Law firm digital marketing encompasses a variety of channels, strategies, and tools to help your firm get found online. From social media to email marketing to Google SEO, it can be easy to get lost in the details of all the options available to you. Fortunately, we’re here to help you cut through the noise.
There are a few, specific law firm digital marketing strategies that have stood the test of time. These are most effective at driving traffic, leads, and cases for law firms, no matter the size. Let’s dive into the best marketing methods for increasing your online visibility and attracting new clients!
Law Firm Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing
Most seasoned attorneys are familiar with the “traditional” forms of advertising — TV ads, newspaper ads, billboards, and the like. And while this kind of marketing can be effective, it lacks the reach and convenience of digital marketing channels.
Digital marketing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, LinkedIn, etc. boast over 3 billion active users! The sheer volume of opportunity, whether locally or nationally, is too much to ignore for a growing law firm.
The world of law firm marketing has evolved, starting from print ads all the way to immersive advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and more. Your firm doesn’t have to be on all of these platforms, but it’s certainly worth it to dip your feet into the online space with the opportunity to drive more traffic and leads.
The most prominent digital marketing platforms for law firms include:
- Google Ads
- Google organic
- YouTube
- Online directories (e.g. Avvo, Justia)
- X (Twitter)
Top Digital Marketing Strategies for Law Firms
Any of the above platforms can be effective for marketing your law firm, but there are a few strategies that stand out as clear frontrunners. If you want tried-and-tested methods for getting more traffic and leads, try out these law firm digital marketing strategies:
1. Get Traffic with Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a type of digital marketing that involves optimizing your website and online listings to rank high in and drive traffic from search engines (namely, Google). With Google being the go-to platforms people use to search for legal services, Local SEO allows you to attract more prospective clients in your local area.
While there are several SEO ranking factors that come into play, the most important components involve optimizing your website for location-specific search terms (“keywords”), setting up a Google Business Profile, submitting your business information to reputable directories, publishing high-quality content, and earning authoritative backlinks.
Check out our SEO Checklist for Lawyers to get started with SEO for your firm.
2. Increase Visibility with Search Pay Per Click (PPC) Ads
Ranking organically in the local search results is ideal, but that can take time. Many law firms choose to complement their organic (SEO) efforts with paid advertising. Search PPC is a form of digital marketing in which you pay to run sponsored ads in search engines (mainly Google and Bing).
To get started with Google Ads, create a Google Ads account and use the Keyword Planner tool to identify target keywords for your campaigns. For example, if you are a personal injury attorney in Denver, CO, your target keywords might include “Denver PI attorney,” “personal injury lawyer Denver,” etc. Then, create campaigns with eye-catching headlines, descriptions, and calls-to-action (CTAs). You will also need to set your ad budget and bidding strategy.
To advertise in Bing, sign up with Microsoft Ads. The campaign setup process is very similar to that of Google Ads. Identify your target keywords, write your ad copy, set your bidding strategy and budget, then monitor ad performance in your analytics dashboard. Use the data in ads analytics to tweak/improve your ads over time.
Running PPC ads can get a bit complicated, so if you’re concerned about not making the best use of your ad spend, consider hiring a reliable PPC marketing agency.
Generate Leads with Social PPC Ads
PPC advertising isn’t limited to Search platforms; you can run paid ads on social media as well! From Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) to LinkedIn Ads to YouTube Ads, nearly every social media site has its own advertising solution.
Advertising on social media is a great digital marketing tactic to increase brand visibility, get more email subscribers, and generate leads. And you have more flexibility with social ads versus search ads, as you can add images, carousels, and videos to your ads.
First, choose the platform you want to advertise on (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.). Then, sign up for an ads account. You’ll be able to set your target audience (based on location, interests, etc.), write your ad content, set your bidding strategy, monitor performance, and update your ads over time.
4. Improve Client Satisfaction with Email Marketing
Email can be a powerful tool for nurturing prospective clients and retaining existing ones.
With email marketing, you can craft targeting, engaging emails that inform prospective clients about your services, company values, and unique approach to serving clients. This information can help entice new leads to work with you.
Email marketing can also be used to maintain contact with existing clients. This improves client satisfaction and streamlines communication. It can also help ensure that your law firm is top of mind when it comes time for clients to leave a shining review and/or refer new clients.
Email marketing tools like Kit and Constant Contact provide email templates you can repurpose, email marketing tips, and automation features to streamline the email marketing process. Just be sure that the content in your emails casts your law firm in a positive light and speaks to the interests of your prospective clients.
5. Build Thought Leadership with Video Marketing
Video marketing is one of the most effective types of online marketing due to the fact that videos are highly visual, eye-catching, and provide a lot of room for creativity. Even in the complex (and assumably dry) realm of legal marketing, there is so much you can do with video!
For one, video is a great medium for demonstrating thought leadership. In other words, you can use video to cover complex legal topics, address common concerns your clients face, and answer questions from your target audience. You can then publish this content to your YouTube channel and social media for more views and leads.
Also, YouTube as a whole is a massive search engine capable of driving a high volume of organic traffic. By having a YouTube presence, you can grow your audience, generate potentially thousands of views, and drive traffic to your website.
Beyond YouTube, there are other types of video content as well. Instagram Reels, Facebook Live, TikTok, and the like can all be used to create and promote video content.
6. Earn Backlinks and Traffic with Content Marketing
Your website is one of the most important marketing assets you own in your business, so you best make it count with great content! Descriptive service pages, thought-provoking blog posts, and lead magnet content can all be used to drum up traffic, leads, and backlinks.
Backlinks are links from other websites to your own — and are valuable when it comes to driving SEO-boosting authority to your website. If you publish great content that other websites are inclined to link to, this can be a great way to improve your site rankings.
Blog and lead magnet content can also be used to improve organic visibility and entice leads. For example, if you write a blog post on a highly searchable topic (e.g. “10 Things to Know When Filing for Divorce”) with a downloadable lead magnet (like “3-Step Guide to Hiring the BEST Divorce Attorney”), you can generate traffic from organic search AND capture prospective clients who sign up for the lead magnet.
SEO tools like Semrush can be helpful when coming up with content ideas and keywords. ChatGPT is another great course of content topics; simply use a prompt like “Provide 10 blog post ideas related to X” and revise from there!
7. Increase Engagement with Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok can be used to grow your follower base, connect with prospective clients, and share updates about your firm. Social media marketing can also be used to publish thought-provoking posts and videos, and re-share content from your blog.
Now, you don’t need to be active on every platform all the time (unless you want to and have the resources to do so). We do recommend having a profile on each of the major social media sites so people can find you. But when it comes to regular content posting, choose the 1-2 platforms your audience uses most, and what you can reliably be consistent with.
Here are a few content types to share on social media:
- Posts (text-based)
- Videos (pre-recorded)
- Images (single or carousel)
- Live video
- Memes
- Gifs
- Articles
- Blog posts (re-posted)
- YouTube videos (reposted)
Law Firm Digital Marketing Strategies Examples
Sometimes the best law firm marketing inspiration comes from seeing real-world examples. At Hennessey Digital, we have 10+ years of experience developing creative marketing campaigns for legal professionals. Here are just a few examples to get you started:
SEO content for Ben Crump Law
Ben Crump Law, renowned for its civil rights cases, sought to improve lead generation and visibility across various practice areas. We conducted a comprehensive technical and content audit of the firm’s website and then rebuilt the site to implement SEO best practices.
We then launched a robust multimedia content plan, featuring articles, videos, and blog posts across a variety of channels. As a result, Ben Crump Law experienced a 1,000% increase in Google page rankings and a 2,000% boost in website traffic!
Video marketing for Simmrin Law Group
Simmrin Law Group is a DUI and criminal defense firm in Southern California. We did a comprehensive overhaul of the firm’s website, addressing technical issues and implementing a modern design to improve user experience.
We then put together a strategic content plan, including tons of video content to engage visitors and boost SEO. As a result, the firm achieved a 169% year-over-year increase in organic traffic, a 143% rise in lead form submissions, and a 107% growth in calls.
As you can see, there are many creative ways to market your law firm. But staying active across a variety of channels is a hefty task! If you’re looking for help developing your law firm marketing strategy and/or implementing your marketing content, it may be time to hire an agency!
At Hennessey Digital, we have over 10 years of experience providing cutting-edge digital marketing services for law firms. It’s what has helped our clients skyrocket their traffic, lead generation, and online visibility. Whether you’re looking for web design, SEO, PPC, content marketing, or beyond, we’ve got you covered!
It’s never too late (or too early) to work with a trusted law firm marketing agency. Contact us at Hennessey Digital today!
