Being a part of the legal field is not easy; it requires diligence, innovation, creativity, and responsibility. However, if you ask a lawyer what the greatest challenge his practice faces, he’ll most likely tell you new client flow. Today’s legal professionals are required to market themselves in order to compete in such an aggressive market. Today, lawyers can’t expect clients to come to them. Instead, legal professionals need to seek out effective ways of enticing new clients into their offices. If you are a legal professional, here are some useful marketing tips for reaching out to new clients.
1. List your practice on industry-specific online directories: It’s important to get your name and information about your practice out to as many people as possible. Listing your practice on an online directory ensures that people will find you. Industry-specific directories, such as LawyersPages.com, allow you to choose a specific legal field to help makes searches as specific as possible. The more complete your profile is on these sites, the more likely your practice is to appear at the top of the search engine listings. You should also list your practice on general directories, such as Google Places; the more sites and resources linking to your website, the better.
2. Get involved with social media: Social media is very useful for legal professionals. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are used for professional networking, job hunting, and connecting with clients. Attorneys are also using social media to personally engage with clients. Social networking sites make it easy for lawyers to respond to questions and submit information about trending legal topics. Interacting with patients on a social level establishes confidence and trust. When clients feel like they have a good relationship with their lawyer, they are much more likely to return.
3. Don't forget your community: Never underestimate the power of professional networking. Strike a balance between in-office and out-of-office activities that help attract new clients. Activities like networking with other professionals, lectures and presentations, public-relations promotions, and inter-referral relationships with merchants and other services in your area are all great ways to get your new out in the market. Volunteering with law-related charities is also a good way to help out your community and boost your reputation at the same time. Don’t forget to bring your business cards or brochures to these events!
4. Create a professional website and blog: In this day and age, every professional need a website, but not just any website will do. Having a professional and eye-catching website with useful information and a solid SEO strategy definitely helps. Keyword phrases and relevant, original content builds traffic to optimize your pages. A blog can be even more helpful for SEO purposes and can help attorneys generate new content that interests clients. By writing engaging and helpful posts, clients will have an easier time relating to and trusting their lawyers. You can also post videos in which you explain certain procedures or answer questions.
5. Join online discussions: There are many online legal forums, where people can post their questions and concerns. Sign up with some of them, and start answering questions. You can become an expert in your field, and soon people will come directly to you for help. Through these forums, you can even direct people to your website or encourage them to come into the office for more information. Forums also build up your online presence, and can even lead to writing opportunities. If you write well and offer helpful solutions, people may ask you to be a guest author on their site.
6. Paid advertising: Whether it’s online or print, paying for advertising is always a smart option. You can reach out to new clients through Google Ads, direct mailings, ads in regional newspapers, magazines, radio, and even television. Be sure to have brochures made that you can leave in your reception area and with local businesses. A less expensive option is public relations or PR. It can be as simple as sending out press releases to local media.
7. Ask for reviews: Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing. Not only does it create an authentic dialogue between lawyers and clients, but it brings credibility to your practice. Each satisfied client will lead to an increase in your business, simply by referring others. Ask clients to leave ratings and reviews on local listings, or to simply tell their friends about your practice. These reviews can also be used as testimonials for your website, which boosts your reputation. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your clients directly, you can send them a newsletter about your blog or website and let clients know that their comments are greatly appreciated.
Marketing your practice does not need to an overt act or very expensive. Remember to do what you do best and practice excellent law.
