Flexibility and diversification are key to igniting the growth of your law practice. As market dynamics change, consumers want more simplicity and convenience in their interactions with businesses. Result-based marketing techniques can generate quality leads and make your practice profitable. In this article, we will highlight compelling ways to kickstart your marketing campaign and increase your consumer leads and conversions.
Search Engine Optimization
Technology is evolving exponentially, and the digital experience is all about capturing the consumer’s attention. As a result, online presence is a crucial variable that can affect the success of most modern law firms. Ranking high on search engines is a race to the top to dominate the local legal market and capture internet search leads.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has the most impact on your online presence and search engine visibility. The formula for success includes staying current with dynamic search engine algorithms and ensuring compliance with technical industry standards. Consumers utilize both mobile and desktop devices when searching for services or products online. It is reported that 48% of users believe that a business whose website is not mobile-friendly is an inept and careless business.
Other relevant aspects of SEO can affect online presence, including:
• Website speed, coding, internal link structure, and content are examples of the data used to drive search engine rankings. For instance, a one-second delay in a web page speed can decrease conversions by 7%.
• A new ranking factor being introduced in 2021 is the Google Page Experience. Website pages will have a Page Experience score based on Core Web Vitals: page speed, loading performance, visual stability, interactivity, mobile-friendliness, mobile pop-ups, interstitials, and website security. Using the correct tools to analyze Core Web Vitals is critical to optimize the web experience. For law firms, it is essential to assess and improve the performance of your website moving forward.
Legal Directories
Creating an online presence in legal directories plays an important role in promoting and growing a practice. Legal directories provide an avenue for consumers to explore attorneys in their geographical area, and they can be used as a strategy for achieving a stream of direct leads. In addition, legal directories add SEO authority by providing backlinks to your website, a highly influential factor in Google search rankings. A law firm has a more comprehensive presence on the internet and consumer credibility when affiliated with various authoritative legal directories.
A proprietary evaluation metric called Domain Rating (DR) ranks a website’s authority scale from 0 to 100. Domain rank provides an analysis of a backlink profile. High DR directories are the best websites to use to earn links for SEO. Advantages of lawyer’s directories besides lead generation and visibility are earning reviews. Additionally, some legal directories permit attorneys to publish legal articles on their websites. A recent poll reported that nearly a third of their respondents utilized lawyer’s directories when they needed legal services.
Video Marketing
Video marketing is taking the legal industry by storm due to its ability to generate a high volume of search engine traffic. Videos provide an opportunity to showcase the unique features of a law firm and how they can help potential clients. It is estimated that firms that have videos on their website are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google. Today’s consumers want personalization and engagement with the legal professionals they hire. Consumers are more likely to engage with videos than written content, and videos demonstrate credibility and authority. Researchers report that almost 500 million hours of video are watched every day.
Video marketing plays a unique role in marketing a law firm’s brand. Having videos on a website provides prolonged consumer engagement, which helps the page rank higher for search engines. Studies show that a video holds consumers’ attention for approximately two minutes longer than reading content. Additionally, 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos every week. Videos can be shared on many different platforms, including social media, which provides an excellent opportunity for brand awareness. Videos may be created for educational purposes, client testimonials, case studies, or promotional advertising. Videos that discuss frequently asked questions (FAQs) are among the most popular videos created by attorneys.
Vlogs are video blogs created for sharing thoughts, insights, personal opinions, upcoming events, or tutorial guides. Vlogging offers a personal touch and an opportunity to interact with your target audience. For greater outreach, vloggers often use special effects such as greenscreens or animation in their videos. Video marketing is among the most up-and-coming tools attorneys are utilizing to grow their practice.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media is here to stay. It is a powerful communication tool that law firms should embrace to remain relevant and connected with their target audience. A survey completed in 2018 reported that 35% of law firms surveyed gained clients through social media. Additionally, 42% reported increased conversion rates through social media marketing. In addition, it is an avenue for legal professionals to stay informed about the activities of competing law firms.
Social media platforms attract distinct audiences. Therefore, law firms must tailor the content they publish accordingly. Facebook is currently the most popular social media site globally. The reach of a Facebook post or video can increase exponentially. LinkedIn is the most favored site for legal professionals. It showcases a professional’s previous work history and education, relevant experience, current occupation, and career awards or highlights. This information builds credibility, and sharing it on social media platforms can increase referrals for potential clients. By learning the nuances of each social media platform, you will diversify your social marketing efforts to a maximum growth potential.
Google Local Service Ads
Another successful inbound marketing strategy in 2021 is the advent of Google’s Local Service Ads. This service for the legal community helps potential clients connect with attorneys in their geographical area. Participating in Local Service Ads gives attorneys prime search engine real estate, appearing on the top of Google. Additionally, as attorneys are Google screened, it gives potential clients confidence that Google has vetted the attorney they choose to contact. Attorneys accepted in Google Local Service Ads have had a background screening process, verification of law license/bar number, and proof of insurance. Each lawyer’s ad is connected to a Google My Business address, having at least one client review and a score of at least 3.0/5. It is a cost-per-lead program. A law firm only pays a fee to Google when a client generates an inquiry regarding one of their practice areas. An added advantage is that a law firm can set a budget for the placement of ads. This gives the practice complete control of how much they want to spend.
Finding That Competitive Edge
A tailored legal marketing strategy is the roadmap to a law firm’s success. By utilizing the power of the internet, you can increase not just the quantity of leads, but the quality of leads. Increasing the quality of cases can cause you to generate more revenue while working the same hours. The core message of your plan should speak to the legal and personal needs of potential clients. Website development, branding, SEO strategies, and other internet marketing tactics drive a law firm’s visibility on the internet. Leveraging technology to engage the right audience facilitates growth and prosperity to increase revenue. While client referrals can grow your practice, it is best to be proactive and embrace technology to give your law firm the competitive edge.
