Law Firm Marketing

It’s probably likely that you may already know the answer. We’re very big proponents of always starting with a strategy.  The legal industry is undergoing a tectonic shift and that was pre-COVID19. In today’s current climate, competition is tough, law firms are experimenting with agile business models, different pricing options, smart technology and have also learnt that clients will readily utilise their services via online mediums. The latter opens up massive opportunities for law firms who wish to be location independent.

Amid all these changes are of course all those that occur within the realm of brand, design, marketing and technology.

We have been growing law firms for over 10 years and during that time there was only one that didn’t have a key objective of driving more leads from online sources. For that particular firm, they were fed their leads from a national practice who when they were too busy, which was often, they’d simply turn on the lead-flow to this practice.

Apart from that one example, every other law firm has had to strongly weigh into online marketing and of course, smart growth and cultivation of referral sources.

All this starts with an excavation into the forces driving change within your legal market, the positioning of your firm’s brand, the marketing strategy and then, every touchpoint that is required to fulfil the strategy.

At Fast Firms, we take care of the whole continuum. Why? Because in our experience working with every law firm it proved an absolute nightmare for them trying to pull together all this work with multiple agencies.

We always start with a strategy. We frame our work around our proven methodology of strategy, experience, build, reach and optimise.

Strategy is all about understanding the forces driving change in your market and how your law firm will leverage those changes to grow.

Experience is focussed on the client journey. Every law firm we have worked with despite working with a number of agencies through the years have never done this work. It’s a huge surprise to us. Why? Because it all starts and ends with client experience.

Mapping the client journey from lead generation through to file close lets your law firm focus on the whole continuum and creating key junctures along the way that improves the experience.  It isn’t always digital. For example, at the initial consult in a family law practice, a triage approach with allied professionals or a tangible family law road map are great examples of value-adding to the client experience.

Quite apart from these types of things, if your law firm hasn’t got its strategy wrapped around client experience, your firm will be compromised in any growth strategy.

The next is “build.” The build is focused on building every asset that is required to fulfil the strategy and of course, the client experience. It’s not just digital and law firms that make the decision to work with a “digital” only agency find themselves with only 30% of the job done.  Think of every touchpoint in this context (corporate collateral, client onboarding docs, capability statements, brochures, flyers, email signatures through to the website, Google Ads etc etc).

The “reach” phase is next and this is all about lead generation, all of which will drive from the broader strategy. This is primarily focussed on SEO, email and social, Google, Facebook and Linkedin Ads.

The last stage is “optimise.” This is where we’re focused on the learnings to date drawn from a robust data set across multiple channels to further iterate design and/or functionality to improve conversions and ultimately, file opens.

Creating a marketing plan for a law firm can help to attract new clients, strengthen relationships with existing clients, and grow the business. Here are some steps to creating a law firm marketing plan:

1. Identify Your Target Market: Determine the demographics, needs, and preferences of your target market. This will help you to tailor your marketing efforts to reach the right audience.
2. Set Marketing Goals: Establish clear marketing goals that align with your overall business objectives. For example, you may aim to increase website traffic, generate more leads, or improve client retention.
3. Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP): A USP is what sets your law firm apart from your competitors. Identify your unique strengths and values and use them to differentiate yourself in the market.
4. Determine Marketing Channels: Consider which marketing channels will be most effective in reaching your target market. This may include social media, email marketing, advertising, and events.
5. Develop a Budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend on marketing and allocate funds accordingly.
6. Create a Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that will engage your target audience and position your law firm as a thought leader in your field. This may include creating blog posts, whitepapers, and social media content.
7. Measure Results: Monitor and measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Use analytics to determine which channels and strategies are working and adjust your marketing plan accordingly.
8. Nurture Relationships: Building and maintaining relationships with clients is key to success in the legal industry. Use your marketing plan to nurture relationships with existing clients and establish new ones.

In summary, creating a law firm marketing plan involves identifying your target market, setting clear marketing goals, developing a USP, determining marketing channels, developing a budget, creating a content strategy, measuring results, and nurturing relationships. By following these steps, law firms can develop an effective marketing plan that drives business growth and attracts new clients.

Attracting new clients is crucial for the success of any law firm. Here are some tips for getting new clients:

1. Referrals: Word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients can be a powerful source of new business. Encourage your clients to refer their friends and family members who may need legal services.
2. Networking: Attend networking events and conferences to connect with potential clients and other professionals in your industry. Join local business groups and chambers of commerce to build your professional network.
3. Online Presence: Create a professional website that showcases your services and expertise. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to engage with potential clients and share valuable content.
4. Content Marketing: Create and distribute valuable content like blog posts, e-books, and webinars that demonstrate your expertise and provide value to potential clients.
5. Paid Advertising: Consider investing in targeted online advertising or sponsored content to reach your ideal clients.
6. Referral Partnerships: Develop partnerships with other professionals, such as accountants or financial advisors, who may refer clients to your firm.
7. Thought Leadership: Publish articles or speak at events to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. This can help to build your reputation and attract new clients.
8. Client Experience: Ensure that your clients have a positive experience with your firm by providing excellent customer service and clear communication. Satisfied clients are more likely to refer new business to your firm.

By implementing these strategies, law firms can attract new clients and build a strong reputation in their industry. It’s important to develop a targeted marketing plan that is tailored to the needs of your specific firm and ideal client base.

9. Offer Free Consultations: Provide free initial consultations to potential clients. This can help to build trust and establish a relationship with the client, and may lead to future business.
10. Client Reviews: Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Avvo. Positive reviews can help to build your online reputation and attract new clients.
11. Community Involvement: Get involved in your local community by sponsoring events or volunteering with local organizations. This can help to build your brand and reputation, and may lead to new business through word-of-mouth referrals.
12. Email Marketing: Use email marketing to stay in touch with potential and existing clients. Share updates on your firm, provide valuable content, and offer promotions or discounts to attract new business.
13. Specialize: Consider specializing in a specific area of law. By becoming known as an expert in a particular area, you can attract clients who need specialized legal services.
14. Attend Legal Clinics: Attend legal clinics or pro bono events to provide free legal services to those in need. This can help to build your reputation and may lead to new business in the future.
15. Online Directories: List your firm on online directories like Australia Lawyers, FindLaw and Justia. This can help potential clients find your firm when they search for legal services online.

By implementing these additional strategies, law firms can expand their reach and attract new clients through a variety of channels. It’s important to regularly assess the effectiveness of each strategy and adjust the marketing plan as needed to maximize results.

Because of the breadth of what we do, we can easily respond to any shifts in focus that your law firm may have. We see this often when growth brings both opportunities and challenges. Often, the challenges will need a revised approach that may or may not require additional services.

Either way, the genius of Fast Firms is that we can help your law firm with additional services and most recently through our on-demand services.

What is Fast Firms On-Demand?

We’re regularly approached by law firms who aren’t clients and aren’t ready for a broader strategic approach to their brand, design, marketing and technology but need urgent or prompt help with things.

We’re now able to respond to those requests through our new on-demand service. In this regard, we are the only law firm marketing agency offering this unique service to the market.

Fast Firms On-Demand offers a plethora of services that we offer to every law firm regardless of their location in the World.

To date, we have successfully responded to requests from law firms in Australia, United States, UK and Hong Kong.

Over many years in deploying holistic brand, design, marketing and technology solutions to law firms, we typically are working in unison with allied professionals. Conversely, if we’re not working with allied professionals, but we think our law firm client could benefit from specific expertise, we’re very well-suited to make the recommendation.

The benefit to the law firm is tremendous because quite often we’re able to interface with the relevant professional providing a heightened degree of expertise.

Yes we do. We have worked with numerous legal practices internationally, from Erin Brockovich in the United States to a small, regional practice in the UK.

We’re happy to consider these types of options. For example, at the moment we’re working with a legal technology start-up where Fast Firms will potentially take care of all the marketing for a share in the business.

We typically do not. The only exception is if the business is an allied professional practice that works with law firms or is a business that works within the legal industry.