3 Tactics to Help Modernize Your Law Firm’s Marketing

by Debra Andrews | April 9, 2013

I recently attended an event through the Association for Accounting Marketing, where I learned a surprising statistic about law firms. Are you ready? Law firms are actually ahead of the curve when it comes to the adoption of mobile marketing practices compared to accounting firms. The stat revealed that 33% of law firms are using mobile marketing, whereas only 22% of accounting firms are using mobile marketing. Why is this surprising you might ask? Law firms have gained the reputation for being behind the times when it comes to the adoption of new marketing tools and technologies. While I would not classify accounting firms as “early adopters,” they tend to be a bit ahead of law firms when it comes to adopting technologies and carrying their brands into the 21st century. 

I was impressed to learn that 33% of legal firms are already embracing mobile marketing tactics! If this change resistant group is willing to embrace a category as new and tricky as mobile marketing, then certainly there is hope that law firms are ready to embrace the kind of marketing tactics and technologies that can help to skyrocket their firms. Let’s take a look at a few modern marketing tactics that law firms can embrace along with mobile marketing:

Webinars

Seminars and speaking opportunities have long been the go-to means for law firms and attorneys to share their expertise and gain exposure in front of targeted prospects and referral sources. While these are still great tactics, they tend to come with a higher price tag and a higher risk. What if no one shows or there are not enough sign ups? Not to mention the travel time required for the speaking attorney and the event attendees. Webinars are the new seminars. Webinars are a low cost and easy way to share your expertise and provide value to clients without the inconvenience that is sometimes required for in person events. The social risk of no one showing up is eliminated, and the presentation can easily be recorded and repurposed, providing value for months to come.

Video Marketing

People love to watch short videos online. The way people consume content online has been changing over the past several years and the online environment has become an increasingly visual place, with emphasis being given to photos and videos in particular. Can your firm afford to be stuck in the past with little visual content on your website? The great news is that video marketing does not have to be expensive. The rise of the smart phone has given us all a tool in our pocket to become a video marketing superstar. If you are looking for low cost options, use your smart phone to interview a respected peer or industry expert and share this on your website. You can even record yourself answering questions or sharing tips for a quick video blog post. If you have a larger budget for video marketing, consider hiring a videographer to record an overall firm video that shares your firm’s culture, personality and strengths. Recording video “bios” of each of your partners or shareholders is also a great way to help prospects and clients get to know your team and their individual strengths and expertise. Yet another way to provide value to clients is answering frequently asked questions in video format. Be sure to keep all videos around 60 to 90 seconds (2 minutes at most), as attention spans for online videos are short.

Multimedia Firm Presentation

Instead of a lengthy PDF document or hard copy firm brochure, consider utilizing the many presentation tools available today to create an engaging presentation to educate prospects about what your firm has to offer. Online tools like Prezi and Sliderocket allow you to showcase your firm in a more personal way by offering the ability to incorporate audio and video. With the click of a link, prospects can learn about your firm, the services you offer, specialty areas, and what makes your firm unique. You may even want to tie in brief video clips like the FAQs, bios and firm overview mentioned above. The best part about these online presentation tools are that they make it easy to share via email, LinkedIn and even on your website. Be sure to also promote your presentation on Slideshare for additional visibility.

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With these tactics, law firms will be ready to embrace the new and increasingly “digital” marketing landscape. Then subscribe to our blog for modern marketing strategies that can help your firm.

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