Legal Marketing: 13 Digital Marketing Strategies For Lawyers

If you've come this far, you already know that the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) does not allow lawyers to use advertising to win clients, right?

But, that doesn't mean you don't have to do anything or just wait for customers to come to you.

With legal marketing, you will learn the main methods to position yourself in the market and gain more and more visibility.

Continue with the text and clear all your doubts!

What is legal marketing?

Before defining legal marketing itself, it is important to know, in full, what the New Code of Ethics and Discipline of the OAB says on the subject:

"The lawyer's professional advertising is merely informative and must be discreet and sober, not being able to capture clientele or commercialization of the profession"

At the first moment after reading it, one might think that legal marketing is not approved by the Order, after all, if I can't use marketing to attract clients, what can I do?

Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the details.

The main function of legal marketing is to communicate and educate the public , that is, to produce informative content, to become known, to create a certain relevance and, consequently, to form new business opportunities.

The lawyer will create a market positioning strategy, in this way, he can be easily found by a potential client with a problem that the lawyer addresses.

Why invest in digital legal marketing?

It is important to point out that the law service is nothing more than a business , that is, the main reason to invest in digital legal marketing is to make your business relevant .

Once it becomes relevant, you will be able to:

• Pass greater confidence;
• Gain authority;
• Become a standout when compared to the competition;
• Improve the relationship with your customers; and
• Achieve your goals faster.

To achieve all these goals, it is necessary to create quality informative content , which can be in different formats, such as: blog, YouTube, social networks, podcasts, etc.

The Components of a Marketing Plan for Law Firms

As much as the production of informative content can be seen as something easy to do, mainly because lawyers will already know what to say, a strategic plan is necessary.

With that in mind, here we separate the three main topics that a legal marketing plan should have.

Let's go to them!

Know Your Target Audience: Who Are You Producing For?
First of all, you need to know who your main audience is.

Question: Who do I want my content to reach?

To make it easier, we can even group some of your possible users, such as:

Current customers;
Past customers;
Other attorneys (known to you or not);
Industry contacts;
Professionals from other areas; and
Media (whether news channel or social networks).

Set Goals Based on the SMART Method

Setting goals for each area of ​​your legal marketing plan is essential.

Therefore, follow the following mnemonic:

As much as the production of informative content can be seen as something easy to do, mainly because lawyers will already know what to say, a strategic plan is necessary.

With that in mind, here we separate the three main topics that a legal marketing plan should have.

Let's go to them!

Know Your Target Audience: Who Are You Producing For?
First of all, you need to know who your main audience is.

Question: Who do I want my content to reach?

To make it easier, we can even group some of your possible users, such as:

Current customers;
Past customers;
Other attorneys (known to you or not);
Industry contacts;
Professionals from other areas; and
Media (whether news channel or social networks).
Set Goals Based on the SMART Method
Setting goals for each area of ​​your legal marketing plan is essential.

Therefore, follow the following mnemonic:

S – Specific : the objective must be clear and in as much detail as possible, so that the entire team understands.

M – Measurable : every goal must be measured in some way, if not, how do you present it to your client?

A – Attainable (attainable): it is necessary to be aware of the situation you are in, what are the necessary resources and if it is really possible to achieve what was proposed, otherwise, what would be the logic?

R – Relevant (relevant): show that this objective brings relevance to your business. What makes you different from the others? That way, your entire team will be motivated.

T – Time based : it is essential that you establish a deadline for this goal. : the objective must be clear and in as much detail as possible, so that the entire team understands.

M – Measurable : every goal must be measured in some way, if not, how do you present it to your client?

A – Attainable (attainable): it is necessary to be aware of the situation you are in, what are the necessary resources and if it is really possible to achieve what was proposed, otherwise, what would be the logic?

R – Relevant (relevant): show that this objective brings relevance to your business. What makes you different from the others? That way, your entire team will be motivated.

T – Time based : it is essential that you establish a deadline for this goal.

Examples of SMART goals .

Implementing Your Legal Marketing Plan: Tips from an Expert

Sometimes all these marketing issues can seem tedious, and even complicated, for lawyers.

So stay tuned for the tips below to make the process much easier!

• Recognize your best contacts: focus on the people you like, trust and even know how they work.
• Have high criteria for your clients and references: it may seem rude, but it is very important that the lawyer is selective with his clients, in this way, the chance of your business to expand is greater.
• No door customers: this tip refers to the previous one, in which you need to be more selective with the people you work for. It is important that they know about your criteria.
• Improve your sales process: even though the lawyer is not so familiar with sales, it is very important that there is an effort to show the quality of service.
• Create a sales pipeline: track your customers, whether they are past or current. In this way, you will be able to establish the next steps.
• Develop your brand: it is through your brand that you and your service will be recognized, so never leave this aspect aside! Always try to improve it.
• Define a niche for your service: even if many think otherwise, the niche will not prevent the lawyer from working in other areas. Its role is to improve the professional so that it stands out and other opportunities are generated.

13 Digital Marketing Strategies for Lawyers

After all this overview of what legal marketing is, why to invest and what an action plan looks like, the time has come to know the possible strategies for your business.

1. Create a Marketing Budget

The starting point for your legal marketing planning is: define how much you can spend .

In this way, you will know how much you can invest in each strategy and, consequently, what your goals will be.

Remember: the budget will also be impacted if you work in a competitive area or depending on the specifics of your business.

Let's take an example: you can have APPs, email marketing, SEO strategies, paid advertising on social networks, etc. All of this will affect your budget in some way.

Finally, always be mindful of being within your own limits .

2. Create a Well-Designed Legal Marketing Website

Currently, it is essential that your company, regardless of the area, has a website; after all, it is through him that the customer can have the first impression of your business.

It is important that your services are clear and well explained on the platform .

Exposing your business success stories is a great tactic, too.

Finally, to further guide the creation of your website, try answering the 11 questions below:

• Do you have an SEO expert on your team?
• Does the site load quickly?
• Who will host the site?
• Is your website built on a common platform?
• How often will you update your site?
• Will you follow ethical advertising guidelines?
• Is your website responsive?
• Who is responsible for the content of your website?
• What are your qualifications?
• Do you offer a guarantee?
• Will you set up Google Analytics and goal tracking?

3. Ensure Your Site is SEO Optimized

What's the point of having a website if your potential customers can't find you in the search engines?

Therefore, your website must follow good SEO practices .

Have quality content that answers possible questions from your customers.

Another important point for you to be found is: have a blog .

With well-ranked texts on Google, your business can be found much more easily.

4. Claim your Free Online Profiles

Your services don't have to, and shouldn't, be tied to your own website.

Take advantage of the opportunity of publicity sites for services in your area , make a good presentation of your business and make the contact information very clear to the customer.

5. Make your business present on Social Networks

Just like your own website, it is essential that your business is on social media .

Choose the one that makes the most sense for you and your area of ​​expertise.

Below are some tips on Legal Marketing for Instagram and LinkedIn.

How can lawyers use Instagram in their legal marketing?

In 2018, Instagram reached 1 billion users, of which 80% had a business account.

With these data, it can already be said that this social network is the most popular and with the highest engagement compared to the others.

So invest in Instagram and be sure to follow the strategies below:

Have a good name and a good “@” – both topics are the gateway to your account, they are part of your identity. Names linked to your area of ​​expertise will always be preferable.

Pay attention to the description – it is with the description that the user will know what you do, your skills and services. Don't be wordy, you only have 150 characters!

Make your account business – with the business profile you will be able to track some of the metrics that are not possible in the personal profile. In addition, with a business account separate from your personal profile it is also possible to preserve your privacy.

Planning – It is essential that you have a plan for your Instagram. Have a visual identity, adopt a textual and imagery standard and use your account often - have a posting calendar.

Interact with your audience – always ask your followers questions and inquiries. To do this, create polls, open a question box, chat with them in stories and also make posts so they can share.

Use hashtags – one of the best ways to be found on Instagram is to use hashtags. Use the ones that relate to your publication and even create one that matches your business.

How can lawyers use LinkedIn in their legal marketing?

As a professional-oriented social network, LinkedIn is a great tool for you to connect with other professionals in your field and become known in the market.

Let's get to the strategies so you don't miss out on anything!

Pay attention to your title description – both your title and description should be attractive to the audience. Explain who you are, what you do and what your area of ​​expertise is. Don't be generic, mainly explore what sets you apart from others.

Be careful with your profile picture – prefer photos where you look more professional, with a “plain” background and without too much information.

Detail your information – as much as you must be concise and objective, always give preference to unique information about your professional side, as well as your goals, experiences and results.

Create a good network – connect with people who make sense in your professional network and who can further leverage your business. Follow those who produce relevant content, referral professionals, referral companies, etc.

Produce relevant content – ​​be active on LinkedIn, make it your showcase. You can give your opinion on current affairs, create content from scratch, bring news, among many other types of content possible.

Publish constantly – again, it's important to be active on the network, even if it's not with your own content. It is very interesting to share, like and comment on what is being brought on the platform.

6. Manage Your Business Reviews Effectively

Once your business is consolidated, several reviews will begin to emerge.

Pay attention to each one, as according to the 2021 Legal Attend Report survey, 82% of the public checks customer reviews when looking for a service .

So, worry about your customers' reviews, whether they are positive or negative.

7. Test Content Marketing

Put all your skills in the field to practice, this way you will gain even more authority in the subject, and even become a point of reference.

Remember to produce clear, objective content that answers the questions of your potential customers, and maintain a periodicity of publication.

How to do Content Marketing?

In addition to blogging, there are several ways to explore content marketing for your business, some of which are:

• Post to social networks;
• E-mail marketing;
• webinars;
• Videos for YouTube;
• podcasts; and
• Ebooks.

Remember to always adapt the content for each platform.

8. Invest time in Networking and Business Development

Creating relationships with other lawyers is an important point for your services, as your business becomes even more sustainable and known.

Participating in events or lectures is also a way to increase your networking.

9. Online Paid Media

This strategy happens through well-placed ads.

To do this, you will use the following tools to reach your audience:

• Google Ads;
• Social Ads ; and
• Programmatic media.

Each campaign you create will focus on an objective and next to it you can create a corresponding ad.

10. Consider Traditional Marketing

Even in the digital age, your customers can still see billboards and advertisements in traditional media.

But, never forget that you will still be searched for on the internet, so always be prepared to receive visitors to your website and your profiles.

11. Evaluate Your Legal Marketing Efforts

It is only through the evaluation of the return on what was invested that you will be able to know your next steps.

Find out what your customers are saying about you, how your service is received in the market, and even if anyone in your network already has some feedback to do.

12. Email Marketing

If you want to have a closer contact with your customers, invest in email marketing.

Through it you can send personalized messages to each of your leads who have subscribed to your content.

In addition, with this strategy you will be able to follow the entire process of your lead until you become your customer.

13. Legal Design

Still seen as a new concept, legal design is an approach that encompasses three areas: design, technology and law .

Its purpose is to solve problems – always looking for new ways to present the most complex information to the lay public.

Its focus is on the human being, improving its product in order to increasingly understand the customer's problem, improving communication and seeking a faster solution.

Legal Marketing: 4 Best Practices for Lawyers

It's no use following all the strategies listed above if you still don't know how to guide your business.

In fact, without following some of the marketing principles, all your investment in tools and tactics will be in vain.

With that in mind, take a look at the four best practices that Leadster has put together for you!

1. Your approach must be customer-centric

We live in a society that is used to the speed of delivery – and in law it is no different.

Provide a completely customer-centric experience , keep them in the loop and always prefer a technological way out of the case.

As for marketing, it should always be thought of putting the customer first , that is, follow them from the first moment.

That's when Legal Design comes into the picture, be empathetic with your client , show them that you understand what the problem is, don't treat them just like another one.

2. Invest Strategically

This practice is about knowing your limits . It is necessary to think, first of all, on which social networks you intend to be present, what types of content will be produced, etc.

You don't have to do everything, strategically choose which tools and platforms to use , so your investment will not be in vain.

3. Invest in Extra Support if needed

There may come a time when you will need to outsource some services, after all, your specialty is in law and not marketing.

If you feel that there is an overload, it may be time to start thinking about ways to help yourself, whether through software or outsourced labor .

4. Evaluate, Evaluate and Evaluate

If you don't know what the results of your legal marketing strategy are, there will be no way to measure the next steps, whether they are changes, advances, some sort of setback, or whether they remain the way they are.

Ask how your Google search results are doing; what customers are thinking of your services; how your content is being received and evaluated; how many hits you are getting on your website and blog, among many other metrics that can be evaluated.

Legal Marketing Terms

You can't get into a completely different area than you're used to without knowing the least about the terms used within it, right?

For you not to be completely in the dark, here we separate some of the main terms of Legal Marketing to help you in its implementation and even in your studies.

Continue in the text!

lead

In marketing, lead means a potential customer for your business .

It's not just a person who ended up accessing your website by chance, the lead shows interest in your product, whether through a "contact us" or "free trial" button, for example.

Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the number of people who landed on your page or ad and ended up converting into leads .

It can also be calculated further down the funnel, representing the percentage of leads that actually became customers.

This control can happen on a per-page or site-wide basis.

Call To Action (CTA)

Literally translated, CTA means call to action.

In this case, this call wants your website visitor to have some interaction right after accessing some content .

The CTA can be a “contact us” button, the “learn more” button in an ad and even a call-out to other content on the platform.

Landing Page

Landing Page is a page created for a specific purpose , for example: filling out a form, getting in touch, clicking on a link or scheduling an appointment.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When we translate the term SEO, we will have: optimization for search engines .

SEO is nothing more than a tactic for your website to be found in search engines , such as Google, through keywords.

Keywords are terms that represent the content you produce and the area you work in.

Return on investment (ROI)

ROI, or Return on Investment , is a metric that measures the performance of your business.

It will always calculate the result you had on what you invested.

Pay-per-click (PPC)

Pay Per Click (PPC) is a form of advertising where advertisers pay a certain amount each time someone clicks on their ad .

The two main players operating in this type of strategy are Google Ads (with 95% of the market) and Bing Ads.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Translating to Portuguese we have: Conversion Optimization Rate .

CRO is a strategy that aims to constantly improve the elements of your website , in this way, it will always be attracting and converting more users.

Technology for Legal Marketing: 7 tools for success

Finally, thinking about helping your Legal Marketing planning, there are some tools specific to the segment that can make your day to day a little easier.

Let's go to them!

E-mail marketing

If you are going to bet on a personalized newsletter strategy for your lead, there are some tools that can help your process.

The main one is Mailchimp , one of the most used in the world and can be integrated into any website made with WordPress, Magento, Shopify, etc.

Social Network Management

If you want to improve your social media management, there are many tools that can help you schedule posts, track results and also monitor topics relevant to your field.

Some tools for this are: Hootsuite , mLabs and Buffer .

Search

To facilitate your process of choosing topics for your blog production, there are several tools that already give you a list of what is being searched around the world and in your area of ​​expertise.

But the main one is Google Trends . If you also want to know how many people are searching for each term, head straight to SEMrush .

Appointment Scheduling

To make your day-to-day even easier, there are platforms that can schedule you to meet your customers.

With Calendly , your own client can book an appointment with you, just synchronize with your professional calendar, and free times will appear at the time of choice.

Websites

To create your website, you can either seek the services of a specialized agency , or look for a website creation tool that is simpler – eliminating the need for a developer.

Regardless of your choice, pay attention to points such as design, navigation, SEO, responsiveness and site speed.

Online assessment management

We've already said here that tracking customer feedback is very important for your business, so there are platforms that do this whole process for you.

They are: Nicereply and Yotop .

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Here the software will help you to follow the trajectory of your customers , showing the status of each one of them.

Conversion chatbot

A chatbot is a tool that provides a personalized and proactive approach to potential customers who visit your website.

Leadster , in addition to having an interactive chatbot software, uses conversational marketing with its leads.

In this way, the result your business will have is: several users becoming qualified leads and increasing your conversion rate even more.