Several lawyers looking to launch their startup law firms miss out on acquiring new business opportunities and clients due to inadequate marketing activities. Either that, or they waste their time pursuing the wrong activities.
The world is much more competitive today than it was a few years ago. Gone are the days when attorneys only practiced law. With increased competition, economic downturn, oversupply of qualified talent, and availability of alternative services, marketing one’s professional skills and services has become necessary.
Marketing a startup can no longer be overlooked, especially if you want your law firm to survive and flourish in the future.
Mentioned ahead are a few tips that law firm startups can imbibe to ensure that they always remain in demand.
1. Pick a Niche
With numerous law firms on the block, one of the first things you will need to work on would be set yourself apart from the competition. Being a general practitioner will not help here. You need to go one step further.
Not only do you need to choose a special type of law, you will also have to differentiate your business identity and services by choosing a niche within your branch of law practice. For instance, if you’re an immigration lawyer, you can target clients from a particular region or country.
Bring your niche to the notice of your customers by including this detail in your website and promotional materials. Once that is covered, you can grow your client base through word-of-mouth and referrals.
2. Build a Website
We live in the digital age, and if your law firm does not already have its own business website, then it’s high time you created one. The site should be useful to your clients. It should clearly inform them about your startup, specialty and niche.
Apart from that, you could also dole out law-related advice and resources, and cite a few links to useful pages for people looking for general information within your branch of law practice. Doing so will bring more traffic to your website, bringing you more business if your visitors happen to need a lawyer from your field.
3. Give Out Free Resources
It makes sense to connect with influential people and businesses in your field and/or online community as they can help promote your services and distribute the resources created by you for free. This will help you broaden your startup firm reach and allow it to grow faster.
Providing free expert information and resources to people can help you make powerful connections. Further, people will start to put their trust in your brand. Do make sure to create helpful resources that revolve around your area of expertise so that your visitors will thank you for making it available to them.
4. Be on Social Media
It’s no secret that social media is being used by an increasing number of businesses to market themselves. You can add it to your arsenal as well. All you need to do is create an account on major social media networking platforms and use them to provide information about your law firm and, perhaps, even offer legal advice and helpful resources.
Make your online presence felt by updating important information for those who follow you online every once in a while. Further, use it to connect with people and businesses. Encourage them to share your content as that will increase your law firm’s visibility.
Social media can also help you find resources, experts, bloggers, and other professionals you can network with. To do this, you can start following influential people in your industry. Then connect with them and ask them if they would like to collaborate with you.
5. Get Referrals
When it comes to marketing a startup law firm, nothing works quite like referrals do. That’s probably because referrals earn instant trust, and referred clients are less resistant to hiring you. Plus, they come to you without any cost, and are more likely to suggest your services to others.
You can earn referrals by connecting with people on social media or through your local community. Attend legal conferences and seminars and make an active effort to network with other people in your industry. Do not forget to hand out your business card to those who matter. Be open to speaking about your practice on public platforms as that will enable others to know you and think of you when they need similar services.
One of the most straightforward ways of getting referrals is by asking satisfied clients to put in a good word for you to those needing similar services. Let them know that you’re open to taking on new clients. Offer discounts to clients who refer you to others.
6. Focus on Customer Service
If you want solid referrals and a thriving business, you’re going to have to ensure that your clients are satisfied enough to recommend you to others. This is why you will always have to focus on providing excellent customer service.
To ensure client satisfaction, talk to them about what they can expect from you once you’re hired. Keep them well informed of the developments in their case and show them the road ahead, so that there’s no room for confusion and complaints. Promise less and deliver more, and you’re sure to leave them delighted with your services.
7. Hire a Marketing Professional If Necessary
Hiring an experienced marketing professional when promoting your business can be helpful as he/she can help you choose the right mediums and measure your success.
While spending too much time and money on marketing efforts can get expensive, his/her skills can certainly take some of the responsibility off your shoulders. Further, he/she will know better about marketing your firm in the right manner.
If you find that the marketing efforts are getting you the expected results, you can increase the budget for it, going further. If they don’t work, try something else.
Conclusion
While being good at what you do is a great thing, you also need to let people know about your firm and its niche in order to generate business. This is where marketing your practice comes into the picture. However, marketing the business of law is different from marketing other kinds of businesses. The above pointers should help legal professionals market their firm and brand to prospective clients and put themselves on the road to success.
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