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Are you an immigration lawyer looking for a few marketing tips designed to help your law firm succeed in the coming year? This is the post for you.
Undoubtedly, a strong online presence is a critical part of successful legal marketing campaigns in 2021 and will continue to be crucial to strong campaigns in 2022 and beyond! You need a mobile-friendly, search engine optimized law firm website. You should consider taking advantage of the various free lawyer and law firm directories and we also recommend utilizing pay-per-click advertising as part of a well-rounded marketing strategy.
What else should you be doing to help your immigration law firm succeed into the future? We have five tips to help you take your marketing plan up a notch this coming year.
1. Offer Content in Multiple Languages
In your immigration practice, you likely encounter many people of various nationalities and from various backgrounds. Many of them may not speak English as their first language. However, if you are an American lawyer, you may have developed your marketing materials in English – at least initially.
Consider the clients you normally work with. What languages do they often speak? Spanish? French? Something else? Whatever the answer, you likely want to develop helpful, easy-to-read content in these languages, so that your clients can more readily understand the information you share and are more comfortable with your practice.
Be sure to employ a native speaker or services that translate your content naturally, rather than simply putting it into a translation tool, or you will lose impact and risk alienating your potential clients.
Looking for more insight into marketing in various languages? Check out our previously shared information on marketing your law firm in a different language.
2. Network (Domestically and Abroad)
Developing professional connections for referrals can help drive business to any law firm. For immigration firms, however, you will want to consider developing these connections both domestically and abroad. Being active in your local legal community can certainly help set your practice up for success. However, you can also connect with programs, such as English as a Second Language classes, to offer resources and knowledge that can turn into referrals.
Additionally, consider opportunities to network and make connections abroad. Perhaps you frequently receive clients from Japan. Consider whether you have an opportunity to reach out to immigration consultants and lawyers in Japan who may need your domestic legal expertise to help clients navigate the immigration process.
3. Focus on Written Content Marketing
The phrase “content is king” often gets tossed around in search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing discussions for good reason. Content drives the traffic on the internet, and in the legal sphere, it is doubly important.
People frequently search for answers to their legal questions on Google and other search engines before they ever start looking for a lawyer. They may want to know the general steps in the immigration process, the requirements for a certain visa, or information about helping a family member join them in the U.S. Someone looking for this information will likely type their question into Google, and you want them to be able to locate your firm.
Having outdated information on your website can lead to lower search engine rankings. In order to have the opportunity to rank well on Google and other search engines, you must make sure that your written content is up to date with current regulations and policies.
As you are likely aware, there have been many changes in immigration regulations and policies by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) over the last few years, due to both the COVID-19 outbreak and the election of a new president. Make sure you regularly update your content. In addition, any blog posts or articles that are not being updated should prominently include the date they were written, so that readers understand they are related to past policies.
Additionally, keep in mind that people looking for immigration services almost constantly search for updates on current policies, such as the number of and remaining H1B Visas, and the current visa and immigration form processing times at different USCIS Immigration Processing Centers.
Creating high-quality, written legal content not only increases the odds your firm will appear in search engine results but also helps build your firm’s brand while making a great impression. By offering strong written content, you can help these searchers find the answers to their basic questions while also creating familiarity with your firm, which ultimately increases the likelihood they will contact your law firm when they are ready to enlist an attorney’s help in the process.
Still need some help getting started? We previously shared some tips on effectively writing lawyer blog posts.
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4. Leverage Video Marketing & Podcasts Too
Written content is very important. However, other digital content is important too. Video marketing is increasingly playing a principal role in effective marketing strategies, while podcasts are also an effective way to reach new audiences.
For immigration attorneys, these can be even more effective by helping you expand your reach. While some people may not have a strong command of writing or reading certain languages, they often may be able to speak it (and vice versa). Translating content helps you reach those who prefer to read a second language. Video and podcasts allow you to serve those who prefer to hear or speak it.
Additionally, utilizing video marketing and podcasts helps build trust in your firm because it heightens authenticity. Clients can see and/or hear you, and this creates a more natural relationship with your firm.
5. Take Advantage of Social Media
Do not underestimate the power of social media in helping your law firm reach new audiences. Social media allows your firm to better connect with the community. It can foster relationships and help you reach new audiences by increasing the channels in which your firm shares content, as well as encouraging social sharing by others across their networks.
With social media, consistency is key to effectively building your audience and expanding your reach. Be mindful of what you post (stay away from controversial topics) and pay attention to what others are saying so you can react accordingly. We also suggest reviewing our tips for social media reputation management.
Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?
While some things are undoubtedly at the core of most law firms’ digital legal marketing plans, such as their law firm website and SEO strategy, attorneys also need to consider tailored strategies that are customized to their practice area. With these five tips, you can start working on targeted efforts that will help your immigration law firm reach your ideal clients.
