If every prospect that discovers your firm immediately converted, mass tort lawyers wouldn’t run expensive TV commercials anymore. Unfortunately, this just isn’t how real life works. A more realistic conversion scenario involves multiple “touch points” before any prospect becomes your signed client. Lead nurturing means offering prospects things they value and education about your services until they’re ready to convert into signed cases.
Creating a Lead Nurturing Strategy Is Easier Than You Might Think
Don’t despair if you’re totally new to this lead nurturing concept. In fact, effective lead nurturing campaigns are easier to create than you might think. While research shows 30%-50% of leads aren’t ready to convert while researching your firm, 75% will be ready within 12-18 months. A good lead nurturing strategy helps ensure those conversions actually occur during that timeframe.
Lead nurturing a simple concept, yet seemingly hard to execute for some practices. It means building a relationship with prospects as they move toward securing your firm’s legal services. With so much money on the line, the mass tort market’s highly competitive. An efficient lead nurturing strategy can put you ahead of your competition, so we’ll explain how to do it below.
The Lifecycle Journey for Nurturing Mass Tort Leads
Nurturing leads can keep potential clients interested and engaged until they’re finally ready to convert. This “lifecycle journey” is crucial, because most people are simply researching their options when they initially contact your firm. Once leads decide they’re finally ready to file their claim, they’ll circle back to you and schedule an initial consultation.
Your lead nurturing process can help improve your firm’s client conversion rate in several different ways. If implemented correctly, this process should help you:
- Identify the best-qualified leads more likely to convert into clients
- Increase your credibility as an industry leader for handling mass tort cases locally
- Grow your firm’s revenue by keeping leads warm until they convert, which lowers acquisition costs and streamlines your intake process
- Generate more word-of-mouth referrals as well as testimonials for your website/email campaigns
Now that you understand the process, timeline and benefits, let’s explore which lead nurturing approach works best for your firm.
Setting Up the First Stage in Your Lead Nurturing Journey
When prospects begin the journey towards becoming signed clients, keep them engaged by offering value in the form of education. Some popular lead nurturing tactics for this initial stage include:
- Email campaigns/newsletters that feature cases won, award amounts or litigation trends
- Webinars or video content can help build trust and establish your role as an experienced mass tort attorney
- Events that educate leads on what to expect and connect them with your existing clients
- Blog content with best practices and useful tips (i.e., average timeline for resolving drug vs. medical device cases, largest settlement awards secured for your clients, etc.)
Anything that reinforces your firm’s trustworthiness, proven track record and years of professional experience with mass tort litigation is key.
Offer Incentives to Keep Leads Engaged Throughout the Next Stage
Lead nurturing should also give prospects something they value to keep them on this journey with you. Right now, they’re somewhere between researching local attorneys and deciding if a lawsuit is worth the effort (or not). Providing these incentives can help grow your email list and move qualified leads further down the path:
- Downloadable checklists (i.e., how to prepare for your consultation, items to bring for your deposition, best medical evidence documents, etc.)
- Free swag with your firm’s logo/branding on it when they attend your firm’s open house
- White papers (example: charts highlighting your firm’s win rate vs. the national average)
- Ability to schedule a free consultation directly through your website
Anything that de-mystifies the process and makes filing a claim feel easier will prepare those prospects to convert into clients.
Start Filtering Your List to Qualify Your Prospects
Once you’ve grown a robust email list, it’s time to find out who’s truly interested in securing your services. All you have to do at this point is ask. Send out a quick, one-line email with a friendly and personal tone. It should say something like, “Still interested in filing a claim?” Or, “Have you chosen an attorney to handle your case?” Now’s the time to filter out unqualified leads and focus on nurturing still-engaged prospects:
- Remove anyone that didn’t open your last two emails/newsletters from your prospect lists
- Send individual follow-ups or cold-call prospects that reply to your “ask” email
- Consider mailing handwritten thank-you cards to open house and consultation attendees
Periodically pruning your email lists also saves you money if you’re using a paid drip marketing service.
Accelerate Into the Late-Stage Lead Nurturing Cycle
Once a lead exchanges calls/emails with you or starts asking questions, it’s a good idea to increase your contact frequency. Emails to these prospects should include:
- Strong calls to action (i.e., “You have 21 days before the SoL expires for filing your claim – click to call now and schedule your appointment”)
- Specific times/dates you’re available for a free consultation
- Testimonials from satisfied clients that fall within the same demographic or tort type
This lifecycle journey’s ongoing, and law firms must approach prospects nearing the last stage with special care. To properly nurture leads, consider their concerns and what might help you overcome them at every stage. If you commit to the process and continuously welcome new leads into your marketing ecosystem, you’ll sign more cases.
Use Success Metrics to Track Your Lead Nurturing Efforts
One last thing — your lead nurturing tactics always benefit from improvement. To ensure your firm’s lead nurturing strategy works, you must track several metrics. Look at things like:
- Email open rates
- How many people unsubscribe
- Who engages with your firm through social media
- Which prospects converted into signed cases so you can target similar leads
Don’t have enough time to spend on all these lead nurturing tasks? Outsource your business development needs to LeadingResponse!
Make Your Lead Nurturing Efforts Bulletproof: Partner With LeadingResponse
The lead nurturing process isn’t something you can leave to chance or handle yourself on weekends. If you’re too busy to create and manage a lead nurturing campaign yourself, it’s time to ask the experts. Partner with LeadingResponse today and start using our customizable lead nurturing email campaigns for free! All firms that purchase leads from us can access our proprietary Lead Management System (LMS) software from any web browser. The LMS comes with built-in customizable templates, automated email scheduling and lets you contact leads via text or phone. Plus, we’ll deliver superior quality leads that fit your firm’s criteria to meet your monthly volume needs.
Contact LeadingResponse for a free lead volume estimate in your preferred torts and target areas today!