Internet Marketing Dos and Don’ts for Law Firms | JD Supra

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Internet marketing for law firms is a necessity in today’s technology-driven world. Having a well-maintained website, active social media profiles, and compelling online advertising are now table stakes for law firms whose potential clients are doing a fair share of their research on the internet. To help you make the most of these channels, we’re offering 10 digital marketing tips for law firms. Browse through these items and either check them off your to-do list, or make time to complete them soon to improve your law firm’s online marketing efforts and return on investment (ROI).

Internet marketing, or digital marketing, is absolutely essential for law firms nowadays, and any firm not marketing on the internet is falling behind. In a study, it was found that72%of organizations’ marketing budgets went to digital marketing. And in our own study of America’s top law firms, theSocial Law Firm Index, we found that all the top firms are marketing digitally in some way, with the vast majority doing so across a multitude of channels.

Marketing on the internet isn’t just a nice to have- it’s absolutely necessary. Think of what you do when you’re looking to hire someone for a service. You may ask a friend first, but whether it’s the first or second step, you’ll end up looking online to get more information about the company whether that be through Google, social media, etc. 

It’s the face of your law firm and the hub of your digital marketing activities and campaigns. It’s critical that your law firm’s website conveys the right information, helps you stand out from competition, and offers potential clients a way to connect. Before engaging in any other digital channels, make sure that the website you’ll be linking to is up-to-date, accurate, easy to navigate and mobile responsive.

Also, make sure your site is optimized for mobile by improving load times, having a mobile responsive menu design, and testing your site on mobile.

The art of using the right keywords and strategies to help your content rank higher is not going away. Rather, with the increase in online content, SEO is more important than ever. Remember to target carefully selected keywords (including local/regional ones), carefully categorize each web page, and include images, alt text, and other on-page items in your optimization efforts. For more helpful SEO insights, check out our blog post:Five SEO Tactics Your Law Firm Should Review Now.

Consider conducting an SEO audit to check for any technical issues that may be holding your site back. You should regularly be checking your site, especially as Google continues to make updates that will affect your rankings. (You can get one for free here.)

Referral business is huge in the legal industry, and social is the new word-of-mouth. Engage in various social media channels to build trust and credibility as well as facilitate relationships. It’s the most important way to be viewed as accessible by potential clients. 

Make sure your social channels stand out by having a fully optimized page with all your information filled out, a bio optimized with keywords and relevant info, branded profile and header images, and easy to find contact info. Build out a schedule as to how often you’ll post and stick to it.

And most importantly, find ways for your firm to stand out. Try:

There’s not a great reason for law firms to use Snapchat, or many of the other social platforms out there. But Facebookis used by 70% of adults, so this may be a better place to be active. We created asocial media strategy checklistto help you on your path to social media success.

Publishing unique, relevant, and authoritative information is the best way to demonstrate thought leadership. Potential clients will view you as a leader in your niche if you can share information that provides value to them.

But just putting out any content isn’t going to be helpful. You must create content that’s educational in nature and will help generate brand awareness and move prospects down the marketing funnel.

If you’re not currently publishing a blog, now is the time to start. As part of the strategy mentioned in #4, a blog is an ideal place to share valuable content for your target audience. You can also share information on your staff, what’s going on in your law firm, charity involvement, etc. Blogs are also a great place to highlight photos, videos, and infographics. 

You should also regularly update and republish your content. Constantly making improvements is a good way to keep your audience invested, and boosts your rankings on search engines.

Email has a median ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. Email marketing should have a firm place in your marketing mix. 

To make the most of your email efforts, test variables like send time and CTAs, use personalization, and segment your email list into smaller groups for better performance.

You’d be surprised how many really great content pieces we see that don’t direct to a CTA. What is it that you want readers to do once they’ve read your blog or email? Make sure every content item you create leads users to a logical next step, whether that’s calling, emailing, setting up a consultation, or just subscribing to your newsletter. Consider A/B testing your CTAs so you can figure out which ones will perform best.

In our annual study of America’s top law firms, theSocial Law Firm Index, we found that video was one of the most important trends this past year. Law firms with video incorporated on their website are likely to see a jump in engagement. Similarly, video can help humanize your staff, so you might consider including videos on attorney bio pages. Video is the next big thing in content marketing, so it’s a good idea to get savvy on video creation now. You can use video in email, social media, blogs, your website, etc.

All your internet marketing efforts should be shaped around understanding your audience, their thoughts, feelings, desires, and issues. When creating content for any of your digital channels, you should be working to solve some of their issues, resonate their feelings, and fulfill their desires.

There are many ways you can automate your marketing to make it more efficient and perform better. Consider scheduling your social media posts in advance at the most optimal time, or automating specific emails that will be sent to specific lists based on actions taken. Automation can help you deliver items to your audience more efficiently. You can even use automation like Live Chat programs to help you move leads down the marketing funnel more easily.

Related: What Is Marketing Automation and How Can It Benefit Your Firm? [Complimentary Webinar]

Start by claiming your firm’s Google My Business account and updating it with all necessary information like contact details, an about section, and address. As you get reviews, make sure to respond to them promptly whether they’re negative or positive and work to mitigate any negative responses you may get.

You can advertise on social media or on search. This is a great idea if you’d like to use a channel where you have better control over your ROI and how much you’ll spend. 

You can take any of your content to the next level by simply personalizing it. Personalize email greetings, CTAs, images, website content, etc. Personalization has been proven to help increase conversions.

Our last tip? Don’t be hesitant to get assistance from people who are experts in the field. Just like you would never advise a client to represent themselves in an intense legal battle, the competition for your target audience’s attention and revenue should not be taken lightly. Research agencies that can help you with each of these digital elements, to ensure you get the best results and maximize your ROI. Here at Good2bSocial, we know the various ways that legal marketers can improve the breadth and depth of their digital efforts, and we are poised to help you succeed. 

Effectively marketing a law firm online requires multiple elements working in tandem. When done properly, digital marketing will raise your law firm’s profile, build credibility in your areas of expertise and help you get in front of your target audience with the right message.

This post has been edited and republished from Sep. 1, 2021.