Thanks to digital communication, almost everything about standard marketing from merely a few years ago has changed. The avenues for gaining and attaining clients have been widened, which could be beneficial for savvy businesses but also poses problems for businesses that have to focus on creating a completely new strategy. But what can law firms do to increase their customers – and should they use new methods or stick to the old school tried and tested ways?
Embrace Social Media
Social media is still an area of digital marketing that some law businesses are reticent to embrace. On one hand, social media offers a way for companies to showcase personalities and flog services – on the other, neither of these tactics would showcase the professionalism that's required when handling personal and delicate matters. But social media can be used for the law industry. For example, LinkedIn can be a platform for law experts in the firm to create posts, videos, and infographics about specific areas of the law they are experts in. For a legal business, social media can help cement a place as the go-to firm for certain matters, as well as widening your circle and networking opportunities. In fact, depending on the type of law practised, some clients may be more eager to approach your firm through social media channels. A Twitter message or comment could bring in a new case or help someone who otherwise would have stayed well away from lawyers - in addition to raising brand awareness.
Networking Still Matters
No matter how advanced digital methods will grow, nothing will replace traditional networking as a way to showcase business strength and attempt to gain new clients. Interpersonal relationships form the basis of successful businesses and networking is a key way in which to build these and build the rapport and reputation necessary. Networking boils down to listening to people, assessing their problems, and posing yourself as a useful contact in finding a solution to these problems. While a highly engaging post on Twitter may seem like a good vanity metric, being able to hand out business cards in a traditional way is more likely to get law firms custom and clients. In fact, the look and feel of your business cards are as important as ever, with options ranging from glossy Chromolux to eco-friendly recycled paper. Keep in mind the message you want to sent out when choosing these details. Eco-friendly paper helps a company practising environmental law highlight their product, for instance. Networking conferences can work to allow you to position yourself as an expert in a field of law, while also meeting with people who might opt to use your services in the future. Confidence, professionalism and efficacy can all be practised outside of networking, but ensuring you are skilled in all three can work wonders for your books and your position in a saturated field of law.
Embrace Digital Advertising
When it comes to law, connecting with the right kind of clients is key. Thanks to the way Google and online algorithms work, placing ads in the right places could result in a flurry of work and help clients who need your services to find you easier. Depending on the area of law you specialise in, for instance, corporate law would find business sites that offer advice for small businesses or those unlikely to already have legal representation. Using some savvy and with some research into exactly what kind of customer you want and where they like to spend time online could result in attaining the right kind of clients. Often, time can be saved by targeting those specific potential clients which will be mutually beneficial through online advertising. Good or bad, the PPI and holiday delay companies have found the perfect platforms to target people most likely to look into using their services. Of course, traditional advertising still has its place. Deciding which avenue to take your advertising depends on your business and who you might want to target as your client.
PR Still Matters
PR is one of the most lucrative ways in which businesses can attract new clients and customers and increase brand recognition for when the time may come that the potential customer will convert into a customer. Digital means have helped proliferate PR messages – Gregg’s is a strong example of going viral for various simple offers, such as their dine in for two for Valentine’s Day, flipping their sign backwards so that it can be read in Fenwick’s window, their sausage roll in the Nativity display, and most recently their vegan sausage roll. Each of these were simple to enact and - thanks to social media - helped increase awareness not for the bakery, but for the personality behind the bakery. PR stunts can include experiential stunts, charitable connections, celebrity links, or anything deemed newsworthy that can be controlled and shows the law business in a good light. While social media has helped the spread of PR messages, the traditional means of PR still remain strong.
Law firms are a fairly saturated market, so relying on methods new and old of increasing customers, increasing brand recognition, and ensuring that customers understand the brand are a key strategy. A holistic approach to marketing that links both old and new methods is the best strategy for law firms going forwards.
