Effective Law Firm Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Firm

Law firms are in a unique position. Many people don’t seek out a lawyer until the immediate need crops up. When you advertise your law firm consistently,  potential clients will be familiar with your services and ready to choose you when they need legal advice. As you start marketing your law firm, make sure you consider these critical strategies and their impact on your marketing efforts. 

Differentiate Your Firm from the Competition

Start with a competitive analysis: an analysis that gives you a strong understanding of who your competitors are, what they're accomplishing, and how your firm is different. For example, if you're a personal injury firm, you are probably not in competition with a local firm that specializes in divorce. On the other hand, if you also specialize in family law, you may find yourself in more direct competition.

What sets your firm apart? Are you focused on providing compassionate, caring support for your clients, or do you primarily want to win the best results possible for every client that comes through your doors? Are there local charities and organizations that you support? These factors can help set you apart from the competition and encourage interested clients to contact you directly. 

Get Creative with your Message

Many law firms choose not to advertise because they fear looking like ambulance chasers. However, you can use several strategies to improve your ability to reach your target audience in an authentic way. You might, for example:

• Provide newsworthy content that is relevant to your target audience
• Maintain an active presence on social media, including offering additional information to clients who may find themselves needing your services
• Participate in local cause marketing events
• Post short videos that answer questions for your target audience

Look for ways to share valuable information with potential clients. For example, if you focus on personal injury law, you might consider the value of offering content that will answer the questions you hear most often when people have a claim. Make sure you have a consistent message to help promote brand recognition. For example, you might always use the same "sign off" to ensure that you are branding your business consistently.  

Sponsor a News Segment

Sponsoring something on the news can help you gain exposure and brand awareness without a traditional TV commercial, it provides a new opportunity to reach your target audience. In a news segment, you can reach a broad audience and lend credibility to your brand. For example, you might sponsor a local segment that talks about crime in your town. If you focus on family law, you might want to sponsor segments about local happenings in the community. 

Deploy Digital Tactics

Digital ads are a great way to raise awareness and put a face on your law firm. Through your digital marketing efforts, you can stand out from the competition. Display ads could bring interested parties directly to your website when they need your services most. You could choose to highlight specific services and target them to customers who have looked for information on those services before. For example, a family law firm might choose to target people who have recently looked up news on divorces or child custody.

Send Out an Email Sequence

People who already get your emails may need your services in the future. Your emails can help keep your firm top-of-mind should a legal need arise. You can also encourage current clients to send out information to others they feel might benefit from your services by offering a referral bonus or other incentive. For example, you might send out a referral bonus to clients who recommend you to others that need help with estate planning.

You may also want to create an email newsletter to educate subscribers. What do personal injury clients need to know about pursuing a claim? What information do recent divorcees need most? Through your efforts, you can provide current clients with additional value and establish trust with potential new clients. 

As a law firm, you must maintain consistent, ongoing marketing to keep your brand top-of-mind in your area of practice. By working with a media partner, you can establish an effective marketing strategy that will make it easier to grow your client list - and your bottom line.