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The most effective marketing strategies for firm owners right now
Effective marketing extends beyond merely managing an online presence or relying on traditional referrals. Instead, it requires a deep understanding of a firm’s value and the strategic use of data insights, according to two directors from legal services businesses.
Grace Robbie
Marketing in the legal profession has evolved considerably, making it essential for law firm owners to implement effective strategies to maintain a competitive edge and achieve sustainable business success.
In a recent live stream, hosted by Lawyers Weekly in collaboration with Clio, Caralee Fontenele, the director at Scalable Law, and Den Deverson, the director at Lawganised, shared insights into how law firms can best refine their marketing strategies to attract the right clients and enhance their business performance.
During the live stream, the two directors from legal services businesses also provided insights into which technology platforms should be a top priority for firm owners to implement within their practice.
One of the fundamental aspects law firms must recognise in their marketing strategies, Deverson emphasised, is a clear understanding of what clients are genuinely seeking so firms can more effectively position and promote their services.
“The first is what are you selling as a product? … Talking about buyers of services that are really looking for a product in a box. What are they purchasing? [Is it] a will, a testament to trust, whatever else they want to do, what are they buying? How to simplify that product?” Deverson said.
He also highlighted the importance of law firms tracking their referral sources, urging that understanding the origin of each matter is key to effectively guiding and shaping marketing strategies.
“I would argue that understanding the referral source of every single matter your firm opens is a critical data set because that guides your marketing.
“For example, [with] a family law firm that we did some work with, we found that 95 per cent of their work came from two sources; one was other solicitors, and the second one was from financial planners. That obviously guided where that firm went in terms of its future marketing strategy,” Deverson said.
By identifying referral sources, Deverson explained how law firms can make informed decisions about where to allocate their marketing resources, ensuring their efforts are focused towards the most effective channels.
“Understanding your data and where your work comes from is the most critical part of your marketing strategy, and then that will guide you longer term about where you should be putting your voice when it comes to the product you’re trying to sell,” Deverson said.
Fontenele pointed out that a common mistake many law firm owners make in their marketing efforts is taking on unprofitable work, advising them to learn from these pitfalls.
“Where I see law firms kind of going wrong or the mistakes that are making, and I certainly made these mistakes at the beginning of my law firm, too, is taking on unprofitable work, work that you don’t necessarily do,” Fontenele said.
Another misstep law firm owners often make, as Fontenele revealed, is relying solely on referrals as a source of work, as it can hinder growth.
“The other mistake that law firm owners make is relying on a handful of referrals. You’re only one person, and you’re only going to get so many referrals like full stop,” Fontenele said.
Fontenele highlighted that an essential consideration for law firms in their marketing strategies is to take an active role in managing their digital marketing efforts rather than relying exclusively on external agencies.
“In terms of ads, making sure that you know who you’re actually marketing to when they’re awake when they’re asleep, you know, all of that kind of thing.
“Directing your agency and being paying attention to all of that, because your agency doesn’t care that you’re spending five grand a month or whatever it is on ads, but you’re the one who needs to be really paying attention and making sure that the quality phone calls are coming and if they’re not making those tweaks on the way through,” Fontenele said.
