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Many law firms have recognized the potential for generating leads online, making the landscape even more competitive.
But a well-rounded marketing approach now leverages both the precision of digital marketing and the personal touch of traditional marketing.
So, you need to pull out every stop to stay ahead of competing law firms who are gunning for your business.
You need:
Interestingly, despite the clear benefits of a digital presence, the 2023 ABA survey on Websites & Marketing found that the percentage of respondents reporting that their law firms have a website has dropped from 94% in 2021 and 2022 to 87% in 2023, matching levels from 2020.
This decline signals a potential decline in law firms using digital marketing strategies. I suspect this decline involves attorneys going back to pre-COVID workflows despite the benefits.
Assuming you would like a steady flow of leads to your firm, what areas of marketing should you focus on?
This post covers every law firm marketing strategy you need to get started, including:
Let’s begin.
Relying completely on either digital or traditional marketing is like leaving money on the table. While digital marketing specifically is highly effective, traditional marketing — like word-of-mouth — still has a place in law firm marketing, where referrals are king.
The most successful law firms have an integrated marketing approach that harnesses both digital and traditional strategies to reach their audience across channels.
By leveraging both forms of marketing, you can…
Digital marketing gets your law firm in front of your ideal audience, targeting potential clients through various platforms like social media, search engines, and legal directories.
But that’s not your whole audience.
Traditional marketing — through referrals, networking events, print media, and radio/television ads — can get you in front of a whole different audience that might not be as active online but is equally as valuable.
Digital marketing strategies like SEO and PPC are excellent for driving traffic. But there’s a lot of noise online that’s driven people to view these results as less trustworthy or authentic.
For instance, a HubSpot survey found that 57% of participants disliked ads that played before a video and 43% didn’t even watch them. This supports the overall trend I’ve noticed that suggests a general weariness towards certain types of digital ads.
On the other hand, traditional marketing carries a higher level of personal engagement that builds trust and credibility. According to a MarketingSherpa survey, the top five most trusted advertising formats are traditional, with print advertising trusted by 82% of consumers, television by 80%, direct mail by 76%, and radio by 71% for making purchasing decisions.
Personal referrals and face-to-face meetings at networking events can move the needle in ways that digital interactions simply can’t. Combining these with strong digital content creates a powerful narrative that reinforces your firm’s expertise and reliability.
An integrated approach allows each marketing strategy to support and amplify the others. For example, content developed for a law firm’s blog can also be used as material in newsletters, brochures, or presentations at live events.
Similarly, the credibility gained from traditional media appearances or community involvement can be used to make digital marketing more effective.
Different clients have different preferences for consuming information and making decisions. While digital ads or online reviews may more influence some, others might place greater trust in word-of-mouth recommendations or traditional ads.
Relying on a single type of marketing can be risky, particularly if market trends shift.
By diversifying your strategies across both digital and traditional platforms, you protect your firm against these shifts and can allocate resources more effectively based on performance and ROI from different channels.
By combining the strengths of both digital and traditional marketing, law firms can create a more dynamic, effective, and resilient marketing strategy. This integrated approach not only broadens your reach and strengthens your brand but also aligns closely with the modern client’s journey, from initial awareness to final decision-making.
While we prefer digital marketing for our clients, traditional marketing does have a place in the marketing plans of many firms.
Here are four tactics we think can work well.
Referrals are one of law firms’ most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools. They leverage the trust and satisfaction built with existing clients to attract new ones.
In fact, referral marketing generates 3-5 times higher conversion rates than any other channel, making it a non-negotiable in the legal industry.
Clients who have had a positive experience with your firm are likely to share this with friends, family, and colleagues who might be in need of similar services. A recommendation from a trusted source often carries more weight than any advertisement or online review.
Here are a few ways you can encourage referrals from past clients.
You likely have a few clients in mind that would leave positive testimonials or refer you to their network. Don’t be afraid to reach out.
Local networking events give you a direct path to community integration and personal connection with potential clients and referral sources. Attending these events can get your law firm in front of an entirely different group of people than your digital marketing strategies.
You probably already have an idea of what local events are out there that could be worth attending. If you’re based in Chicago, for example, consider joining the Chicago Bar Association or the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. These organizations host events that provide excellent platforms for meeting other professionals and potential clients.
The personal interaction afforded by networking events cannot be replicated online. Meeting someone face-to-face allows you to create a memorable impression and build rapport quickly, which is crucial for trust and relationship building in the legal field.
Another idea is to sponsor local events, like charity runs or community cleanups. It’s a great way to build goodwill and get your name in front of hundreds (even thousands) of local participants.
In some cases, considering your targeting and messaging, direct mail could be highly effective for your law firm. It gives a tactile and personal touch that can resonate particularly well with demographics like older audiences who prefer traditional marketing, or any group that values personalized communication.
By sending targeted, physical mail to potential clients, you capture attention in ways digital ads just can’t.
Here’s an example.
Physical mail provides something tangible that recipients can touch, feel, and retain, unlike digital ads. This physical presence can create a more lasting impression, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
And direct mail campaigns are also easily trackable. Using personalized URLs (PURLs) or QR codes helps you monitor the engagement and effectiveness of each campaign, allowing for continuous improvement based on concrete data.
Just be wary of your bar association’s advertising rules. A general principle is to avoid unclear or misleading phrases or claims and don’t embellish your accomplishments.
Radio and television ads continue to be powerful marketing channels for law firms to expand their reach and establish brand presence in a competitive market.
These traditional marketing channels are especially great for personal injury, bankruptcy, and criminal defense law firms as they all target the general public.
Radio and television ads can be strategic, allowing your firm to target specific demographics and times that align with your prospective clients’ habits. For example, radio spots during morning and evening commutes can effectively reach working professionals, while television ads during evening news broadcasts can capture a broader, more diverse audience.
While radio and television advertising isn’t suitable for every type of law firm, they are worth considering if you practice in areas like personal injury, bankruptcy, or criminal defense, where broad public outreach can be particularly beneficial.
Digital marketing is highly targeted and cost-effective, making it excellent for legal marketing.
Here are some strategies we recommend and use for our clients.
We’ve established that 87% of law firms use a website to promote their services. But the legal industry is hyper-competitive, meaning any old website won’t cut it. It has to be optimized both for users and for search engines.
When done right, your website should act as the hub of all of your law firm’s marketing. It’s a place people can go to learn about your services, and a place where you can showcase your expertise and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
For starters, it should be easy to navigate. That means having a well-thought-out navigation menu and clear calls-to-action. Organizing your services by practice area is also a good idea.
The goal is to make it as easy as possible for website visitors to find what they’re looking for. If they can’t, they’ll be likely leave your website.
Take a look at our client Karns Law Firm’s website.
It’s also crucial to have high-quality photos. A purposeful visual design can help guide users through your website, influencing a visitor’s first impression of your firm.
Start with professionally taken photos of you and your team. Quality photos reflect your firm well, making you look competent and like someone who can take care of any legal issue.
A high-converting law firm website is also full of helpful content. Sharing your knowledge on your practice area and specific types of legal issues can inspire confidence in your audience, convincing them that you’re the person for the job.
We’ll touch on content more in a bit, but for now, here are the essentials for any legal website.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention search engine optimization (SEO). You can have the most visually appealing website in the world, but if it isn’t showing up on Google, it’s all but pointless.
Perform a technical SEO audit (your marketing agency should cover this) to address problems that could prevent your website from ranking well.
You’ll need to address issues like:
Creating compelling attorney bios helps you showcase the expertise and personality of the lawyers at your firm.
Many lawyers can’t shake the law school training and write their bios as if they were writing their resume, coming across as mundane.
Visitors to your website aren’t just looking for a qualified lawyer, but one who is personable and approachable and whom they can trust with their personal matters.
Here are a few key elements of a strong attorney bio:
Let’s take a look at a solid attorney profile.
This is the bare minimum. Use your imagination to make your attorney bio stand out.
Your law firm’s practice area pages should be more than just boring service pages — they’re the heart of content, where potential clients get their first real taste of what you offer.
That’s why they should be long-form, chock full of detailed, comprehensive answers to questions your audience could have.
Here’s an example from our client Noland Law Firm.
Investing in rich, long-form content for these pages rather than just listing your services helps create a compelling narrative that inspires confidence in your audience.
Not only are they great for humans, but Google loves this stuff. A well-crafted, in-depth page doesn’t just sit there — it works hard, climbing the rankings for your targeted keywords and increasing click-through rates.
Imagine a page on a criminal defense firm’s website discussing DUI laws. It doesn’t just skim the surface with legal jargon but is over a thousand words, supplemented by videos and other multimedia content.
This isn’t just content; it’s a resource. And yes, it ranks splendidly on Google because it provides immense value.
But crafting such a powerhouse page isn’t just about word count. It’s about making each word count.
Start by dedicating a separate page for each practice area. Get into the nitty-gritty details. Break down complex legal content into understandable chunks that don’t need a law degree to decode. And use videos not just to inform, but to connect and build trust, showing clients the faces behind the names.
In the end, these power pages do more than just inform — they build relationships, establish authority, and grow your business efficiently.
Law firm SEO (search engine optimization) needs to be a prominent part of most law firms’ digital marketing strategies in 2024.
Here’s why.
These stats highlight the vast reach and influence of search engines, particularly Google.
Bottom line? You need to rank highly on Google if your goal is to attract more website visitors (and, ultimately, sign more clients) through SEO.
While it’s a massive topic — check out our comprehensive SEO for Lawyers guide for a deep dive — we’re going to break down the basics here.
SEO isn’t just about getting to the top of search engine results — it’s about being found by the right people at the right time.
This involves several key tactics:
Identifying what potential clients are searching for and weaving these keywords seamlessly throughout your site helps you rise in search rankings and meet your clients right when they need you.
This usually involves long-tail keywords, which make up 91% of all Google searches according to Backlinko.
Go beyond just stating facts; create content that speaks directly to your clients’ needs. Well-crafted articles, detailed practice area descriptions, and regular blog posts can make your site a go-to resource for legal advice and information.
The main goal of writing content should be to become a topical authority in your practice area. That is, a person who is perceived as an authority of a particular niche service.
Make sure your website is fast, responsive, and easy to navigate. A technically sound website not only pleases search engines but users too, making them more likely to stick around and convert into clients.
Run your law firm’s website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to see how your site performs.
Here’s an example of one of our client’s websites. You want all green scores, like him.
Earn trust and authority by gaining links from reputable sites within the legal industry. Link-building is essential for improving your rankings, even today — each high-quality link is seen as a vote of confidence by Google.
To build a solid backlink profile, think about creating high-quality content that people want to share. Or, join associations and go after legal awards which often come with valuable backlinks from reputable websites.
Some other great ways to build backlinks include guest posting on reputable websites in your industry, podcasting, and establishing yourself locally.
According to Statista, 21 percent of consumers use the internet to find a local business every day, with only one percent of people never searching for businesses online.
Law firms are no different. People are searching for businesses like yours right now. Unless you optimize your business for local search, you’re missing out on prospective clients.
To attract clients in your geographical area, you must set up a Google Business Profile. It’s a way to take control of how your business appears on Google and includes reviews, photos, and your firm’s contact info.
It’s a completely free business listing that lets you get your firm on Google Maps and appear in Google’s local search results.
One of the main places your GBP will appear is on the right-hand side of the SERP, as in the example of attorney Bryan R. Kazarian below.
A lot goes into your Google Business Profile and local SEO — we dive deeper in our Local SEO guide — but for now, here are some tips to optimize your GBP.
Content marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand.
Despite its importance, only 37% of law firms maintain a blog, which means many are missing out on the significant benefits of content marketing.
At its core, content marketing for law firms involves creating valuable and relevant content to attract and engage a specific audience — potential clients looking for legal assistance.
This type of marketing doesn’t just boost your SEO, it helps you:
To optimize your efforts, begin with a clear content strategy that defines your topics and posting schedule.
Make sure your content meets the needs of your potential clients at various stages of their decision-making process. Then you can expand your reach by strategically distributing your content across multiple platforms, such as social media and email newsletters, so that it gets seen by your target audience.
“My website continues to dominate all the top website searches in my industry and my business has grown 10-fold as a result.”
Oykhman Criminal Defence
When necessary, like for blog posts, integrate SEO best practices by including relevant keywords and optimizing your content’s structure.
To get the most out of content marketing, you should diversify the types of content you create.
Here are several types of content you can create — I recommend that all law firms create blog posts, at the minimum.
By integrating a variety of content types into your marketing strategy, your law firm can attract a wider audience, engage potential clients on different platforms, and establish a reputation as a knowledgeable and approachable expert in the field.
This multifaceted approach boosts your SEO and helps you build a strong, authoritative online presence that can lead to a steady influx of leads over time.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) was created in response to the rise of generative AI answers in search results.
GEO is a crucial complement to traditional SEO, tailored to help your legal content thrive in both traditional search results and AI-driven generative answers.
Here’s an example of the two types of SERP.
As artificial intelligence reshapes how search engines operate, legal professionals need to adapt by creating content that these advanced systems can process and prioritize. This means going beyond simple keywords to develop content that directly answers potential client inquiries with precision and authority.
For example, incorporating thoroughly researched statistics and specific legal terminology not only boosts the relevance and authority perceived by AI but also enhances the likelihood of your content being prominently featured in search results.
GEO requires a deep understanding of how generative AI models compile and present information from diverse sources to craft complete, context-rich answers. Optimizing your content for these AI demands involves making it detailed yet clear enough for AI to leverage effectively.
This strategic approach enhances traditional SEO methods and prepares your firm for better visibility and engagement in an evolving digital landscape.
PPC advertising is a great strategy for law firms looking for immediate visibility and lead generation.
By paying for clicks on ads tailored to your firm, you can immediately start attracting potential clients. Google Ads, the dominant platform for PPC, offers extensive resources to help firms craft successful campaigns.
In PPC, you bid on keywords relevant to your practice areas, paying a fee each time someone clicks your ad. Although costs can be high — especially for competitive legal keywords — the potential ROI makes it worthwhile. For example, even if a click costs $100, securing a client who brings in $5,000 represents a substantial return.
Effective PPC campaigns involve strategic keyword selection, compelling ad copy, and optimized landing pages. Your ads should appear for high-value searches, with persuasive content that drives clicks and conversions.
Our client, Bryan R. Kazarian, gets over 20 leads per month with ads like this.
Social media provides an expansive platform to connect with potential clients, engage in professional networking, and improve brand visibility.
With 62.6% of the global population active on social media, and a significant portion of law firms using platforms like LinkedIn for marketing and career development, the potential for client engagement and lead generation is nothing to scoff at.
I recommend starting with one social media platform and expanding from there once you see success. When recommending platforms to our clients, I choose LinkedIn and Facebook as safe bets, with Instagram, X, and TikTok being other options for firms with a young audience.
Start by figuring out the types of content you want to publish developing a targeted strategy focusing on platforms that align with your audience and objectives. High-value content that addresses the specific needs and interests of potential clients is key.
Aside from posting original content, regular interaction, whether through sharing insights, updates, or participating in discussions, can go a long way in establishing yourself as an authority.
Email marketing packs a powerful punch when it comes to reaching and engaging both current clients and new prospects. Its ability to drive high returns on investment keeps it front and center in digital marketing strategies.
For every dollar you put into email campaigns, you could see up to $36 back — making it a key player in your outreach efforts.
To make the most of your email marketing, it’s important to keep your contact list fresh and well-organized.
Here’s how you can segment your list to ensure your messages hit the mark:
With these segments in place, you can craft drip email campaigns that speak directly to where your contacts are and what they care about, boosting engagement and conversions.
Many lawyers hesitate to add live chat to their websites, concerned about the potential time drain of offering free advice. However, the advantages significantly outweigh any perceived drawbacks.
Live chat is becoming a preferred communication method, with at least 46% of customers favoring it over options like email for its directness and efficiency.
Law firms are among the businesses that would benefit from live chat:
Live chat can be implemented in various user-friendly formats, like a pop-up window or floating button that only opens up when clicked.
Today’s marketing is about more than selling your services — it’s about delivering an exceptional client experience that fosters loyalty and generates referrals. The most valuable clients are those who return and recommend your law firm to others.
Cultivating a positive internal culture that reflects in your interactions with clients can improve the effectiveness of every marketing effort. Clients are looking for a service that impresses at every touchpoint, from initial contact to follow-up after services are rendered.
Which is why 73% of consumers consider customer experience a critical determinant in their purchasing decisions, yet only 49% believe companies meet this expectation effectively.
You don’t need to fall into that statistic.
By offering personalized interactions that address the specific needs and challenges of your clients, you can create memorable experiences that encourage your clients to leave positive reviews, or better yet, to refer you to friends and family.
In the competitive world of law firm marketing, finding success requires a dynamic and integrated marketing strategy that combines both digital and traditional methods.
By focusing on creating a seamless user experience and deploying a mix of SEO, content marketing, PPC, and traditional advertising like radio and television, law firms can significantly up their visibility and credibility.
This is what we do for our clients. Interested? Get a free consultation today.
Ready to maximize your marketing budget? Fill out the contact form or call us today for a complimentary consultation. We will listen to your story, work to define your business objectives, and recommend an approach to deliver maximum ROI for your firm.
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