Law firms, especially those in well-known specialties, face steep competition. In areas such as personal injury or family law, standing out from the crowd can be an uphill battle. When it comes to working with a lawyer, clients may be most concerned about costs and results. And in expertise areas crammed with competitors, people may perceive most law firms as the same.
While there might be clear distinctions between practices, for clients, perception is reality. To change those views or opinions, it’s up to law firms to create and effectively market noticeable brand identities. Here are some ways attorneys and their firms can set themselves apart from the competition.
Put an SEO Strategy Into Practice
If you have a website or any digital content, you need to optimize it for search engines. Potential clients are less likely to discover your online content without search engine optimization strategies. That’s because search engine algorithms determine what digital content ranks higher when people search for specific terms or phrases.
Your content or website might be in the search engine results pages (SERPs) without a solid SEO strategy. But it won’t do you much good if your blog posts and site links are buried somewhere on page 10. Most people don’t have the patience to keep clicking through pages of results. They’ll stop at page one or two. If your content isn’t there, it’s probably not getting seen or clicked.
You can execute a successful law firm SEO marketing strategy by learning how search engine algorithms work. Good game plans start with client and keyword research. Put yourself into your prospects’ shoes and think about what helpful information or advice they’re seeking. Also, walk through how clients might search for legal advice online and what relevant topics apply to your practice.
Keyword research tools and lists can uncover additional phrases and questions that resonate with target audiences. You can use these to create content that potential clients will find handy. As you build authority on targeted subject areas, you’ll gain backlinks to boost your ranking in the SERPs.
Create a Client Testimonials Page
Your prospects may be looking for a new lawyer or legal advice. However, most won’t have previous experience with your firm. Some potential clients may be unfamiliar with your name and your firm’s track record or reputation. This uncertainty can create hesitation for prospects, even if they’ve read some of your content and found it helpful.
Something as sensitive and high-stakes as legal representation may heighten any hesitancy. Those who land on your site will look for reasons to confirm or relieve their skepticism. A list of industry awards and press releases is one source of information that leads may check out. At the same time, they’ll search for client reviews and testimonials.
Research indicates that 92% of consumers rely on reviews to influence their decisions. Leads perceive client reviews and testimonials as more trustworthy than what an organization says about itself. Savvy prospects also know that some forms of industry recognition may be biased or influenced by money. They look to testimonials to get a sense of what it’s really like to engage with a business.
Creating a client testimonials page or incorporating reviews into your website can help allay prospects’ worries. Videos tend to be more impactful than words on the screen. However, both formats will testify to the quality of a law firm’s services. You can enable written reviews on your site and moderate them for content. You might also try reaching out to your current client base to see who’s willing to film a video testimonial.
Build a Consistent Brand Message
A law firm that tries to be too many things will get lost in the crowd. If your marketing messages are a mixed bag, potential clients won’t know who you are. To be distinct, you must know your firm’s strengths and which markets can benefit from them.
You should also know how your firm measures up against your competition and what resonates with your target audience. With some research and thought, you can discover your firm’s unique value proposition and craft your brand message around it. Maybe your unique value proposition ties in with advocating for social justice. Or you have a knack for winning personal injury cases against manufacturers that aren’t diligent about consumer safety.
Whatever your firm’s strength is, use it to create a consistent brand identity and message. That identity and message should be clear to potential clients who see your ads, website pages, and social media posts. You don’t want to confuse prospects or existing clients with messaging that goes in several different directions.
With a consistent brand identity, leads will begin to associate your law firm’s name with distinct characteristics. It’s what happens when businesses and organizations nail brand identity and messaging. Most everyone links certain car manufacturers with longevity, low maintenance, and fuel efficiency. Lawyers can replicate a similar strategy by leveraging their core competencies.
Gaining Your Prospects’ Attention
Despite the immense competition, lawyers who know their strengths and research their markets well find ways to stand out. With enough knowledge, law firms can create and implement effective marketing strategies to reach potential clients. SEO, client testimonials, and consistent brand messaging are examples of how lawyers catch the eye of their desired prospects.
