Consider These 5 Things When Choosing Your Next Law Firm Marketing Agency

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Few things are more important to the success of your law firm than generating new business. Whether you are a large, multi-office firm, a sole practitioner, or something in between, you need new clients coming in consistently to remain profitable. And for your law firm to remain competitive, it needs a powerful and effective marketing strategy.

If you’re like most attorneys, you don’t have time to wear multiple hats. Your strengths lie in representing clients, not building websites, figuring out SEO strategies, or social media marketing. You probably need some help to achieve the best results. But who can you trust to provide it?

If you’re like most law firms, you probably get emails, calls, and mailers ad nauseum from companies trying to sell you law firm SEO services. They might make outrageous promises, like guaranteeing the “number one spot on Google for your desired keyword for just $300/month.” It’s important to understand that those ads are scams, and you will not get the results you need from that type of business.

Digital marketing for law firms is highly competitive, so you need a partner that is honest, knows what they’re doing, and can produce results. But there are so many options! How do you know if you are making the right choice? Here is what you need to know about legal marketing and several things to consider when choosing your next law firm marketing agency.

What is Law Firm Marketing?

Law firm marketing is a strategy for attracting new potential clients to your legal practice. A law firm marketing plan will be customized to suit your particular needs and goals. But it might include a mix of website design, SEO, digital ads, social media marketing, content creation, and more.

No matter how you approach it, marketing your law firm can easily consume a significant amount of your time and energy. Most lawyers struggle with creating a robust digital marketing strategy that reaches their target audience and persuades them to become clients. The right legal marketing agency can help achieve positive results while the legal professionals in your firm focus on what they do best — serve clients’ needs.

Benefits of Marketing Your Law Firm

First, not marketing your law firm can be a major mistake. Unless you practice an area of law that is so specialized you have no competitors, you need to find a way to set your law firm apart. Here are just a few of the most important benefits of legal marketing.

Grow Your Client Base

The most direct benefit of law firm marketing is the ability to grow your client base and boost your firm’s overall revenue. The right digital marketing strategy will produce qualified leads that are already searching for your law firm’s services. You can easily convert these leads into new clients by nurturing them. This new customer base represents a golden opportunity to attract new business through repeat business and referrals.

Boost Your Law Firm’s Reputation

Another great benefit of marketing your law firm is that it gives you the resources necessary to improve your firm’s reputation. How the public perceives your brand is vital for building the trust you need to attract new prospects and convert them into clients. Through ongoing marketing, you can create name recognition and establish your law firm as a reputable authority in its field.

Learn More About Your Target Audience

When you’re marketing your legal services, you need to know as much about your target audience as possible. You might think you understand their wants and needs, but you’ll learn so much more about them through your legal marketing efforts. Using social media, email marketing, and other strategies, you’ll gain more insights into what your audience wants, allowing you to better meet their needs and focus your marketing efforts.

Inform Your Overall Growth Strategy

Finally, you’ll be amazed at the way legal marketing can save your law firm time and money when it comes to lead generation. An effective digital marketing strategy helps you attract more clients, produce more revenue, and set your law firm up for success as it continues to grow.

Consider These 5 Things When Choosing Your Next Law Firm Marketing Agency

When you’re looking for a law firm marketing agency, it’s vital to remember that not all agencies are created equal. A lot of factors must be given consideration when making your decision. Here are five things to think about when choosing your next law firm marketing agency.

  1. Experience and Expertise

When you choose a legal marketing agency, it’s important that you consider the agency’s level of experience and expertise. The digital marketing landscape is changing constantly, so you need to choose a partner that is up-to-date on the latest trends.

A reputable marketing agency will have extensive experience working with law firms of every shape and size. They will also have a deep understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges that come with marketing in your industry. For example, the American Bar Association has created rules of professional conduct for lawyers and law firms that market their services in the digital marketing age.

  1. Legal Marketing Services Offered

What services does the marketing agency you are considering offer? Not all agencies offer a full complement of services. You’ll want to find an agency that offers a wide variety of legal marketing services, such as web design, SEO, social media management, content creation, digital advertising, video production, branding, and more.

What’s just as important is that the agency you choose creates a customized plan to meet your specific needs. If an agency tries to sell you a cookie-cutter package, it may not be the best option. When you meet with the agency for an initial consultation, the marketing professionals will learn more about your law firm, its clients, and the goals you want to achieve.

  1. Reputation and Client Feedback

You don’t want to be a guinea pig for someone launching a new marketing business. Search for a legal marketing agency that can produce a body of work and some positive client feedback. Most consumers (over 50%) do online research before they buy a new TV or switch doctors. There’s no reason you shouldn’t do some detective work when hiring a legal marketing firm.

Look for an agency that has handled marketing for law firms similar to your own. Review their websites and ask the agency for testimonials if they don’t have any posted online. Any reputable agency will be happy to provide you with this information.

  1. Communication and Transparency

Communication and transparency are essential when working with a legal marketing agency. Without open and clear communication, it can be challenging to understand what the agency is doing, why they’re doing it, and how it affects your business.

Even more, transparency ensures that both parties have accountability for their respective parts. When your agency is transparent about its tactics and strategies, this builds mutual respect and trust. Because of this, both parties are more likely to be satisfied with the relationship.

In short, you want to work with a marketing agency that keeps you informed at every stage of the process, from the initial strategy session through implementation and regular reporting. And your agency’s communication style should match what works best for you. In other words, if you prefer email versus phone calls or vice versa, your marketing team will be able to accommodate your needs.

  1. Pricing and Your Budget

Marketing agencies provide a critical service to law firms of all sizes. But pricing can be a major determining factor when it comes to choosing a digital marketing agency. While your law firm might be drawn to the lowest-priced option, it’s important to consider the value that a high-quality legal marketing agency can provide.

In many cases, an agency’s pricing is directly related to the expertise and experience of its team. More experienced agencies that produce the best results typically charge higher rates. But they also offer an elevated level of service.

When choosing a digital marketing agency, you certainly want to consider your budget. But don’t forget about the value you are receiving. You don’t have to handle this part of your business on your own. And the increase in conversions you get will easily produce a fast return on your investment.

Partner With a Results-Driven Legal Marketing Agency

Choosing the right law firm marketing agency can be challenging. But your choice can make the difference between getting the results you need and continuing to struggle against fierce competition. At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping our legal clients increase revenue and achieve growth.

From big to small firms, we have helped legal clients dominate their market to achieve game-changing results. Our approach is completely customized, meaning we only recommend the services you need, and that will produce results. Give us a call at (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

The Importance of Client Reviews and the Most Effective Way to Get Them

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In law school, the last thing that you were likely thinking about was how to market yourself as an attorney. Instead, you probably assumed that by doing good work and providing effective legal counsel, as well as by establishing or working for a reputable firm, clients would come to you. But the days of word-of-mouth marketing are all but are gone; today, more people than ever before are turning to online information as a resource that influences their purchasing decisions of various types, including who to hire for legal representation.

If your law firm is still relying on out-of-date means of client retention and acquisition, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to reach more people. At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, our legal marketing team can help you to understand the importance of client reviews and the most effective way to start cultivating reviews today.

Why Are Client Reviews So Important?

When it comes to understanding why client reviews are so important, the following statistics say it all:

  • Those who are in need of a lawyer aren’t just going to ask around to find one; instead, 75 percent of consumers seeking an attorney will use online resources to identify who they plan to hire. Again, by not having online information about your firm, including online client reviews, you could practically be sending clients to your competitors.
  • Not only are ¾ of people who need a lawyer using online resources to look for one, but nearly ⅔ of people say that online reviews greatly influenced their decision in selecting an attorney.

The bottom line: people are using the internet to learn more about a business before making a purchasing decision – this includes those who are in need of legal services. By failing to provide information to potential clients about your business in a variety of forms, including client reviews, you’re missing an opportunity to connect with a potential client in a valuable way; this opportunity will likely be snatched up by other attorneys in your field.

The Most Effective Ways to Get Client Reviews

Now that you understand just how important client reviews are for your legal practice, the next consideration is how to start building a collection of client reviews on your website.

Lawyers often fail to get reviews for a variety of reasons, starting with the fact that they don’t maintain the right spaces for clients to leave reviews (i.e. Facebook, Google, etc.). Second, lawyers often fail to ask clients for reviews, which is a critical step in the process of actually getting reviews. Third, if a lawyer does ask a client for a review, they often go about it in the wrong way. To get more reviews, consider the following:

  • Choose the right platforms. The first thing that your law firm needs to do is ensure that the right platforms for client reviews are in place. Facebook and Google are both great options – Facebook has more than one billion active users, and consumers say that Google reviews is their favorite source for online reviews. In addition to Google and Facebook, also consider using Avvo, which is a review site specifically for lawyers.
  • Start asking for reviews. It’s not just about having the right platforms in place; you’ll need to actually ask your former clients for reviews. This can be daunting and even feel uncomfortable, but there is a way to do it appropriately and effectively.

How to Ask Clients for Reviews

As you start to ask clients for reviews, there are a few key things to keep in mind for maximum effectiveness.

  1. Make sure your reviews are current by asking clients to leave you a review as soon as possible after representation has been completed.
  1. Ask for reviews from clients who had a positive experience – the goal is to have positive reviews reflected on your website and the various review platforms.
  1. Make it personal by asking for a review in person or by picking up the phone and calling them. Simply sending a generic email to a client you’ve been working with isn’t nearly as effective as personalizing it. If the client agrees to leave you a review, then you can immediately follow up with an email containing the relevant links to review sites.

Know How to Make Reviews Work for You

Finally, once reviews start coming in, you’ll need to know how to make these reviews work for you. Make sure that positive reviews are shared on your website in an area that is easy for prospective clients to find. Show recent reviews first.

Another tip for making reviews more effective is to respond to former clients’ reviews, both positive and negative. Be honest, empathetic, and use a negative review as an opportunity to admit fault when appropriate and highlight how much you care about your clients.

Work with a Professional Digital Marketing Team Today

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we are experts at helping law firms like yours improve their online presence and start attracting more clients. Not only are we skilled digital marketers, but we also understand the unique rules and regulations that you face as a lawyer, including client confidentiality rules and the consequences of fake reviews. To learn more about how we can help your firm, reach out to our legal marketing team by phone at (800) 649-1764 or online today.

How to Get Reviews from Clients

Getting reviews isn’t something you can sit back and trust people will do. You have to actively have a review-requesting plan in place, and train their staff – from managing partners down to their receptionists – in the best ways to ask satisfied clients for reviews.

Here are a few suggestions:

In Case-Closing Letters

Do your clients send a final letter to their clients with their settlement checks or copies of final judgment documents? Include specific instructions on how to leave their firm a review within these letters.

If your client sends copies of these letters via email, include direct links to their review profiles to make it easy.

In Text

Part of the problem with getting clients to leave reviews is them knowing how to. Remove those barriers by texting a link to their business’s Google profile. Here’s how.

In Person

The most powerful way to ask for a review is in person where your client can say, “I appreciated working with you. It would really help more people who need my help find me if you would leave a review online.”

Follow up this conversation with a texted link.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing has extensive experience with helping lawyers obtain positive client reviews. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about our review management programs and other comprehensive solutions for law firms.

Six Blogging Tips for Attorneys: How to Write Client-Focused Content

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There is wide agreement among online experts that blogging is one of the core strategies that should be integrated into an effective digital marketing plan. This is true for virtually every industry, but it is especially the case for law firms. People encounter all types of legal trouble, and these days, one of the first places they go to try to make sense of their legal issues and solve them is the internet.

Before a typical legal consumer contacts an attorney, they will want to read as much as they can about the issue that they are dealing with so they at least have a basic understanding of it, and so they will know what questions to ask a lawyer when they finally contact one.

Attorneys and law firms that take the time to produce content that answers consumers’ questions stand out from their competitors by sharing free information with the public and demonstrating their knowledge of the law. Done correctly, blogging will drive targeted prospects to your web properties, a certain percentage of which should become clients. Dollar for dollar, this is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a legal practice.

Developing an effective blogging strategy is not really all that complicated. It does, however, require a time commitment and consistency. A small to medium-sized law firm should be willing to produce at least one to three blogs per month. This could take three to 10 hours or so of your time to write the articles, edit them, and post them to your website.

If you or someone in your office is willing to put in the time, then you can turn blogging into a winning strategy that will grow your clientele. The traffic will trickle in at first, but if you stick to it, your website visits will begin to multiply, and you will produce successful long-term results.

To help ensure that you write a good blog post every time, here are six steps to follow:

1. Understand your Audience

It is very important to understand who you are writing the blog for and what its purpose is going to be. Primarily, a law firm blog is written for legal consumers (as opposed to other attorneys, etc.) because they are the ones who may eventually become your clients. So, when you prepare to write a blog article, put yourself in their shoes and think about what they are going through. What are their pain points? What kind of resolution are they hoping to obtain by reading your post?

The best kind of content for a blog post is content that connects with your audience and speaks to their concerns. For example, someone who was injured in a car accident is likely to be under a great deal of stress about the medical bills they have to pay, being out of work, and how long it will take to resolve their legal claim. Someone who was arrested for drunk driving is probably worried about the heavy fines they will have to pay, losing their driving privileges, the possibility of jail time, and maybe even losing their job.

By identifying your audience and understanding what they are concerned about, you will be better able to produce content that is compelling and engaging. This will help you establish an emotional connection with them, which will keep them interested in what you have to say.

2. Write for Topics over Keywords

You have probably heard a lot about search engine optimization (SEO) and the role it plays in getting your content found on the Web. Ranking for keywords that your target audience is searching for is one of the major goals with blogging, but you should never allow the quality of your content to be compromised for this purpose.

“Keyword stuffing” is a practice from a bygone era, and thankfully, it is no longer an effective SEO strategy. Google’s algorithms are far more sophisticated these days, and they are better able to interpret the context of an article and its relevance to various keyword queries.

The best approach for writing legal blog posts is to choose topics that your target audience cares about. One way to do this would be to make a big list of the most frequently asked questions you get from your clients and write blog articles that answer these questions. You could also look in places like Yahoo! Answers and Quora to find some common questions that are being asked.

Create blog posts about topics that are relevant to your target audience, and do not worry as much about keyword phrases. If your content addresses their most important issues, the search engines will reward you for that and your posts will be found.

3. Make your Content Coherent and Understandable

As a lawyer, you need to project a professional image for you and your firm. As such, you need to make sure that the content you write flows smoothly and is grammatically correct. At the same time, however, make sure it is not overly technical. Remember, much of your audience is not familiar with a lot of the legal terms that are part of your everyday vernacular. When you write a legal blog that is geared toward average consumers, your job is to make complex legal concepts understandable to your target audience.

4. Make your Content Informative and Useful

Your readers should be able to understand your content, and further, they should find it interesting, informative, and useful. Sure, your ultimate goal is for them to contact you and become a client, but you should not be continually trying to sell that within your post. Instead, give your readers practical information that they can take away from the article and put directly to use, so they believe that it was worth their time to read it.

5. Show Yourself as an Authority

Avoid talking too much about yourself within the article and instead show your expertise by discussing the legal topic and providing helpful information to the reader. The place to talk in more detail about your credentials is on the area of practice (AOP) pages of your website. Blogs can direct readers to AOP pages when appropriate, and you should do this from time to time. But within the blog post itself, show readers your in-depth knowledge about the subject. This will help establish you as an authority in your area of practice, which builds trust among your target audience and makes them more likely to become clients.

6. Include a Call to Action

You should end your blog with a paragraph or two that moves the reader toward a desired action. This is one place where you could discuss your credentials while inviting readers to contact your firm for more information and to schedule a consultation. If you are writing a fairly long post, you could also insert a brief call to action in the second or third paragraph for readers who know they need legal help and/or do not have the time to get through the entire article. This is optional and it is entirely up to you.

About Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing

Now here’s our call to action. We know that for a lot of attorneys, even fitting in an extra five to 10 hours a month for blogging and other types of digital marketing can seem like an impossible task. And this is where we come in. Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in helping law firms by reviewing their current online footprint, developing a comprehensive internet marketing plan, and implementing every aspect of that plan.

We work with attorneys and legal practices in whatever capacity they need us. For some, we just build a professional lawyer website and host it for them while they do their own blogging and other web marketing activities. For others, we implement their entire marketing strategy – from website construction to SEO to content marketing to social media, paid advertising and beyond.

To find out how we can help your firm, call us today at (800) 864-1764 or message us online for a free website evaluation and internet marketing assessment. We look forward to serving you!

The Importance of Content Marketing for Law Firms

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In recent years, law firms have begun to realize the importance of establishing their brand in the digital market. Historically, law firms received the bulk of their leads through networking events, referrals, and traditional ad space channels (billboards, Yellow Pages, etc.).

But the most successful lawyers are now dominating the search engines and social media with content and even establishing themselves as thought leaders in their field. This has only become possible through focused content marketing campaigns that deliver engaging content and follow a long list of legal content marketing best practices.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is the practice of creating engaging and useful content that is aimed at a particular online audience. For law firms, content marketing involves the creation of original content, such as blogs, white papers, and web pages. The content is posted on your website and shared in a way that promotes your legal practice’s services.

The goals of content marketing will vary. But to be successful, your firm’s content should aim to fulfill at least one of these goals:

  • Increase brand awareness
  • Establish expertise and thought leadership
  • Generate leads and new clients
  • Create an online community

The type of content you post will vary depending on your goals and the needs of your target audience. When done right, content marketing can be a valuable addition to your digital marketing strategy.

The Importance of Content Marketing for Law Firms

Content marketing is a big deal for any business, but it is particularly vital for law firms. The average consumer has become blind to traditional advertising methods like print, television, and even some online ads. This constant noise drastically reduces the chances that one of these tactics will sell your service to a prospect.

But content marketing can succeed where other methods fail. When a person has a legal issue that they need to solve (or any issue, such as needing last-minute dinner reservations), they are more likely than ever to turn to Google for their answer. This is where you have the greatest opportunity to connect with a prospect in the most meaningful way through your useful and targeted content.

Some of the ways content marketing can benefit your law firm include:

Content Marketing Improves Your Reach

Content marketing allows potential clients to find you who otherwise might not have. That person that is worried about the potential “DUI penalties in Alabama” or wants to know “How to appeal an SSDI rejection” might find your recent blog post and contact you.

If your content is useful and interesting, they might also share it with friends and social media followers. Someone that wasn’t searching for your law firm will see your name and remember it later when they do have a need.

Legal Content Can Improve Your SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital to the success of your online marketing efforts, and content marketing can help improve your website’s organic rankings. When you have a lot of informative content on your website that begins to pull in traffic, Google will notice and reward you accordingly.

Local search is essential for law firms that serve a limited geographic area. By adding your city, county, or other location data to your content, you can improve your local search rankings. So, when a person looks for a “personal injury lawyer near me,” you are more likely to get one of those top spots.

Blogging Establishes You as an Authority

People want to hire a law firm that knows what it is doing, and you can establish your authority through content marketing. A frequently updated blog gives you the opportunity to showcase your knowledge on a topic while you are addressing some of your target audience’s most pressing concerns.

A blog is also an effective way to promote your practice among your peers. When you establish authority in your field, you are more likely to get referrals from other firms that are outside your area of practice or geographic region.

Getting Your Law Firm’s Content Marketing Strategy Right

Content marketing differs a bit from traditional advertising. When most people think of law firm advertising, they picture a lawyer’s face on a billboard or bus stop imploring them to call some version of 1-800-ACCIDENT. Content marketing for law firms is a bit more subtle and can be far more effective than traditional advertising when approached correctly.

It is simple enough to produce a few blog posts and send out some tweets and then label that as your law firm’s content marketing efforts. But, to build your brand and get the most out of content marketing, you need a focused strategy.

Some of the things your legal content marketing strategy should include are:

  • Defining Your Audience – Who are you trying to reach with your content, and for what purpose?
  • Optimizing Your Website – Is the content already on your website optimized for your target audience and the search engines? Can you repurpose any of your best-performing content to extend your reach?
  • Producing a Content Marketing Strategy – Your content marketing strategy should include keyword research and a content roadmap to plan your approach.
  • Creating Compelling Legal Content – The next step is to research, write, edit, and publish content that targets a specific practice area, audience, and set of keywords.
  • Marketing Your Content – Some content ranks quickly organically, but you can also “share” content on social media sites and promote it to get it in front of the right audience.
  • Assessing Your Results – Every content marketing campaign should carefully track progress and assess results to determine what is working and what might require some adjustments moving forward.

Quality Legal Content That Sets Your Law Firm Apart

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we create content that helps our clients express their brand’s voice. While you focus on running your firm, the content our team creates for you will drive traffic to your website and convert visitors into new clients.

Some examples of the results-driven content our copywriters create include:

  • Practice area pages
  • Blogs
  • White papers and resource articles
  • Press releases
  • Staff biographies
  • Newsletters

Every piece of content you receive is well-researched, SEO-optimized, and 100% unique to address your needs and the most pressing concerns of your target audience. Contact Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing today at (800) 649-1764 or online to connect with us for a free consultation.

5 Myths About Law Firm SEO

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How Well Do You Understand Search Engine Optimization For Your Law Firm

When you are eager to see your law firm’s digital marketing efforts perform well, you might be willing to try just about anything. But there are many SEO myths that won’t get you the results you want, or worse, could result in a penalty from Google. Here is what you need to know about some top law firm SEO myths so you don’t go too far down that rabbit hole.

First, what is SEO? Search Engine Optimization is the practice of getting organic (free) traffic from the search engines to your website. Most consumers today use Google to find and connect with brands, so your law firm’s goal should be to achieve high search engine rankings on Google as well as additional positions on page one through local search, social media, and featured snippets.

Why the First Page of Google is Important

How Google derives it’s search results is becoming more complex, with local results, videos, answer boxes, knowledge panels, and more. With so many ways for your firm to stand out, focusing on SEO to garner some of these top spots is worth the effort.

Here is why ranking high in Google is vital:

Better Click-Through Rates

It’s a fact that the higher you rank, the higher your click-through rate will be. One study concluded click-through rates were 36.4% for the top result, falling to 12.5% for position #2. These click-throughs are going to boost your website traffic and leads.

Improve Your Visibility

You can improve your brand awareness with a top search result. The more people who see your name, the more likely you will engage them if they need your services.

Establish Authority and Trust

One of the best ways to earn new business is to establish authority and trust. You can accomplish this by taking the steps necessary to achieve high organic search engine rankings.

5 Myths About Law Firm SEO

We’ve established why you want to make your firm’s SEO a priority. But which parts are of SEO are more important than others? This is where it can get confusing. Here are five common myths about legal SEO that help you steer you in the right direction.

Myth 1: The More Times You Use a Keyword, the Better

This was true in 2003. If you decide to try “keyword stuffing” today, Google views this as a negative ranking factor, and it could hurt your efforts.

There’s no doubt that conducting careful keyword research is still essential to successful SEO. But, how you use those keywords in your legal content is just as important.

Here are a few facts about keyword integration in content:

  • Your keyword density should remain at around 3%.
  • Keywords should be used in the copy where they flow and fit naturally instead of being forced to get a page to rank.
  • Using related keywords and phrases in your content can help your SEO efforts just as much.

Myth 2: The Content Doesn’t Matter As Long As You’re Targeting the Right Keywords

It’s a common misconception that keyword targeting should take priority over content. Simply sprinkling the right keywords throughout terrible or mediocre content isn’t going to get you the results you want. In today’s online environment, the quality of your law firm’s content matters more than ever.

Google has placed significant emphasis on the user experience and even uses an AI-powered engine called RankBrain to ensure that consumers are getting what they want from the search results. If you want to rank a web page for “DUI penalties in Georgia” and place that search term throughout a page that doesn’t actually list the DUI penalties in Georgia, the user experience will probably be subpar. Your bounce rates (people hitting the “back” button) will go through the roof, and Google will take notice quickly.

Instead, it’s vital that your content addresses the subject matter thoroughly and is well-written and engaging enough to capture your audience’s attention and improve your rankings.

Myth 3: You Just Need More Backlinks to Outrank Your Competitors

This is another falsehood that could get your website in trouble with the search engines. Years ago, it was a common practice to search out low-quality, spammy links to quickly rank a website. Google caught on to the technique and put a stop to it.

You still need high-quality backlinks for SEO, but the emphasis is on quality over quantity. Buying links is explicitly against Google’s policies and could get your website penalized.

The best approach is to continue creating high-quality content that others will want to link to naturally. There are some other legitimate methods for achieving quality backlinks that your legal marketing firm can discuss with you.

Myth 4: Having a Secure Website Isn’t Important

Even if your law firm’s website is only informational and you don’t store client data, having a secure website is vital for SEO. And this isn’t anything new.

As far back as 2014, Google announced that it wanted to see “HTTPS everywhere,” meaning websites needed to start thinking about getting an SSL certificate installed. Not long after, the search engine giant began using security as a ranking factor. Specifically, sites that have an SSL get a ranking boost, and those without security appear to get penalized.

It’s a simple enough adjustment, and your clients will appreciate it as well. More consumers now notice site security and could make a decision about your law firm based on this factor.

Myth 5: SEO is a One-Time Thing

If only this were similar to Google “ruling” once that your website was worthy of a top search engine ranking and the case was closed. Unfortunately, Google re-assesses the merits of your case many times each day, so you might have top billing in the morning and find that it has slipped by dinnertime.

SEO is an ongoing process similar to healthy eating and fitness. If you neglect it, there’s a better than good chance that you’ll see your results erode over time. This happens for several reasons:

  • Google changes/updates its algorithm.
  • Your content is no longer as “fresh.”
  • Your competitors are working on their SEO harder than you.
  • You begin to lose backlinks.

Instead, you should be consistently following up on your online marketing strategy to maintain and improve your results.

Discover the Truth About Law Firm Marketing

It’s simple enough to get caught up in the various myths surrounding legal marketing. But you’re probably busy enough as it is and just want someone to give it to you straight. You might get a few short-term benefits by applying a few questionable tactics, but the long-term results may not be what your law firm wants or needs.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing is dedicated to helping its legal clients achieve results with proven digital marketing solutions. There is a significant amount of time and effort that needs to go into your firm’s digital marketing strategy, and our goal is to be a partner you can trust to separate the true from the false.

Contact us online or call us today at (800) 649-1764 to schedule a free consultation.

The Importance of Design in Law Firm Websites

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In the past, if you needed to hire a lawyer you opened the phone book and searched it’s pages for the most eye catching ad. Today, potential clients search out an attorney the same way they look for restaurants and the best brand of shoes – with an online search. From the consumer’s perspective, your website is your law firm. It sets you apart by creating a lasting first impression of who you are and how well you can satisfy a client’s legal needs.

Website design is vital to capturing a visitor’s attention and communicating the right message. Your window of opportunity is very small. You only have a few seconds to persuade a visitor to give your firm a chance. Your online presence is an integral part of your marketing and your legal practice as a whole.

Why It’s Important to Have a Great Law Firm Website

Now that roughly 95% of the U.S. population is online, it’s a safe bet that your target audience is searching for your services. And your website can make it easier for them to find you, trust you, and ultimately, hire you.

If you haven’t gotten serious about law firm marketing in the past, it’s time to begin paying it some attention. Unless your website is better than your competitors on many levels, there’s a good chance you’re losing potential clients without even knowing it.

Here are a few of the reasons why it’s important to make law firm website design a priority:

  • Your Website Directly Represents Your Brand

Every law firm has a brand, whether it realizes it or not. The real question is, how well do you control the message, or is the market doing it for you?

If your website design is outdated and visitors have a hard time finding what they need, this is a direct reflection on your business. And it doesn’t place you in a positive light. According to one UK study, 70% of online users refuse to purchase from a business with poor website design.

Most consumers show up on your virtual doorstep knowing nothing about you, meaning they’ve found you through some generic search term such as “how to beat a DUI in Mississippi.” You have a short time to make a first impression, and a modern, engaging, and visually appealing website can help you accomplish this.

  • Helps You Stand Out from the Competition

There are roughly 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., so the competition is fierce. Statistics show that consumers will visit about 4 or 5 law firm websites before deciding which one they will contact.

Most people who are dealing with a legal issue are frustrated and looking for a combination of answers and encouragement. Overall, they’ve probably never hired a lawyer before, so they have no idea what to expect.

The best way to stand out from the crowd is to provide the information they want and the compassion they need. Let them know what to expect, that you have the experience and skills necessary to help and give them the next steps to take to get started.

  • Boosts Your Organic Rankings

It’s going to be tough for potential clients to learn about your law firm if you don’t have any online visibility. Specifically, your firm’s website needs to show up in the results when someone searches for a “divorce lawyer near me” or asks Google, “how can I appeal an SSDI claim denial?”

A properly designed website will be optimized for the correct keywords to help you achieve some of those valuable organic rankings. It will also pay attention to technical SEO items like page speed, mobile-friendliness, HTML tags, navigation, and link-building.

  • Improves the User Experience

A good website design delivers a positive user experience (UX). This is something that can also impact your rankings because Google has made it clear that providing a positive UX is one of its latest priorities.

But what does that mean? Specifically, your content should match the intent of the searcher. In other words, if a person is searching for an estate planning attorney, it would be a poor experience if they were taken to a personal injury page.

Great website design delivers what it promises quickly and efficiently. And this builds trust with both the search engines and your potential clients.

  • Maximizes Your Conversions

While driving traffic to your website is essential, it’s even more important to get those visitors to call your law firm or submit their information through your contact form. That’s the only way you’ll ever make the connection that will lead to signing up new clients and growing your business.

Great website design is about much more than just getting your website to the top of Google’s search results. If you hit number one for all your targeted keywords, this is an incredible accomplishment. Having tons of people visit and read your blog is also noteworthy. But, neither of these is adding anything to your bottom-line results.

Your website should be structured in such a way that it continually guides visitors to contact your law firm for further assistance. There should be a sense of urgency built into some of your content that warns visitors about the potential consequences of trying to handle a matter on their own or waiting too long to act. Further, there should be plenty of calls to action giving the reader clear direction about how to contact your firm to get the help they need.

Take Action to Bring Your Law Firm Website to Life

You probably already know how competitive the market is for law firms. Getting your business to stand out from the crowd has a lot to do with the quality of your online presence. This starts with your law firm’s website design.

First impressions are vital, which is why you should consider professional assistance when planning and designing a website. At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Group, we specialize in creating beautiful, engaging, and functional custom law firm websites that are geared toward your target audience. Contact us today for a free consultation to review our top web designs and learn how our services can help your law firm improve its results.

The Future of Law Firms in the United States and the Impact on Your Firm

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Traditionally, the only place to get legal representation in the United States has been at a firm owned and run by one or more attorneys. This is because of a longstanding rule requiring such a setup.

It’s entirely possible, however, that this could change. In fact, several states have already loosened their rules about this, and others are considering following suit. If this happens, how will law firms look and operate going forward? Is this something you should embrace, and how do you prepare for it?

What is Rule 5.4?

Rule 5.4 prohibits lawyers from partnering with non-lawyers and prohibits non-lawyers from investing in law firms. The rule is called “Professional Independence of a Lawyer.” According to the ABA, law firms and associations are not permitted to:

  • Share legal fees with a non-lawyer except under certain specific situations;
  • Form a partnership with a non-lawyer for the purposes of practicing law;
  • Practice with or in the form of a professional association or corporation authorized to pursue profits if a non-lawyer owns an interest or has any control in the organization; or
  • Allow a person who employs, pays, or recommends the lawyer to render legal services for another to regulate or direct the lawyer’s professional judgment.

Rule 5.4 was originally intended to protect the professional judgment and interests of lawyers from the potential influence of non-lawyers. As you can see, it has many rules against the involvement of outside holding parties and investors in the legal landscape. But, many argue that it holds law firms back and doesn’t give legal professionals enough credit as far as safeguarding the integrity of the profession.

Does a Single Rule Limit the Access to Justice?

When consumers need legal assistance the most, how accessible are the services? Here’s a troubling statistic – The United Stated ranks 126 out of 139 countries in access to legal services.

For many Americans, it’s challenging to get qualified help for a variety of reasons. In fact, two-thirds of American adults report having a civil issue in the past year, but only one-third of those were able to get any assistance.

As a personal injury or family law attorney, these are serious concerns. People are facing severe personal and economic hardships due to injuries, domestic violence, divorce, and other civil issues.

Small businesses face troubling legal issues as well. Yet over half of small business owners are unable to access the legal services they need to pursue relief for issues that could impact their business and livelihood.

Sure, there are pro bono and legal aid options. But those alone are insufficient to address the lack of access to legal services. And law firms are able to charge the rates they wish for their services, but not everyone can afford to pay them.

One of the reasons the legal industry is so inaccessible is that rule 5.4 requires that law firms be owned, financed, and run exclusively by lawyers. That’s a pricey proposition, particularly for professionals who are trained to be lawyers, not business people.

How Rule 5.4 Currently Limits U.S. Law Firms

The only thing constant is change. What worked for law firms and the legal industry over three decades ago may not be appropriate today. Here are some of the reasons that Rule 5.4 currently limits law firms in this country.

Law Firms Have Limited Access to Capital

Because Rule 5.4 prohibits non-lawyers from investing in law firms, this leaves many firms with cash flow issues. Not only are some firms unable to maintain their current operations, but they also don’t have the capital they need to invest in modern technology and expansion.

The ABA’s rules state that private-sector lawyers can only deliver legal services under three types of entities – sole proprietorships, LLCs, or legal partnerships. Because lawyers are unable to secure investments from non-lawyers, their only sources of capital are loans or revenue. This is a poor arrangement for several reasons:

  • More lawyers may be reluctant to provide investment capital for long-term growth as lateral movement among law firms increases.
  • Because lawyers are expected to bear the firm’s entire financial burden, law firms are more vulnerable to economic downturns.
  • Lawyers don’t have access to modern financing alternatives like many other businesses.

This limited access to capital means that law firms are unlikely to invest in efforts that will deliver long-term returns. These might include creating a strong online presence through an engaging website, posting frequent educational content, and being active on social media.

When law firms fail to invest in themselves, they are unable to create the strong brand and name recognition that is necessary for a customer-oriented business. Because of this, law firms lag behind other industries like medicine, accounting, and insurance in adopting technology and business processes to provide higher levels of service at competitive prices.

Law Firms Fail to Benefit from Business Expertise

Rule 5.4 prohibits lawyers from partnering with non-lawyers in business ownership. Lawyers don’t receive business training in law school, yet are expected to emerge knowing how to start and run a business a successful business.

Private practice lawyers spend a significant amount of their time on administrative and business development activities. In fact, private sector lawyers report an average of just 2.5 billable hours per eight-hour work day. This doesn’t leave much time for the actual practice of law.

At the same time, professionals with substantial business experience are unable to take an equity stake in law firms. In business, it’s become customary to partially compensate executives in the form of stock options. Currently, this isn’t possible.

Because law firms can’t attract and hire business talent, they lack innovation in areas like project management, financing, marketing, technology, and more. This is particularly vital for law firms that want to become the best in their class and provide a winning client experience.

Law Firms Can’t Meet Consumer Expectations

Today’s consumers have more expectations than ever of the brands that get their business. Many don’t want to go to a different company for their insurance, banking, and legal needs. They’d rather have integrated, seamless services under one roof.

But Rule 5.4 currently prevents lawyers from providing these services under the umbrella of a large company like USAA or bringing in partners to offer integrated services.

Law firms that want to become mass-market providers have been stymied by these rules. And some have voiced their displeasure the best way they know how – through the courts. Jacoby & Myers, a large consumer law firm, has sued the state bars of Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, arguing that it can’t take advantage of scale, upgrade technology, or expand its offices due to the restrictions.

Law Firms Can’t Compete With Non-Lawyer Legal Businesses

Several online businesses have exploded in the past several years that lie outside the current 5.4 rules. Sites like RocketLawyer and LegalZoom have either no or little lawyer ownership and are pulling business from smaller firms. Traditional law firms are having a hard time competing.

According to one survey, 14% of traditional law firms were losing business to alternative legal providers. Some estate planning, tax, and litigation support clients have also turned to accounting firms as an alternative to traditional law firms. And accounting firms don’t have the same ownership and operating restrictions, allowing them to offer a wider range of services and enjoy better economies of scale.

How Regulatory Changes Could Re-Shape the Legal Industry

There is probably a long list of advantages to changing Rule 5.4 and letting non-lawyers get involved in the legal industry. Here are just a few of the ways changing these rules could impact the legal industry.

More Innovation

Repealing or modifying the rule will give non-legal entrepreneurs and capital firms an opportunity to invest in the legal industry. This will allow law firms to expand their services in such a way that it solves all of a client’s issues instead of just one. For example, a small law firm can offer estate planning services as well as sell insurance products.

Improved Collaboration

The ability to share ownership and profits with non-lawyers gives law firms the power to collaborate with highly qualified experts who will help further their business goals. Business authorities can join the team to help law firms improve services and create a better client experience.

Increase in Business Volume

Investment and input from non-lawyer entities will likely enable small- to mid-sized law firms to be more productive and efficient. This means that they will be able to offer a wider range of services and increase the volume of fee-paying clients.

Lower Legal Costs

If you can make legal services more accessible at a lower price and still make more money, why wouldn’t you? On all sides of the rule change issue, experts note that there is the possibility of lower legal costs.

Things like innovation, better use of technology, and increased access to capital can certainly make your business more efficient. Instead of spending a majority of your day on administrative tasks, you might be able to actually practice law during those hours and charge a bit less to do it.

Better Access

Nearly 80% of civil cases today involve at least one party without a lawyer, doubling the percentage of self-represented litigants over forty years ago. Many of these underserved people will gain better access to legal services through a rule change thanks to improved innovation and the potential for lower rates.

Are There Valid Concerns With Rule 5.4 Changes?

There are some misconceptions about the potential harm that Rule 5.4 changes could bring to the legal industry. Specifically, opponents of change believe that there will be ethical concerns as well as the potential for “Walmart-style” legal services. Both concerns appear to be unfounded.

Ethical Issues

The argument that allowing non-lawyers into the legal industry will make it purely profit-driven and unethical doesn’t hold much weight. Lawyers have worked within accounting firms, insurance companies, and major corporations for years, and there is no evidence that these arrangements have destroyed their judgment.

Washington D.C. adopted a modified version of Rule 5.4 in 1990, allowing lawyers to form limited partnerships with others. So, over the past 30 years, we should see an increase in public discipline in that jurisdiction due to ethics violations. In fact, the District has the third-lowest percentage of public discipline filings in the nation.

The independent judgment of lawyers is sufficiently protected by other aspects of the Model Rules. For example, Model Rule 1.7 prohibits a lawyer from representing a client if there is a conflict of interest, and Model Rule 1.8(f) says that third-party payers can’t influence a lawyer’s professional judgment. Given these protections, there’s no reason that Rule 5.4 can’t be changed.

Low-Quality Legal Services

Another concern is that when non-lawyers become involved, cookie-cutter legal services will become the norm. In other words, you’ll have Walmart-type entries of massive providers that will dominate the industry and harm traditional firms.

Although there likely will be some new large entries into the market, the truth is that there are already some massive law firms that generate multi-billion dollar revenue. In fact, some of those firms might have to subdivide to take advantage of regulatory changes, making them more competitive with smaller firms.

And there’s no evidence that changes in the rules will lead to lower quality legal services. Instead, it will simply bring greater access to services and more innovation.

What’s the Status of Changes to Rule 5.4?

The idea of changing Rule 5.4 isn’t new. In the early 1980s, the ABA’s Kutak Commission was first formulating these rules, and there was a proposed version of Rule 5.4 allowing the division of fees with non-lawyers. But the Rule adopted in 1983 did not follow this proposal, and subsequent attempts to change the rules haven’t been successful. However, there have been international changes over the past 15 years, and several states have made provisions that allow Alternative Business Structures (ABS).

Washington D.C.

Non-lawyers have been partners in Washington D.C. law firms for years. In the nation’s capital, law firms have found it beneficial to incorporate non-legal experts as co-owners, and the D.C. Bar’s unique rule modifications permit such an arrangement.

New South Wales, Australia

In 2001, New South Wales, Australia, eliminated its restrictions on non-lawyer firm ownership and investment, becoming the first common law jurisdiction to create alternative business structures.

The UK

The Legal Services Act of 2007 (LSA) eliminates bans on non-lawyer ownership and allows lawyers and non-lawyers to work together in ABS.

Arizona

Arizona became the first U.S. state to completely eliminate Rule 5.4. In August 2020, the Arizona Supreme Court announced the elimination of the rule that prohibits partnership between lawyers and non-lawyers.

Utah

Also, in August 2020, Utah created a seven-year “regulatory sandbox” pilot program to test out different ABSs for law firms. The Utah Supreme Court established the Office of Legal Services Innovation to oversee non-lawyer-owned entities or legal entities in which non-lawyers are partial owners.

Florida and Other States

Florida has joined a growing number of states that are investigating changes to Rule 5.4 in an effort to improve the delivery of legal services to consumers. While Florida’s attempts appear to be stalled at the moment, an effort similar to Utah’s is underway. Other states that are exploring changes include California, Illinois, and New York.

Evidence From Other Jurisdictions Indicates Reforms Would Be Beneficial

Evidence from other jurisdictions indicates that reforms will be beneficial for both law firms and their clients. First, no country or state that has repealed or modified Rule 5.4 has found the need to change it back.

England and Wales started licensing ABS firms in 2011, so there is over a decade of data on them. According to reports from the Solicitors Regulation Authority,

  • ABS firms are more likely to use technology, with 91% of ABS firms having a website compared to just 52% of independent firms;
  • ABS firms are up to 15% more likely to offer new services: and
  • ABS firms are more likely to have recent organizational and service innovations.

Even more important, consumers are getting better service. For example, ABS arrangements made it possible for 45% of consumers to get fixed-fee family law services, with 62% saying they receive value for their money.

A few examples of innovative services and firms that have emerged due to the changes include:

  • Co-Op Legal Services, run by a successful consumer-owned grocery chain, has used its positive brand recognition to begin offering family, employment, will-writing, and other consumer legal services at affordable rates;
  • Z Group, a London accounting and architectural firm, now serves as a “one-stop-shop” for those services, plus legal counsel; and
  • Parental Choice, a company that assists families with au pair and nanny location, also now helps them understand their legal obligations.

Put Your Law Firm in the Best Position Possible for the Future

Permitting non-lawyer ownership of law firms may be on the horizon. But no one knows when those changes will take effect. But when they do, the legal industry will change quickly and drastically.

Law firms need every competitive advantage they can get. One way you can set your firm apart is to have a strong online presence that showcases your brand. And the right partner can help you hold your own against any coming changes.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping law firms become the business of choice in their markets. We offer comprehensive digital marketing services but never cookie-cutter solutions. We will spend the time to get to know your firm and its goals before recommending things like website design, SEO, content marketing, digital ads, and social media marketing. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and website evaluation.

Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) and Law Firms

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Are You Using Paid Ads? If So, You Need Google Local Service Ads

What if your law firm’s information could show up at the top of every Google search results page, even above the Google My Business three-pack and the pay-per-click ads? You’d probably receive a substantial increase in traffic to your website, calls to your business, and number of new leads.

This has become possible in many markets with Google’s Local Service Ads (LSAs). For over a year, Google has been testing LSAs in various places across the country. This is a significant development for law firms that rely on local search, but there is plenty that you need to know about LSAs before you decide to put them in your marketing budget.

What Are Local Service Ads?

Being able to find businesses “near me” has revolutionized search over the past several years. Consumers love that they no longer need to enter their address, zip code, or city when searching for local businesses. Google just “knows.”

Going beyond giving consumers a map with business listings, the search engine now offers what is called Local Service Ads. This is the most prestigious real estate on a search engine page. Why? The LSAs appear at the very top of the search results. And instead of clicking through to a business’ website, the consumer can instantly call or message the business instead.

Local Service Ads are only available for certain industries. Some examples are plumbers, locksmiths, electricians, and painters. They are now available for some professional services such as financial planners, realtors, and yes – law firms.

Lawyers in just about any practice area can now purchase LSAs that target specific zip codes and communities. LSAs were once only available in a small number of U.S. markets, but these continue to expand as the program enjoys more success and helps consumers get the assistance they need.

How You Pay for Local Service Ads

If you’re accustomed to pay-per-click ads, these are different. LSAs are pay-per-lead ads, and you only pay for what Google calls “valid leads” for your business. Google will charge you for the ad if certain actions take place after it gets shown to a consumer:

  • You get a text message from a potential client.
  • You receive a call and speak with a potential client.
  • You receive a voicemail from a potential client.
  • You miss a call from a potential client but contact them back later via phone, text, or email.

If you are charged for an ad that you don’t believe was a valid lead, you can dispute the charge with Google.

What is the Benefit of Using LSAs for Law Firms?

The fact that Google keeps expanding access to LSAs is telling. Not only are these ads providing a better user experience but they are also giving businesses the results they want. If you’re on the fence, here are some of the benefits that your law firm can experience by adding LSAs to its digital marketing strategy:

  1. Better Conversions

If you’re pouring all of your marketing budget into PPC ads, you might be dismayed at your results. PPC ads are costly, and they sometimes don’t convert well. But you’ll get much more bang for your buck with LSAs, which promise to connect the right service provider with a searcher.

  1. Build More Trust

Searchers will notice the badge that appears next to your ad that says you’ve been “screened.” This not only catches the eye on a busy SERP page, but it also looks like an endorsement from the world’s biggest search engine. If Google has checked you out, it’s probably worth a closer look.

  1. Expand Your Reach

LSAs give you another way to reach consumers that are looking for your legal services. They aren’t meant to replace organic listings or even your traditional search ads. Consumers search in different ways and have varying preferences, so having your business positioned in multiple places is a benefit. LSAs also help you reach people who are using voice search, which is a growing type of search query for local businesses.

  1. Highlight Positive Feedback

Every LSA includes a link to the law firm’s ratings and reviews. This is one more way that you can highlight the positive feedback you’ve received from prior clients and use it to continue building your business.

What Will Your Firm’s Local Service Ad Look Like?

As a law firm, the number one question on your mind might be, “How do LSAs actually show up in search results?”

LSA ads appear at the very top of the search results. The ad will have your law firm’s name with its Google star rating and a link to its reviews underneath. Next, there will be a green checkmark, and the words “Google Screened,” followed by your years in practice, phone number, and office hours. In some cases, Google is even including your headshot with an LSA, which can increase the potential for clicks.

When you set up your ad, you don’t have to deal with those bothersome keywords. Instead, you choose from a list of categories within the legal industry. These might include things like:

  • Bankruptcy
  • Criminal Defense
  • DUI
  • Estate Planning
  • Family Law
  • Personal Injury Law

When a person’s local search matches the criteria you’ve selected for the services you offer, your ad will be eligible to show. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean your ad will appear or be first. Google still ranks ads using its own set of criteria.

How Google Ranks Law Firms in Local Service Ads

Similar to Google Ads and even organic search, your LSAs must meet certain criteria to rank in a decent position.

Your ranking is determined by several factors:

  • Your firm’s proximity to the searcher
  • The services you offer matching the searcher’s need
  • How many positive reviews you have
  • Being a “verified” business by Google
  • Your business hours

Google even tracks how responsive you are to customer inquiries. If searchers click on your ad to send you a message or call your law firm, and they don’t get a response, your LSA rankings are likely to suffer.

Even if you decline a lead or fail to generate positive reviews, Google will notice, and there’s a chance that your rankings will drop. But the opposite is also true. When your business is responsive to client inquiries and generates positive feedback, this can improve your rankings.

How to Get Started with Local Service Ads

If you want to use Google’s LSAs, you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to make them work the best for you. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Make Sure You Qualify

Provided you’re a law firm with a local office in a participating market, you should qualify for LSAs. The program covers most practice areas. Google does require that you have a Google My Business profile with at least one review and a minimum average rating of three stars.

  1. Get Google Screened

Before your ads can go live, Google needs to vet your business. This is where you can set yourself apart from other firms that won’t take the time to go through this process. It involves:

  • Confirming you’re licensed to practice law
  • Providing proof of legal malpractice insurance
  • Undergoing a basic background check
  1. Set Up an Inbound Call Structure

Since Google uses your response time to determine your LSA rankings and decided whether to charge you for a lead, this last step is vital. Make sure you have a process in place to take calls, respond to messages, and qualify leads.

Should LSAs Replace Your Legal PPC Advertising or Other Strategies?

Many law firms would rather pay per lead than per click. You can stop stressing over Google’s confusing bidding system, and the flat fee per lead seems like a more effective model. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should completely abandon one program for the other.

Local service ads are a powerful digital marketing tool for law firms, but also a new one. In general, you’ll want LSAs to complement rather than replace other marketing channels like PPC, social media, SEO for organic search, and quality content.

Today’s legal consumers are savvy and likely to use a variety of tactics to find the best law firm to meet their needs. So, even if you rank well with LSA’s, a prospect is still likely to read your reviews, check out your social media profiles, and visit your website before making a choice.

If a prospect sees that your firm shows up in several places instead of just one, this will boost brand awareness and increase the chances that you’ll get the call instead of one of your competitors.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Group Helps Law Firms With Results-Driven Solutions

Local Service Ads are still somewhat new, and now is your firm’s best opportunity to take advantage of this digital marketing strategy. As more law firms sign up for LSAs, the expectation is that competition and prices will begin to rise.

Staying on top of changes to Google’s algorithm and ad network rules can be a full-time job. As a busy law firm, you shouldn’t have to shoulder this burden while you work to solve your client’s legal issues.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in creating strategic digital marketing solutions that produce results for law firms. These include website design, SEO strategy, content and video engagement, and paid ad strategies. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Seven Important Things to Keep in Mind About Your 2022 Marketing Plan

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There’s always an interest in strategic planning and digital marketing trends around the turn of the year, and 2022 is no different. But, considering the events of the past couple of years, making predictions has become increasingly challenging.

Nothing has returned to “normal” as expected, and no one is quite sure what normal should look like anymore. But law firm thankfully still have clients, and the overriding goal is to anticipate and meet their needs.

The face of marketing will continue to evolve as law firms become more connected, diverse, and nimble in the face of various challenges. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, here are seven important things to keep in mind about your 2022 marketing plan.

  1. The Client Experience is Everything

It seems like every year is the year of the customer. And that isn’t likely to change. But marketing has shifted for good from trying to convince people to work with your firm to providing a fantastic client experience instead.

About two-thirds of today’s consumers say that the client experience is an important factor in their buying experience. What does this mean? When it comes to the sales funnel, providing a lot of useful information to prospects is vital. Instead of telling people how excellent your firm’s service is, provide content that answers their most pressing questions and gives them some peace of mind.

  1. AI Is an Effective Digital Marketing Tool

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now used by many businesses across all sectors, including law, healthcare, retail, banking, and more. And it’s being used more frequently for marketing purposes to automate repetitive tasks and personalize the user experience.

AI can perform basic tasks like recommending keywords for SEO, reporting on website traffic, and managing customer leads. According to a survey by Epsilon, 80% of consumers admit they’d be more willing to do business with a brand that delivers a personalized experience. AI can help you hyper-personalize social media, email, and content marketing with increased data collection and insights.

  1. Consumers Like Chatbots and Voice Assistants

Consumers have become much less patient when it comes to getting their needs met, probably because there are so many technology solutions available to get the job done quickly. Instead of picking up the phone during business hours or waiting for a return email message, chatbots have taken over simple customer service and support tasks. An AI-powered chatbot can answer basic questions, schedule appointments, and even pre-qualify a lead 24/7, leaving more of the heavy lifting for your human staff.

Consumers are also increasingly using voice assistants to get questions answered and perform other tasks (like shopping). Digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are projected to see an increase in use of 18% over the next year. When you integrate your digital marketing strategy with these solutions, you can expect to see even better results.

  1. Mobile-First Marketing is a Must

More people use mobile devices today to access the internet than any other type of device, such as a desktop. Businesses must create mobile-friendly websites and content or risk a reduction in search engine visibility.

In 2022, every website must have a responsive design that allows customers accessing the information with any type of device to do so quickly and easily.

  1. Multichannel Marketing Will Make a Difference

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic drove a lot of consumers online, people still want to visit physical stores and offices. And, if your firm is strictly online, it would be a mistake to concentrate all of your efforts on a single marketing channel, such as a blog or social media network.

A multichannel marketing approach allows brands to create a strong voice that resonates across as many channels as possible, meeting different customers where they’re at in their buying journeys. This might involve an ongoing combination of blog content, email newsletters and messages, video content, in-store events, and social media posts.

  1. Target Featured Snippets in Google Search

Last year, we mentioned Zero-Click Search Results as a growing trend. This is something brands should continue to target through Google’s featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and video carousels. Google introduced this feature in 2019 as a way to give searchers quick information at the top of the results page. It was so popular that the search engine giant continues to expand on it and give it more importance in terms of the user experience and SEO.

Consumers like to get their information in as few clicks as possible. If you can score one of these features on the first page of Google, you can still get exposure for your business as well as drive traffic to your website from people who want to drill down for more in-depth information. Depending on your strategy, you secure these positions with video content, bulleted lists, tables, and other useful data and statistics posted on your website.

  1. Video Marketing Produces Results

Finally, if you haven’t made video marketing one of your priorities, it is definitely time to start in the coming year. According to research by Cisco, video will account for 82% of all online traffic in 2022. Currently, about 84% of consumers have decided to make purchases after watching an online video.

Your firm has many options when it comes to video content. It can use video to create product demos, produce webinars, and even host live video events. You can post explainer videos that answer people’s questions and introduce your business to viewers.

Is Your 2022 Digital Marketing Plan Ready?

Now is the time to start planning your 2022 marketing strategy. Make sure you start with a clear idea of your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Marketing trends will continue to evolve, but a firm understanding of your audience and its needs will ensure you are able to establish strong relationships and make fast adjustments when needed.

If you are ready to drive more traffic to your website and keep your audience engaged, find out how we can help. Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing is dedicated to offering its clients results-driven digital marketing solutions that work in the current environment. Contact us today at (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free consultation.

Legal Marketing – What Worked in 2021

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Before we close the books on 2021 and turn our attention to 2022, let’s take a look back at what has been working in the world of law firm marketing.

Marketing your law practice has always been challenging, but in the new COVID world we are living in, it has really, really become challenging. But help is out there. Today we want to talk about ways to improve your client intakes for 2022 and beyond. Today’s law firm must be flexible and strategic at the same time.

What Worked in 2021 and What To Continue in 2022

As a company that specializes in marketing for law firms, our job is to monitor trends and the tendencies of individuals searching for attorneys. There are several ways to do this, but the best way we have found is by paying close attention to our own clients and the traffic they are getting to their websites. We study where the traffic is coming from, where on the site the traffic is going and when it is getting there.

We also compare website data across all our client’s websites and compare their bounce rates and their firm contacts. With this information we can see which websites are performing the best and look for reasons why. For example, one website may have testimonial videos, while another may only have a few testimonial comments. One site may use stock photos, while another uses more personal photos of attorneys and local landmarks. This type of information may not seem important, but it can be very valuable when you are trying to figure out what makes one law firm more appealing than another. In the end, we are trying to get a website visitor, aka potential client, to stay on a website as long as possible.

Why is this important? There is a connection between the amount of time a person spends on a website and a websites conversion rate. We define a conversion as a phone call, email, or chat. Most often, the lower the bounce rate, the higher the conversion rate. When you take this information and compare it across all our clients, we can get a better understanding of what is working and what is not working.

This seems simple enough, but it can be very challenging. The adage “the only certainties in life are death and taxes” should also include “Google’s always changing”. It takes constant studying and comparing of notes to figure out the best ways to get a website ranked and then it usually changes on you.

One of the many advantages of using a digital marketing company, like Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, to manage your internet marketing program is their many clients. It is hard for a law firm to figure out what works and what doesn’t work when the only data they have access to is their own. Just when you think you have it figured out, things change and you’re back to square one.

So, here are a few things that worked well this past year and will continue to work in 2022:

  • Local Service Ads (LSA’s) – LSA’s are expanding in practice areas and locations, and they are a great place to get your firm noticed. If you aren’t familiar with them, you should probably get familiar with them right away. This is Google’s verified and screened section of paid advertising. It is a pay per lead program, but you must become Google Screened through Google’s background check process before you can participate. If you haven’t gone through the free process, here is the link, https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/9376654?hl=en
  • Expanding your geographic footprint – Make sure you have content for all the geographical areas your firm covers. This is an important component for expanding your firm’s footprint. Try adding pages for smaller markets surrounding larger cities. This is where people live and commute from and can increase the firm’s exposure to potential clients.
  • Cookies – Cookies can be a turn off. We all get tons of spam and the idea of more coming because you accepted cookies can turn customers away. Just be careful and monitor your website analytics.
  • Display Advertising – Another area that seemed to show little signs of the Covid effect was display advertising. A good display advertising program, coupled with a smart SEO campaign can really increase site visitors.
  • Keyword Mapping: This is an SEO practice in which you assign unique keywords to each page on your website. When you assign a unique keyword to each page, this helps prevent keyword cannibalization. Keyword cannibalization is when multiple pages on your site compete for the same exact keyword. This hurts the ranking of both pages and provides an opportunity to optimize for that keyword by consolidating those two articles and making the existing page more potent for that target keyword. There are software platforms that you can pay for that allow you to check for keyword cannibalization. However, Google Search Console, a free tool provided by Google, does the job very well.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we are here to help. If you have any questions on how to get your website to perform better in 2022, give us a call. We would love to chat with you about your program and ways it can be improved upon. If you prefer to do your own SEO work, you can also try our free website audit tool by clicking on this link.  It will uncover website weaknesses so you can formulate your own plan of action.

We work with law firms in the following areas:

  • Search engine optimization
  • Content writing
  • Social media management
  • Paid ad programs
  • Video service
  • Website development and upkeep

Thank you for time and we hope you enjoy your holidays!

Contact Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Today

If you are looking for ways to stand out in 2022 as the law firm of choice in your area, it’s essential to have the right online presence to support your campaigns. Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in helping law firms with a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that gets results. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your marketing plan for the coming year. Our law firm marketing consultants can be reached at (800) 649-1764.