9 Effective Ways Your Law Firm Can Leverage Digital Advertising

In the digital era, when the typical consumer needs just about any type of product or service, the search is more and more often beginning online — and legal services are certainly no exception. In fact, more than one in three consumers who are seeking legal representation start their search for an attorney on the internet, even before reaching out to trusted friends and family members for recommendations.

Of course, no matter the legal specialty, this represents a substantial portion of the pool of potential clients for any law firm. And if a firm isn’t engaging in digital advertising, it’s likely missing out on a significant segment of consumers who need its services from the get-go — and missing a huge opportunity to broaden its client base.

9 top ways to tap into digital advertising to grow your law firm’s client base

Ready to add digital advertising to your law firm’s marketing arsenal? Consider these nine leading ways to leverage online advertising to reach more potential customers and rev up your firm’s client base:

1. Audience research

In the competitive landscape of legal services, understanding the nuances of your law firm’s target audience is essential for crafting effective marketing strategies — whether your campaigns are delivered digitally or otherwise. Through comprehensive audience research, your firm can gain invaluable insights into the demographics, preferences and behaviors of its prospective clients. This knowledge allows you to tailor your advertising efforts with precision, helping ensure that your messaging resonates with the right audience segments at the right time and through the most relevant channels. By honing in on the specific needs and pain points of your target audience, your law firm can not only increase its visibility, but also establish a deeper connection with potential and existing clients.

2. Website creation and enhancement

In today’s digital age, your law firm’s website serves as its virtual storefront, often forming the first impression potential clients have of the firm. A well-designed and user-friendly website not only attracts visitors but also fosters trust and credibility. And by optimizing your website for search engines and an improved user experience, your law firm can increase its online visibility and attract qualified leads. Additionally, a well-crafted website enables your law firm to showcase its expertise, experience and unique value propositions, effectively differentiating your firm from competitors. Regularly updating and enhancing the website with fresh content, testimonials, case studies and educational resources further reinforces your firm’s authority and fosters added engagement with visitors.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

In a highly competitive online landscape, appearing prominently in search engine results is crucial for attracting potential clients. And for law firms, leveraging SEO strategies can not only enhance visibility on a national scale, but also play a pivotal role in local market penetration. Local SEO in particular is critical for smaller firms looking to compete effectively within their geographic area. By optimizing their website and online presence for local search queries, such as “lawyer near me” or “divorce attorney in [city name here],” smaller firms can help ensure that they appear prominently in local search results. This is especially important, as many clients seeking legal services prefer to work with firms located nearby. And by focusing on local SEO tactics such as creating a Google Business Profile, obtaining online reviews and optimizing website content with location-specific keywords, smaller law firms can increase their visibility and attract more highly qualified local leads.

4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising

PPC advertising offers a targeted and cost-effective way to reach potential clients actively seeking legal assistance. With PPC campaigns, your law firm can strategically bid on relevant keywords related to its practice areas, helping ensure your ads appear prominently in search engine results and across various digital platforms. This targeted approach can help your law firm capture the attention of individuals actively seeking legal representation, increasing the likelihood of converting them into clients. Additionally, PPC offers flexibility and control over advertising budgets, allowing your firm to allocate resources efficiently and measure the effectiveness of its campaigns in real-time to elevate the firm’s ROI.

5. Social media marketing and management

For law firms aiming to expand their client base through digital advertising, social media marketing and management are indispensable tools. Organic social media efforts can enable your law firm to establish a strong online presence, engage with its audience, and build credibility and trust within your community. By consistently sharing valuable content, such as legal insights, industry news and client testimonials, your firm can position itself as a thought leader in its specific practice areas. Further, organic social media efforts help you foster meaningful connections with your followers, encouraging them to interact, share and refer others to the firm. And complementing organic efforts with paid social media advertising offers your firm a powerful way to target specific demographics, interests and behaviors with precision. Through paid campaigns on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, your law firm can amplify its reach, drive more traffic to its website, and generate leads effectively.

6. Content marketing

By creating and sharing valuable and informative content, such as blog posts, articles, webinars and thought leadership pieces, your law firm can establish itself as an authority in its various areas of legal expertise. In addition to supporting SEO efforts via strategic keyword inclusions, a firm’s blog serves as a platform to address common legal questions, provide updates on relevant laws and regulations, and offer practical advice to potential clients. Hosting webinars allows your law firm to delve deeper into complex legal topics, showcase your attorneys’ expertise and engage directly with your audience in real time. Additionally, engaging in thought leadership activities — such as speaking at conferences, publishing authoritative blog posts, contributing articles to industry publications and participating in panel discussions — can elevate your firm’s reputation and visibility within the legal community and beyond. And by consistently delivering valuable content that educates, informs and resonates with its target audience, your law firm can attract, engage and ultimately convert more potential clients, helping drive meaningful growth and expansion in your client base.

7. Email marketing

With its unique ability to deliver cost-effective, targeted and personalized messages directly to prospects and clients, email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for nurturing relationships and driving conversions. Your law firm can leverage email campaigns to stay top-of-mind with its audience, provide valuable legal insights and updates, and showcase recent case successes or firm achievements. Whether it’s sharing educational content, announcing upcoming events or webinars, or offering exclusive promotions, email marketing can enable your law firm to engage with its audience on a regular basis, helping you build trust and credibility over time. Further, email marketing allows your law firm to segment its audience based on various criteria such as practice area, stage of the client journey and geographic location, helping ensure highly targeted and relevant communications.

8. Online review generation

In today’s highly connected world, potential clients often rely on online reviews to gauge the reputation and credibility of law firms before making their decisions. Positive reviews instill trust and confidence in prospective clients, and they play a pivotal role in influencing their decision-making process. By actively soliciting and generating online reviews from satisfied clients, your law firm can bolster its online reputation and differentiate itself from competitors. Further, positive reviews serve as powerful social proof, validating your firm’s expertise and reliability in the eyes of potential clients. Through strategic review generation initiatives, such as encouraging clients to leave feedback after successful case resolutions or providing incentives for reviews, your law firm can amplify its online presence, increase trust and ultimately attract more clients.

9. Online reputation management

These days, your law firm’s online reputation can have an outsized influence on potential clients’ perceptions and decision-making. Negative reviews, unfavorable news articles or even misleading information can significantly damage your firm’s credibility and deter prospective clients. This makes it essential to actively monitor and manage your firm’s online reputation across a range of platforms, including review sites, social media and search engine results. By promptly addressing negative feedback, resolving client concerns, and highlighting positive testimonials and case successes, your law firm can mitigate reputational risks and maintain a positive online image. Further, proactive reputation management strategies such as regularly publishing high-quality content, engaging with the online community and showcasing your firm’s expertise and values can help you strengthen your firm’s reputation and attract more clients through your digital marketing efforts.

Need expert help with your law firm marketing? Brandon is on the case

With a law school graduate and Certified Brand Strategist leading the C-Suite, Brandon understands the challenges law firms can face in trying to target the highly specific subset of consumers they’re often trying to reach — and we’re experts at overcoming these challenges. No matter the legal specialty, if your law firm is looking to grow its client base, our deep understanding of both the legal industry and the marketing landscape puts us in the perfect position to be your internet marketing agency for attorneys. And whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help your firm zero in on the relevant audiences, then move them to action.

Further, as a fully integrated marketing firm, our team of certified brand strategists and data-driven marketing professionals can cover the full spectrum of your brand’s marketing needs. From digital marketing, e-commerce, influencer marketing, email marketing and SEO to social media, creative, media, analytics, public relations, brand strategy, web design and more, we can cover all of your marketing needs in one place. To get started with help ranging from a simple website analysis to a comprehensive strategy tailored to boost the performance of all of your marketing campaigns, contact us today.