AttPro Ally - 21 Marketing Tactics for 2021: Strategies to Solidify Your Law Firm's Future - Attorney Protective
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
WINTER 2020 ◊ ISSUE 35
AttPro Ally
IN THIS ISSUE:
21 Marketing Tactics for 2021:
Strategies to Solidify Your Law Firm’s Future
App In a Snap:
It’s coverage designed for lawyers, by lawyers
By Calin Yablonski
Is 2021 the year that you finally take control of your law firm’s marketing strategy?
This article provides the latest law firm marketing strategies and techniques that your
firm can incorporate into its 2021 marketing plan.
1. Start by building a brand credibility and authority around your firm. Including a
reference to the awards in your content is fine (and great
If you want to shape a marketing strategy, you should for SEO), but it’s even more visually effective if you can
have the right message. It should be based around some include logos or images of your awards. Instant credibility
fundamentals of the image that you want your law firm is also provided by reviews from past clients.
to project. What makes your law firm unique? What’s
your value proposition? Be very clear about why your 3. Demonstrate capability in
target audience should hire your firm. Branding doesn’t all your practice areas
have to be complicated. Focus on the needs of your
Another important area of branding is to
customers and keep it simple. Once you’ve established
communicate the full extent of what you
your messaging, work it into all your marketing channels:
do and your capability to deliver. Exhibit
website, social media, professional networks, offline
the breadth of service your firm provides
literature, etc.
so there’s no doubt in a visitor’s mind
2. Demonstrate credibility & authority about what the firm provides as a
service or how they can help. Think
A solid law firm marketing strategy should involve both
about including a page of testimonials
passive and active marketing activities. A good example
for each practice area to demonstrate
of passive marketing is your website copy that helps build
the firm’s expertise.
4. Run an SEO 7. Increase your presence in the
campaign to improve legal directories
visibility in Google’s Whatever you think about legal directories, being featured in the
search results main ones like FindLaw can help boost your traffic and provide
a citation and hyperlink for your website. In 2021, try to raise
Every law firm should pay
your profile in these directories. Including your firm in the main
attention to SEO (Search Engine
directories is a relatively simple and affordable way to promote
Optimization) because 75% of people
your practice.
never go past the first page of Google1 and 93% of online
experiences begin with a search engine.2 Certain aspects 8. Get into video marketing
of law firm SEO, such as good keyword research, having
Never used video to market your firm? It’s increasingly
professionally written titles and descriptions, optimizing
how audiences like to gather information. It can be used to
images, maintaining a logical website architecture, and using
introduce your attorneys and lawyers and provide a behind-
a fast and secure hosting platform are simply best-practices
the-scenes view of your
for SEO at all times. Additionally, many law firms target
law firm. It’s especially
clients from their local area. This requires good local SEO,
useful if you’re looking to
with Google My Business accounts fully optimized. Bottom
attract a younger clientele,
line–you need to be seen in the search engine results pages
bringing instant credibility
to get clicks and traffic.
and engaging your visitors
5. Run an optimized Google on their terms.
AdWords campaign 9. Build AMP pages
Paid search is still a valuable way and a mobile-first
to attract new leads for your marketing strategy
law firm. A well-planned and
optimized Google AdWords If you didn’t make
campaign can send large 2020 the year that you
volumes of highly qualified went mobile-first with
traffic to your website to your website and law
convert into paying clients. firm marketing, don’t miss it in 2021. Put simply, if your
website performs poorly on mobile, you could be damaging
6. Build and optimize the relationship with potential clients and damaging your
landing pages relationship with Google. It’s relatively easy to create a
mobile-first website these days and many successful law
Try making landing pages a priority in your law firm marketing
firms are doing just that.
strategy in 2021. They are one of the main differences
between getting more traffic and acquiring more clients. 10. Create inbound marketing campaigns
This is where your leads “arrive” and where you start the with gated content
process of converting them. To be effective, your
landing pages should be professionally Many law firm websites are under-utilizing gated content as
written, inspire a specific action, and an inbound marketing strategy. You may already be providing
be tailored to specific action-related valuable free content which is great for building awareness.
keywords such as “child custody But some of your most valuable work can be reserved for
laws for fathers in New York” or gated content: attracting potential clients who are willing to
“legal advice for DUI in Seattle” give you their contact details in exchange for content. Once
(or whatever the AdWords you have their contact details and you grow your database,
phrase or search term you are email marketing campaigns can reach out to potential
targeting is). clients to grow your client base.
1
https://neilpatel.com/blog/first-page-google/
2
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/seo-statistics/#close
11. Use newsletter marketing for
specific practice areas
A regular newsletter sent to people who’ve
signed up to your list will help keep you top of
mind with existing and potential clients. It is a
chance to demonstrate that you’re up-to-date
with the legal news in your practice area.
Newsletters don’t need to be lengthy but can
merely provide article snippets with links that
point to your latest blog posts, practice area news
or legal updates. The important thing is to show
people that you’re active and producing content
of value in your specific practice area.
exposure for your law firm. Third-party
12. Add live chat to your law firm endorsement generates more credibility
website (it’s not going away) for your law firm. You can feature your press
If you’re trying to create a progressive law firm releases as content on your law firm under a
that engages with clients on their terms, at least “news and knowledge” page of your website.
a portion of them will appreciate the option of live 14. Leverage social media marketing
chat. It’s worth considering in 2021.
Social media marketing for law firms is going to
13. Invest in public relations for get bigger in 2021. If your target clients include
your law firm the general public, think about creating a
Facebook account for the firm. If you are trying
Some law firms consider public relations a little old to attract professionals or other business clients,
school. Just as communication has changed, so it is also recommended that your firm creates
has the nature of good PR work. And just because a LinkedIn page. Whether you’re talking about
it’s online doesn’t diminish the value of its positive millennials, their parents, or even their
effects on law firm marketing. A strong media grandparents, your clients are probably already
outreach campaign should work alongside other using social media daily, in one form or another.
key digital marketing campaigns. Being mentioned If you can connect with your target audience
in a major publication could provide valuable where they’re hanging out, then demonstrate
your expertise and throw in some personality,
you raise your social profile and your credibility.
Calin Yablonski is the Managing 15. Create Facebook
Director and lead strategist at JurisPage — lookalike audiences
one of the world’s leading digital marketing
If Facebook works for you, one of the things
agencies for law firms.
you should be using in the coming year is
He has dedicated his career to helping attoneys Facebook ads based on “lookalike audiences”.
attract new clients with Search Engine Optimzation This is a tool that allows you to connect with
(SEO), Google Ads Marketing, and audiences of people who share characteristics
WordPress website
with your present customers or prospects.
design and development.
You can then use these lookalike audiences to
When he’s not optimizing target with advertising. This may not work for
websites, you can find Calin
hauling himself up mountains, some areas of practice such as criminal law or
attempting to complete divorce law since it’s difficult to compile a list of
his bucket list of visiting characteristics that your typical clients have and
every U.S. state (although to target others. However, for estate planning
COVID-19 has thrown a lawyers, there might be a specific demographic
monkey wrench into his
plans), and dreaming up you want to target for creating wills, trusts, or
ways to help law firms other key estate documentation.
conquer the world (or at
least their practice area).
16. Write blog posts and you after the first visit. Maybe they are not ready to hire
a lawyer or have been distracted and clicked away. For
articles in your practice area anyone who visits your website service page but doesn’t
Writing articles for your own blog, guest contact you, remarketing allows you to set up a pay-
blogging for other sites, submitting legal per-click campaign that ensures they still see your ads.
articles to publications – all these activities Retargeting ads are not suitable for some law firm practice
have benefits such as demonstrating areas for ethical reasons so be sure to read the ethics rules
expertise in your main practice areas and in your jurisdiction before launching a remarketing and
raising credibility with your target audience. It can also retargeting campaign. However, the technology is there if
improve SEO (guest blogging and articles on other sites you choose to use it.
can provide valuable backlinks).
20. Develop referral marketing campaigns
17. Step up your email The oldest type of lead generation in the book still has
marketing campaigns a place in 2021! Referrals are the “low hanging
Despite the emergence of fruit” that you would be mad not to pick first.
social media and other A pro-active and well-managed referral
communication forms, marketing campaign will ensure that the
email remains one of the low-hanging fruit keeps on growing
most effective ways to and bearing juicy new leads. Identify
reach both existing and who you are targeting referrals from,
potential customers. this could be clients, other lawyers
Once you’re regularly (non-competing) or other professional
adding new contacts to services (like accountants, etc.) and
your list, make sure you then develop a plan, build a database
segment your list based and execute your campaign. Referrals
on criteria and then set up are a great way to grow your law firm
email “drip” campaigns. in 2021 – but be pro-active and don’t
These are personalized just expect that leads will come through
series of emails that educate the door.
your target audience and
encourage them to take the next
21. Develop an effective sales
step (pick up the phone and call you, process to convert your leads
email you back, arrange a meeting, etc.) It’s no good turning your website into a 24/7 lead generation
machine if you can’t convert the leads into sales. Developing
18. Configure a CRM solution a sales process is an area that many law firms find
How many hours do you lose each week trying to keep challenging but it’s important to identify when a marketing-
track of your sales leads, prospects and clients? If you have qualified lead becomes a sales-qualified lead. Once you
invested in the techniques described above, you may now capture the lead, make sure you respond promptly to it.
require a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) When a prospective client calls in, what do you or your
solution for managing all your company’s relationships and associates say? Do you have a set process that you take the
interactions with customers and potential customers. CRM client through, to qualify them and let them know how you
technology can automate much of the lead nurturing and can help? Do you communicate the benefits of hiring you?
conversion process as well as monitor text messaging, email Or is the conversation arbitrary and ad-lib? When a potential
marketing, e-sign, and phone call tracking. client is ready to hire a lawyer, you must be ready.
19. Create custom remarketing and It’s always difficult to gaze into a crystal ball with law firm
retargeting campaigns marketing but the above areas cover the main ones we’re
advising our clients to focus on in 2021.
Remarketing is another activity that will suit some – but
not all – law firms. Retargeting ads are widely used by
e-commerce stores for remarketing to customers who Need CLE?
show interest in their products or services but do not buy. Featuring timely legal and risk management topics in a
convenient format, our webinars usually qualify for CLE
The same concept has been applied by some law firms.
credit in most states. Check out:
Your law firm website or Facebook page is likely to attract
many visitors who will not pick up the phone and contact www.attorneyprotective.com/webinar
AttPro Ally is a newsletter for today's modern law firm — AN ALLY IN A WORLD OF RISK.
5814 Reed Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46835-3568
Visit us at attorneyprotective.com or call (877) 728-8776.
ERIN MCCARTNEY, ESQ., EDITOR
Policies are written by either National Liability & Fire Insurance Company, AttPro RRG Reciprocal Risk Retention Group, or National Fire & Marine
and administered by Attorney Protective. All coverage is subject to specific policy terms and conditions. 2020 Attorney ProtectiveSM. ® All Rights
Reserved. Information provided by AttPro Ally is not intended as legal advice. This publication provides best practices for use in connection with
general circumstances, and ordinarily does not address specific situations. Specific situations should be discussed with legal counsel licensed
in the appropriate jurisdiction. By publishing practice and risk prevention tips, Attorney Protective neither implies nor provides any guarantee
that claims can be prevented by use of the suggested practices. Though the contents of AttPro Ally have been carefully researched, Attorney
Protective makes no warranty as to its accuracy, applicability or timeliness. Anyone wishing to reproduce any part of the AttPro Ally content
must request permission from Attorney Protective by calling 877-728-8776 or sending an email to erin.mccartney@attorneyprotective.com.
ATTORNEY PROTECTIVE OFFERS COVERAGE THAT’S RIGHT FOR TODAY’S TOUGH CHALLENGES WITH
$25,000 OF CLAIMS EXPENSES PAID IN EVERY COVERED CLAIM BEFORE THE DEDUCTIBLE APPLIES.
It’s coverage designed for lawyers, by lawyers.
To apply, call Monica Roth at 214-220-7527
or email cs@attorneyprotective.com or go to
www.attpromote.com/970/attproquote/IndicationForm.
Monica has over 20 years of expertise in the insurance
industry. She is an avid animal lover and shelter volunteer
who is passionate about cooking, fishing, spending time
with her daughters and of course insurance!
You can also read
