Law Firm Marketing Guide

Law Firm Marketing Strategy

We’ve been working with law firms of all sizes for close to 15 years. Over that time, we’ve learned what works for law firms and what doesn’t when it comes to law firm marketing. In this guide, we will explain in detail the attributes of effective law firm marketing in 2023.

Law Firm Marketing Plan

Why is marketing only part of the challenge that law firms face in this dynamically changing environment? Because over the years, we’ve been led to believe that the problem that marketing seeks to solve is the only problem facing law firms.

This is a little contrarian probably because you may think that simply throwing money at a new website, SEO and ads will change everything. It doesn’t. Over the years we’ve worked with a number of legal practices who had big pockets and despite pummelling their cash into aggressive campaigns, revenues didn’t increase to the extent that they had hoped. Why, because marketing is subservient to a number of things that your law firm needs to work through first.

At this juncture, if you’re a law firm that is adamant that lead acquisition and retention is just a question of money, please don’t read on and go and be entertained by another agency that will happily take your money.

Let’s for a moment add some context.

In Australia, the United States and the Asia Pacific there are hundreds of thousands of law firms. As lawyers, we’re quick to demarcate the numbers into practice areas, followed by geographical reach. This makes the extent of competition a little more, not by much though, palpable. At this point, notoriously law firms will break the numbers down further, possibly to suburbs and add another layer by drawing a yardstick as to who they believe are better lawyers than them. After doing this excavation, the far majority of law firms will now consider marketing simply as an activity that seeks to re-orientate the masses of people looking for legal help to their firm and not their competitors, despite not having a clue as to why they deserve those clients.

The legal industry is undergoing a tectonic shift that has now gone into overdrive because of COVID-19. Law firms who once would never have considered a more agile business model and emerging technology within a very short period of time, possibly days, became a legal practice that they could never before imagined. Consequently where we’re at is likely to be the “new” normal. Sure, there are short-sighted law firms who won’t leverage the opportunities that COVID-19 has given and will eagerly return to what they once were, but it will prove perilous.

Let’s get practical for a moment. Prior to COVID-19, the legal industry was alive with changing business models and the convergence of a massive amount of technology seeking to change every aspect of how legal practice works. Anecdotally, 5 years ago there were approximately 250 legal start-ups, now conservatively there is in excess of 5,000. On top of this has been an exponential increase in the number of legal practices emerging across all practice areas and geographical regions.

Enter COVID-19 and it’s been like throwing fuel on a fire.

In this context, it’s not difficult to see that the real work of a law firm at this very moment in time is less about marketing and more about positioning. The latter is a massive topic in of itself and doesn’t warrant being entertained amid this content, but it is saved to say, that if your law firm jumps to marketing tactics without considering it, everything you do from this point on will be undermined.

As mentioned at the outset, there are of course plenty of law firms out there who want the “magic bullet” and for them, there are plenty of agencies who claim they have it. It goes without saying, that if this is your law firm, we’re not your agency, nor do we want to be!

You see, for well over 10 years, we’ve seen consistently great results for law firms who are acutely aware of the changing landscape and consider marketing as a derivative of nailing brand positioning, among other things.

If you’re on the same page, and you haven’t read Verne Harnish, you should. Harnish’s recommendations on strategy derive from a deep analysis of the “forces driving change.” Layer this work with Geoffrey Moore’s “Crossing the Chasm” and what you’ll clearly understand is that what got you here, will not get you there!
law firm marketing plans

Our Law Firm Marketing Story

Fast Firms was founded by multi-award-winning lawyer Dan Toombs. A creative at heart, Dan changed laws, and practices within the Queensland criminal justice system. Later after working in New York with a legal innovation hub while on a Winston Churchill Fellowship, he founded the Queensland Criminal Justice Centre (QCJC) which was then the only technology-driven platform that educated Judicial officers, lawyers and allied professionals on the idiosyncrasies of working with marginalised people caught in the system. It consequently won numerous awards.

Later, Dan founded Queensland’s first community access points in Magistrates Courts throughout Queensland. Soon after he and his team of technologists designed and developed possibly Australia’s first online will kit. In its first 12 months, it provided 7000 free wills to people. Dan was later appointed to the board of Legal Aid Queensland assisting in the formation of their digital strategy.

Emanating from this accumulative work, law firms sought the assistance of Dan and his team to help in their digital transformation and consequently, Fast Firms came to fruition. Fast Firms started working with a diverse range of legal organisations in Australia and the United States. Dan and the Fast Firms team later worked with Erin Brockovich on the digital strategy and deployment of mass tort campaigns which evolved into significant class actions, one of which brought to its knees a major pharmaceutical company. The team also worked with Erin on the formation of her environmental issue-reporting platform, the Community Health Book.

Responding to the ever-changing legal industry Fast Firms today has become a full brand, design, marketing, and technology company

The name Fast Firms was influenced by “Fast Company,” the publication in the United States for forward-thinking, progressive businesses that are on the front foot in growing market share through innovation.

What’s Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy?

Ask any law firm what their current marketing strategy is and it’s likely they haven’t an answer or if they do, it’s not articulate.

We see time and time again that law firms with clearly defined law firm marketing strategies outcompete those who don’t have one or have one but can’t stick to it.

The best law firm marketing is predicated on a strategy that is anchored in an understanding of how your firm’s brand is currently positioned in the dynamically changing legal industry, whether or not it’s still relevant, and if so, what the brand represents to both potential and existing clients of your legal practice.

To this end, at Fast Firms, the starting point in our work with law firms who want to take law firm marketing seriously is to consider your firm through the lens of Brand Archetypes. This work illuminates numerous beneficial things for law firms, most notably whether or not their current positioning matches their future positioning.

Typically, this work is done concurrently with the broader law firm marketing strategy and we focus our attention on:

  • Considering your law firm’s business strategy
  • Identifying who your clients are across practice areas
  • We map client personas for each practice area cohort
  • We develop the brand positioning to match those personas
  • We develop the messaging for each cohort
  • We reconsider any brand anchors, like tag lines, etc that need further reflection in light of the above work
  • We develop the content marketing strategy and its rhythm
  • We design and develop every piece of marketing collateral to ensure synergy across the whole brand and to ensure consistency with the law firm’s brand positioning and key messaging
  • We design and hold you to your Brand Style Guide, which is the Bible of how your firm is to be represented visually across every medium.
  • We consider other possibilities, not overtly apparent that may extend the brand’s value to existing or new clients, referral sources etc.
  • We consider new technology in better nurturing and growing client loyalty.

If your firm is interested in learning more about how we can assist in working with your firm on a law firm marketing strategies, reach out for a free, initial consultation. Read more about Law Firm Brand Strategy.

Check Your Law Firm’s Culture

You’re probably asking, why talk “culture” in the context of marketing. In growing law firms for over 10 years in Australia and the United States, nothing derails a great strategy and law firm marketing plan than bad culture.

We recently retired one of our clients for this very reason. The people in the firm were toxic and it all emanated from very poor, antiquated leadership. Consequently, we were approached by one of their competitors, who we soon started working with. We weren’t surprised to learn that the biggest source of work for this legal practice was disgruntled clients from the other legal practice, including a steady stream of people who sensed the toxicity of the culture during their first consultation. It gave us some tangible insight into the reason why despite growing traffic by 245% to this law firm through a comprehensive marketing strategy, file opens fell significantly short and the firm was always in a state of chaos.

In this context, even if your law firm believes that it has a great culture, see the instigation of a brand and marketing strategy as an opportunity to be introspective about your firm’s culture and do a litmus test.

We work with a number of organisational culture experts and encourage their involvement following brand strategy work to determine if in fact the strategy will be compromised by culture. In other words, once you know where the bus is going, you’re able to better understand who needs to be on it and who doesn’t.

What’s the “Why” Behind Your Law Firm

It’s likely you’ve heard of Simon Sinek and the importance of discovering your law firm’s “why.” If you haven’t, read Sinik, now’s a great time to do it, because once you have, everything that follows will be connected. Law firms who have a strong sense of their “why,” put simply, have a significant edge when it comes to marketing because marketing itself is a derivative of brand positioning. What’s also worth reading if you’re on a roll, is Al Ries ground-breaking text, “Positioning.” Sure it’s a little dated, but still, to this day it’s touted as being one of the most important brand statements ever written.

Have You Got the Right People in the Room

After 10 years of growing law firms, invariably the journey will begin by presenting to a partnership team who are never united with the direction of the firm, it’s brand and consequently marketing strategy. Often there are those within the room looking to exit the firm in the next few years and have very differing views from the newly appointed partner who sees the opportunities amid the dynamically changing landscape. At times, we acknowledge that the brand and law marketing strategy will be compromised by the flux of where people are at, but getting 70% of the way there is better than nothing. The remaining 30% is often held in abeyance or slowly chipped away incrementally over time.

In this context, it’s also worthwhile to consider if the people in the room are the right people to be in the room. Sure, inviting everybody and anybody into a brand and marketing strategy is like herding cats, but in the same vein, having the wrong people in the room can significantly stunt a potent strategy.

If your law firm is open-minded, and you’re considering a “blue ocean strategy,” then doing all you can to execute it should be paramount. This is particularly the case if your blue ocean strategy also involves a significant technology adoption. Getting the right people in the room by categorisation of their strengths is worth considering.

If this makes sense to your law firm, then do consider doing some team profiling. We recommend Belben Team Roles and are accredited specialists in the facilitation of this profiling tool.

Colloquially speaking, if your law firm has ever experienced go around in circles year after year when it comes to innovation, it’s likely you could benefit tremendously by doing this introspective work before entertaining an ambitious brand and marketing strategy.

Law Firm Marketing Strategies

Many law firms can make the mistake of believing that once the broader law firm marketing strategy work has been done, it’s all over. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Law Firm Marketing Plan in essence is the strategy operationalised. More specifically, the Law Firm Marketing Plan sets out in sufficient detail all the things that need to happen to fulfill the wider strategy.

It’s fundamentally important that the firm has all that it requires to fulfill the strategy and of course, in doing so, be able to operationalize that plan.

Practically speaking, it makes little sense for your firm to be considering an ambitious marketing strategy if you do not have the capacity in-house or you intend not to work with an agency that has the stretch and agility to assist your firm to bring the strategy to fruition.

Many law firms that we have inherited had succumbed to this practice. Put bluntly, big ideas but no ability to execute. This often manifested in either the firm going it alone and trying to do it all in-house or alternatively working with a one-man-band or an agency that just didn’t get law firms.

The most important aspects of your law firm marketing plan are both the clear relationship between it and the broader law firm marketing strategy, as well as clearly identified tasks, the delegation of those tasks if there requires in-house involvement and of course due dates.
law firm marketing strategy

Law Marketing Collateral

Doing great law firm marketing is an excellent opportunity to do some house cleaning within your law firm and drive synergy across every touchpoint. If you’re like most law firms we work with, often key brand collateral is spread from pillar to post and lacks consistency. Worse still, is when good meaning employees take it upon themselves to instigate some modest changes to a few things. Then, before too long, it’s out of control and there is little or no consistency with anything your law firm is doing.

In this context, consider any well-known brand and you will see that successful brands never deviate aesthetically or from their key brand essence. and messaging. We recently started work with a very successful mid-sized legal practice and despite dialling in every piece of brand collateral and nailing together a solid brand style guide, there was a member of the admin team who couldn’t help herself doing a few tweaks. This simply is how brand erosion can occur, often innocently but with major consequences. We also see this occur when law firms work with general marketing agencies or solo players who either don’t understand the industry and/or can only deliver certain parts of the puzzle. Consequently, this always invites trouble.

At Fast Firms, following the brand and marketing strategy, we design every brand and marketing touchpoint and are sticklers to ensure your law firm is always on-brand. On your very own support portal that we provide your law firm, we have every piece of marketing collateral required and of course, the bible, the “style guide” to ensure no reason for a deviation.

Practically speaking, when it comes to the roll-out of your law firm’s marketing collateral, we design and supply:

  • corporate collateral (business cards, letterheads etc)
  • brochures, flyers etc
  • client onboarding documents
  • corporate uniform design requirements
  • promotional materials (banners etc)
  • signage, including outdoor advertising etc
  • all digital assets (website, client portals, social media banners, email signatures etc)
    and everything else

At Fast Firms, we save your firm the headache of dealing with multiple service providers. We can assist your law firm with all facets of marketing collateral.

Law Firm Website Design that Converts

Aesthetics are really important, but when it comes to effectively marketing law firms, it plays second fiddle to conversions or in your language, the file opens and all that is subservient to ensuring your website is an incarnation of your strategy.

Great-looking websites that draw little or no traffic are a waste of time unless your firm has a lead source that doesn’t require broader traffic. For example, we recently worked with a high-end commercial practice that was fed all its files from a national commercial practice that simply “outsourced” the work to this law firm. Consequently, the scope of works was all about seamless referral aided by smart technology from the national firm to the small referral source.

Conversely, the far majority of our clients through our education concede that they want:

  • Mobile-First Website Design
  • Lightning-Fast Speed
  • Content that Educates But Converts
  • Strong Calls to Action
  • Conversion Tracking
  • Online Appointments
  • Online Payments
  • Online Automations
  • Chatbots
  • Secure and Safe Website Hosting
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimised)
  • CRM Technology
  • Landing Pages for Ads

In consideration of these key characteristics, there is also an awareness among our clients that all design is an assumption and that great design derives from incremental improvement based on user data.

To this extent, in considering your law firm’s website design you need to bake into it a dashboard of metrics that will assist future iterations that will be necessary.

In the same vein, do consider the technology you want your law firm’s website to be built upon. WordPress, for example, is a ubiquitous platform and we’re experts in this technology, but similarly, we have clients who have idiosyncrasies exposed in the strategy work of which a different type of technology may be more advantageous. In this regard, we have developed law firm websites on Headless CMS and Laravel frameworks.

The other key consideration is the growing convergence between the front of house and back of house. In other words, does consideration need to be given to facilitating data entry by way of forms, chatbots or automation on the website at “front of house” that then instigate, streamline and optimise a workflow at the “back of house” that starts the “client work?”

These are just some of the many factors that your law firm needs to consider in instigating a website that fulfils your strategy.
Law Firm Marketing Plan

Law Firm Website Hosting

We’re probably one of the very few agencies that seek to underline the importance of website hosting. In the very early days, we experienced first-hand what happens when law firms don’t take website hosting seriously.

Regularly we brunt up against website hosting companies who were prone to hacks, server outages, poor speed and a complete lack of responsiveness. We cannot overstate the importance of when these things occur (and they simply shouldn’t) they need to be responded to fast. We recall occasions when a law firm’s website was hacked in the morning and waiting 48 hours for a response from the hosting company to acknowledge our request to fix it. This has a catastrophic impact on business.

At Fast Firms we host all our law firm’s websites on servers located in the location of which the law firm operates, using the very latest VPS technology. In the event that something does go wrong, we’re able to respond within minutes.

Accordingly, the message here is to do ensure that you consider high-quality website hosting.

Law Firm SEO Is One of the Important Parts of Law Firm Strategy

It’s likely that your law firm has heard of the term, “search engine optimization,” (SEO).

SEO for law firms is a practice, like everything else that derives from your law firm’s marketing strategy. It begins with an identification of the primary keywords that you want your firm to rank for in search engines, most notably Google and Bing.

For example, let’s say your law firm is a personal injury law firm in Sydney, then keyword phrases like “personal injury lawyers Sydney” will be fundamentally important. (Shameless plug, this is possibly the hardest keyword phrase in Australia to rank for and our client ranks consistently between positions #1and #2).

SEO is an extraordinarily complex and time-consuming practice, but the benefits ae immense. For law firms that need traffic for specific search phrases they only have 2 options available to them, SEO or Google or Bing ads. The latter works, but you’ll always be at the whim of what the auction price is for your keywords, in other words, your CPC (cost per click). In personal injury law, expect upwards of $45 per click.

Conversely, through SEO, you may be able to garner a great position for highly competitive keywords and therefore not have to join the growing masses of law firms forced to play in the auction.

All our law firms through our SEO work rank exceptionally well, the far majority in positions #1, #2 or #3 for their chosen keywords.

In this context, you may be asking what actually is the work of SEO. SEO is a specialist skillset that traverses across multiple facets of a holistic law firm marketing agency. Good luck trying to achieve great SEO results if you’re working with a one-man-band or generalist agency that doesn’t understand the legal industry. Simply put, you’ll spend big dollars and achieve no results.

The successful steps to great SEO are:

  • Excellent crawl accessibility so engines can read your law firm’s website
  • Compelling content that answers the potential or existing client’s query
  • A website that is keyword optimized to attract searchers & engines
  • A website that fosters great user experience including a fast load speed and compelling UX
  • Share-worthy content that earns links, citations, reach and amplification
  • Strong consideration and use of title, URL, & description to draw high CTR in the rankings
  • Snippet/schema markup to stand out in SERPs
  • Quality backlinks signal to Google the value of your law firm’s website to traffic.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of SEO objectives, but these are most certainly those that are front and center in building out a strong SEO position for your law firm.

At Fast Firms, we have a very strong history of ranking law firms #1, #2 and #3.

Law Firm Google Ads

Where most growth-focused law firms increasingly play is in the realm of paid search. A core tenet of how we effectively grow law firms is through a holistic law firm marketing approach that traverses multiple lead generation opportunities of which paid is fundamentally important.

Though in the context of Google Ads for law firm, effective strategy derives from a key understanding of not only legal practice but what works and what doesn’t. Put simply, we manage the Google Ads accounts of over 50 law firms that collectively spend well into the 6 figures each month, and collectively the data tells us an enormous amount. We have unprecedented insight into the “money terms” the types of Ad structures that work and of course, the bidding strategy. For those that have an understanding of Google Ads, at Fast Firms, we do not adopt a smart bidding strategy deployed by Google, but rather we manually manage all the accounts manually for our clients.

Over and above this, in recent times, we work with a third-party team of Google Ad experts who regularly undertake an audit of our client’s accounts. This provides at times insights from fresh eyes that keep our Google;e Ad accounts well-optimised and delivering benefits for our clients. Think of this approach like having a colleague of yours review an active file.

Google Ads like every other facet of law firm marketing emanates from your broader law firm marketing strategy. The messaging of your Ads and the corresponding landing pages all are a part of the tapestry of how you are positioning your firm in the marketplace.

Importantly, success with Google Ads, once they’re aligned to your strategy, is the choice of keywords that your firm will target, following which the crafting of ads, landing pages and bidding approach and structure to enhance your chance of success.

Underpinning this of course, and just as important is the conversion tracking that your agency will deploy to prove ROI.

At Fast Firms, we use a diverse range of tracking methods, including Google products and third-party platforms like call tracking software etc to provide further depth of analysis.

Facebook, Instagram & Linkedin Ads for Law Firms

Brand awareness is vital to the longevity of every law firm. Once, brand awareness meant that you simply ran billboards and paid extra for a prime position in the yellow pages, but now the opportunities are endless.

In this regard, law firms can get very smart with the deployment of awareness campaigns across social channels and then, deepening engagement through very sophisticated remarketing campaigns.

At Fast Firms, we consider social marketing as an essential mix of what we do, for in the most part, a modest spend.
Law Firm Marketing Strategies

Law Firm Content Writing

Everything dries up for a law firm when content stops. With no content, email campaigns cease, SEO internal link-building opportunities are impacted, socials stop and more broadly and generally speaking, lead generation is hampered.

Content was and always will be “King and Queen” and your content strategy like everything else derives from your broader marketing strategy.

Law firms often struggle with what type of content they should write. In this context, it’s important to understand what the key objective is for each piece of content. For example, if the content is primarily to rank for a specific group of keywords, then long-form content (over 2,500 words) may be the recommendation. Alternatively, if there is a new legislative update this afternoon, then it’s far better to get content out quickly to drive engagement. In this context, a short article, or better still a podcast or video.

When it comes to the choice of topic, competitors are often a good place to start. At Fast Firms, our Legal Watch platform aggregates the content of hundreds of law firms, linking you to the relevant specific article.

Talk to us today about how your law firm can get exclusive access to Legal Watch.

At Fast Firms, we understand that busy law firms can struggle to generate content. For this reason, our content marketing team writes content for law firms and of course, we can podcast and video your lawyers!

The bottom line is that these days your firm has no other choice other than to generate content, preferably across multiple channels using multiple mediums.

OmniChannel Law Firm Marketing

You have probably heard of the adage that when it comes to effectively marketing your law firm, you need to be everywhere. As little as 2 years ago we would have said that’s not necessary and your far better focusing on one channel only. We now say that it may be the case that one channel converts for your firm at a higher rate, but your far better to be across a myriad of them to potentially varying degrees.

In this context, the term “mass marketing” that had great prominence in the seventies and eighties but was dislodged substantially in the 2000s by “targeted or segmented marketing” is making a resurgence. In fact, if you’re into this stuff, Byron Sharp’s Brand Strategy based on a plethora of research found that “mass marketing” is exactly the practice that fast-growing companies are using to garner market share.

So what does this mean for your law firm? It means that effectively growing market share for your law firm will require a multi-dimensional approach. But as we have stated repetitiously throughout this guide, always start with a strategy and let the requisite marketing works derive from that strategy.

At Fast Firms, we can assist your law firm with the strategy and every piece of marketing that is necessary.

Law Firm Marketing & Multi-Media

Having conceded that omnichannel marketing is the right approach for your law firm and it fits within your broader strategy, you will inevitably be thinking of content creation and syndication.

One of the great benefits of legal practice is that there is always something happening in the context of recent case law, legislative updates, and media. A great way to start thinking about content creation is from the perspective of your potential or existing clients. In this context, we recently worked with a large legal practice and in every marketing meeting, we reserve a seat for the client. Of course, the client isn’t in the room, but during the course of our conversations, reference is frequently pointed to the chair with the question, “what does it mean for Tracy?” This often provides great grounding and returns discussion to where it always should be, “client-focused.”

Once you start to think of content generation through this lens, it follows that you ask what is the best medium to disseminate the message. For example, if it’s 3.30 pm in the afternoon and the government has just announced its intent to overhaul insolvency laws, then a video recorded promptly by your litigation lawyer, with an email campaign out to your business clients that day will see a phenomenal cut-through.

At Fast Firms, we do video production, podcasting and webinars for numerous law firms who see the value in a sophisticated, smarter approach to content generation and syndication.
Proven Law Firm Marketing Strategies

Technology Integration into Your Law Firm

Integrating new technology into your law firm can be a challenge, but it can also bring significant benefits such as increased efficiency and productivity. Here are some steps you can follow to make the process smoother:

Identify the problem: Determine what challenges your firm is facing and what technology can help resolve those challenges. This could be anything from streamlining document management to automating repetitive tasks.

Evaluate the options: Research various technology solutions that are available and determine which one would be the best fit for your firm. Consider factors such as cost, ease of use, compatibility with existing systems, and user reviews.

Plan the implementation: Once you have selected the technology, create a plan for how you will implement it. This could involve training employees, updating processes, and integrating it with other systems.

Communicate the change: Make sure that everyone in your firm is aware of the new technology and understands why it is being implemented. This can help reduce resistance to change and ensure a smoother transition.

Implement and train: Implement the new technology and provide training to employees on how to use it effectively. This can include both in-person training sessions and written resources.

Monitor and evaluate: Regularly monitor the effectiveness of the technology and make adjustments as needed. Collect feedback from employees and make any changes necessary to improve the system.

Continuously improve: Keep up with the latest developments in technology and evaluate new solutions as they become available. Regularly incorporating new technology can help your firm stay ahead of the competition and continue to improve efficiency and productivity.

By following these steps, you can successfully integrate new technology into your law firm and reap the benefits it provides.

Frequently Asked Law Firm Marketing Questions

Here are the most commonly asked law firm marketing questions, answered.

How much do law firms spend on marketing?

The amount that law firms spend on marketing varies widely depending on factors such as the size of the firm, its budget, its marketing goals, and the channels it uses to reach its target audience.

According to the Legal Marketing Association, smaller law firms typically spend 5-10% of their gross revenue on marketing, while larger firms can spend up to 15 – 25% or more. For example, a law firm with a gross revenue of $1 million might spend $25,000-$30,000 on marketing, while a larger firm with a gross revenue of $100 million might spend $2.5 million or more.

It’s important to note that these are just rough estimates and the actual amount that a law firm spends on marketing will depend on many factors, including its specific marketing goals, the target audience it is trying to reach, and the channels it uses to reach that audience.

In general, law firms that invest in marketing tend to have a higher return on investment, as it can help generate new business, increase brand awareness, and strengthen relationships with existing clients. As such, many law firms view marketing as an important investment in their future success.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, the amount that law firms spend on marketing can also be influenced by the competitive landscape and the level of competition in their area. For example, law firms that are operating in a highly competitive market may need to invest more in marketing in order to stand out from their competitors.

Another factor that can impact the amount spent on marketing is the type of legal services the firm offers. For example, a law firm that specializes in personal injury or medical malpractice may need to spend more on marketing in order to reach potential clients, as these types of cases often require extensive outreach and education to build awareness and understanding among the public.

Law firms can also spend different amounts on different marketing channels. For example, some firms may choose to invest heavily in SEO and content marketing, while others may focus on PPC advertising, events, or other forms of advertising.

Ultimately, the amount that a law firm spends on marketing will depend on its specific needs and goals, as well as its budget and resources. By developing a well-thought-out marketing plan and choosing the channels that are most likely to reach its target audience, a law firm can maximize its marketing investment and achieve its business objectives.
law firm marketing experts

How to Develop a Law Firm Marketing Plan?

Here are the steps to develop a successful law firm marketing plan:

  • Conduct a SWOT analysis: Start by conducting a SWOT analysis of your law firm to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you understand your current position and determine what areas need to be addressed in your marketing plan.
  • Define your target audience: Next, define your target audience. Who are the clients you want to reach, and what are their needs and challenges? Understanding your target audience will help you develop marketing strategies that are most likely to resonate with them.
  • Set marketing goals: Based on your SWOT analysis and target audience, set specific, measurable marketing goals that align with your overall business objectives. These goals could include increasing website traffic, boosting brand awareness, generating leads, or growing your client base.
  • Choose your marketing channels: Decide which marketing channels will be most effective for reaching your target audience and achieving your marketing goals. These channels could include SEO, PPC advertising, content marketing, social media, email marketing, or events.
  • Develop a budget: Based on the marketing channels you’ve selected, create a budget that outlines the resources you will need to allocate to each channel. This could include time, money, or other resources such as staff or contractors.
  • Create a content plan: Develop a content plan that outlines the types of content you will create and publish, when it will be published, and what channels you will use to promote it. This could include blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, videos, or case studies.
  • Execute your marketing plan: With your marketing plan in place, it’s time to execute it. Start by implementing your content plan, and then focus on promoting your content and driving traffic to your website through the channels you’ve selected.
  • Monitor and measure results: Regularly monitor and measure your results to see how your marketing efforts are impacting your goals. Use analytics to track your progress, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments to your marketing plan as needed.

By following these steps, you can develop a comprehensive and effective marketing plan that will help you achieve your goals and grow your law firm.

What are the Current Marketing Trends for Law Firms?

There are several current marketing trends for law firms that are worth paying attention to, including:

  • Content Marketing: Creating valuable, informative content that is relevant to your target audience is a key way to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and generate leads. Law firms are increasingly using blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, and other types of content to educate and engage with potential clients.
  • Digital Marketing: Digital marketing channels, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media, are becoming increasingly important for law firms. By utilizing these channels, firms can reach a wider audience and target specific demographics more effectively.
  • Video Marketing: Video is a powerful way to connect with potential clients, educate them about your services, and build your brand. Law firms are using video for a variety of purposes, including client testimonials, case studies, and legal explainer videos.
  • Influencer Marketing: Partnering with influencers or thought leaders in your industry can help you reach a wider audience and build your reputation as a trusted source of information. Law firms are leveraging this trend by partnering with legal bloggers, media outlets, and industry associations to promote their services and expertise.
  • Social Media: Social media is an effective way for law firms to engage with potential clients, share their expertise, and build their brand. Firms are using platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to share content, participate in online discussions, and connect with prospects.

By staying up-to-date on the latest marketing trends, law firms can develop effective marketing strategies that will help them reach their target audience and achieve their business goals.

What are the Ideal Key Marketing Roles in a Law Firm?

In a perfect World, your law firm would cover all bases when it comes to effectively marketing your legal practice.

Marketing Director or Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): This person is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s overall marketing strategy, which includes developing and managing budgets, overseeing marketing campaigns, and ensuring that marketing efforts align with the firm’s overall business goals.

Content Manager: This person is responsible for creating and managing the firm’s content, including blog posts, articles, whitepapers, infographics, and other types of content that help build the firm’s brand and establish its expertise.

Digital Marketing Specialist: This person is responsible for executing the firm’s digital marketing strategy, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, and email marketing.

Public Relations (PR) Specialist: This person is responsible for managing the firm’s public image and maintaining positive relationships with the media. This includes developing and executing PR campaigns, drafting press releases, and responding to media inquiries.

Event Manager: This person is responsible for planning and executing the firm’s events, such as seminars, webinars, conferences, and networking events. The event manager is responsible for everything from securing speakers and sponsors to promoting the event and managing logistics on the day of the event.

External Agency: Sure this may sound a little bias, but having an external agency either filling some of the key roles mentioned above, or either acting as an additional source when things are busy or when your firm needs a different perspective, can prove very powerful. At Fast Firms, in this egard we cover the spectrum. We work with firms across every facet of their design, marketing and technology, and for others we simply fill the holes that they cannot cover.

Having a strong marketing team in place can help a law firm build its brand, generate new business, and strengthen its reputation in the industry.

How Can our Law Firm Be More Inclusive in Our Law Firm Marketing?

Here are ten ways to be more inclusive in your law firm marketing:

  1. Use diverse imagery: Make sure the images and graphics used in your marketing materials accurately reflect the diversity of your firm’s client base and the communities you serve.
  2. Highlight diverse backgrounds and perspectives: Share the unique backgrounds and perspectives of your lawyers and staff, including those from different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, as well as those with disabilities.
  3. Use language that is inclusive and respectful: Avoid language that could be considered offensive or insensitive to certain groups, and instead choose language that is welcoming and inclusive to all.
  4. Offer materials in different languages: Consider creating marketing materials in multiple languages to reach a wider audience.
  5. Be mindful of accessibility: Ensure that your website, social media platforms, and other marketing materials are accessible to people with disabilities.
  6. Encourage diversity and inclusion in your events: When planning events, take steps to make them inclusive and welcoming to all attendees, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
  7. Support diversity and inclusion initiatives: Consider partnering with organizations that promote diversity and inclusion, and consider sponsoring events or initiatives that support these values.
  8. Foster an inclusive work environment: Create a work environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all employees, regardless of their background or identity.
  9. Educate yourself and your team: Make sure that your marketing team has the knowledge and resources to understand and respect different cultures and communities.
  10. Continuously evaluate and improve: Regularly evaluate your marketing efforts to ensure that they are inclusive and respectful to all groups. Make changes as needed to continue to promote diversity and inclusion in your firm.

By taking these steps, your law firm can demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion, which can help build trust and credibility with clients and the wider community.

Why SEO is a necessity for law firm and legal websites?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a necessity for law firms and legal websites for several reasons:

Increased visibility: By optimizing your website for search engines, you increase your chances of appearing at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when potential clients are searching for legal services online. This increased visibility can help drive more traffic to your website and ultimately lead to more business.

Competitive advantage: With so many law firms and legal websites vying for visibility on the internet, SEO can help give you a competitive advantage by allowing you to stand out from the crowd and reach a wider audience.

Better user experience: SEO helps improve the user experience by making it easier for search engine users to find the information they are looking for on your website. This can help increase the credibility of your firm and build trust with potential clients.

Cost-effective marketing: Compared to other forms of marketing, such as paid advertising, SEO can be more cost-effective in the long run. While you may need to invest time and resources into optimizing your website, once your site is ranking well, it can continue to drive traffic and leads without requiring additional investment.

Measurable results: SEO provides measurable results that allow you to track your progress and see the impact of your efforts. You can use analytics to see which keywords are driving traffic to your site, which pages are performing well, and what changes you can make to improve your search engine rankings.

In short, SEO is a necessity for law firms and legal websites because it can help increase visibility, provide a competitive advantage, improve the user experience, be cost-effective, and provide measurable results.

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