How to Win Millennial Clients

The millennium used to be considered a bad thing. Millenarians in 899, 1199, and 1299 thought the ticking of the clock would soon bring a Final Judgment and the beginning of the Apocalypse. In 1999, we all worried that the New Year, and the Y2K bug, would send airplanes falling from the sky.

Now, of course, when we think about the millennium, we think much less about gloom and doom and much more about Millennials, the largest living generation in the United States right now. And instead of marking the end of the world, these kids can be the future of your firm. If you know how to reach them.

The Millennial Age

Millennials are the generation born between 1981 and 1997, though the exact limits of the generation are debatable. This young generation, all 35 and under today, has grown to be the largest in the U.S., with more than 75 million members, according to Pew Research. Last year, Millennials official surpassed Boomers in total population, making them the largest generation alive today.

What's that mean for you? A few things. As Millennials age, they're beginning to come into their own, making up a larger share of the workforce and, presumably, of legal consumers.

That Millennial growth requires an updated approach to your marketing, according to a recent report by FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing. You can't assume that your typical approach will work with Millennials, according to the report.

Given how different the typical Millennial's upbringing was from, say, the typical Baby Boomer's, it's no surprise that Millennials have vastly different habits when it comes to searching for and evaluating legal options. From a desire for immediate gratification to an initial reluctance to pay for legal help, Millennials don't always respond to the traditional marketing strategies firms have long employed.

Unique Marketing for a Unique Generation

There are numbers to back this up. FindLaw surveyed 2,000 consumers to determine the characteristics unique to Millennial legal consumers. They are more likely to use the internet to find an attorney, for example, and they tend to start looking for lawyers quickly. Sixty-three percent of Millennials went online for their attorney search, as opposed to 33 percent of all consumers, and 75 percent of Millennials addressed their legal issue within a week. That doesn't mean they just rely on websites, though. Millennials are much more likely than other consumers to be influenced by your social media presence, according to the survey.

And Millennials are hard sells, researching and contacting a large number of attorneys before making a pick. They're also more likely to pursue "DIY" approaches, like legal forms, than other consumers.

All of this requires a unique approach: a greater internet presence, a dedication to social media, and an openness to alternative services.

Related Resources:

• Get Off My Lawn -- and Into My Firm? How to Interview Millennials (FindLaw's Strategist)
• Lawyer Marketing Beyond TV: How to Adapt to Changing Media Habits (FindLaw's Strategist)
• Attorneys With Online Reviews Are More Likely to Be Hired (FindLaw's Strategist)