Lead generation for law firms and attorneys can come across as a complicated tactic. For some, there is even a negative connotation around lead generation – being “too salesy” a concept. However, utilizing effective methods to attract new clients is crucial for business development and cash flow. But what exactly is an effective lead generation strategy for law firms and what does it look like? Here, we will explore just that and show you how to get started right away.
What is Lead Generation?
A lead is a prospective client that finds your firm through one of your sales funnels. A sales funnel is a multi-step process that brings leads through the process of not knowing who you are (cold audience), to getting interested in your services (warm audience), to deciding to seek more information (hot audience), to hiring you (client).
Sales funnels are used across all industries, but for a law firm, it might look something like this:
- Prospect client sees your Facebook ad for your services while browsing their feed.
- Prospect clicks the ad which takes them to a landing page on your website.
- Prospect enters their contact information in return for a freebie on the landing page (e., a free guide or e-book).
- You follow up with that person to see how you can help them further.
How to Successfully Generate Leads
It’s not enough to buy a social media ad and hope that users click it. You can create a much more successful and worthwhile lead generation strategy with multiple touchpoints.
Step 1: Optimize Your Firm’s Website
Your digital marketing efforts ultimately lead people to your website, so it is crucial that your website is easy to navigate, clear, optimized for conversion and displays trustworthiness.
Here are some tips to optimize your website:
- Ensure it is optimized for mobile device searches as well as desktop searches.
- Only use the highest quality of images.
- Use search engine optimization strategies to make your website more searchable.
- Make it clear what legal services you offer.
- Include clear call-to-actions (CTAs).
Ensuring your website design looks professional and reliable, but is also easy to navigate is key.
Step 2: Utilizing the Power of Social Advertising
Social advertising can be extremely effective for attorneys and law firms as your target clients likely spend time on one or more social media platform. After conducting market research into your target clients’ behavior (which is an important step), a solid social media strategy including quality content and optimized ads will bring prospects into your funnel.
Paid social media ads are great for targeting specific demographics. However, you should also put effort into organically marketing your firm on your social profiles. Consider posting high-quality content that will provide value to your followers, like answers to their commonly asked questions. Users prefer visual content, so make the most of each platform’s video features to engage your audience.
Remember that organic reach has decreased exponentially, so without a targeted ad spend, you are limited in your growth.
Step 3: Create a Freebie (otherwise known as a lead magnet)
A crucial step in the lead generation process is motivating the lead to give you their contact information in exchange for something of value. In addition to having an outstanding website, you can create a compelling free offer that visitors will receive in exchange for giving their email address.
Your lead magnet should be high-value content that give leads a taste of your firm’s services and expertise. For example, your freebie could be a free phone consultation, a free 30-minute contract review, or even a downloadable guide to the divorce process.
Step 4: Follow Up
Once you have a lead’s contact information, the follow up is the most important step. A lead nurture email sequence is a series of emails that a new prospect receives once they have subscribed to an email list. They often start with the delivery of a “lead magnet” as mentioned above. Most lead nurture sequences consist of 4-10 emails which are designed to build trust and educate a lead before asking them to take further action.
These days it is not just about building a website and posting on social media and hoping for the best. The strategy behind successful lead generation is formulaic and relies heavily on testing (messaging, creative, and demographics). If done effectively, lead generation can build business and opportunities.
