What most lawyers don’t consider is how an effective law firm marketing strategy can make or break your practice. Even if you have great knowledge of the law, or are proud of your track record, that may not mean much if you are not able to properly advertise yourself to potential clients who don’t know who you are. Like any other business, marketing your law firm comes with its own unique set of considerations.
For one, it is important to set yourself apart as a lawyer. Instead of being a general practitioner, an attorney who can choose one specific area of the law to focus on makes it easier for people to find you, and easier for you to pinpoint your strategy and budget. If you are able to, finding a niche within that area of law will help distinguish you. For example, a personal injury lawyer who is an expert on truck wreck cases, or a criminal defense lawyer that specializes in DUI cases.
When approaching law firm marketing, it is also important that you don’t burn yourself out by doing too much at the same time. This is where a marketing director or a marketing team can be a big help in setting up your plan, as these are the experts who can consult you on what you need to do, take on the heavy lifting, freeing up time for you to meet with new clients or focusing on current cases.
You must not ignore the internet. A website is one of the first things you should build after opening your law firm. The pages should make it clear what your specialties are, and what services you offer with those specialties. It should also provide resources for potential clients, like general information about how certain cases or claims are different, or an eBook download. Social media can help you distribute that information, and citations on other websites like lawyer directories help your website be found. Several factors come into play when it comes to how your website shows up for an internet search, but relevance, accessibility, and overall engagement play a big part in whether a potential client will choose you or your competitor.