Top 4 Reasons Every Law Firm Should Advertise

FOX 12/FOX 12+ Marketing About The Author

Jul 9, 2020 8:55:00 AM

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Law firms have the potential to market to prospective clients through many avenues. It's important, however, to make your firm stand out. Not only do you want to be sure clients have a basic awareness of your presence, but you also want them to see you as unique: a leader both in your industry and in your community. The population of lawyers has grown 15% over the last ten years, which makes it easier for interested clients to find a firm. In all too many cases, they may choose your competitors over you if you have not adequately advertised your firm. 

1. Marketing Expands Your Reach

If you aren't advertising, your reach is likely limited to clients who already know about your firm: either those who have used you in the past or those who have associates who would recommend your firm. When you increase your advertising efforts, however, you substantially increase your reach or the number of people who have had at least one connection with your firm. 

Imagine, for example, that you put together a television ad that runs in the middle of a popular program or an OTT ad that speaks to your target demographic by choosing a show they often consume. Viewers of that show have now seen your brand displayed, which substantially increases the odds that, when they are ready to make a purchasing decision, they will select your firm. 

2. Raise Brand Awareness of Your Law Firm Through Effective Marketing

Who is your law firm? What types of law do you handle? What sets you apart from your competition?

When the average consumer looks for a lawyer, they have very specific needs. A potential client planning a divorce, for example, will need an attorney that focuses on family law, while a consumer who has recently suffered a catastrophic injury will need support from a personal injury attorney to file a claim. Your ads can increase your brand awareness. Fifty-four percent of millennials, who now make up the generation with the most buying power, believe that television ads serve as an effective vehicle for communication about your brand. Appearing in a mobile search, which often relies on content creation, can increase brand awareness by as much as 46%, while Google paid ads can increase brand awareness by up to 80%. The most effective ads for a law firm include integrated advertising: your television ads improve brand awareness and raise trust, while your digital ads build into your advertising efforts, increase brand awareness, and help clients find you when they're ready to start actively searching for an attorney. 

3. Use Your Marketing Efforts to Increase Engagement With Your Firm

Often, interested clients will start looking for advice or information long before they're ready to choose an attorney once the need has arose. They may, for example, visit your website or social media pages, interacting with your content to get a better idea of their next steps. They might also choose to engage more directly with your brand by asking direct questions.

Engagement helps establish a sense of trust in your brand. When potential clients engage with your ads and your content, they gain their trust in you. Then, when they're ready to make a decision about a law firm, they're more likely to trust you. Those ads can also increase engagement with your existing clients, which can make it more likely that they will turn to you with their needs.

4. Bring in New Clients

Ultimately, the goal of your advertising is to bring in new clients. As a law firm, you may find that a large percentage of the people who see your ad when it runs do not need an attorney immediately.

That does not mean, however, that they will not need one in the future. In fact, a large percentage of viewers will, at some point, need an attorney to assist with legal practices. By maintaining consistent advertising, you can increase the odds that you will reach your target audience when they're ready to move forward. Not only that, but your continuing ads also help build a sense of trust and legitimacy that will appeal to potential clients as they enter a difficult period of their lives that requires the assistance of an attorney.

As a law firm, you need to advertise and keep advertising consistently. The need for a lawyer often occurs abruptly: a potential client gets into legal trouble, has an accident, or gets surprised with a request for a divorce. The client must then choose an attorney quickly in order to move forward. By developing credibility and brand awareness through your advertising efforts before that time comes, you can increase the odds that the client will turn to you.

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