Law Firm Inbound Marketing Strategies for 2019 and Beyond
It was not long ago when most attorneys relied on word-of-mouth referrals to establish relationships with new clients. Word-of-mouth referrals are still important yet inbound marketing has emerged as an essential means of connecting with new clients. Law firms that do not take advantage of inbound marketing opportunities will gradually lose clients to those willing to venture into the digital marketing realm.
Law Firm Marketing Campaigns are Evolving
Old-fashioned attorneys still rely on traditional outbound advertisements with varying degrees of success. The strategic placement of a billboard ad, a TV spot or a radio commercial will generate new business. However, inbound marketing through social media, search engine optimization (SEO), online banner ads and strategically-produced web content makes it that much easier to connect with a steady stream of new clients. It is certainly possible these relatively new forms of inbound marketing will soon replace the bulk of comparably antiquated outbound marketing methods.
Content Reigns Supreme
Inbound marketing enthusiasts have repeated the mantra of “content is king” for several decades. Online content has been and likely always will be an important bridge that connects clients with law firms and vice versa. Everything from a law firm’s social media posts to its blog, website content and other aspects of its online footprint matter a great deal. Every single piece of law firm content should be created with SEO in mind. This means strategic keywords, key phrases and subject matter must be used with regularity to help prospective clients find the law firm on the web.
It is not enough to produce a steady stream of new content laden with keywords if that content is not engaging. The best online content is interesting, insightful and informative. When in doubt, present your target audience with useful information that helps them solve problems. If you can make life easier for your audience, they will be that much more inclined to reach out to your law firm for legal services.
Establish a Presence on the Web’s Review Directories
There are numerous online review directories available to clients to critique law firms as well as other businesses. List your law firm on these directories to facilitate the posting of online reviews of your legal services. It will also help to post truthful client reviews to your law firm website. Prospective clients really will take these reviews to heart.
If you find negative reviews of your law firm posted to the web, do not hesitate to respond to them. Post a public rebuttal or apology so everyone interested in your firm’s legal services can view your carefully-worded response. If a certain client is particularly pleased with your firm’s legal services, do not hesitate to ask him or her to post a review on the web. Such a glowing review will enhance the perception of your law firm, help you connect with that many more clients and do what matters most: bolster your bottom line.
Focus on High-quality Links
When websites link to your law firm site, it communicates to search engines that your site is inherently useful. Such links prove your online content is meaningful to users. However, some bad links exist. If uninformative websites rife with online spam link to your law firm website, it will not boost your SEO. Establishing good links takes time and effort. Consider registering for membership-only web databases, reaching out to local news organizations for exposure and posting guest blogs to other respected sites. Make sure all of your online content posted on blogs, websites and social media provides readers with at least one easily accessible link to your your homepage. Put in the effort to establish high-quality links and it really will be that much easier for interested parties to find your firm through search engines as well as other relevant websites.
