When it comes to these four marketing pillars, nobody is above the law
As a lawyer, you might be familiar with the four pillars of the law. They signify that the laws must be public, fair, stable, and understandable. A governing system that is based on the rule of law, like the one we have in the U.S., should follow these ideals. These rules are fundamental to maintaining a functioning society.
What you might be less familiar with are the four pillars of online marketing. While these ideals don’t necessarily uphold our society as we know it, they can uphold your law firm. If you stick to them, they can even launch your law firm to an unprecedented level of success. When you think about your online marketing plan as a whole, make sure these four pillars are standing strong:
An effective website
An effective website that tells your visitors who you are and what you can offer them is the cornerstone of a strong online marketing presence. Your website will give your potential clients the information they need to decide to contact your firm. Most of your potential clients will spend a great deal of time researching online before they choose a law firm, so don’t be afraid to fully showcase your potential on your website. Your website should introduce your firm and give some background on each of your lawyers. It should also lay out your practice areas, any thought leadership resources such as blogs or videos, and a contact page. Bonus points if you also include an FAQ page! Remember that all of these pages should be easy to navigate. When you think about writing your content pages, it is essential to think through the lens of an SEO strategy, which brings us to our next pillar.
A strong SEO strategy
According to the National Law Review, 96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine in their research process and 74% of consumers visit a law firm’s website to take action. That is why an effective website and a strong SEO strategy are the first two essential pillars of online marketing for law firms. Beyond that, 57% of your clients will find you through a search engine, so it is important to consistently rank as high as you can. Some of the ways you can improve your odds include:
- Find your firm’s keywords and weave them into your content pages
- Create useful, relevant content
- Don’t forget your title tags and metadata
- Create good user experiences with mobile-friendly pages
- Complete your Google Business Profile page
Active and attractive social media pages
You might think that social media and law firms do not go together, but that is not the case. Your social media pages can be a great legal marketing tool. They can help you appear more relatable to your audience and help you connect with them in authentic ways. Your social media pages are so important that we believe they deserve to be the third pillar of your online marketing.
One word of caution that lawyers should always remember when it comes to social media is to keep it more professional than you might think you need to. This doesn’t mean you need to come across as cold or unfriendly, but you do need to hold yourself to a higher standard than the way the rest of your audience might conduct themselves. An inappropriate social media post can lead to bar discipline or sanctions, so social media ethics are necessary. Some other good rules of thumb for lawyers on social media are:
- If you’re not sure where to start building your social media presence, start with Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook is one of the most significant social media platforms for lawyers, with 2.5 billion active users each month. Facebook is one of the best platforms for connecting with new clients and deepening relationships with existing ones. Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn is another way to connect with your audience, but LinkedIn also offers the unique opportunity to become a thought leader in your industry. Staying on top of your practice area and posting consistent, relevant content on LinkedIn will set you apart from the competition.
- Be sure to weave your keywords into your social media content as well! Focus on your main point of interest such as your practice area and your location. This will give you the best chance to appear to those who need your services. Use some trending legal hashtags throughout your social media content as well. This will help you work with social media algorithms as well as Google’s algorithms.
- Utilize paid ads on social media. It might be your first instinct to stick with organic content, but paid ads can have an important place in your social media efforts as well. They can expand your reach beyond your firm’s existing followers and open you up to a new audience that would not have come across your page otherwise.
4. A positive reputation
A positive reputation is a glue that holds all of your online marketing efforts together. It is also one of the most common reasons that clients will come to you for your services. When clients are looking for a lawyer, 59% of them will seek a referral. This makes client referrals the most common way your clients will find you, followed by search engines. To increase your chances of getting a referral, you need to work towards a positive reputation. Believe it or not, your online marketing can play a major role in this. These are some of the ways to improve your firm’s reputation through digital marketing:
- Surpass your clients’ expectations so that they will want to leave positive reviews and refer you to their friends.
- Ask your satisfied clients to leave reviews, and make it as easy as possible for them to do so. You can also take advantage of peer review sites like Avvo. If you see negative reviews, address them as soon as possible. Show compassion in your responses and work to resolve the issue as best as you can.
- Keep your digital content accurate and up-to-date. Use it to showcase your level of expertise and position your firm as a leader in your industry.
- Interact with your audience on social media.
There are so many ways you can improve your law firm’s online presence and attract your ideal audience, but you should never leave out these four pillars. To learn more about how to stand strong in your online marketing efforts for your law firm, contact Scorpion today.
