How to Create a Winning Law Firm Marketing Campaign

Law firms are in a competitive business. They have to work diligently to attract new clients and retain their existing ones if they want to succeed and grow.

You might have the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys in your area. But no one is going to hire your firm if they can’t find you online or learn something about your services when conducting some preliminary research.

The best way to have all of this fall into place is with a winning law firm marketing campaign. But what’s involved with that? Here are some tips for successfully getting your law firm’s message out to the right audience.

1. Define Your Target Audience

There are many different areas of the law, so the clients your law firm targets may not be the same as the firm down the street. Each audience has specific needs that will prompt them to search out legal services. Before crafting a campaign, figure out whether you will be marketing to new clients, past clients, other attorneys, or someone else. You can even expand on this with typical client characteristics, such as:

• Age
• Location
• Gender
• Job title
• Income
• Industry
• Needs

This information will be invaluable in figuring out where to reach these people and what messages will most appeal to them. In some cases, you may have more than one target audience. There’s nothing wrong with creating multiple client profiles.

2. Map Your Client’s Journey

Mapping your client’s journey is an incredibly useful exercise in creating a satisfying marketing campaign. This consists of your typical client’s pathway as they progress from learning about your brand to signing on as a client. The journey generally has three main stages:

• Awareness Stage — This is the initial stage in which prospective clients become aware of your brand. For example, they might see an online ad, run across your website through a search, or hear about you from a friend.
• Consideration Stage — During this stage, prospects will conduct detailed online research of different law firms by reading practice area pages, blog posts, attorney bios, and reviews. They might subscribe to your email list or follow you on social media.
• Decision Stage— In the decision stage, prospects will decide whether or not you are the best law firm to handle their needs. If they choose you, they will call you or contact you through your website.

To optimize your client journey and improve conversions, you can create a map that identifies the desired outcomes at each stage. For example, you might want prospects to browse your website or download an ebook at the consideration stage and fill out a contact form at the decision stage.

3. Define Your Value Proposition

Your firm’s value proposition outlines what you can offer prospective clients to choose your law firm over a competitor. It forms the foundation of most marketing messages. For example, maybe you offer affordable services, aggressive representation, or 24/7 availability.

It’s important that your value proposition be concise enough to deliver across a variety of formats. You’ll need to convey it on your website, through social media, and throughout your content marketing campaigns.

4. Differentiate Your Brand

You can use your value proposition to help define and differentiate your brand. Branding is how you will set your law firm apart from the competition. It includes your unique message as well as styling. Your firm’s brand should resonate consistently throughout its website, social media profiles, letterhead, and logo. Business cards, and anything else used to interact with potential and current clients.

5. Evaluate Your Competition

Sometimes, it’s most helpful to see what’s working for your biggest competitors so you can emulate their tactics. Make sure you thoroughly evaluate the competition to learn what keywords they are ranking for and how you may be able to improve with your own strategy.

6. Craft a Compelling Message 

To achieve your marketing goals, you need to create an effective marketing message. As a law firm, this involves crafting a message that:

• Presents a solution to their needs
• Answers common questions related to the law
• Tells how your law firm has produced results for other clients
• Explains what separates you from the competition

It’s important that your law firm avoid any language that could land it in hot water. For example, some states have specific rules about legal marketing, such as not allowing comparative statements like “We’re the best!”. You can check with your state’s bar association for specifics.

7. Choose Your Marketing Channels

Another vital step is determining which marketing channels you will use to conduct your campaigns. Once you’ve defined your target audience, you will get a better idea of where they spend their time. For example, you’re more likely to find business clients on LinkedIn than on Facebook. But Facebook or Instagram would be excellent options for personal injury or family law practices. And targeting high rankings on Google will be beneficial no matter what area of law you practice.

The right mix of channels will depend on a variety of factors, including:

• The demographics of your target audience
• Your law firm’s specialties
• The geographic area you serve
• Your budget
• Your specific marketing goals

8. Measure Your Performance

One of the most critical aspects of creating a winning and sustainable legal marketing campaign is performance measurement. Every law firm’s goals are different, but they must be measurable. You can establish a variety of KPIs corresponding to your goals to measure performance and gauge when you might need to make adjustments. Some common KPIs include: Cost Per Lead (CPL), Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and Lead Conversion Rate.

Creating a Winning Marketing Campaign for Your Law Firm

Law firms need every possible competitive advantage. One of the best ways to set your business apart from the competition is to create a strong online presence that showcases your brand and engages potential clients.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping law firms become the business of choice in their markets. Our digital marketing specialists spend the time getting to know your firm and its goals before customizing a strategy designed to meet your particular needs. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and website evaluation.