You have been repeatedly told that law firm marketing is essential, but where should you start? How much should you spend? There are many myths surrounding marketing, but we will debunk 5 of them.
Myth #1 – Law Firm Marketing Costs a Fortune to be Effective
Many marketing strategies are expensive, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. However, digital marketing and social media provide budget-friendly tools for law firms to reach their target audience.
Social media platforms, such as FaceBook, Instagram, and others, are affordable and provide exposure to thousands of targeted users. Your posts can personalize your attorneys and drive ideal clients to your website. Social media builds your brand and improves your credibility.
Additionally, for a small fee, your law firm can market itself in online legal directories, such as FindLaw.com. Legal directories are an opportunity for your attorneys to appear where legal consumers are searching when they need help. They are easy and cost-effective.
Myth #2 – No Return on Investment in Law Firm Marketing
Legal marketing is a trial-and-error process. You must figure out what strategies work best for your law firm and your audience. However, if your budget is small and you need quick results, it is important how you view the ROI.
What are your goals? For example, if you need to improve your firm’s brand, your ROI may be defined as achieving more online exposure. You can start small and build your efforts over time. Your ROI is more than just gaining more money. Set your goals, create a digital strategy, and track all that you are gaining from your efforts.
Myth #3 – Branding My Firm is the Same as Legal Marketing
Many attorneys believe that building their firm brand is the same as marketing. While they are similar, they are not the same.
Branding
Branding your law firm involves your website design, logo, colors, and how your present your firm to others. It is how clients understand you and what your values are, but it does not reach your target market without marketing.
Legal Marketing
Legal marketing focuses on using strategies and online tools to promote your brand to your potential clients. Your brand is ineffective if nobody sees it. Therefore, branding and legal marketing must work with each other, not in place of each other.
Myth #4 – Word-of-Mouth Referrals are Sufficient Marketing
Referrals are an excellent way to gain new clients, but word-of-mouth is not enough to rely solely on for building your business. If you receive a referral from a friend or family member, the first thing you typically do is look them up online. Thus, even if you consider your law firm to be a referral-only law firm, having a strong online presence is critical.
Think about what you would do if you were going to retain a lawyer. Wouldn’t you look at the firm’s website? Check their social media account. Search for online reviews. These are the steps potential clients will take, so it is imperative to build your online presence. This includes asking past or current clients for reviews.
Your online presence also includes having a mobile presence. Your website must be optimized for clients visiting your site using their smartphones. A mobile-friendly website should be quick to load, simple to use and provide clear information for contacting you to schedule an appointment.
Myth #5 – Our Firm Must Hire an In-House Law Firm Marketing Specialist
Attorneys rarely have the time to properly market their services because they are busy taking care of clients. Hiring an in-house marketing specialist is an option, but the expense of paying a specialist’s salary is typically only beneficial for large law firms. For small to medium-sized firms, The Rainmaker Institute can support you with your law firm marketing needs.
