November 30, 2015

Successful Internet Marketing Tips for Lawyers

With the introduction of the internet into our daily lives, communication has never been easier, or more instantaneous. Naturally, this means that the internet has become one of the most important tools for any marketing plan. “Online marketing” should no longer be considered a novelty, or separate from a traditional plan. Lawyers, along with the majority of other professionals looking to improve their brand strategy, are increasingly incorporating various facets of the internet into their marketing and business development initiatives. Despite its increased usage however, the internet, and its many tangled webs, is still a different animal to many lawyers and other professional service providers. Here are some helpful internet marketing techniques to keep in mind when using the internet to enhance and build your law firm’s image.

Use key words. Strategically including carefully chosen key words in the content of the firm’s website will have a positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO). The law firm’s website will appear higher in the search rankings, but remember to make sure that the keywords are added seamlessly and that the content flows naturally.

Include a call to action. What should prospective clients do after researching the firm, and how? Be sure to invite the audience to reach out, and make it easy for them to find out how to get in contact about the firm’s services.

Update regularly. Make sure your website is up-to-date, displaying relevant information about the firm and any recent news about attorneys accomplishments. This demonstrates that the firm has an active, successful practice and consistently contributes to the field.

Make your website mobile-friendly. Having a responsive web design (RWD) is vital in today’s digital world, where mobile traffic makes up more than half of total internet traffic. RWD builds a website that can work on every screen size and device without too much re-sizing and scrolling. This eliminates frustration for your website’s visitors and increases the odds they will return.

Engage with social media. Merely having social media accounts isn’t enough; having an active presence is essential for law firm marketing. Remember to interact with followers, tweet at other people, and contribute frequently to trending conversations.

Generate backlinks. Also known as incoming or inbound links, these are links that are directed towards your website, and are extremely important for SEO. Not only can they increase web traffic to the law firm’s website by raising its rankings in search engines, but backlinks also firmly establish your firm’s website presence online.

Think before you post. Too often, individuals and many times entire businesses post a careless tweet or a respond to a negative review in the heat of the moment, irrevocably damaging their reputation with the click of a button. Before clicking ‘send,’ read the post as if you’re looking at it for the first time from the perspective of the public, and carefully think of how it could be perceived. This will go a long way in helping to keep your content positive and professional.

Track mentions. Remember to use a tool like Google Alerts to track mentions of your law firm and its attorneys. Monitoring how your law firm is being brought up or discussed online is something that can help you see what is or isn’t working, as well as track the progress and effectiveness of your plan.

Mastering the online facet of legal marketing can certainly be challenging. But when you combine these tips with enough effort and dedication, the internet is an extremely useful and rewarding means of building your law firm’s brand.