When it comes to legal marketing, the to-do list is really never done because marketing is a process, not an end-goal. As a busy attorney, your available time to market the firm is finite, but there are some things you can do when you have a spare hour or two that will pay big dividends for your law firm marketing program:
- Update your bio.
Just about every visitor to your website will look at your attorney bios. They’re looking for something to connect with, so spend some time fleshing out your bio and giving it some personality. Always post a photo with it, too. And add keywords that your prospects are likely to use in their online searches.
- Beef up your FAQs.
Another frequently visited area of law firm websites is the FAQ area and it amazes me how many law firms don’t include one on their websites. People love to read FAQs to discover answers to their own questions. In addition, the questions you post are recognized by Google as long-tail keywords — questions like, “How do I file a personal injury claim?” or “How do I have a criminal record expunged?” — so this will help your SEO. The FAQ section of your site is also critical for voice search, so be sure you include full-sentence questions and give complete answers.
- Turn those FAQs into content for your blog.
Each of those FAQs that clients ask you all the time makes great subjects for your blog! You will have to spend some time developing them into full-blown articles, but it is time well spent when you consider that you are writing about what prospective clients want to know. If you don’t want to spend the time writing, then shoot a video of yourself addressing these issues and post it on your website.
- Review your analytics.
Website analytics show how visitors are interacting with your website and blog pages, which helps you improve the overall performance of your sites. Are people filling out the forms you want them to? Are they spending time on your high-value pages? Is the bounce rate on your home page too high? All this information can be found in your analytics report.
- Post an article on LinkedIn.
Even if you don’t do B2B law, LinkedIn is still a good resource for distributing your content and getting it noticed by potential referral sources. You can repurpose one of your blog posts or a previous article you have authored, updating it with new information or giving it a different spin.
- Check your NAP listings.
Google wants your NAP — which stands for Name, Address, Phone — to be the same everywhere across the Internet. If you’ve had a lot of different hands on your online properties, your NAP is probably listed differently in different places. This Moz article tells you how to find your listings so you can standardize them. You’ll want to do this; it’s critical for local SEO.
- Research events to sponsor.
Sponsoring local events that involve or attract your ideal target market is a great way to get visibility for your law firm. Many events offer differing levels of sponsorship, so you can choose according to what your budget will bear. Involving law firm employees in events you sponsor can also help strengthen your team, no small benefit when you consider everything you rely on them for every day. If you’re not already involved in a community event sponsorship, look for an organization that is relevant to your practice area or to you personally to support.
- Request reviews.
Prospects look for reviews any time they search online for an attorney. Even if they are referred to you, they are checking out what others are saying about you online. Admit it, you do the same thing — for a hotel, a restaurant, a book, or whatever you’re about to invest in. Many legal services have become such a commodity these days that consumers rely on reviews to judge you. Therefore, it’s vital you have good reviews to share.
When you are asking for a review, you want to make it extremely simple for people to give you a review. Understand that most people are more than willing to give you a review if you only ask. You only need to make the request, then provide them with links to your profiles on the sites where you want them to post and some instruction on how to do it.
- Educate yourself.
The best way to ensure you have a good legal marketing program is to educate yourself on the latest law firm marketing practices. There are a host of blogs, articles, and websites dedicated to law firm marketing and many of its tools — SEO, email marketing, social media marketing, etc. If you really want to immerse yourself in learning the latest trends in law firm marketing, attend a Rainmaker Retreat so you can stay on top of things when it comes to legal marketing just like you do in your area of practice.
- Write some personal notes.
It is never a waste of time to send a personal note to a valued client or a referral source. Don’t just wait until the holidays or when a case is over. Sending a handwritten note is a small, personal gesture that goes a long way with most people. You don’t need to ask them for anything; just let them know how much you appreciate them.
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