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Are you a new lawyer considering hanging your own shingle? Have you just started your own law firm? We have some marketing tips for you – straight from lawyers who have already traveled this path.
While many new lawyers dream of owning their own firm, the task of building this practice is often daunting. While you work on navigating applicable laws and regulations for starting your own practice, one of the nagging thoughts in the back of any new solo attorney’s mind is often the book of business. You need clients coming in the door to sustain your practice.
In its simplest form, the answer to getting more clients and effectively building your practice is marketing. However, marketing in and of itself can seem overwhelming for a new lawyer. Have no fear. With a strong marketing plan and a little bit of knowledge, you will be well on your way to achieving success.
While we strive to offer helpful legal marketing information regularly through this blog, you don’t have to just take our word for it. Instead, we reached out to a sample of our own Justia clients (lawyers like you) and asked them to share their wisdom for new lawyers starting out on their practice-building journeys.
Likewise, because digital marketing remains increasingly important in our present society, we surveyed practicing attorneys to learn more about the digital marketing channels that have been most important for their law firm’s marketing success.
Here are the results of our survey, as well as quick notes and tips from other lawyers who have traveled the legal marketing path for a combined total of over 175 years.
What are the Most Important Digital Marketing Channels for a New Law Firm?
The results of our survey are in! In the wise words of Family Feud, survey says:
- Law firm websites are incredibly important. In our survey of practicing attorneys, 100% agreed that their law firm website has played a strong role in contributing to their law firm’s success.
- Blogs matter more than you may think. Despite legal marketing statistics indicating only 27% of law firms report having a blog, 75% of the lawyers responding to our survey indicated that their law firm blog was very important in creating their law firm’s marketing success.
- Learn about SEO. 62.5% of respondents in our survey confirmed that search engine optimization (SEO) has made a strong contribution to their legal marketing success.
- Try non-traditional methods of advertising. 50% of our respondents indicated both lawyer directories and social media were important to creating their legal marketing success. Additionally, 25% of respondents found that PPC Ads and videos were among the most important strategies used to build their law firm, and 12.5% found legal marketing success through webinars.
- While you are getting established, wait to try out some marketing strategies. Despite the success some lawyers may have found using podcasts and white papers as part of their overall legal marketing journeys, our survey respondents did not list them amongst the most important channels used in building their law firm’s legal marketing success. Therefore, when you begin your legal marketing journey, you may want to postpone testing these channels. However, we recommend that you consider incorporating them into your larger legal marketing plan in the future as your firm becomes more established.
Quick Notes From Lawyers Who Have Built Successful Law Firms
Now you know a little bit more about what the lawyers responding to our survey thought was important for building their legal marketing success. However, have you ever wished you could just simply ask experienced, successful attorneys for their take on legal marketing? We asked for you and are happy to share opinions from some of our clients who have built their own practices.
Jonathan Rosenfeld
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Years of Experience: 20+
Areas of Practice: Personal Injury, Medical MalpracticeQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “There’s no such thing as set and forget. Everything needs to be updated and reevaluated all the time. It never stops.”
Question: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Invest time into building relationships and marketing. Don’t let anyone tell you that sitting behind a desk all day will make you successful. Developing business is a skill that needs to be developed just as much as any other professional skill. Even when you don’t want to do it, push yourself to do as much as possible in your career.”
Ron V. Miller Jr.
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Years of Experience: 26
Areas of Practice: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Motor Vehicle AccidentsQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “It is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Question: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Quality matters.”
David M. Goldman
Jurisdiction: Florida, Texas
Years of Experience: 15
Areas of Practice: Estate PlanningQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “Set your fees based on the benefit you are providing.”
Question: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Focus on an area you love and avoid crazy clients.”
Matthew Kaplan
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Years of Experience: 23
Areas of Practice: Civil Rights, Plaintiff’s Injury, Industrial AccidentsQuestion: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Get a good team that understands your marketing needs and what you are marketing.”
Diedre Wachbrit Braverman
Jurisdiction: Colorado, California
Years of Experience: 21
Areas of Practice: Estate Planning, Special Needs TrustsQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “If it is not working, stop and try something else ASAP.”
Question: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Relationships are key, but you can also do very well on the Internet.”
Anthony Hunter Quackenbush
Jurisdiction: Florida
Years of Experience: 14
Areas of Practice: Personal InjuryQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “How important social media is.”
Question: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Put plenty of content on your website. That is what attracts visitors.”
Peter Howard Tilem
Jurisdiction: New York
Years of Experience: 30
Areas of Practice: Criminal Defense, Family Law, Civil LitigationQuestion: What is the number one thing you wish you knew when you embarked on your legal marketing journey?
Answer: “SEO skills.”
Stephen Neyman
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Years of Experience: 34
Areas of Practice: Criminal DefenseQuestion: What is the number one tip you would offer to a lawyer that is new to legal marketing?
Answer: “Have a plan.”
Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?
Regardless of your legal talent, you need a strong book of business to build your law firm. This means you consistently need new clients seeking your services, in addition to any recurring matters you may receive from old clients.
Depending on your practice area, the need for a strong legal marketing plan may increase even further, particularly if you are in an arena that results in many one-matter clients. While you are navigating this journey, these opinions from legal marketing pros who have traveled this path before can help guide you closer to achieving your overall goals.
