Did you know 57% of clients surveyed in this 2019 Legal Trends Report mentioned that they used Google to research and find a lawyer? This means that if you don’t have a high-quality website that is SEO-optimized, then you are likely leaving money on the table. Your website is the hub for your practice. Then, you can leverage other marketing channels like SEO, social media, email marketing, and reviews to drive more traffic and clients. Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to see results either, in fact, we’re sharing almost a dozen free or low-cost marketing ideas to help you stand out and connect with your ideal clients.

1. Optimize your Google My Business (GMB) Profile

Many people turn to the internet to research and find local businesses. Claiming your Google My Business (GMB) profile, which is free, ensures the information they see is accurate since you can update, edit, and verify your listing. Additionally, a GMB listing lets you appear in geographical searches, which is critical for businesses that primarily work with people who live or work in the area. Your listing also helps your website’s search engine optimization (SEO), since it adds a quality backlink to your website. Lastly, you can use your GMB profile to gather Google reviews. Having Google reviews helps you show up higher in online searches. Plus, reading reviews is important to people when making decisions.

2. Drive organic traffic for free

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website show higher in search engine results, making it more likely for potential clients to find your site. To help enhance your SEO, you’ll want to:

• Use keyword research to attract the right clients
• Have SEO-optimized title tags and meta descriptions for all your website’s pages
• Optimize your website’s images
• Use a local website structure so search engine crawlers can index your site
• Have a fast, secure hosting platform for efficient website performance
• Incorporate blog articles focused on your keyword research and providing value to your audience

3. Use email marketing to maintain a connection with potential, current, and past clients

Email marketing is an efficient way to stay connected with clients and generate leads. You can connect with potential clients by encouraging them to sign up for your email list through lead magnets and opt-in forms on your website and social media. An email marketing strategy allows you to provide valuable information to your list, including segmenting emails. Regular emails also help ensure people keep your law firm in mind, whether they need legal help in the future or recommend you to someone. Additionally, you’re in control of your email list. So you don’t have to worry about algorithms changing or platforms going down as you do with Google or social media.

4. List your law firm in online legal directories

Ensuring your firm is searchable in online legal directories like Avvo helps improve your local SEO, increases your firm’s visibility, and builds trust with potential clients. These directories allow people to locate firms near them that are a good fit for their legal issues. Prospective clients can search by practice area, location, type of law, and other factors. Some directories provide free listings, and others are paid. These directories also help your SEO by providing a backlink to your firm’s website.

5. Be active and provide value on social media

Social media provides another way to stay connected with your target audience and attract new clients. Your posts allow you to provide value, engage and interact with people, learn more about what your target audience is interested in, and build your authority and trust. You can grow your audience organically for free, through paid social ads, or a combination of the two. You’ll want to select platforms that your ideal audience already uses. It can take time to grow your presence on social media. However, being consistent, responding to comments, and posting information that your audience finds valuable are critical to a successful strategy.

6. Create a LinkedIn profile for your law firm

People typically use LinkedIn to help find a lawyer or a law firm or research word-of-mouth referrals they may have received. So you want to have an optimized company profile that also provides value. A company LinkedIn profile also gives your firm a professional online presence, helps you send traffic to your website, and generate leads. When creating your firm’s profile, make it easy for people to know what type of law your firm practices, who works there, and provide a link to your website. You can also use this platform to discuss the legal industry in general. These types of posts can help you expand your network, increase your authority, and attract new leads.

7. Create a Facebook profile for your law firm

With over 2.80 billion users, Facebook is another popular platform that small law firms can use to attract leads and grow their authority. As with LinkedIn, you’ll want to make sure your business information is up-to-date and that potential clients can easily find the link to your website and know how to contact you. Additionally, you’ll want to create consistent content with posts—written or video content. Posts should provide:

• Relevant information about your area of expertise
• Value, such as posting on topics and common questions clients have
• Ways for your audience to interact and engage with your firm

8. Use social proof on your website and throughout your marketing

Potential clients want to know that you can help them solve their legal issues. Social proof is a key component to help you build trust, credibility, and authority. You can incorporate social proof by:

• Making it simple for clients to write you a review by sending an email asking for a review after completing a case and including a link to your GMB profile
• Incorporating testimonials throughout your website
• Including logos, certificate badges, or awards you’ve received on your homepage
• Create case studies that showcase how your services assisted a client that’s told from their perspective

9. Post blog articles and educational content on your website

Providing valuable resources on your website and social media helps show your expertise and help your firm stand out among competitors. You’ll want your content to:

• Be accessible and easy to consume
• Provide real value to your ideal audience, such as addressing common issues or questions that arise
• Reflect your practice’s areas of expertise, especially highlighting any unique elements of your business

Your blog content and other educational content, such as videos, also help you build your website’s SEO. You can also look for opportunities to provide a guest blog on websites that your ideal audience may go to for information about your area of expertise or known legal resources. Having a guest post on another site builds your authority and can generate traffic to your firm’s website. While this list might seem overwhelming at first, we recommend focusing on the basics first, like creating a GMB profile and optimizing your Facebook page, so that you have a solid marketing foundation. Then, start tackling 1 to 2 tactics at a time. If you are willing to put in the time and be consistent, you’ll start to see results. Or, if you prefer to outsource your marketing to the pros. Our team at TitleTap can help. Schedule a free consultation here.