Perspectives
As we celebrate two decades of serving clients, we want to share 20 legal marketing and communications tips that can help a law firm or business tell its best stories.
- When it comes to your social media content, get to the point quickly. The average user’s attention span is about eight seconds. If you have longer content that you want to promote, post an abbreviation version on your socials with a link to the full item.
- Know your audience’s virtual space and the message you’re trying to convey. Shape your content, tone and style for your target audience and create messages that fit their preferred platforms, whether it’s LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X or a different social network.
- Limit the use of “legalese” in marketing materials, unless you are communicating only to attorneys or legal professionals in a formal or academic publication. Audiences are less likely to connect with content that is overflowing with legal, technical or overly complicated jargon.
- Learn how to use chatbots and virtual assistant tools to assist with brainstorming, summarizing, outlining or even creating first drafts. Platforms like ChatGPT are here to stay and can help with these tasks. But remember that human beings are the only ones who can make your content personal and memorable.
- Awards require a strategic focus, therefore it’s important to prioritize those that align best with your company’s objectives. Need to boost the younger generation? Focus on 40 Under 40s. Looking to recognize your rainmakers? Explore opportunities with business magazines or chambers of commerce. Want to highlight your recruiting and retention efforts? Try “best places to work” awards.
- Repurpose, #Repurpose, Repurpose! Create quality content and then re-use that material as much as possible. A paper that you prepared for a presentation or conference can be transformed into a blog, an article for a trade publication, an educational video or an infographic for social media – or all of the above!
- Keep up with your colleagues’ and referral sources’ articles, blogs or social media. They’ll appreciate it, you will learn something, and you may develop an idea for future collaborations. This will strengthen your relationship and introduce you to each other’s networks.
- After posting on social media, keep an eye on the engagement and respond to those who interacted with your material. These are your potential clients and referral sources. Also, monitor your posts and adjust your social media strategy to reflect the best-performing content.
- When given the opportunity to deliver your “elevator pitch,” focus on how you help clients rather than your job title. “I help clients recover financially and physically after a life-changing accident” is much more memorable and effective than “I practice personal injury law.”
- Master basic search engine optimization (SEO) methods so that content appears higher in online searches. The goal of your digital content is to drive traffic and encourage clients or potential referral sources to reach out. A simple way to check how you rank on Google is to type your company name and service(s) in the search bar and see where you fall in the search results.
- Keep the contact information on your website updated and easily accessible.
- Content with photos and/or video consistently outperforms text-only content. Always consider what visuals can accompany content for your website or social media accounts.
- Bring people behind the scenes with your content, particularly on social media. Potential clients are more likely to trust organizations that show their friendly, personable side as well as their professional prowess. Time-lapse videos, virtual tours, sneak peeks and day-in-the-life content demonstrate your authenticity and potentially give a glimpse of your creative process.
- Be patient yet persistent. It can take five to eight “touchpoints” before a potential client or referral source reaches out.
- When determining the cadence of your blog or social media posts, focus on quality over quantity. Well-written, engaging and valuable content will make a bigger impact than content created solely to meet a posting deadline or obligation.
- If a significant trial or another major development is coming up, and you expect it to generate publicity, start working on your communications plan now. Pre-write statements for potential outcomes so you are ready to contact or respond to news media.
- Be aware of bar association requirements and guidelines around promotional activities and language (e.g. the proper use of the words “expert” or “expertise” in law firm marketing).
- Focus on personal branding for individuals within a company. Clients want to feel connected to more than a company, but an actual person. Whether your organization has a local, national or global market, a social media presence is necessary to maintain contact with current and future generations of clients and customers.
- Investing in paid ads offers a critical advantage for staying visible and competitive. Consider budgeting for paid social media marketing. X’s account verification and LinkedIn’s “Thought Leader” advertisements make a difference.
- Despite the advent of AI and bots, prioritize in-person interactions on video or over the phone. Not only are you able to adjust and respond on the spot but also allows you to incorporate tone and body language, which are crucial for clear communication. These build connections with your clients, partners and staff.
