Every Law Firm needs a strategic marketing channel to inform potential clients about its services. Choosing the right marketing channel makes a big difference in boosting brand awareness and helping you achieve your marketing goals.
What Are Marketing Channels?
A marketing channel is simply the path your law firm uses to reach potential clients. These can be both offline and online channels or a mix of both. It is important to choose the right channels for your business.
Some aspects of choosing the right marketing channel include:
- A market plan detailing long-term plans
- Marketing strategy detailing how to achieve your goals
- Leveraging the right channels to reach your ideal clients during their customer journey
As you achieve your goals, you should change and adjust your marketing channels accordingly.
Online Marketing Channels for Law Firms
Nearly 100% of potential clients look for legal advice online. In stark contrast, only 49% of law firms use the internet as a marketing channel. Some online marketing channels that might be beneficial to your law firm include:
Website
An optimized website is a powerful marketing channel. Your website should be designed to attract potential clients by including key-word rich content that is relevant to their search and easy to navigate.
Pros:
- Can reach a larger target audience
- Cost-effective
- Allows you to control your brand image
Cons:
- Requires ongoing input to improve ranking
- Time-consuming in terms of content creation
Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile makes your law firm visible by providing information to potential clients. It is free and easy to set up.
Pros:
- Boosts brand visibility
- Free
Cons:
- Requires a physical address
Legal Directories
These online listings allow clients to search for legal advice by location and area of practice. Some legal directories include Lawyer.com, Justia, and FindLaw, among others. Lawyer referral sites also fall into this category.
Pros:
- Makes your law firm easy to find
- Easily showcases your expertise
Cons:
- Using multiple directories can be time-consuming
- Some directories charge a fee
Search Engine Optimization
SEO helps your website rank higher on the search results page, which improves visibility. This invite leads to your website for potential conversion.
Pros:
- Improved visibility
- Low-cost
Cons:
- Requires ongoing effort
- Time-consuming
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
The PPC marketing model involves paying a fee when potential clients click on your ad. While it significantly improves your visibility, it can lead to overspending.
Pros:
- Boosts visibility
- Low-cost
- Faster results
Cons:
- Can lead to overspending
- Requires ongoing effort
Email Marketing
If you do not have an email capture on your website, you are missing the opportunity to connect with potential clients. Email marketing allows you to build connections with clients and regularly update them on new services.
Pros:
- Helps you keep in contact with potential clients
- Builds referral resources
- Allows you to control your brand image
Cons:
- Requires ongoing effort
- Time-consuming
Offline Marketing Channels for Your Law Firm
Some offline marketing channels can also be effective in helping you reach your target audience. Some of these include:
Traditional Advertising
These include newspaper, TV, radio, and billboard ads. Traditional advertising is most effective when combined with online marketing channels.
Pros:
- Can target specific demographics
- Reaches large audiences
- Cost-effective
- Generates awareness
- Builds credibility
Cons:
- Time-consuming
- May require expensive PR specialists
- Difficulty in tracking results
Community Engagement
Activities such as charity events, speaking engagements, or local community competitions are also ideal for reaching potential clients.
Pros:
- Generates positive exposure
- Improves your firm’s reputation
- Connects you to potential clients
Cons:
- Time-consuming
- Expensive
Telemarketing
Calling potential clients to sell them your services is another effective method to generate leads offline. However, it can be expensive and not as effective as other channels.
Pros:
- Direct connection to potential leads
Cons:
- Expensive
- Might involve extra expenses to hire telemarketers
- Limited effectiveness
What Is the Best Marketing Channel for your Law Firm?
It can be difficult to choose a marketing channel depending on your firm’s goals. However, achieving success might involve using multiple strategies and tactics. To choose the best marketing channel for your needs, consider the following factors:
Market Competitiveness
Market competitiveness might restrict your choice of marketing channels. For instance, if most lawyers in your local area use traditional marketing methods, you might have to spend a considerable percentage of your marketing budget investing in TV, radio, and billboard advertising.
Client Activity
It is also important to consider where your potential clients are located. Marketing your law firm using a channel that potential clients do not use is a waste of time and resources as they are unlikely to see your advertisements.
If your clients use word of mouth or referrals, you may have to invest in email marketing or social media marketing. Clients who spend most of their time online are more likely to see your firm on short videos introducing your firm and its services.
Available Resources
Some marketing channels, such as PPC and telemarketing may be too expensive for your firm if you have a small marketing budget. If your firm has limited staff, some marketing channels, such as blog posts that require a lot of time to create, might be too labor-intensive for your firm.
Your Goals
You should choose a marketing channel depending on your marketing goals. If you are focused on generating leads, email marketing and social media might be more effective marketing channels compared to networking.
Find the Right Marketing Channel for Your Firm
There are many marketing channels currently available for law firms. Once you have a rough idea of your marketing needs and which channels might work for you, you can create a marketing plan to help you reach your target audience.
A mix of several marketing channels works best for improved visibility. If you prefer to focus on your business and serving clients, there are many marketing professionals available to help you with your marketing strategies.
PR and marketing firms can help you choose the right marketing channels, achieve your marketing goals, and get more clients through the door. We recommend getting in touch with a professional to find out which marketing channels are best for your firm.
