Most law firms don’t have the luxury of long-term clients who continue to pay fees month after month. For the most part, there’s a finite lifespan on how long a client can provide revenue for the firm. This makes generating new leads a constant priority.
Why Law Firms Need a Marketing Strategy
Most law firms miss the mark when it comes to marketing and advertising. They might have a couple of billboards, a blog, or even some sponsorships for local charities and events; however, there’s no intentional strategy or cohesive approach. (And there’s certainly not a lot of planning as it pertains to message-audience fit.)
A defined marketing strategy is important on multiple levels, but it’s especially powerful for its ability to help you identify and target ideal clients. In fact, this is the most important aspect of marketing for lawyers.
Lead generation is vital for law firms – but not just any old lead generation strategy will do. If you’re putting your message in front of the wrong people, one of two things happens: It completely misses and you get no results OR you get lots of unqualified leads who don’t fit your target client profile, clog up your calendar, and waste your time.
A purposeful marketing strategy helps you craft a specific message for a specific audience so they take specific actions (like hiring you). This makes for a better use of your time, financial resources, and sanity.
4 Simple Marketing Tips
Law firm marketing doesn’t have to be overly complex. Here are several simple tips you can use to improve your strategy and start getting more results:
1. Start With Target Audience Personas
Any good marketing strategy begins with clear target audience personas. These are very specific profiles of people who represent key members of your ideal clientele. While the personas are fictional, they’re based on real clients.
The typical law firm will have somewhere between three to five audience personas. Each persona should be given a name (and even a picture) with details like location, occupation, income, family life, age, hobbies and interests, biggest motivators and drivers, biggest pain points, etc. These personas should be written out in tangible documents that your entire law firm can access. These are the guides you’ll use to shape the rest of your marketing.
2. Create a USP
Remember, marketing is all about message-audience fit. That means it’s not enough to know your audience. You also have to create messaging that resonates with your audience.
The best way to give your marketing strategy some foundational messaging is to come up with a unique selling proposition (USP). This USP is a simple one- or two-sentence statement that communicates (1) the specific audience you’re targeting, (2) how you help them achieve their biggest desire, and (3) how you help them avoid their biggest pain point, frustration, or fear.
A good basic formula looks something like this: “I/we help [target audience] achieve [biggest desire] without [biggest pain point.” For example: I help business owners protect their intellectual property so they never have to worry about competitors stealing their customers.
3. Build Your Home Base
Once you have a specific audience and an underlying message that sets you apart, it’s time to build your home base – i.e. your website. Everything else – including social media, SEO, content, email, etc. – is designed to point back to your website. So, naturally, this is where you should start.
For an example of what a good law firm website looks like, check out Hancock Injury Attorneys. Notice how it’s a simple website (very little text), but visually striking. Everything centers around their USP (You focus on getting better, we take care of everything else).
4. Build Your Email List
In marketing, we often say “the money is in the list.” In other words, your most valuable marketing asset is your email list. That’s because it’s one of the few marketing assets or platforms that you have total control over. Unlike social media and SEO, which frequently have algorithm updates and new rules, you own your list.
The best way to build an email list is to drive targeted traffic (typically paid traffic) to a landing page and offer a free resource/lead magnet in return for their email address. It won’t happen immediately, but you’ll eventually build up a list of several hundred or thousand names.
Putting it All Together
Marketing strategies take time to build and execute. The important thing is that you take action. Imperfect action is better than idleness. Take action today, gather feedback, and then pivot over time so that you continue making progress toward your goals.
