Category Archives: Legal Industry

Legal Industry Challenges: Marketing

legalinternshipThere are many challenges currently facing the legal industry, but marketing is most definitely at the top of the list. For much of history, traditional methods of marketing have been used successfully by attorneys to help attract clients. With so many lawyers on the market (and more graduating and passing the bar every year), those traditional methods just don’t work like they used to.

Part of this is also due to the fact that the proliferation of the Internet has changed the game. Putting an ad in the Yellow Pages, for example, just doesn’t have the reach that it might have had ten years ago. More people than ever are starting their search for products and services on the Internet, and this is true of finding legal professionals, too. Now more than ever, an online reputation as well as an online method of marketing must be implemented by attorneys who wish to continue reaping the benefits of success.

Of course, it makes sense that social media should be a component of every attorney’s marketing plan. A real effort, however, must go beyond this. If your website doesn’t have detailed information about your services, as well as a properly updated blog, you run the risk of being passed over for someone else. These days, attorneys are using online content marketing in conjunction with traditional methods and social media to set themselves apart from the competition. It’s vital that the legal community make the most of this trend towards online research. This involves not only being present in the online community by posting regularly and contributing material, but ensuring that your website and blog reflect relevant information that proves your competency.

Learning about what individuals are searching for, as well as the qualities they seek in hiring an attorney for their specific legal needs, can go a long way as well. This can be completed by legal staff or other professionals to whom the job is outsourced, but understanding how people arrive at a final decision is extremely helpful for gearing legal marketing. Another way to explore this avenue is to ask current clients what led them to their existing attorney and to have them provide testimonials. Networking and identifying the right clients as well as other valuable industry professionals, can help to build your brand. In a world where reviews play an increasingly important role in assisting consumers make final decisions, the words of others can be extremely beneficial for an attorney who has developed positive relationships with current and former clients. Implement a marketing plan today that reflects your image.