Marketing for Small Law Firms

Common Legal Marketing Mistakes Series: Small Law Firms

Lawyers in smaller markets get stuck in rigid thinking that can be detrimental to the future of their practices.

The biggest issue we see? Thinking “small” just because of the size of your market and community.

There are big benefits of being in a highly localized community. There are so many affordable strategies and tactics law firms in smaller markets can use. There’s a great opportunity because you can dominate for a reasonable cost.

More assumptions that inhibit winning new business include ideas such as:

  • Everybody already knows who we are and what we do
  • If clients already came to us, they will always come back
  • Not enough of our clients use the internet or smartphones regularly

If you can relate to these statements – keep reading! Smaller law firms can and should compete like law practices in large urban centers.

Here are four marketing tactics you should focus in on:

  • Establishing and Communicating a strong brand message
  • Taking advantage of live sports programming or primetime specials
  • Focusing on local SEO
  • Improving intake practices

Better brand message & strategy

In small communities, the oldest firms traditionally got the most business because of name recognition or word of mouth. That’s not necessarily the case anymore.

One of the easiest ways to stand out in a small market (or to break into one) is to build a strong brand message. If you can’t or don’t want to compete on experience alone (which we don’t recommend), start to identify or revisit your true differentiators.

When you’ve settled on why people do business with your firm and what your lawyers have that the competition doesn’t, you can tailor your messages around these brand stories in outdoor media, TV, print or digital.

One effective method may be using testimonials in your creative strategy. Small markets are close-knit communities where people trust the recommendations of family and friends. The testimonial approach can convey a strong symbol of trust.

Get Involved With The Community

Another tactic to consider in a small town market is leveraging your law firm’s community involvement.

Small cities, cohesive suburbs or rural areas have a very strong sense of community. Take advantage of local news sponsorship opportunities or get involved with local charities. Both are great ways to get exposure, build a positive brand association and show commitment that can lead to more business.

The upside?  You don’t have to spend like a large-market attorney to stand out. Positioning your law firm’s brand starts with understanding the messages that already exist in your market. Media buyers who work closely with local stations can obtain key competitive information on your behalf, such as:

  • What are other local law firms saying in their advertising?
  • Where are they placing their advertising—TV, radio, billboards, internet?
  • Where are there “holes” that you could capitalize on to earn more business?

We can tell you from experience working with attorneys in every market size that identifying the competitive landscape and designing a strategy to combat it is something most legal practices don’t do.

 

Reach viewers of live sports programming or prime specials

When it comes to TV commercials during live sports or primetime specials, you’ve got your viewers right where you want them.

And, contrary to popular belief, advertising during Monday Night Football, ESPN College Gameday, MLB, and even the Super Bowl, can be affordable in smaller markets.

Here are a few ROI-driven benefits to consider when looking into live sports or primetime programming opportunities:

  • The high profile exposure gives law firms a much greater reach – and strong, respected brand association – often leading to better quality cases!
  • In addition to unparalleled reach and a broad demographic of captivated viewers, you are also inserting your firm’s name into conversations between those who already share common, vested interests.
  • Second screen engagement. Sports fanatics and prime time viewers are pretty much guaranteed to be plugged in (via smartphone or tablet) and interacting with social media feeds, fantasy sports apps, live voting polls and more. Think about it: where is your phone or tablet when you’re watching a game?

Bottom line: Small market firms not taking advantage of these opportunities are missing out.

Invest in local SEO

Another way for attorneys to gain market share in a small market is to look outside of traditional advertising.

Today digital marketing tactics are taking over in large markets targeting a younger, digitally minded consumer, but increasingly in small, localized markets as well.

So don’t think about marketing in a small municipality as adding more or spending more, but rather reallocating a portion of the budget. As more people buy smartphones and use them for more media consumption, think about how you can meet clients’ mobile, on-the-go demands. Consider new digital marketing tactics or try new channels, including digital display advertising, eCRM, and SEO and PPC strategies.

One of the most effective online strategies for small market law-firm marketing is local SEO. We’ve covered this topic in previous posts, but let’s review some of the best tactics for taking advantage of this highly cost-effective approach.

With the rise of mobile phones, local SEO has become increasingly valuable for brick-and-mortar stores and professional services. Imagine a driver or pedestrian seeing your ad and doing a quick internet search for your law firm. One click and this person could be calling your office or filling out a contact form to set up an appointment.

Quick Wins In Local SEO

You can take advantage of local SEO right now so your attorneys are available to prospective clients wherever they are.

A local search marketing campaign is built around creating a variety of business listings online. You need to “claim” and set up your law firm’s local listings on popular sites like Yelp!, Google Maps, and Facebook.

While a comprehensive SEO campaign will require a digital marketing expert to help you get the most out of this small-market strategy, you can get in a good position before you even allocate marketing dollars toward local SEO. Start by “claiming” any listing of your law firm online, which verifies that you are the owner of a valid business and are authorized to maintain its presence on the web.

To do this, you will need a business name or DBA; local phone number that matches your city of location (toll-free, shared and call-tracking numbers won’t work); and a physical street address (no shared addresses or PO boxes) where you can make live contact with clients who want to do business.

Take intake to the next level

The third marketing idea for small law firms is focusing on improving intake. You’ve heard us harp on this before but for good reason. This is the number one area where lawyers fall short in marketing. It may be because often law firms don’t connect the dots that intake is marketing.

Think of intake as everything you do after the phone rings. If you spend everything on slick advertising but neglect clients when they reach out, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t overspend on lead generation at the expense of intake.

Again, we’ve talked a lot about intake, but let’s review some of the easiest ways to boost your firm’s efforts in this particular area of marketing.

  1. Dedicate someone trained in intake to ensure you are communicating with clients professionally, consistently and positively.
  2. Empower your intake team with the right tools and technology to qualify clients, track leads, build an effective database and leverage collected information in future marketing.
  3. Always follow up. If you have an intake professional or team, this should be one of their top duties, whether it’s following up on after-hours voicemails within 24 hours, or emailing the database with ongoing communication.
  4. Learn from mistakes by recording your calls. There are some very simple yet sophisticated call-recording programs that can help you review and learn from your current communication patterns.
  5. Create some cheat sheets. Make sure you’re communicating consistently by employing a few helpful shortcuts: a list of things to avoid during that first-impression session on phone; a one-minute rule—if a caller is left on hold past one minute, a live person must re-acknowledge the waiting caller’s existence or request a number to return the call; and a cheat sheet with your firm’s accurate website URL and other key details.

Law firms in smaller markets can leverage similar marketing tactics as attorneys in large cities. It’s about standing out through strong, strategic messaging, generating leads with smart local SEO and paying attention to your intake process.

Let us help you turn calls into cases and increase your bottom line. Call for a free and confidential marketing evaluation today. (888) 461-1016