As a legal practitioner, did you ever think you would have to become a marketing expert? From SEO to social media to marketing plans, managing the marketing and promotion of your firm can be a full-time job. It can be difficult for busy lawyers to create a marketing strategy, let alone find the time to execute it and drive results for your law firm.

Expert attorney business coach Steve Fretzin joins Libby Luff, Strategic Partnership Manager with PracticePanther, to provide critical tips and ideas to help you overcome this challenging element of your business.

Should my law firm use social media?

In the legal industry, there are varying views on social media and how legal professionals should conduct themselves. Social media can be a gray area when it comes to marketing and business development which can detour some lawyers from using it all. While the concerns about social media can be valid, fully writing off this avenue of marketing would put law firms at a disadvantage. Especially, with how the legal marketplace has become more competitive and the availability of modern marketing tactics at law firms’ disposal. 

It’s important to remember that social media is your friend, not a foe working against your firm. To get the most out of social media, follow these best practices: 

• Choose a platform that is relevant to your business and audience. This will vary based on the practice area and where your audience digests information
• Position your law firm as a thought leader and focus on educating your audience. Social media is an informal method of communication, so have fun and bring personality to your content. This will be more effective in attracting more prospects than honing in on hard selling
• Be consistent with the frequency of your content. Whether it’s once a week or every other day, figure out a schedule so you don’t lose momentum. Creating a content calendar or using a social media tool can help keep you accountable and organized 

Law firm marketing tips that drive results

Analyzing the current state of your law firm’s marketing or lack thereof is the first step. How are you getting your name out? What platforms are you currently using? You’ll want to take note of your wins, so what’s traditionally worked for your firm and your areas of improvement, which could be areas you want to try something new or allocate more time to. 

Once you gather the metrics behind the current state of your marketing, you can then design a strategy. There are several tactics and techniques law firms can use including: 

1. Social media — Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are commonly used by law firms depending on their audience and your marketing goal. For example, Facebook is great for relationship building, while LinkedIn can act as your second website and online resume. 
2. Blogs and articles — Content is king and lawyers that consistently publish content can increase website traffic and referral sources which directly leads to more business. Tip: Content writing can easily be outsourced if you don’t have the time.
3. Email marketing — It takes up 6x more time, money, and energy to develop new business versus nurturing what you already have. Incorporating a newsletter and email drip campaigns allow you to drive your brand by having multiple touchpoints with your audience, new or old. 
4. SEO — Search Engine Optimization is a longer marketing game but is driven by the keywords you target in your content. This is why it’s important to be consistent with your content generation so your firm’s website or social media accounts will rank higher in search engines.

How to get more referrals at your law firm

An often untapped opportunity for some law firms is referrals and reviews. A referral is much more likely to convert than a cold lead coming from the internet. The best part is that getting referrals can be really simple with the right resources. Legal practice management software makes reaching out to your loyal clients simple. You can easily send forms and messages with a request to submit a referral. You could also create an email campaign and track where a referral came from. This digital-first approach will also showcase how seamless it is to do business with your firm and attract those clients that value online processes. 

Loyal clients are typically more than happy to share their praises about your law firm and the quality of service you provide, all you have to do is ask. 

Tips for networking as a lawyer

The pandemic threw a hefty wrench in the networking events lawyers relied on to build their business and connect with their peers. Post-pandemic, we’re seeing networking in the legal industry come back stronger than ever, but with a twist. Lawyers are being more intentional about where and who they network with. In general, lawyers should seek events that expose them to 3 types of people: prospective clients, prospective strategic partners, and centers of influence, in addition to finding events that hold interest both personally and in business. This will make it easier to form genuine connections over a shared interest or passion. 

Tying it all together with time management

We’ve covered a lot and you may be wondering how you’ll find the time to do it all. In many cases, it’s more about eliminating time-consuming processes in your day-to-day that can be streamlined to free up time to focus on building your business. 

This article was created by Libby Funke Luff, Strategic Partnership Manager with PracticePanther.