Too often, trying to bring in new clients can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. Maybe you should run social media ads or invest in billboards? Or should you avoid investing in billboards and instead try to dive into the often-confusing world of SEO?

There are a few tried-and-true strategies that help lawyers bring in more new clients. We dive into these tactics below and discuss how to make each work well for your firm.

Build a Strong Network

The first thing you need to do if you’re looking to bring in more clients is to build a strong network.

Networking with Fellow Lawyers

Oftentimes, lawyers with larger firms will receive inquiries from clients they aren’t interested in taking on. The case may be outside their area of specialization, or they may simply feel the case isn’t likely to be profitable.

But rather than turning the client away entirely, these firms may refer them to another lawyer who is prepared to take their case.

Growing a strong network of fellow lawyers can help you start to get some of these “reject” cases. And don’t be fooled – some of the cases that other lawyers write off as hopeless can wind up being some of the most profitable of all!

Attend legal conferences, join professional organizations in your area, and make it a point to stay in touch with other lawyers practicing in your city.

Networking with Potential Clients

Of course, you shouldn’t focus entirely on networking with other lawyers. After all, they aren’t your target audience.

Look for ways to get involved with your community, especially if you’re focused on a specific area of practice. For instance, if you’re wanting to bring in more pedestrian accident cases, look at joining walking clubs and community safety groups.

Being involved with your community can also help build trust in potential clients before you even meet them. If a citizen is hurt and looking for a lawyer, they may remember the time they met you handing out water bottles at a 5K or collecting food for your local animal shelter. Those feelings of goodwill and trust can easily translate into a case when the time comes.

Beyond getting involved in your community, you want to make sure that your name is easy to find when people go searching for a lawyer.

In addition to talking to people they know and trust, many people searching for a lawyer turn to online legal directories. These websites have lists of lawyers along with reviews and biographies.

This information can help a potential client narrow down who they want to work with before they pick up the phone.

This also means that if your name isn’t on the list, you’re likely losing out on potential clients. It’s a good idea to make sure you’re registered with these legal directories and that your profile is built out.

Avvo, Nolo, Justia, FindLaw, and Lawyers.com are just a few of the directories that you should be registered with. Be sure to include as much information as you can about yourself in these directories, including any reviews, a strong bio, practice areas, and so on.

Grow Your Online Presence

In addition to registering for these directories, it’s a good idea to focus on growing your overall online presence. There are several strategies you can use to achieve this goal.

SEO

When people need a lawyer, one of the first things they’re going to do is run a Google search.

Search engine optimization can help you make sure your name is at the top of list of results they get off that search. A legal marketing agency like LawRank can help you develop and implement an SEO strategy that will get results with no guesswork involved.

Social Media

Social media presence can also be an important way to grow your web presence. Nearly 70 percent of American adults use Facebook, and another 47 percent use Instagram.

Not only can a social media presence help to get your name in front of a huge chunk of your target audience, but it can also give you an opportunity to show your personality. People hire lawyers they trust; if they feel like they already know you from your social media posts, they may be more likely to trust you with their case.

Don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with your social media. Play to your strengths – if you like to goof off a little, show that off on camera. If you’re a little more reserved, consider focusing on discussing the parts of the legal profession that outsiders don’t usually see.

And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention video content. A staggering 83 percent of American adults use YouTube, making it the single most-used social media platform. 

Making longer-form content can be a great way to establish yourself as a trusted expert in the field. You can also use this content to drive traffic back to your website.

PPC Ads

Pay-per-click advertising can also be a good way to get your name in front of potential clients. These ads will put your website at the top of relevant search results, which can bring in more traffic.

Depending on where you live, PPC advertising can be very expensive. The good news is that you can improve your ROI by improving your website.

Having strong SEO can help your website qualify as relevant to more searches, which increases the number of times your ad gets shown. And, as always, Google favors websites that deliver a quality client experience, so building a helpful website can bring in significantly more traffic.

Improve Your Content Marketing

Building a strong content strategy for your website can also help grow your online presence. When potential clients search for things like “what to do after a car accident”, the answers they find on your website can help to build trust and put you on their radar for when they are ready to hire a lawyer.

A blog can be a great place to start with your content marketing strategy. Take a look at what topics your competitors are writing about and which ones are performing well for them.

From there, you can take those topics and improve on them, adding your own expertise and expanding to provide more information. Including top-ranking keywords and strong links to other reputable websites can help your content perform better.

When you work with LawRank, we not only help you implement a proven content strategy, but all of our content is written and edited by lawyers, meaning you can be confident in the quality you’re getting.

Get More Ratings for Your Firm

When you’re looking for anything from a mechanic to a new lunch restaurant, what’s one of the first things you look at? If you’re like most of us, you’re going straight to ratings on Google.

Guess what? Your clients are doing the same thing when it comes time for them to look for a lawyer.

Getting more reviews for your firm can help build trust in your potential clients. And it can actually help your SEO. Google wants to promote businesses that provide an excellent client experience, and lots of good ratings can vouch for that.

It may sound obvious, but the best way to get more reviews is to ask for them. 

Ask clients when you wrap up their cases, when you hand over final checks, and after any particularly positive interactions with them. You can even ask potential clients whose cases you turn away for a review if you still take the time to talk to them about their case.

Provide a Fantastic Experience for Your Clients

Of course, hand-in-hand with asking for reviews is making sure that those reviews are going to be positive. This comes from a dedication to providing a fantastic experience for your clients.

Look for ways that you can go above and beyond for your clients. Keep them up to date on the status of their case, help them get the care that they need outside the legal space, and ask what they need during this time.

As you interact with clients, keep your focus on their goals and their needs. Asking the right interview questions can help you stay focused on the client experience throughout the process.

Providing an exceptional client experience will help all your other marketing efforts. Clients who have been happy with your handling of their case are more likely to recommend you in the future, and plenty of good reviews are going to help your SEO.

When you’re trying to bring in new clients, positive publicity is the name of the game. Build a strong network, both of fellow lawyers and within your community, and work to grow your online presence. Ask for reviews from previous clients, and as always, keep everything focused on providing a positive experience for your clients.

If you’re looking for a proven SEO and content strategy, LawRank can help. We provide legal marketing that works, including SEO, PPC, web design, and more. Contact us today and start getting honesty, transparency, and results from your marketing firm.