With so many attorneys in any given legal niche, how can you ensure your new firm stands out? That’s where a stellar law firm marketing plan comes in, to help you target potential clients and explain why you are uniquely qualified to deliver solutions in their moment of need.

Before you can implement a law firm marketing plan, however, you must first know your target audience (which is usually clients within your niche) and your marketing goals. For example, if you are a real estate lawyer, your audience would be homebuyers and home sellers. For a divorce lawyer, your audience would be separating couples. Once you know who you need to reach, find out where they spend time online and what they need from an attorney. What are their problems, and how can you provide unique solutions?

This brainstorming will help you create your marketing message, which will help you achieve your goals. New lawyers may want to build firm name recognition and awareness, while existing law firms may be looking for a specific amount of revenue. Once you’ve mapped out your goals, your audience and where they spend time (for instance, on Facebook or other websites), you can move forward with legal marketing tactics.

From creating an online presence to hiring an call center for attorneys to investing in paid ads, here are the ways to ensure your marketing efforts pay off:

Create an Online Presence

These days, consumers research lawyers online. Without a website, you will struggle to build your law firm’s online reputation. Put together a simple website that explains your firm’s background, experience and services. Include a way to contact you, such as a web form or a phone number linked to an attorney answering service.

 

 An attorney reviews website analytics.

 

Best practice is to create social media accounts to increase your discoverability. Choose the social networks where your target audience primarily spends time. While divorcees may gather in Facebook groups, house hunters might be over on Pinterest browsing home décor ideas.

Guided by your brainstorming work, continue to put out content on your website and social media that resonates with your target audience.

Content marketing work is time-consuming, but it pays off by teaching search engines that your website is one of the most reputable search results for people who are seeking specific legal services in your area. With effective content marketing, you’ll be able to work your way up the search results. Your incoming leads can increase exponentially with just this one change.

Social media engagement is important too. A study from Byfield Consultancy found that, out of 101 firms surveyed, over half of attorneys attributed new business to their social media use.

Add a Law Firm Call Center

With all the new incoming leads you’re generating with content, social media and your website, are you prepared to take every call?

As you put effort into building up an online presence, people will get to know your firm name.  Potential clients will be calling and emailing. While this can feel exciting, remember that they’re reaching out to other attorneys, too. Often the attorney who is the most responsive at this early stage will win the client.

 

An attorney answering service can answer your phones day and night.

 

This is why it pays to work with a specialized law firm answering service, which can take calls as they come in and make sure none are missed. Since you only pay per-minute, it’s more cost-effective than hiring a full-time receptionist. When you’re trying to build a new firm, the last thing you need are calls going to voicemail because you’re in court. All too often, by the time you return the call, the caller has gone with the competition.

Law firm call centers not only take calls 24/7, so you can relax in your after-work hours, they acquire information from callers so you know what they need and how you can help without having to perform due diligence in a follow-up phone call. When you return the call during business hours, you can quickly explain how you are best equipped to help callers.

Invest in Paid Ads

Once you have set up your legal intake call center, you are ready to generate even more leads for your firm.

Paid ads are a natural complement to your online presence. Let your audience guide you to the channels that would be the most appropriate to reach them. That may be traditional print, television or radio advertisements, or it might be paid ads on social media or search engines. Many lawyers opt for a blend of digital and traditional advertisements.

Set a clear budget for your ad spend and track results by asking new clients how they found you. Digital ads offer analytics, so you can click through to see how well your campaigns are performing. When you’re first starting out with ads, be thorough about monitoring performance. Tweak ads to see if you can up the return on your investment. Or, try out a new channel if you think your target audience might congregate there.

The right ad campaigns can end up paying for themselves by driving new clients as your content marketing campaign builds steam. Over time, you may find that your content marketing is performing so well and your call center is turning so many leads into viable prospects for your firm’s attorneys, that you can dial back on your ad budget.