If growing your law practice is an integral part of your business plan this year, then lead generation should be at the top of your checklist of priorities. Not just a tool for those within the sales arena, lead generation is a vital part of the growth plan for your law practice.
Not only is lead generation important to your overall business strategy and cash flow, but it also supports the financial growth of your business. If you desire a steady flow of reliable leads, then lead generation is the path to follow. Keep reading to learn more about when and how to successfully outsource legal marketing.
What do we mean by “lead?”
A lead is, quite simply, a potential prospect or client. It is someone who might just want to learn information from your website or perhaps it is someone who is eventually converted to a client. A lead is interested in knowing more about the services you offer. This interest will lead them to provide you with their contact information.
To do this, you want to draw more people to your website. But how do you direct traffic there? Acquiring new clients isn’t always easy. It will take time and effort. But it is highly important to scale your business and keep you on the path to continued success. We have outlined below several ideas to kick-start your marketing strategy. You can either do this in-house or decide to choose legal marketing outsourcing.
Four simple steps to create the sales funnel you need:
- Draw attention to your firm and the services you offer. This requires a deeper understanding of how to improve your internet search rankings so prospects will land on your site.
- Capture their attention. So, leads are on your site. Now you want them to stay there awhile and get to know you. This translates to having valuable and interesting information on your landing page that will hook them in further.
- Show them the benefits. If potential leads are to become clients, you will need to give them the confidence you have something they need to help solve their problems.
- Inspire action. This is the step at which a potential client submits their contact information to obtain more information or even schedule a consultation with you.
In a nutshell, the game plan begins with leads discovering your firm through the marketing channels you use; they click on your call to action; they arrive on your landing page; they provide their contact information; and they eagerly await a follow-up touchpoint from you, as you provide them the beneficial information they need.
Sounds easy enough. So, how do I begin generating these leads? (Think: legal marketing outsourcing)
To attract strong leads, your website is the most important tool in your toolbox. It should establish the brand of your firm and let potential clients know who you are and what you have to offer them. Your website needs to set you apart from the rest and let leads know why they should choose your firm over any of your competitors.
A solid website should showcase a professional design while at the same time remaining user-friendly and well-optimized for search engines. Understand, too, that it should be easily viewed both on a desktop device and on a mobile device, especially the latter since more and more people rely on their hand-held devices when searching for information.
Make sure the content on your website is to the highest standard. This includes using high-resolution photos. The written content should elevate the benefits of using the services of your firm because using your services is the best choice for them.
Make your website approachable with the presentation of bios for every lawyer within your firm. Be sure to incorporate headshots of each one. This leads to a feeling of trust and familiarity before potential clients even begin working with you.
Market! Market! Market! (With the help of legal marketing outsourcing)
Outside of your website, email marketing is a highly effective tool to attract new leads. You can offer a free newsletter for which people can sign up. Alternatively, you can create an informational eBook or guide or even conduct a webinar for potential clients to access.
Don’t let the thought of using social media scare you. This is a great way to market your services and engage your audience directly, both with potential clients and current ones. You can opt to purchase paid advertisements, post to your own page, or do a combination therein. Make your posts engaging. This is best done with videos and images as opposed to just written content. Among the most highly recommended platforms for this include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Remember to maintain a blog, any infographics, or downloadable materials from which potential clients can learn more about the services you offer and how you can benefit them. To capture more leads, request an email address before they can download the materials.
Word of mouth referrals
Considered one of the best marketing tools, word-of-mouth referrals can help you increase your book of business. When people like and trust law firms with highly respected reputations, they are more likely to engage with them. You can generate more leads by leveraging the power of online reviews.
Free consultations to generate leads
This might not work for every firm, but it does have its place in the marketing strategy. There is no better way to engage with potential clients than by meeting them in a one-on-one setting. This puts you in a stronger position to turn them into a client.
Ready to Get Started?
While this might sound overwhelming and even time-consuming when done consistently and with the right message, your lead generation goals can be achieved. All it takes is the right tools and, if necessary, some expert help with marketing services who do the work for you.
When you’re ready to dive into marketing solutions that are right for your business, our expert team is here to provide the options that will work best for your situation. Let’s start a conversation.