Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make
Lawyers are, in most ways, different from other professionals when it comes to Legal Marketing Strategies. They work long hours and have to deal with unique challenges in regard to their practice. This is especially true when attempting to market your firm. While many of the methods may be similar or even identical to others in your chosen field, there are some that are only relevant for lawyers.
Let’s say you’re a good negotiator and you’ve decided you want more clients coming through the doors by offering settlement-in-advance agreements. If you send out an email blast about it without any customization, potential clients won’t understand what they are getting into if they sign up with you. All this can do is push them rather than bringing them towards you.
If you’re a lawyer who has never marketed before, it may be difficult to imagine how people would find out about your services. There are many different ways to go about it and not all of them will work for you. Some of these ideas can even cause more harm than good if attempted the wrong way.
Here are some of the most common mistakes lawyers make when marketing their firms.
1. Focusing on Wrong Things
When trying to reach new clients, it’s important to reach the right ones first. If someone is looking for an attorney specializing in international business law, they wouldn’t want to hire one that specializes in criminal defense or personal injury cases.
One of the biggest mistakes attorneys make is sending marketing messages to the wrong people. If you focus on reaching the right people, it will be easier to convert them to clients when they need legal services.
Another common mistake attorneys make when focusing on marketing their firms is assuming that all law firms are the same. When talking about your firm, don’t just mention how many years you’ve been around or where your office is located. Instead, highlight what makes you different from everyone else in your field. Showing potential clients what separates you from other lawyers can help set yourself apart in a way that speaks directly to them.
2. Not Paying Attention To Trends
One of the biggest changes in recent years has been the transition away from traditional methods of media consumption. People aren’t just watching television or reading newspapers anymore, they’re using their phones and tablets to get the latest news.
It’s important that you adapt your methods of marketing according to what people are doing now. When you do this, you can find success in places where it didn’t seem possible before. For instance, you might want to buy sponsored posts on Pinterest or Twitter instead of Facebook ads if your target audience is more likely to use these apps. You could even consider creating videos for YouTube if it fits with the image you wish to project.
3. Not Being Active Enough Online
If someone searches for a lawyer specializing in wills and trusts, how will they know that you’re one of the few who can help them? Unless they already know about you, the only way they’ll find out is through your online presence.
One of the biggest mistakes that lawyers make when marketing their firms is not doing enough to stay active online. People are more likely to find you if you’re regularly producing new content for search engines and social media platforms.
Your website should be updated at least every few months with helpful information related to what you do. If possible, it should also include a blog where potential clients can learn more about how you work. Social media sites are also important, as this gives people another way to get in touch outside of phone calls or emails. Not many attorneys understand how vital it is to have good branding strategies.
4. Not Using Video And Images
When people are searching for a lawyer, they’re not just looking for any attorney in their area. They want someone who can help them recover from their particular situation and get them the compensation they deserve.
When you try to reach out to clients, it’s important that you use images and video to emphasize your message. If people see what you do and how you’ve helped past clients, they’ll be more likely to connect with you.
This isn’t only important when working on your website, but also when doing marketing on social media networks like Facebook or Instagram. In order for people to take notice, they need to be able to see what’s going on in your firm.
5. Not Acknowledging Problems And Taking Action
One of the most common mistakes attorneys make is not identifying problems when they occur and taking action immediately. Many lawyers simply ignore any negative information that comes up online or in offline marketing, assuming it will eventually go away on its own.
When you start experiencing issues with your business, there’s no better time to take action than right now. It might seem like a bad idea to do anything about negative results at first, but you need to remember that every moment you wait makes things worse. Identifying problems quickly can help you fix them in a way that prevents future ones from arising.
The best thing you can do when trying to market your firm is to avoid the mistakes that lawyers often make. Avoiding these common pitfalls can help ensure your success when trying to reach new clients who are in need of the help only you can provide.