Meeting personal injury legal consumers where they’re at
Every legal issue brings a certain amount of uncertainty and stress. But feelings of fear, worry, and vulnerability are often especially heightened for legal consumers who are reeling from a personal injury.
Having suffered injuries in a car accident, while at work, or even at a store, these legal consumers may be dealing with life-altering injuries, intense physical pain, emotional and psychological injuries, and mounting financial hardships. By the time they reach out to a personal injury lawyer for help, they are often desperate for reassurance and resolution.
How can you ensure that you and your law firm are meeting personal injury legal consumers where they’re at and providing the help, support, and solutions they need? Keep reading as we discuss how personal injury law firms can leverage digital marketing tools to connect with and win over legal consumers.
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| Understanding the personal injury legal consumer |
| Master the communication essentials |
| Build trust by highlighting your expertise |
Understanding the personal injury legal consumer
The injuries personal injury legal consumers suffer often have a cascading effect on their lives. They’re likely wondering how long it will take for their injuries to heal and how they will be able to pay their rent, mortgage, and mounting medical bills. They may have concerns about being able to enjoy daily life again, or they may be parents who worry about being able to take care of their children.
For these legal consumers, time isn’t a luxury. While there’s no quick fix for their injuries or hardships, the stress caused by their situation makes them act with urgency and seek a quick resolution. In fact, according to Thomson Reuters’ 2024 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey, more than half of survey respondents who contact an attorney do so within a week of their legal need. When personal injury legal consumers reach out, they need you and your firm to be there to provide the empathy, answers, and guidance they’re seeking.
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Master the communication essentials
When communicating with personal injury legal consumers, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes and try to understand the varied feelings they may be experiencing. For example, they may feel scared, anxious, or angry when they think about the uncertainty of their recovery or whomever or whatever they believe caused their injuries. Under that anger is likely a lot of grief and sadness as they consider everything they’ve lost or may lose. These consumers often also feel confused about the general legal process. They may even be skeptical about an attorney’s ability to truly help them.
When communicating with personal injury legal consumers, it’s important to acknowledge and validate the multitude of feelings they may be experiencing. Be the supportive and reassuring voice they need during what is undoubtedly a very difficult time in their lives. Let them know that you understand what they’re going through and are here to help them make things right again. A big part of winning over potential personal injury clients is to make sure that you are available when they reach out or promptly return their calls or emails. If you don’t, they will move on and hire your competitor down the street who answered the phone or quickly emailed them back.
Building trust by highlighting your expertise
When selecting an attorney, Thomson Reuters’ survey shows that legal consumers most readily consider a law firm and lawyer’s expertise, specialization, cost, and overall reputation. The most effective and efficient way for your law firm to communicate these attributes is by having a robust digital marketing strategy.
A well-rounded strategy includes utilizing services such as:
- A professional website: Ensure you have dedicated pages on your site that discuss the specific types of personal injury matters you handle and highlight your firm’s related experience and expertise. You can also use pay-per-click advertising to direct potential clients to these pages.
- Legal directories: Make sure to advertise your firm on reputable online legal directories like FindLaw.com and Abogado.com. Build out comprehensive profiles that discuss the process and specific types of personal injury cases you handle so potential clients know what to expect when working with you.
- Ratings and reviews: The survey shows that 82% of individuals who contacted an attorney and learned about them online turned to online reviews first. Nearly 40% also cited online reviews as their primary source of information in their decision, so be sure you are taking an active role in monitoring and managing your firm’s online reputation.
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Winning over personal injury legal consumers
Personal injury legal consumers are unique in many ways. They are driven by high emotions and a sense of urgency in seeking a quick resolution to their problems. For these legal consumers, prompt communication, empathy, and a clear path to a resolution are key. Learn more by reading our report on understanding and capturing personal injury legal consumers.
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