Law Firm Marketing Online - 3 Pieces of the Puzzle
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by Brandon Cornett
Each day, more and more consumers use the Internet to conduct legal research and to seek assistance from local law firms. As a result of this ever-growing audience, an increasing number of law firms are using Internet marketing to grow their business. It only makes sense. As a smart marketer, you go where your audience is!
But these days, Internet marketing for law firms requires a different mentality and strategy as it did a few years ago. That's because today there are many more law firm websites online than there have been in the past. Many firms have begun to publish law firm blogs as well, which further ads to the online "crowding" situation.
If all that were not enough, consumers today are also flooded with information and advertising, both online and off. Thus, modern consumers are much more selective of the types of materials they read, the information they trust, and the websites they visit -- including law firm websites.
How This Affects Law Firm Marketing
So what does all this mean to your law firm's Internet marketing program? For one thing, it means you must take a broader approach to Internet marketing. In the past, it may have been enough to have a simple, static law firm website, and leave it at that. But those days are gone. Such a website today will hardly be visible to its target audience.
A basic law firm website, by itself, is no longer sufficient for Internet marketing success. Your potential clients expect more. They want a law firm that is "plugged into" the Internet, because this shows that the law firm is intellectually flexible and progressive ... that they are "on top of things" and not outdated and static.
Being active online also demonstrates that your firm is Internet savvy, which comes in handy when conducting research on behalf of a client.
So, the first step to law firm Internet marketing success is to have a broad web presence. This makes it easier for people to find you online when conducting relevant research. As we mentioned, it also showcases your firm's technical / online savvy to an audience that expects it.
A 3-Part Law Firm Internet Marketing Plan
Here are the three interrelated parts of such a web presence that I feel are the most important for law firms. Each of these Internet marketing components can stand on its own, but when used in concert they are capable of far more.
1. The Law Firm Website - Think of your law firm's website as "Internet marketing central." It serves as the focal point of your online marketing efforts. For this reason (and for general perception / reputation reasons), you should develop a professional website that offers quality information and focuses on lead generation.
2. The Law Firm Blog - A blog is a great addition to your Internet marketing program. Blogging is an easy way to grow your firm's web presence steadily over time, while also positioning yourself as an authority in your subject area. When combined, these two things -- a large web presence and demonstrated expertise -- will ensure that both people and search engines visit your blog often. This is a big first step to law firm Internet marketing success.
3. Outward Publishing - This is the act of publishing content beyond your law firm's website or blog. By publishing quality content beyond your own website, you increase the number of ways people can find you online. You also further position yourself as an authority.
Online press releases and articles are two great ways to engage in outward publishing. These techniques (and other forms of publishing) can help you broaden your web presence, reinforce the search engine visibility of your law firm website, further demonstrate your subject-matter expertise, and much more.