In a world where more than a third of potential clients begin their search for an attorney online, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date with changing trends and commit to a solid marketing strategy. Running a law firm goes far beyond practicing law and winning clients.
Whether you’re just getting started with legal marketing or trying to tweak your existing strategy, growth is impossible without a focused legal marketing plan. Let’s take a closer look at five proven strategies you can implement today to meet your growth goals in 2022.
No. 1: Focus on One Practice Area at a Time
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It can be hard to stay laser-focused in the world of legal marketing where it feels like there are an infinite number of channels you can use to reach an endless number of audiences. You must be careful not to confuse activity with productivity.
You will get nowhere if you launch a dozen simultaneous campaigns for different practice areas with small and ineffective budgets. Try to focus on one practice area and launch one high-quality, targeted marketing campaign at a time. This is a far better strategy in the long run and will allow you to learn what works and strengthen your efforts as you go.
No. 2: Design a Marketing Plan
Many seasoned law firms think of marketing as taking clients out to lunch and nurturing relationships. However, a detailed marketing plan that incorporates everything from demand generation to pipeline management is essential in a market with such high levels of competition.
Developing a clear set of KPIs (key performance indicators) will help define what success looks like. Goals like increasing your target audience or conversion rate by X% are clearly defined and measurable. A solid strategy begins with establishing these baseline metrics and tangible objectives and is what will drive your marketing efforts going forward.
No. 3: Prepare a Personal Business Development Plan
A personal business development plan differs from a marketing plan and is a key component of your firm’s overall marketing strategy. The amount of time lawyers spend servicing their clients often leaves little time for sales and marketing activities. If you want your business to succeed, you should figure out how much time you can devote to activities that bring you new clients and opportunities. Don’t be too tight with this planning either—treat yourself as your number one client worthy of your own time and effort!
Set clear expectations and responsibilities for yourself and your marketing team, and commit to carving out a specific amount of time each week for sales and marketing. Enlist the help of executive assistants and other team members for routine tasks (answering calls, arranging meetings) to give you more time to manage the high-level strategy and new client relationships.
No. 4: Find Answers in the Metrics
Writing briefs on legal outcomes is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to measuring marketing success. You need to interpret key metrics and make alterations based on real data.
Engagement, frequency, open rates, conversion rates, etc. are metrics that shed light on business outcomes and opportunities. They can be used to determine the effectiveness of your campaigns and whether you are reaching the right audiences. If you don’t understand these key metrics, how will you know if you are reaching your goals?
No. 5: Hire a Legal Marketing Professional
You know your business better than anyone else. However, that does not guarantee marketing success. That’s where outsourcing comes into play. A strategic partner will turn your knowledge into compelling marketing content and create a distribution strategy that reaches the right potential clients.
Only you can build personal relationships with your clients and deliver exceptional services to them, but you can’t do that if you’re spending all your time executing a marketing campaign. Letting a professional handle the marketing strategy will free up your time and energy to focus on the aspects of your practice that matter most to you.
Conclusion
One of the biggest mistakes law firms can make is neglecting their marketing program. Utilizing these five strategies can make all the difference in how you attract clients and distinguish yourself from your competitors. Ross Yellin
