Do you have the marketing basics in place for people to find your law firm online?
Referrals and word of mouth still mean a lot, but law firm clients are also looking for lawyers online. According to a 2022 survey and report by Clio, the most important thing new clients are looking for is existing client reviews, followed by responsiveness and physical location. Your physical location is more or less set, so let’s focus on the first two items.
1. Get law firm client reviews
People who are searching for a lawyer online are looking for confirmation that other people have been satisfied with your services. (People looking for IT support companies do the same thing, which is why we recently asked clients to leave us Google reviews.)
The most commonly used browser is Google, and Google has a business listing for your law firm. Check to make sure you have claimed your business listing and that your law firm appears on Google Maps.
Then, copy the link to submit a Google review and ask your existing and past clients to submit a review. This will provide your prospective clients with “social proof” that you are good at what you do.
You can also seek reviews on other platforms such as Facebook, and/or collect written testimonials for your website.
2. Respond to prospective clients that are contacting your law firm
In 2019, Clio found that 60% of law firms didn’t respond to emails from hypothetical potential clients.
We can take a few guesses as to why most law firms don’t respond to outreach emails from potential clients. Lack of need (wouldn’t that be nice?), no time, difficulty understanding the technology.
If you’re looking for new clients, how do you make sure you are responding to leads and getting as much business as possible?
1. Make a list of all places where potential clients could be messaging your law firm. Think of your website, social media accounts, email addresses.
2. Check to make sure someone is receiving those messages, and responding to them in a manner in which you see fit.
3. If you are getting too many leads from prospective clients that aren’t a fit/are not a good use of your time, consider using a software like Lawbrokr to help you pre-screen your leads. When I spoke to Lawbrokr founder and CEO Daniel Steinberg, he said:
“You can’t just market to consumers, you need to help guide them through the legal experience. Generating an experience that emulates everyday consumer psychology is integral to support your web traffic conversion.”
Meaning: if potential clients are coming to you online, gather as much information as possible about their journey so you can decide if the business is worth pursuing.
