Law firms need new clients. The internet has become the best place to market them. Finding the right strategy is best left to professionals, allowing you to deal with your legal duties.
Word of mouth, referrals, and minimal advertising in the local newspaper or Yellow Pages can no longer ensure a consistent flow of new clients for your law firm. New client leads now come from effectual online marketing campaigns. These campaigns are created to inform prospective clients of your law firm’s areas of expertise.
Whether you are an experienced lawyer with an established law firm or are newly qualified and just starting your career, you must constantly bring in new clients and cases. Keeping pace with your increased work commitments means you will have less time to put in the required effort for a powerful marketing campaign. A marketing consultant can save you effort, time, and money.
Understanding the marketing strategies required by your law firm is not easy. These include the dynamic bidding process online for specific keyword queries called pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. This allows the highest bidder to appear higher up in a relevant search query.
Besides PPC, a winning strategy needs to include the technical strategies of SEO. SEO is free, but its ranking factors rely on content and backlinks. This is best done by someone with experience, and SEO marketing does take more time to pay off.
Law firms also need to take advantage of social media platforms (especially LinkedIn and Facebook), because they offer opportunities for client engagement and advertising.
The Pros for Your Law Firm
The popularity of marketing agencies is on the rise, proving they know how to best get your message across. There are two areas where your law firm must have a superb presence. The first is with an attractive and informative website, and the second is on social media.
The pros of hiring a marketing consultant are:
1. Creativity
Creating marketing campaigns is what marketing consultants do. They are experienced and employ talented people (copywriters, designers, SEO specialists, data analysts, etc.). This helps promote your firm to prospective clients.
2. Cost efficiency
Marketers know when each campaign needs to be run if it is to attract clients. This is especially true for PPC marketing campaigns. Large law firms can run these to attract a steady stream of clients, and smaller law firms can run them as needed to capitalize on attracting clients.
3. Expertise
Omnichannel experience in different types of marketing is what marketers can offer. The wider your presence, the more your law firm can be seen by a broader audience.
4. Tracking
Tracking the results of marketing efforts is important for your law firm. It allows you to see which phrases work best, and you can tie leads from campaigns to inquiries received. These all require time and knowledge.
5. New ideas
The marketing ideas for your law firm need to stand out from that of your competition. If you are responsible for social media postings, it is hardly viable you can present something new and exciting for every advertising effort. Marketing consultants can see your law firm from a different perspective and it’s their job is to brainstorm ideas.
6. More time for you to focus
Law is a demanding career and you must focus on winning cases while also reading up on changes to the law. A marketing consultant can save you time because they do all the analytics and take care of all your firm’s marketing needs.
The Cons for Your Law Firm
Hiring a marketing consultant can also present a few cons. Be aware of them so you can decide what is best for your law firm.
1. Expensive
Marketing consultants have expenses, and they need to charge a fee for their services. Before deciding on hiring one, find out about their fee structure and what is included. This will allow you to budget for it. Always bear in mind, a good marketing effort has the potential to increase your client base and income.
2. No industry experiences
Not all marketing consultants are experienced in marketing law firms. Keep this in mind when you are looking for one and check on their previous experience. Also, in the beginning, every marketing consultant needs some guidance until they learn more about the legal industry and your expectations.
3. Prioritizing
Some marketers tend to prioritize their bigger customers, and you may feel your projects aren’t pushed fast enough.
Conclusion
New ideas, dedicated experts, and an increased client base are what a marketing consultant can offer. The final decision rests with you after you have considered the pros and cons.
