Common Mistakes Small Law Firms Make When Marketing Their Services
To succeed as a solo practitioner, you must wear every hat—not only that of attorney, but also client service representative and marketer. If you’re like most lawyers, you hope that new business will come through client referrals based on successful outcomes. However, in today’s competitive climate, more is needed to build a thriving and profitable solo practice.
Law schools do not teach much, if anything, about marketing a law practice. Consequently, you can make some unproductive choices with your advertising dollars. Here are some of the top mistakes you want to avoid in order to maximize your chances for success:
- Don’t cater to everyone’s needs: Avoid the urge to cater to everyone’s needs in an attempt to achieve financial stability. Instead, identify your strengths and interests, and develop a unique brand around that expertise. When people seek legal help, they want someone with specific knowledge and experience in their particular issue, not a jack-of-all-trades. A specialization allows you to accumulate a deeper knowledge base, which in turn will instill confidence in your clients.
- Don’t forget to pay attention to details: It’s critical for a solo practitioner to attend to every aspect of their legal practice with care. While intelligence and diligence are vital, they form only the foundation. Your ultimate success is influenced by various factors, collectively known as your brand. You cultivate your brand through your attire, office decor, advertising, client interactions, community engagement, etc. Activities outside of work, such as involvement in local charities, also contribute significantly to how potential clients perceive you. When clients seek representation or make referrals, they consider this overall impression of you and your practice.
- Don’t neglect to utilize social media: There’s no more powerful place to increase your visibility with potential clients than social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Posting only occasionally is not enough if you hope to engage potential clients, but staying active on social media doesn’t have to drain your time and resources. You can efficiently manage social media with a well-structured campaign. Engaging a digital marketing team like GetLegal to handle timely and informative social media posts is usually a worthwhile investment.
- Don’t overlook marketing data: There’s a classic maxim in advertising—if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. You don’t want to spend advertising dollars without knowing whether or not the investment is having the desired impact. Studying web analytics may not be the most thrilling task, but it plays a crucial role in confirming the effectiveness of your strategies. Analytics also guide you in making adjustments, if needed, to ensure your approach is on the right track.
- Don’t overextend yourself: Start by concentrating on one marketing platform at a time. This approach yields better results and allows you to gradually develop a comprehensive marketing strategy. Begin with a robust web presence or a focused social media campaign, then build on it.
Let GetLegal Help You Effectively Build Your Solo Law Practice
At GetLegal, we have worked with law firms of all sizes for over two decades, offering comprehensive advice and expertise in all aspects of law firm marketing. We offer a full range of online tools and strategies to help build your client base, including video production, custom content and design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media campaigns, directory listings, and online reputation management. To learn how we can help you generate a more profitable practice, visit https://www.getlegalpracticebuilder.com/ or call us at 1-877-359-7077.
