It may be a new year, but for small to medium-sized firms, the fight for business and mindshare remains as tough as ever. That being said, one of the benefits of doing business in 2015 is the cost effective online marketing options available to legal practitioners that can make even the smallest practices, successful. Grow your practice with these online tips.
1. Focus on producing quality content
According to the 2014 Content Marketing in Australia Report, 69% of marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2015, and 81% are producing more content than a year ago.
Businesses are beginning to recognise the benefits of producing quality content, and law firms must also follow suit. The right keywords are still important for effective search engine optimisation (SEO), but practices also need to be aware that Google rewards content that answers the needs of a potential client, rather than content providing the user with facts. In other words, search has become semantic, and practices that produce original, quality content on a regular basis, will see their efforts rewarded.
2. Embrace the marketing potential of social media
Although there’s no substitute for producing high quality content, even the most informative piece requires an effective promotional and distribution pipeline, and that’s where social media can be extremely effective.
Research conducted by Thomson Reuters found that 75% of large Australian law firms use social media in a professional capacity, with LinkedIn and Twitter being the most utilised platforms. Although large firms were open minded in their use of social media to build business, 73% of respondents feared saying the wrong thing, while a further 52% had concerns that the firm may appear unprofessional. However, as Coralie Kenny and Tahlia Gordon noted in their April 2012 piece for the Law Society Journal titled, “Social media for legal”:
“Perhaps the challenge will be for law firms to think creatively about the use of social media to both provide competent ethical information and advice while marketing and positioning their legal practice in a world increasingly being defined as cross-border, cross-locality and cross-jurisdictional.”
3. Build up your brand
Separating your practice from the competition can be difficult, but if you’re able to effectively use the online marketing tools at your disposal, the ability to build up your brand can be leveraged to increase the authority of your practice. Social media is a great place to develop your brand and cultivate relationships with your clients, and the big law firms in Australia recognise this fact because 75% use social media to position their firm as forward-thinking, and for thought leadership purposes.
4. Make your content mobile friendly
Any content that your practice produces needs to be mobile-optimised. In fact, having recognised the rapid growth of content consumption on mobile devices, Google has begun to emphasise the importance of how mobile friendly websites are in order to serve up optimal search results. By focusing on mobile usability, small to medium-sized firms can move ahead of the competition to a client base that is increasingly going mobile.
For more tips on how to ensure your law firm’s website reaches Google’s top search results page, download Insight’s free guide: Law firm marketing: 6 steps to help your firm reach Google’s top page.
