June 18, 2021

The Importance of Branding For Law Firms

Branding is what helps your law firm stand out. This is especially true in the digital space where your competitors are trying to reach the same group of clients. Understanding its pivotal role will help you connect to your audience and pave the way for growth.

What Is Branding?

Your brand represents your firm’s identity and reputation. When people see your brand, they must understand what makes you unique and the values you represent. Moreover, your brand must be consistent throughout all your physical and digital channels. It represents both how your firm looks and how clients feel when interacting with your firm.

It’s crucial to understand that a brand is not simply a logo. While a logo is a part of a brand, it works together with other elements including:

• Colors
• Typography
• Voice & tone
• Photos & videos
• Design choices
• How you speak and interact in person

The way you present yourself online must also match your presentation when you’re dealing with clients.

The Benefits of Great Branding

Investing in branding can help you grow your law firm and bring in potential business. Let’s explore the benefits that can contribute to the bottom line.

Establishes Your Positioning

A brand solidifies what your firm is about and how you approach your business. While not everyone will identify with your brand, a solid brand can lead to better-suited clients. This helps filter out unqualified leads and attract ones that can turn into real clientele.

For example, you may target clients who own businesses, instead of individuals. The way you write, copy, and market your firm’s brand would be quite different as if you were speaking to non-business owners. You may take a more formal approach, rather than a casual one. Your logo may appear more corporate as well.

Think through who your audience is in order to effectively create a brand that works for you.

Creates Meaningful Connections

As you build a brand, you get a chance to connect with your audience. If you successfully connect with people at an emotional level, your clients can become evangelists for your business. These people can then spread the word about your brand, creating a rippling effect.

Think about how people rave about Apple products. The truth is that sometimes Microsoft makes better or more powerful computers, but fans of Apple resonate with the brand more than the products, keeping them loyal.

How does this affect the bottom link? A consistent brand can increase revenue by around 23%.

Sets You Apart From the Competition

Your brand does the job of conveying distinct advantages over other law firms. With the myriad of choices, your potential clients must be able to easily grasp why they should hire you. Most firms tend to look the same, from the color scheme to the structure of their website and messaging. These similarities make it difficult for potential clients to identify which firm is best for their needs.

Like any business, clients today are also looking for services that resonate with their values. You can brand yourself as a firm that’s genuinely interested in its client’s well-being. Other firms stand out through an undeniable track record coupled with their expertise. For some, it’s about focusing on their specialization or practice.

Embracing the parts of your firm that make it unique will help you connect to the right audience.  If your brand isn’t clearly differentiated, consider undergoing a rebrand that holds true to the mission of the organization and speaks to your clients with clarity.

Builds Trust and Loyalty

Data shows that your brand can increase customer retention by 5%. People stay loyal to brands they like even when others have better benefits. Additionally, over half your current client base will choose you first for any future legal service they need. It’s easier to keep loyal followers rather than entice new ones, which is why building trust and loyalty must be an active effort for your firm.

Creating a Great Brand

Even small firms have a chance to stand out with solid branding that can help them grow in the long run. Here are ways you can establish yourself and differentiate your law firm from your competition:

• Your brand message should center around your audience. They are who you are speaking to and where you generate revenue, so they must be analyzed and factored into the words and images you use to convey your brand.
• Your brand should be reflected in all parts of your firm, whether digital or physical. It should create the same perception every time people hear about you. Make it a point that they all communicate the same values.
• Establish your brand voice and stay consistent. While some brands focus on being authoritative and professional, others present themselves as more casual and conversational.
• Your brand should communicate the benefits you offer and the qualities that make you different. It isn’t simply about your services but the methods and means behind them. It could be anything from transparency to cost reduction.
• Remain true to who you are. The idea is to communicate what’s already there, not create a facade to lure clients to your firm.
• Create a brand positioning, logo, and tagline. Your brand will not be complete without them. These elements not only help you stand out but help people to remember you.
• While you remain constant in your service and actions, visuals will wrap it up. Hire a brand strategy team to ensure that your visuals have consistency.

Work with Branding Experts

Many don’t have the experience to create a solid brand strategy. That’s why hundreds of law firms have reached out to us to execute their brand. Feel free to reach out to us for your branding—we’d be happy to help.