5 things you need for effective digital marketing

As an attorney at a small law firm, you understand that digital marketing is a must. You know you need a professional-looking and well-designed website with content that’s unique and that highlights your respective practice areas. But to truly realize the power and payoffs of digital marketing, it’s important to take a deeper dive into how effectively your firm is using specific tactics and tools.

Let’s explore five digital marketing tools that can help take your small law firm to the next level.

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1. A website that converts

Yes, you have a website. But do you have one that encompasses the components needed to turn potential clients into actual paying clients? In addition to making sure that your website employs design and UX best practices, take the time to craft content and messaging that’s helpful, relatable, and empathetic.

You’ll want to make sure your website includes several high-quality photos of your attorneys, staff members, and office setting as well as prominent and compelling calls to action on every page. Guarantee that everything on your site is trackable so you can measure performance and identify pages that are driving conversion.

2. A strategic blogging process

The benefits of regularly posting blog content to your website are threefold. First, you get to flex your legal knowledge and expertise by writing about a variety of legal topics and issues that relate to your practice area. Second, you get to be seen as a valuable and helpful resource by potential clients who are seeking legal help. And third, you gain the attention of search engines by signaling that your blog is an important source for relevant legal information.

Set yourself up for success and make the blogging process easier by developing a quarterly editorial calendar. This helps keep you on track as you’ll know what you need to write about and when. Remember that blog posts don’t need to be long manifestos, either. Write simplified versions of frequently asked questions you hear from clients, provide helpful tips, or a checklist of dos and don’ts related to a legal topic — all with the goal of being engaging and helpful.

3. A strong social media presence

Today, social media is part of the attorney vetting process. What will potential clients who search for your law firm on platforms like Facebook and TikTok find? 

Social media gives you an outlet to let your law firm’s personality shine, so always strive to be authentic and relatable. You can post about things happening at your law firm and within your community or create short videos with helpful tips or checklists. If you want to get a little personal, you can share photos and musings about your pets, your favorite local bike trails, or a new restaurant in your area. Yes, you’re an attorney but you’re also a human being. Potential clients will appreciate getting to know a bit more about you, your firm, and what they can expect when they hire you to help resolve their legal issue.

Keep in mind that certain social media platforms are better for certain types of messages and content. For example, short and lighthearted videos may be more suited for TikTok. Content like snippets from your latest blog or an award your firm recently received may be better for Facebook or LinkedIn.

6 ways attorneys can make a great first impression online

Making a good impression online isn’t any harder than making one in person. It’s just different. Overall, you need to think about what clients are looking for in your practice area and what differentiates you from other lawyers a prospective client might come across.

4. Effective PPC campaigns

Imagine if there was a way to serve up your law firm to potential clients at precisely the right time in their journey to find a lawyer. That’s exactly what pay-per-click (PPC) advertising does. PPC ads are prominently displayed at the top of a search results page depending on their relevancy in meeting a user’s search intent and past performance. PPC ads typically include a photo, headline, short description, and links to your website. They not only put you directly in front of potential clients, but also help build a sense of trust by fostering brand recognition and credibility.

PPC ads can be a highly effective digital marketing tool, but they do take a considerable amount of know-how and time to set up and manage. Many law firms benefit by hiring a digital marketing vendor to manage their PPC campaigns.

5. A robust SEO strategy

After you devote time, money, and effort to create a website, write blogs, and make videos, you want to make sure your content is seen. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play.

By taking steps to ensure that your website and related content is optimized for certain keywords and phrases, you signal to search engines that your firm should be served up in search results when potential clients search for related terms like a “divorce lawyer near me,” “how to file for divorce in Minnesota,” or “child custody laws in Minnesota.” Produce unique and SEO-rich content when creating things link FAQs, checklists, and videos with titles, descriptions, and transcripts on your website.

Have you measured the effectiveness of your current digital marketing efforts? Take FindLaw’s digital marketing assessment today to learn more about the digital marketing components your firm can better utilize to grow your business and bottom line.