law firm web design digital marketing

law firm web design digital marketingAs a lawyer or attorney, online marketing and promotion may be an entirely foreign field for you. But it doesn’t have to be. You don’t, for example, need to discover every little thing about advertising and online promotion to be effective. But there are certain aspects of law firm marketing in the digital world that you do need to have a grasp on in order to get the lead generation outcomes you need to be successful as a firm.  To that end, here are three items for your consideration.  We will be covering other topics in future posts.

1. Invest in Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is without a doubt your most essential marketing investment. Period. But buyer beware. Not all SEO firms are created equal. Do your homework and shop around. You are going to have a long relationship with the SEO company you choose (at least a full year), and you both need to be comfortable with each other.  SEO is truly a collaborative endeavor between the SEO professional and the Legal professional. It is a partnership that requires regular monthly meetings, goal settings, and collaboration.  SEO is the art and science of finding the search terms that people are using when they are looking for your services, and then making your firm’s listing in the search results show up at the top of the search results for those search terms.  For example, “best car accident lawyer near me.”   The higher you rank in search results, the more clicks you get, and the more leads you generate.

2. Demonstrate your Experience & Authority

There was a time not so long ago when snappy slogans and flashy graphics and advertising copy was considered effective marketing. Clients today have become virtually immune to those types of tactics which have been widely relegated to used car dealerships.  Much more effective “marketing” is demonstrating your knowledge, experience, and expertise in your field through long form blog posts on the topics clients and prospective clients care most about.  Clients and prospects, regardless of your law firm’s area of specialization, are looking for someone they can trust with a reputation for honesty and results delivered on a consistent basis.  One way of demonstrating that is regularly posting blog articles on highly relevant topics that answer the questions new clients ask most often. For example, “Three reasons why you should never consent to giving a recorded statement to a defendant’s insurance company.”

3. Keep a Close Eye on Your Competition

Whether you are a personal injury law firm, a hair transplant clinic or a personal trainer, online marketing is like a football game. You don’t just need to be good at your own marketing. You need to be better than your competition’s marketing and branding. Marketing strategy in any industry needs to be fluid and nimble. But this is especially true in the legal profession. Unless you keep abreast of the latest trends and do your due diligence on a regular basis, you competition can sneak up on you and you will find yourself not only blindsided, but you will also fail to achieve your marketing objectives (i.e. lead generation).   You need to watch two critical areas: (a) your website content and conversion capabilities, and (2) social media relevance vs. your competition. See what methods they are employing and determine if or how they are achieving their goals in terms of developing user engagement.  This is where a close relationship with an experienced legal marketing firm can be worth it’s weight in gold.