviews.
Leverage Your Law Firm Marketing Consultant’s Knowledge and Expertise
You don’t need to do all of this alone. If you’re with a legal marketing company and are considering making a shift, talk to your new marketing experts before you cut ties. Often we will be able to provide insight into what utilities you should have access too, help you understand what types of services you were actually receiving, advise on what was working and what wasn’t, and provide guidance for you to make informed decisions about your next step.
Here’s where collaborating with experienced law firm marketing consultants like those at Joseph & York can enhance your efforts and results. Get in touch today to start working on a winning marketing strategy for your law firm.
