Acquiring clients for any law firm is becoming competitive with the changing consumer behavior and with an increasing number of law firms surfacing online. Inbound digital marketing strategies can generate qualified leads for attorneys. Here are the 6 lead generation strategies that will get your law firm a steady influx of leads.
1)Your law firm’s website
Constantly tweaking your website for the below changes will ensure the customers take the action prompted. Since all the digital marketing strategies focus on driving leads to your website, it is imperative to work on these changes to ensure that the driven visitor is converted to a qualified lead.
a) Your website should load fast and be visually appealing
Statistics say that if a website does not load in under 3 seconds, the visitor leaves the website. Optimize your website to load quickly on any device – laptop, mobile and tablet, with content and images to suit the appropriate screen size. Over 74% of searches for law firm are using a mobile phone, so optimizing your website for it.
Your website should be visually appealing, easy to use/navigate, content (including images and graphics) easy to understand for a common man.
b) Build an authoritative website
Choosing a lawyer can be a deeply personal decision based on the legal assistance the client requires. Every client will want to look for an attorney who will get them the desired results. Displaying authority on your core practice areas gives your potential lead the confidence to approach you.
You can do this by writing blogs filled with the information that client will need to make a decision, write case studies; mention awards, affiliations, press releases, news mentions and testimonials on your website.
c) Optimize your website for conversions
Every web visitor needs to be nudged to take an action. You can prompt users to take an action by using,
- Live chat – include CTAs like ‘contact us’, ‘consult an attorney’, or ‘schedule a consultation’
- Contact forms – set them to auto-populate information and be visible through the page without needing to scroll
- Subscription – install pop-ups for subscription of e-mail newsletters
- Contact information – provide it in easily noticeable spots on your website
d) Make your website easy to find on Google
93% of online experiences begin with searching on Google. If your law firm website is not on the first three organic search results for the highly searched terms, your potential leads will not find you. Since most searches are via mobile phones and there are paid advertising for the key search terms, if your website ranks lower than the third result, it would not appear on the first page of results.
2) Search engine optimization
Monitor the changes in Google’s search algorithm and tweak your SEO strategy accordingly. This is an ongoing process and can be outsourced to an expert SEO agency/professional as it is a full-time job. The process involves identifying the target audience for different demographics, strategizing to drive those audiences to your website, putting those into practice and constantly monitoring the results to see the changes to be made going forward. The focus should be on,
- Website security
- Page speed and optimization of images
- Quality and length of content
- Search intent and social signals
3) Client testimonials and online referrals
Reference is one of the best sources to generate qualified leads and the same is applicable online. The difference being, it is by client testimonials and online referrals on the internet. This makes it important to create and maintain an impressive online review portfolio. You can increase your online referrals using –
- Your website’s Google My Business page
- Review sites
- Directories
- Get testimonials from your clients
4) Paid advertising
A study by clutch.co shows that 63% of searchers clicked on paid advertising while searching for a law firm on Google. The study also says the top 4 reasons for people to click on paid ads are,
- Answers a search query
- Mentions a familiar brand
- It is listed first on the search results
- They have a compelling title, image or description
Targeting the right keyword for paid advertising is the key to generate a qualified lead. Using tools to find the right keywords for your practice area is vital. Otherwise, it would result in unnecessary clicks that will result in wasted ad spent.
5) Using content marketing to increase the generation of high-quality converting leads
Content marketing involves creating content in several formats and on different platforms. it includes,
- Blogs
- Guest posts
- E-books
- E-mail marketing
- Videos
- Webinars
- Downloadable guides
- Whitepapers
- Infographics
- Your website content
Content marketing strategy involves planning of generating content in the above-mentioned formats. The frequency to post, the titles and kind of content that is best consumed in each format. You can build content that answers all the questions your clients will have up to the point of signing up with your law firm. Create content for each stage of a buyer’s journey. Target the end of buyer’s cycle to get more leads.
Helping prospective clients make an informed decision and educating them on the legal process in a way they understand is what strikes a chord. Quality leads are generated upon using content marketing strategy and it is also a sure shot way to build your law firm’s brand.
6) Remarketing
Visitors who left your website without taking any action are targeted using re-marketing/retargeting ads. Reaching out to these visitors is one of the best lead-generating tactics because it targets on engaging people who are familiar with your law firm. They have visited your website for the information they were looking for. They might have not visited again or contacted as they were deciding on which attorney to contact out of the shortlisted ones. When you reach out to them at this point, they are nudged to contact you.
A study says that retargeted customers are 70% more likely to convert. Use ads to target these visitors and make them qualified leads.
Last Line:
You can use the above lead generation strategies or hire a marketing company that will do the work for you. We can work to position your law firm’s brand in your marketplace, generate quality leads and help develop a long-term relationship with your clients.