The Lawmatics Blog

Clients are the blood that flows through a law firm’s veins — without them, a practice can’t stay alive. To keep the clients flowing, a law firm needs to produce a steady stream of leads. And since law school doesn’t teach you how to run a business, it can be challenging for lawyers to understand all of the complexities involved with attracting and retaining leads. You know — “sales and marketing stuff.”If you’re a lawyer that feels lost in a fog of foreign business concepts, don’t worry—you’re not alone. After all, you were trained to practice law, not generate leads. However, a successful law firm is one that is run like a business, because that’s exactly what it is. So, law firms looking to stand out to potential legal clients should start thinking like a CEO and make legal lead generation for law firms a part of their business strategy.

What a legal lead is

A lead is a potential client who shows interest in your law firm. Whether they fill out a legal client intake form or call to inquire about whether your law firm is the right fit — a lead is someone who has indicated that they’re interested in paying for your legal services.Leads are a piece of a broader equation known as a client journey. A client journey can be broken up into three phases:

Intake

The first phase of the client journey begins the minute that a lead first contacts a firm. In order to ensure that an opportunity is never missed, a law firm needs to have an efficient client intake process in place. By using law firm client intake software, law firms can capture a lead’s contact information, input it directly into their database, and track a lead from day one. Software like Lawmatics shows a birds-eye view of where each lead stands, and which ones need to be followed up with.Without a clear understanding of what actions need to be taken next for each lead, it’s easy to lose track of opportunities. With so many inquiries coming in, many law firms struggle to stay on top of whether a lead has been called or emailed back, potentially letting an opportunity slip through the cracks.Statistics show that nearly 60% of law firms don't respond to their emails, and almost 35% don't even answer the phone. Unfortunately, slower response times are one of your biggest enemies when it comes to converting a legal lead into a paying client.Not only does technology ensure that you know exactly what actions need to be taken next to convert a lead into a client, but client intake software will even follow up for you. Email workflows for law firms allow lawyers to focus on their current clients while automation handles incoming leads.

Active matter

Once a lead has been converted into a client, phase two of the client journey begins which is an active matter. A client has officially hired you to represent them in court, and they have signed a fee agreement.

Former client

Once a matter has drawn to a close, a previous client is now known as a former one. However, smart firms know that former clients can be reborn into leads again, so you shouldn’t stop marketing to them. Staying in touch keeps your firm top of mind and encourages repeat business. Former clients are also great sources for referrals!

What lead generation is

Lead generation refers to the process of attracting potential legal clients to your law firm through the act of engaging and nurturing with the hopes of eventually converting them into paying clients. The lead generation process involves incorporating a sales funnel, which is a series of steps intended to eventually convert legal leads into paying legal clients. Your sales funnel eventually gets narrower as prospects navigate through it, just like an actual (you guessed it!) funnel. A sales funnel has four stages.

Awareness

The first stage of a sales funnel is making prospects aware of your law firm. This can be done through many different avenues, whether through paid advertisements, or a Google search, the idea is to make your law firm as visible as possible to get leads to this first stage of the sales funnel and one step closer to being converted to a client. During this stage of the sales funnel, legal prospects are introduced to your law firm for the very first time. Regardless of whether you're a solo practitioner or a larger firm, first impressions count.

Interest

Once a prospect transitions from curious to interested, the second stage of the sales funnel begins. When you've got a prospect’s attention it's time to try to reel in your catch. At this point it’s more important than ever to play your cards right, otherwise, you risk coming off as overly aggressive. Law firms hoping to sway a lead into converting into a client may try methods like establishing their legal expertise or offering a free consultation. The idea is to push your product through a call to action that pushes them to take the next step.

Decision

It's natural for an interested legal prospect to arrive at the point where they decide whether they want to hire you or choose another law firm. With so many competing law firms, it can be a challenge to convince legal leads why they should go with you over the competition.This is where an effective client intake process is essential. By nurturing and engaging leads, you can say top of mind and increase your chances of them deciding to work with you. Tools like drip email marketing and audience segmentation software deliver a personalized marketing experience that captures their interest more than a one size fits all marketing approach. With workflow automation for law firms, leads feel like you’re giving them special attention, tailored for their unique needs. Send content around their specific pain points and don’t be afraid to ask former clients for a referral.Showing how you were able to win a case similar to theirs in the past is a strong motivation to choose you as their lawyer!

Action

Finally, at the bottom of the sales funnel sits the action stage. This is when a lead accepts your call to action. In a law firm’s case, usually, this means signing up for a free consultation. The idea is to sell them on why you can solve their case, and how you are the best person for the job.Understanding the sales funnel is critical for moving your leads through the lead generation process and is the first step towards starting to run your law firm like a business.

How to generate leads for law firms

Now that you’ve got a clearer idea of what lead generation is, let’s examine some of the most popular methods for generating leads.

Optimize your law firm’s website

More online visibility = more leads. One of the best ways to get your law firm’s website at the top of Google search results is by optimizing your law firm website for SEO. Pepper your website’s content regularly with plenty of relevant legal keywords with plenty of reliable backlinks.Adding a blog to your legal website is another extremely effective method for driving web traffic to your website and generating leads. Double down on your specialized legal niche and establish yourself as an authority on the subject. Don’t be afraid to have a voice and an opinion, and say it loud! In today’s consumer-driven market, people want meaningful content in a legal blog that takes a stance.Above all, make it visually appealing. Statistics show that blogs lacking visual content perform significantly worse than those that are visually rich. Make it pretty!

Paid ads

Targeted advertisements are a worthwhile tactic for generating leads. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) makes it possible to pinpoint your ideal demographic, and capture their attention with tailored ads. As the name suggests, you quite literally pay each time a visitor visits your website. You can adjust your budget according to how much you want to spend.If you decide to invest in a pay-per-click advertising campaign, it’s critical to measure your results. Measuring your ROI requires tracking your website conversions and optimizing your campaigns as needed to generate a nice pipeline of quality leads. Law firm reporting software makes it easy to see how many of your clients are coming from your campaigns and whether it’s worth continuing to invest in or not.

Social media

Ten years ago the idea of promoting a law firm on Instagram or Facebook would have seemed absurd. But, here we are in 2021 and social media is one of the hottest places to market your legal services and generate legal leads. Unlike other marketing techniques, social media offers the unique opportunity to build relationships with leads and clients through a two-way conversation. Traditional marketing doesn’t allow the audience to have a voice and engage in conversation with their favorite brands the same way social media does.Having a profile alone on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter isn’t enough to generate leads. You’ll need to produce engaging and shareable content that drives people to your page and enhances your web traffic. For more tips on how to leverage social media to generate leads, go here.

Create a Google Profile

Did you know that over half of Google users use it to search for businesses? In other words, you need to make yourself visible on Google pronto. Most people don’t have the time to research each law firm individually — they rely on Google to tell them where the best-reviewed place to go is.In the age of Amazon and Yelp, people are much more likely to become a client of a law firm that comes highly recommended. So, don’t forget the importance of building a strong reputation for your law firm by getting a few great reviews under your belt.Although there are many different review sites, Google should be your primary focus as a lawyer. Setting up a business profile is free, and can be one of your best lead magnets if you manage to get great reviews.Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to leave you a review if they had a great experience with your law firm. Usually, happy clients are more than willing to help you out in achieving a five-star reputation by leaving a nice review. Don’t forget the importance of monitoring whatever review sites you’re present on, and always reply to reviews—good and bad!A common misconception is that you should only reply to negative reviews which couldn’t be further from the truth. Respond appropriately either thanking a client for a positive review or offering a solution or apology to a less than stellar review. If you get a bad review or two, don’t panic. A few negative reviews should fade into the background as long as you continue to acquire positive reviews.

Networking

Don’t let the king-pin reputation of digital marketing convince you that old-school methods don’t still hold value! Making face-to-face connections is still a powerful way to generate leads. Nearly 75% of consumers say that they value word-of-mouth referrals for making a purchasing decision. So, in addition to upping your digital marketing game, don’t forget the value of getting out there and growing your practice the old-fashioned way.Some ideas for places to network include:

Local events

Mixers

Chamber of Commerce Events

Workshops

Conferences

Volunteering

Buy leads

Many law firms rely on the straightforward, effective method of buying leads from law firm lead generation services. Investing in a law firm lead generation company is a simple way to bring in an influx of new business. However, many lawyers will argue that it’s hardly the most cost-effective method since some law firm lead generation companies charge on a pay-per-lead (PPL) system, ranging as high as $700 each.It’s also important to mention that some lead generation for law firms provide multiple lawyers with the same leads, resulting in an onslaught of calls to overwhelmed prospects, who in turn, are less likely to be receptive to these marketing efforts. So, if you’re going to buy legal leads, make sure that you choose the right company.If you do go the route of buying leads, it can’t be stressed enough how critical it is to have an extremely responsive intake process in place that tracks each incoming lead through each stage of their client journey.For this reason, law firms should rely on legal client intake software to ensure they can keep up with the influx of incoming inquiries. To maximize your return on investment (ROI,) your law firm needs an automated system in place. If you buy leads only to manually gather information from each incoming contact, you risk not only losing track of your leads, but you’re losing astronomical amounts of time compared to leveraging automation to do it for you.

Deals and promotions

It’s human nature — people just love a good deal. Offering a promotion or giveaway can be a powerful way to incentivize people to visit your website. Offering a free initial consultation is an extremely effective way to get new leads in the door.You may even want to consider teaming up with a website like Groupon to offer a coupon for legal services. Just make sure that you are up to date on the latest industry ethics standards to make sure that any deals you offer are structured appropriately.

Marketing automation

Law firm marketing can be downright time-consuming. Luckily there’s a better way — marketing automation for law firms makes it simple to generate leads on auto-pilot so you can focus on what you went to school to do — practice law.With email automation for law firms, you can streamline your marketing strategy by delivering the right message to the right contact at the right time. Text messaging software for lawyers allows you to communicate with your clients instantly. Tools like audience segmentation software breaks your contacts up into groups based on certain characteristics and sends out tailored marketing that makes it that much more likely that your email breeds a future client.[oxygen-template id="6129"]

No matter how your leads find you — deliver a powerful legal intake experience powered by Lawmatics

For a lot of lawyers, the idea of generating leads can be downright overwhelming. Law school prepared you for plenty of things, and unfortunately, lead generation wasn’t one of them.But by developing a strong marketing strategy that delivers a consistent message that’s true to your brand, you’ll manage to bring in a steady stream of promising leads for your law firm, and in turn a healthy future. Yet, generating leads is only half the battle. Once you get a lead in the door, it’s critical to deliver top-notch attention that leaves them wanting to become a client at your firm over the competing law firms in your area.Lawmatics CRM for lawyers and attorney intake software streamlines the often tedious and time-consuming aspects of running your law firm so you can focus your energy on revenue-generating tasks.From the initial contact, all the way to signing a retainer — Lawmatics offers an all-in-one solution that takes care of it all for you. Are you ready to see why Lawmatics is recognized as the most intuitive and robust CRM and client intake platform specific to the legal industry? Sign up for a free demo today!

Competition in the legal industry remains fierce. Growing your firm has never been more challenging. To rise to the top, you need to focus on solid law firm marketing strategies to attract new clients, bring in business and solidify existing clientele relationships. Without ongoing marketing efforts, things can quickly grow stagnant or turn sour.Traditional law firm marketing strategies have fallen by the wayside and now digital marketing reigns as king. However, a concrete law firm marketing strategy mixes proven methods to formulate a game plan that can encompass the following:

SEO

Digital marketing

Old-school billboard ads

Social media

Copywriting

Communication strategies

Blog writing

Website development

Branding

And more to structure a balanced approach

The entire process is not for the faint of heart and takes time, energy, and a generous budget.

The evolution of law firm marketing strategies automation technology

Marketing technology has evolved to impressive heights with full marketing automation for law firms. Lawmatics software lets law firms take charge of their marketing to launch it to impressive heights to increase conversion and receive an impressive return on investment (ROI) by bringing in new clients.Constructing and launching a law firm marketing strategy might seem like an uphill battle at first, but with perseverance and the assistance of automation software your marketing goals can prove effective once you gain a firm understanding of key marketing terms, analysis stats, pick the best tools, and launch your comprehensive marketing layout.CRM (legal client relationship management)for lawyers has become quite common and popular. A law firm CRM is used for lenient intake processes, helps turn new clients into retained clients, manages scheduling, follow ups, intake, and revenue tracking. In addition, it can prove indispensable with law firm marketing strategies by automating all the legwork. With a legal CRM system, a skilled digital marketing team, and well-devised strategy, your chances of success are great.Whether you have a solo law firm or are a thriving, established practice, renewing your law firm marketing strategies might seem like a daunting task at first. However, with automation in law firms and a baseline of knowledge your chances of success increase substantially.

How do you market a law firm?

Marketing plans vary depending on the law firm and their individual vision for the development of their practice. A firm law firm marketing strategy takes the guesswork out of plan by offering structure and direction. It becomes a wide scale collaborative process that typically involves the use of several marketing teams working together on web content, social media, and advertising.Every strategy laid forth should have trackable results so you can hone in on the most successful factors to spend your money and time on. The marketing plan will vary by law firm size, geographic location, firm’s area of expertise, and business development.A newly opened law firm is still focused on building contacts, but an established firm might want to solidify their hold as a dominant area practice. Therefore, the marketing strategy for a large legal firm in New York City is going to appear dramatically different than a small personal injury firm in Portland, Oregon. Each one requires individual law firm marketing strategies.One thing to remember when creating a legal marketing plan is that it does not need to be overly complicated. It must have structure and be based on concrete research to ensure success.The approach of each law firm will differ based on the firm’s size, area of expertise and geographic location but the actual building blocks of the marketing plan will remain the same across the board.

• Draft a detailed picture of the legal services offered by the law firm
• Focus on targeting clients
• Outline business development goals along with a projected period for success
• Develop marketing strategies geared towards reaching the target market to achieve the firm’s particular goals.
• Follow the marketing budget.

The steps of successful law firm marketing strategies

The first step to law firm marketing strategies is to sit down with the team and honestly answer the following questions:

1. What types of clients does your firm serve every year?
2. How many clients does your firm serve?
3. Do you receive leads online, and if so, how many?
4. What strengths and weaknesses does your law firm have?

Outline your law firm marketing strategies and weigh their performance over the last year. Categorize the marketing efforts by email, print advertising, digital tactics and more.

Building your law firm’s brand

Branding is your law firm's personality and identity using law firm marketing strategies. It has become a straightforward process. Nowadays, a lot of hype surrounds branding and businesses. Look around at the industry leaders and major eCommerce companies, each one stands out due to very tailored branding which has created a living and breathing identity.The fundamentals of branding are more than expensive letterhead or premium business cards. Instead, they are the image that you present to your clients and the association they feel with your law firm when they do business with you. In a nutshell, branding makes your firm memorable.

Branding USP as part of law firm marketing strategies

What is your law firm’s unique selling proposition (USP)? Think about the particular benefits that your firm exhibits that makes it stand out from the competition. Your firm’s USP is your branding foundation.Branding is an integral part of all law firm marketing strategies, so it does take some time to figure out the USP. You’ll want to brainstorm with your marketing team. Think about things outside the box to produce successful law firm marketing ideas to launch genuine branding.Display your firm's skills with pride and formulate a message that will resonate with clients. You want your firm's landing page to convert someone searching for a firm into a steadfast and loyal client. The message should drive them to contact your firm for more assistance and information.Remember, successful branding isn’t complicated. You want your message to be simple to understand and something that will linger in a client’s memories. Focus on the needs of your clients and draft your message.Law firm marketing ideas run the gamut when it comes to creating messages and slogans. Study the most famous brands and firms to get an idea of what sets their slogans apart.Let’s take a moment to look at successful branding messages/slogans. Many of the ones listed below are not geared towards law firm marketing strategies but are still useful examples.

• Nike - Just Do It
• Williams Parker, Sarasota, FL.-The Art of Law
• Red Bull - Red Bull Gives You Wings
• The Levoritz Law Group - A ‘Shark’ in the Courtroom
• AT&T - Your World Delivered
• De Beers - A Diamond is Forever
• Novack and Macey, Chicago - Small but Mighty
• Fisher Phillips - On the Front Lines of Workplace Law

Once you have picked your branding USP and slogan then it's time to launch your messaging across all your channels such as social media, website, offline literature, and professional networks.

Determining the marketing budget for law firm marketing strategies

All law firm marketing strategies have a marketing budget. You’ll want to figure out how much you want to invest in your marketing initiatives. You’ll want to stay within the budget’s limits. Once you have an idea of your finances, it’s time to explore your options such as automation software offered by Lawmatics. Automation software is like placing your law firm marketing strategies on autopilot. You can monitor the progress using visual analytics features.

Law firm marketing terms

If you aren’t a marketing pro, then you might not be familiar with the commonly used terms. Familiarizing yourself with the basic terms can prove beneficial in planning and executing your law firm marketing strategies.There are a lot of marketing terms but below you’ll find a compact list that will get you started in understanding the key ones when laying out your law firm marketing strategies.

Marketing lead

A marketing lead refers to a potential client. The person is someone who not only visits your firm’s website but also takes the extra step in contacting your firm via phone, email, or chat to speak with one of your legal experts. Perhaps they filled out the ‘contact us’ form on your website requesting more information.Marketing lead generation is particularly important because the person is opening the door to you, so you have a chance to communicate in a one-on-one fashion. Without a doubt, the marketing lead is the goal of all law firm marketing strategies. You have the fish on the line and now it is time to start reeling them on to the boat with your many laws firm marketing strategies

Conversion rate

The term ‘conversion rate’ refers to the number of people who visit your website. They are visitors that you can convert to a lead. You’ll be able to track your website’s conversion rate or simply focus on a single landing page to see the conversion rate success. CRM for attorneys helps you monitor conversion rate and also enables you to look at the intake process which is the rate at which you convert the leads into actual clients at your firm.

Landing page

A landing page is a page on your website that has been drafted to encourage visitors to act. It should gently push them to click on a button for more information, start a chat, or (if an ecommerce site) make a purchase. Many landing pages let visitors book a consultation online or even make a phone call. Landing pages are informative, actionable, and a significant tool in any marketing campaign and list of law firm marketing strategies.

Call-to-Action (CTA)

A call-to-action (CTA) refers to the push you make to ask a visitor to your website to take an actionable step and contact your firm either via email, chat, or phone. Most websites will have a button on the landing page that leads to a ‘contact us’ form that they can use to reach out to you and make a push for more information. A paid ad will also boast a CTA button that will link back to your website. With digital marketing and social media, you can use a CTA to encourage dialogue, inspire that your followers share your post or information, or request that they reach out to your firm with a direct message (DM).

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One of the hottest and most important terms in digital marketing is search engine optimization (SEO). It is the practice of optimizing a landing page or website so that it gains a top spot (preferably first place) on any search engine results query. SEO depends on the placement of keywords and relevant keyword phrases to grab the attention of the search engines.The keywords, also called keyphrases, are words and phrases that you incorporate into the topics on each one of your landing pages within your website. Think about the words and phrases a potential client might type into a search engine to find a law firm. They might look for a personal injury attorney or seek a family law firm in a specific geographic location. Based on the search query, the search engine finds matching keywords and phrases to make the query and then displays the pinpointed websites.Keywords and semantically similar variations are placed throughout your website to signal the search engines that your page matches and is relevant to the search query. Proper use of keywords entails placing the words at key places on your webpage. You can use SEO tools to ensure proper SEO use and success with all your law firm marketing strategies

Pay-per-click (PPC)

An online paid advertising model, pay-per-click (PPC) lets advertisers set a particular monetary amount they want to pay every time a visitor clicks on one of their advertisements. PPC is a great tool in the arsenal of law firm marketing strategies to try.

Return on investment (ROI)

The return on investment (ROI) is a useful performance metric that businesses use when marketing. If you want to grow your law firm and ensure it becomes profitable then you’ll want to familiarize yourself with your ROI so you can make sure you are getting good return on the marketing investments, you have made when launching your law firm marketing strategies

Easy steps for marketing your law firm

Let’s explore the easy law firm marketing strategies that will set you up for success. We have covered the importance of budget and familiarizing yourself with the various marketing terms, now it's time to take the leap and start a real marketing push.

1. Construct a law firm website

In the digital era, constructing a website is a common occurrence for most businesses. However, building a well-designed law firm website that will enable you to successfully market your firm takes time and skill. Remember, the site is a potential client’s first impression of your firm. When laying out your law firm marketing strategies, you’ll want to pay particular attention to every aspect of the design.

• Design the site using quality photographs.
• Clearly state the services you provide.
• Outline your practice areas.
• Highlight any awards and recognitions.
• List your experience.
• Feature an easy to find CTA with complete content information.

When designing a law firm website, you do not want to miss any of the key components needed to create a high quality and high converting website. Ideally, you should hire an expert to build and maintain your site. Hiring a skilled designer should be allotted in your marketing budget and should not be something you skimp on. In fact, it is one of the most important cornerstones of every one of your law firm marketing strategies.

2. SEO optimized website

Not only should the website be pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate but it should also be SEO optimized for success. Remember, even a website that is visually outstanding is useless if it receives no traffic. The key to traffic is SEO for lawyers. Your website must gain first page recognition by the search engines to pull in traffic or all your law firm marketing strategies will be worthless.When would-be clients search for a local law firm, they will rarely go to the second page of the search results before they start making phone calls or sending out online queries. You must make sure you are on that first page to pull in the traffic and increase conversions.Your website must contain useful information that people look for when performing a search. The site should contain not only keywords such as ‘lawyer’ but also long tail keywords like ‘lawyers in San Diego, California.’ Long tail keywords give you an edge to compete locally and against all your competitors.When attracting potential clients, you’ll need to set up a Google Business listing that offers a concise description of your services along with your firm’s contact information. Google is always a key component of your law firm marketing strategies.

3. Set up free online profiles

Just because something is free does not mean it holds little or no value. Your website is a crucial way that clients will find your law firm online but there are other ways people will also locate your firm’s information which will bolster your law firm marketing strategies.Review sites are hot right now.

• Yelp: Most people have a Yelp profile and extensively use it to read reviews so don’t miss the opportunity of using the crucial site to your advantage.
• State Bar: You’ll also want to make sure your firm comes up in the local state bar listing.
• Avvo: Avvo is another area where it's beneficial for your firm to show up.
• Justia: Justia
• Yellow Pages: YP.com

Discuss potential online sources when planning your law firm marketing strategies.

4. The power of social media

Social media is king in the digital era. It packs a lot of power and influence. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are just a few of the powerhouses that you won’t want to overlook. Without a doubt, social media advertising can have a dramatic impact on your branding potential and your firm’s success. Best of all, it takes only a minimal investment and amount of time to make full use of social media to your advantage.Law firm marketing strategies must focus on creating a law firm LinkedIn page, Facebook profile and Facebook advertising campaign to create a position of authority and attract new clients. Your social media presence should make you stand out against your competition and peers. It is imperative that you set aside time and a budget for social media when devising your law firm marketing strategies.

5. Create a blog

On your law firm’s website, you should also have a blog that you keep fresh and updated. The blog is a form of content marketing that helps build both your brand and authority. It is an essential part of your law firm marketing strategies.The content that you publish showcases your firm’s expertise, provides valuable answers to ordinary questions that most clients have, forms trust, and is also excellent for SEO to drive traffic to your website. Plus, you can use the blogs in your social media digital marketing campaign by sharing them with your followers. Law firm marketing strategies work well when combined with blog posts, articles, and other SEO content.Every time you share a blog post, encourage your followers to also pass on the information with their followers or to comment. It’s a terrific way to build an even greater following.You’ll want to fill your blog with legal-related evergreen content that is useful to the reader. In addition, the Google algorithm looks for SEO proficient blog content that is authoritative so the content will help push your website even higher in web search results.SEO is important but providing knowledgeable content is even more crucial. Keyword stuffing should always be avoided, or it can actually do more harm than good.The content you post on your website must let the readers know you are an authority. It should inspire trust in your law firm.

6. The power of online reviews

Once you have created an online presence with complete profiles then clients will start to leave reviews of your firm. When going over your law firm marketing strategies, always take the time to read reviews and brainstorm about why you might have a negative one. There is always room for improvement. Reviews are critical.In a 2019 Legal Trends Report, it was found that would-be legal clients carry out a great deal of research when hunting for a law firm and one of the integral places they start is with reviews. A few negative reviews might not hurt but if you have an ongoing string of complaints then clients might start to avoid your firm.Successful law firm marketing strategies always factor in the importance of reviews. Ask for an online review with every case if your client has expressed satisfaction with your firm’s performance. If you receive a negative review, do not ignore it. Try to respond to the client’s feedback in a positive way.

7. Take the time to network and develop your firm’s business

Attending local bar and networking events is a terrific opportunity to engage in conversations and build your brand. You can also generate referral leads. Fellow attorneys who refer to your firm are a wonderful way to develop your business and experience revenue growth. You might even want to meet with them to discuss law firm marketing strategies and examine their success.You’ll want to construct a referral relationship with other area law firms. At such events, spend the time to shake hands and mingle with your fellow lawyers. You should also attend community events to meet with potential clients.Even though it seems like digital marketing dominates, old-school networking that involves meeting with others face to face remains effective and successful in all aspects of law firm marketing strategies. Pass out business cards, give away pens, and offer ample smiles to make an impression.

8. Traditional marketing potential

The best law firm marketing strategies still use some traditional marketing tactics. Billboard ads can appeal to would-be clients, especially in metropolitan areas where they gain high exposure. Radio and television advertisements cannot be overlooked either.Despite the use of traditional marketing techniques, most would-be clients will also conduct an online search to truly evaluate your firm, so having a powerful online presence and a professional website are crucial.

9. Measuring ROI in law firm marketing strategies

To succeed, law firm marketing strategies must continue to measure their effectiveness with their return on investment. If you do not monitor the RO, then you’ll have no idea if your marketing is a success or failure.You’ll want to focus on law firm marketing strategies and tactics that are successful and discard or refine ones that are not performing well. If one marketing strategy is failing, then you might want to reinvest in a new method.Law firm data analytics help you stay on top of your ROI so you can track your law firm’s digital marketing efforts and look at website tracking. You’ll want to discover how many people visit your website and how long they stayed before navigating away.[oxygen-template id="6132"]

Common marketing problems law firms face

A hundred years ago, all an attorney had to do was hang a name plaque on their business door and wait for clients to walk in. However, times have changed. Nowadays, the key to a successful firm is effective marketing methods to form a visible practice. Using law firm marketing strategies paves the way to success.Any active law firm should focus on a mixture of networking, referrals, and marketing. To short-change any of these cornerstones might lead to problems that will cost you clients, time, and money. It is imperative that you sit down with your legal team to go over law firm marketing strategies that work.

Shortchanging time allotment

Law firm marketing strategies require time for success. Ideally, you should set aside at least two hundred hours every year for marketing which works out to around four hours every week. Honestly, that’s not a substantial amount of time considering the benefits you will reap.Try to plan when your group meets to go over the law firm marketing strategies. Every week so you can dedicate the minimum amount of time to marketing. If you start shortchanging your marketing hours, then the entire campaign might crumble. Even the best devised law firm marketing strategies fail if there is not adequate time set aside.

Failing to reach your target audience

If you do not accurately reach your target audience then your advertising and marketing efforts become a colossal waste of time. It is imperative that you carefully analyze your target audience so you can hone your marketing efforts to ensure effectiveness. Every satisfied client will also become a strong advocate and referral for future clients. Make sure to take note of customer satisfaction when going over your law firm marketing strategies.

Lack of analysis or law firm marketing strategies

With successful law firm marketing strategies, a great deal of analysis takes place to measure both success and failure of the campaign. You need a baseline to see which specific actions are showing results. If some efforts are lagging with results, you still do not want to scrap them. Accurate analysis gives you a window into the future potential of your efforts, so you know if your law firm marketing strategies work.Metrics to regularly analysis while meeting to discuss your law firm marketing strategies include:

• Analytics that show the click through rate on your website.
• Placement of your articles/blog posts.
• Review monitoring to determine client satisfaction.
• Open rate on your emails.
• Business and seminar success.

Failing to meet content quality standards

Yes, there is a push to regularly publish content/blog posts on your website but quality counts. Keyword stuffing and content that offers no real value can all negatively impact your website, readers, and Google ranking. It is imperative that you provide insightful, useful, and well-written content that remains evergreen in most situations. Law firm marketing strategies must be fresh but also stay current month after month.

Poor website design

Website design is one of the most important aspects of a successful law firm marketing campaign. The online venue is a valuable public relations tool that promotes your firms and reputation’s skills. If it contains errors or is lackluster then would-be clients might think that your firm lacks the skill and knowledge needed to handle their legal issues.Your website remains your law firm’s marketing image and a powerful platform. The site gives you the chance to firmly place yourself as an expert in your field and launch your law firm marketing strategies to even greater heights.A clever design is crucial. It should be easy to navigate and match your firm’s brand. Law firms with exceptional web designs tend to have an uncomplicated design that is engaging, readable, and informative.On your website, visitors should easily find what they are seeking without ever having to leave the home page. Tabs should clearly show where on the site the visitor can navigate to find specific information. When planning your law firm marketing strategies always think about ease of use.There should always be a clear call to action (contact us) section. Visitors should never have to hunt for how to reach out to your law firm or they might grow frustrated and leave the page. Part of successful law firm marketing strategies is putting yourself in the place of your client to determine how easy or difficult something might prove.

Failure to create a clear marketing message

A common marketing problem that plagues even the best laid-out law firm marketing strategies remains the failure to create a concise or good marketing message. A lukewarm message will set the entire campaign up for failure.It is imperative to have a firm foundation to build upon and the message remains the most critical. Clients are not drawn to half-hearted attempts and will automatically think that your lack of enthusiasm is a sign of how you oversee your cases and clients.

Unsuccessful business development

If you are not a marketing professional, then you might think that marketing is simple advertising. You just need to get the word out about your practice. Such misconceptions lead to law firm marketing strategies with big problems.Business development plays an integral role in marketing. Build your reputation and display your references with clients who trust your firm. Clients who give you glowing reviews will send future business your way and your law firm marketing strategies will shine.Stay intune to current issues within your law firm's field of practice when going over your law firm marketing strategies. Avoid falling behind on breaking news. Always discuss current events when going over your law firm marketing strategies to brainstorm ideas.A business development plan is part of your law firm marketing strategies. It allows you to measure things by keeping track of every part of your business that you hope to grow. You can determine how many times you have reached out to a client, collaborated with them, sent them emails, newsletters, or other notifications. Marketing automation for law firms can prove indispensable with such tasks by effortlessly letting you track everything, so you never miss a beat.

Improperly using social media

Having only a website is not enough. Successful law firm marketing strategies require a strong social media presence. Prospective clients will not only want to view your website but also look for your firm on social media. It is imperative that all businesses have a Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn, and Instagram account. Even a YouTube channel can prove beneficial.Social media has dramatically changed the marketing landscape. It gives you a platform where followers can hear your ‘voice’ and you can build lasting relationships. Social media has become a crucial component of branding and any firm that overlooks its importance will face future marketing challenges. Law firm marketing strategies must encompass social media or miss a gold mine.Give your firm a voice and personality by having conversations with potential clients and using the free platform to reach further than ever previously imagined. Law firm marketing strategies are always about imagination and putting your firm out there by developing social media branding.

Overlooking mobile technology in law firm marketing strategies

Nowadays, everyone has a phone in their hand. Most people use their mobile device more frequently than their computer. It has become essential that every part of a business’ online presence offers mobile compatibility. Mobile searches far exceed those carried out on a computer, especially when someone is looking for a local business to contact.A study carried out by the U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014 by FindLaw found that 38 percent of people use the internet to find an attorney and an additional 74 percent will go on to contact the office using their mobile phone after finding the law firm online.Law firm marketing strategies often overlook mobile technology which is a mistake you want to avoid.

Taking on too much

Law firm marketing strategies are time consuming, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if you are a solo firm trying to handle everything yourself. If you take on too much, then you can quickly become forgetful and lose sight of what is working and what is not. You always want to stay focused with your law firm marketing strategies.You’ll want to investigate your advertising options such as pay-per-click plans, stay up to date with social media, keep your website fresh, launch email campaigns and create a newsletter. In addition, you will need to monitor all analytics to see if your marketing ambitions are paying off. Investing in law firm reporting software will definitely help and be a wise investment to save you time and prevent you from taking on too much. When planning your law firm marketing strategies, look at how automation will save your time which equals money.

What is marketing automation for law firms?

Law firm marketing strategies are complicated and time consuming, but marketing automation lets you effortlessly stay ahead of the competition. The latest technology law firm CRM tackles a variety of marketing tasks such as email, social media, and lead generation with ease.Automation software streamlines the entire client communication process so your firm can experience rapid growth by delivering the right messages at the proper time to the correct leads. In addition, the automation platforms provide you with indispensable data tools that provide you with valuable insight into potential client’s news and behaviors.You can take the insights gained with marketing automation to formulate actionable steps that allow you to take real control of your law firm marketing strategies every step of the way.Initial outreach remains an important stage of formulating a client relationship. Leads render first impressions so your first contact with a potential client should provide personalization and relevance. With automation, you won’t miss a beat when it comes to communication. You can work it into all your law firm marketing strategies.[oxygen-template id="6129"]

The benefits of marketing automation for law firms

Let’s examine how law firm marketing strategies and automation work together like a well-oiled machine.

Data collection in law firm marketing strategies

Law firm marketing strategies and automation tools collect and record data about your users’ behavior. Using the information, you can manage your contact lists, plan different actions, and follow up needed with active prospects. You don’t have to worry about wasting time or resources chasing a lead that might prove futile. Pair this automation reward with a client intake strategy for even greater success when carrying out your law firm marketing strategies.

Customize your alerts

CRM for lawyers lets you customize automated alerts, so you never forget to follow up with a lead after you make an initial contact such as sending the first email. Set an automated reminder to reach out to a contact after a specific number of days. All law firm marketing strategies keep track of contacts via alerts.

Enhance social media

Automation tools let you enhance certain actions on social media platforms, so you don’t have to carry out the tedious tasks. When publishing a recent blog post on your website, use automation to schedule a corresponding social media post to go live at a designated time. The automation tools further analyze the post’s performance to determine its success and see where your law firm marketing strategies are taking you.

Paid advertising as a part of law firm marketing strategies

Law firm automation tools let you adjust real time bids for pay-per-click (PPC) marketing using facts. Also, the system provides keywords and dynamic ad advice so you can personalize your message and improve your scores and click through rates to make your law firm marketing strategies affordable and attainable.

Enhanced communication

Many people think that automation means creating mass produced communications such as emails with every little personalization. However, automation tools provide customization options using innovative artificial intelligence. They help with law firm marketing strategies and pave the way for innovative ideas.Quickly segment your clients into categories based on their user behavior and geographic location. You can then create customized messages based on the user’s social media clicks, downloads, and email opens. Personalize messages based on the user’s geographic location (a valuable tool if you have law firms in multiple areas). Location pinpointing is crucial for law firm marketing strategies.Marketing automation for law firms lets you segment your leads, personalize your communications, and truly reach each client or potential client to provide the information they seek. Law firm marketing strategies have never been more achievable.

Saves your law firm time

Legal professionals are always busy and under constant pressure. The last thing they want to do is focus on law firm marketing strategies that prove time consuming and exhausting. With automation in law firms, certain tasks become less difficult.You can set up automation actions for the following:

• Emails: Send emails with links requesting case evaluations and reviews. You can also create email campaigns for all your law firm marketing strategies.
• Social media: Keep your social media fresh.
• Newsletters: Launch newsletters on-time every week or month to a tailored email list.
• FAQs: Let automation answer FAQs for clients and for your law firm marketing strategies.
• Updates: Reach out for updates from clients.
• Surveys: Launch surveys to see the firm’s performance with important case milestones.

The above list are just a few perks of marketing automation for law firms. Clearly you will save countless hours while improving your bottom line using the software. Not to mention, free up valuable time. The best law firm marketing strategies always save time when coupled with automation.

Tips for using marketing automation for law firms

Marketing automation for law firms helps put you in the lead and keep you there. Use it to cultivate and reach out to prospects, gain clients, educate, increase engagement, garner greater returns, keep your clientele, and create brand awareness. Law firm marketing strategies can rely heavily on automation to achieve their goals.Here are tips on how you can use marketing automation along with law firm marketing strategies to modernize your firm and wow your clients.

• With automation, you can track every interaction that a potential client has with your website and then analyze the data so you can truly devise an effective marketing campaign. Automation quickly becomes the backbone of your law firm marketing strategies.

• Utilize the performance indicators to discover your return on investment (ROI), conversion rate, and cost per lead. The software lets you track what visitors do on your website, evaluate advertising campaigns, oversee social media, and use public relations outreach services as a part of your law firm marketing strategies.

• All the data compiled becomes valuable to learn how to get people's attention and encourage them to contact your firm when they require legal services. You can fine tune additional law firm marketing strategies, so you never miss a beat.

• Using marketing automation lets you know exactly where your money is going and lets you determine if you want to spend additional funds on advertising. If you do decide to expand your budget then you can pinpoint the best use of your funds such as beefing up your website’s content, launching an email campaign, sending out newsletters, or escalating your digital marketing reach with your law firm marketing strategies.

• Customize all your digital intake forms and use legal document automation to save time. You can also utilize electronic signature for legal documents to truly embrace the benefits of technology.

• Setup dynamic email workflows for all your law firm marketing strategies

Choosing the right marketing automation software for law firms

The goal of any law firm marketing plan is to grow your practice and extend your reach. A legal CRM system gives you the power you need when you need it. Anyone with basic computer skills can operate the software so it does the leg work needed for your marketing efforts and you can focus on the needs of your clients. Scale your business and push client engagement with ease.With Lawmatics software, you can even use workflow automation for law firms which tackles simple but time-consuming tasks. Use step-by-step templates, create visual pathways, send out follow-up messages and more with legal client intake software. You will connect with clients every step of their journey when carrying out your law firm marketing strategies.With legal CRM, you can effectively increase sales and expand your firm without manually having to tackle each task. Systemize client intake so your firm saves money on operating costs. Law firm marketing ideas polished by full automation can truly take your firm to the next level and beyond.If you are ready to embrace state-of-the-art automation software for law firms then check out Lawmatics when outlining your law firm marketing strategies.Lawmatics offers law firm CRM for attorneys who want to take their firms to the next level by entering the modern era. The software solutions are easy to use and powerful. The automation system takes care of everything from the initial first contact all the way through becoming an established client to ensure your law firm marketing strategies succeed.Contact us to learn more about our legal automation software. Lawmatics CRM lets you make all your law firm marketing strategies a reality.

A career as a lawyer is one of the most coveted occupations there are. Beside the opportunity to help people, becoming an attorney offers unique flexibility, huge earning potential, and diverse selection of practice areas to choose from. Because of the rewards that come along with a career in law, it’s no big mystery why the ambitious decide to take the path to become a lawyer. However, along with all the perks can also come a considerable number of challenges. Going to law school with the intention of starting your own law firm requires undertaking a tremendous commitment. Although the end result can be rewarding, anyone looking to become an attorney has their work cut out for them—to put it lightly.The reality is that many lawyers spend very little time in an actual courtroom, and often more time taking care of the administrative tasks that it takes to keep a practice going. Statistically, lawyers spend over 50% of their work week on tasks they’re not even paid for, like sending out marketing emails and following up with potential clients.The great news is that lawyers' workloads can be significantly reduced thanks to the help of legal software. As legal technology continues to advance, the more that lawyers can leverage these tools to efficiently handle their workload. The client intake process in particular is one of the most time consuming aspects of a lawyer's job. Provide a five star client intake process that’s thoughtful and thorough and you’ll successfully convert prospects— provide a careless client intake process full of holes, and you’ll lose business. It’s that simple.With so much going on in a lawyer's schedule, it can be difficult to give each client the attention it takes to please them. Every client wants to feel like they're your only client, and let's be honest, with so much on a lawyer's plate, it's impossible to give each client five star service on their own. The only way to give the kind of service it takes to delight and engage clients from start to finish is to automate with client intake software.Unfortunately, this is where many law firms get it wrong. In an effort to save money they avoid investing in tools like law firm CRM and attorney intake software. Yet in reality, client intake software like Lawmatics saves lawyers so much time that they’re actually losing money by not automating. Here are some of the challenges that you may be facing in your own practice and how automating with client intake software can be a game changer.

1. Law school doesn’t teach you
how to run a business

Law school teaches you all that you need to know about practicing law. From legal methods, to civil procedures, to legal writing, you learn everything you need to know to be an effective lawyer — except one major component that will determine the success of starting your own practice: how to run it like a business. Despite being technically trained to be a lawyer, that alone won’t find you clients. The only way to stand out in a sea of competing law firms and differentiate yourself from the other options is to start thinking like a CEO. The truth is that lawyers aren't just lawyers, they’re also salespeople.Manually marketing your law firm and following up with potential leads eats up a considerable amount of hours. Using law firm client intake software can streamline and automate your process, so you can turn your attention towards what you went to law school to do— practice law.When you start thinking like a business person, you realize that focusing your time and energy on profit-generating tasks is the most effective way to grow your practice. Turning to legal client intake software to automate processes can save you hours per week that you would have lost on administrative tasks.

2. Long manual processes

From responding to a lead's initial inquiries to scheduling appointments and sending and receiving agreements, manual processes take up countless amounts of hours to get done. Most of these administrative tasks are tedious, lengthy, and often risk being full of errors.Legal document automation software shaves off hours of your day with quick and easy document assembly that would take substantially more time to generate manually. Not only is the actual document creation simplified, and automated, but client intake software also eliminates unnecessary back and forth to get important forms signed by the client. Lawyers can easily send important paperwork to their clients who can sign from wherever they are thanks to a client e-signature tool. Paperwork that would have taken hours to days to get done is done with a few clicks, giving lawyers more time to turn their attention towards what matters most in their practice.Turning to client intake software can fill the gaps in your processes, doing them for you, so that your staff never feels like they’re gasping for air to keep up with it all. Automation saves hours a day, and doesn't just make things easier for your team, but also improves client satisfaction. Tools like SMS for law firms, automatic follow-ups, and the ability to self-schedule appointments makes your clients feel connected to you every step of the way. Thanks to automation in law firms, you can easily handle more business, because automation takes care of most of your client intake for you.In short, instead of drawn-out manual processes taking up all of your law firm's time, you can focus your energy on revenue-driving tasks and become more profitable. Best of all, automation allows you to personalize your responses so that your clients feel like they're connected to you and engaged every step of the way.

3. Competing law firms

Statistics show that over half of Google users use it to search for businesses. More and more law firms are starting to catch on to the fact that Google is one of their most important tools for convincing potential clients that you're the right law firm for the job. The truth is that you can be the best, most undefeated, and client-focused lawyer in your area, but if Google doesn't show you in the top search results, then people will go wherever the search engine is telling them to go.The best way to stand out against competing law firms is to execute the right marketing strategies. Even though the main part of your job is winning clients' cases, your job is also to market yourself. Finding and retaining clients is all about developing a law firm marketing strategy paired with tools like client intake software. From building a presence on social media to optimizing your website for SEO to blogging, the idea is to bring in leads. Once you have a steady stream of leads coming in, it's critical that you have an effective intake process to ensure a successful client conversion rate. Without client intake software, it can be difficult to prioritize finding time to manually follow up with leads when you already have paying clients who require your time.Client intake software doesn't just automatically follow up for you, increasing your chance of converting a lead into a paying client, but it also tracks each lead and tells you what actions need to be taken next. Surprisingly, nearly 30% of law firms don't track their leads at all. If you hope to stand a chance against the competition and ensure that your name comes up first in Google search results, you have to prioritize getting back to clients as soon as possible.Client intake software is your all-in-one solution for reducing your response time, eliminating the risk of leads falling through the cracks, and in turn improving your online reputation and making Google your best friend. Incorporating client intake software means you can rely on automation to do your marketing for you, so you have more time to focus on what matters most— your clients.

4. Long hours

Lawyers are no strangers to hefty workloads, and the smaller their practice is, the less staff they have to delegate all of the work it takes to keep their law firm running. Many lawyers work over sixty hours a week and as a result, many of them find themselves struggling to find a healthy work-life balance. As much as lawyers may seem like superhumans sometimes, the truth is they’re plain old mortals who require free time just as much as anyone else.A recent study revealed that due to the long hours and demanding workload, legal professionals have some of the highest rates of mental health disorders. It also revealed that a shocking 28% of lawyers suffer from depression, 19% suffer from severe anxiety, and over 10% of the lawyers surveyed had experienced suicidal thoughts that year.These statistics paint a startling yet accurate picture of the enormous stress that lawyers are under. The question then becomes, how can lawyers lighten their workload, and improve their mental well-being as a result? The answer lies in leveraging technology to reduce the pressure.Manual processes aren't just standing in the way of law firms' opportunity for growth, but also standing in the way of many lawyers' mental health. Using the right tools reduces tedious tasks, and makes your practice more efficient for less work. The end result is a greater quality of life, and more revenue— what more could you ask for?

5. Balancing potential clients
with paying clients

One of the biggest complaints that legal clients have about their lawyers is a lack of communication. Statistics show that two law firms as a whole have a remarkably low response rate, with as little as 30% answering the phone in a recent study. From a prospect's point of view, it's downright infuriating not to get a response back when you're looking for a lawyer. Yet, from a lawyer's point of view, it can feel downright impossible to prioritize getting back to leads when they have paying clients to focus their attention on.Many solo practitioners don't have the luxury of a front desk staff to get back to leads, so with all of the administrative tasks coupled with handling their clients' cases, it's easy for lawyers to have to prioritize paying clients over following up with leads.The debacle then becomes the fact that a steady stream of leads is how you build your practice. The only way that you can hope to succeed in attracting, retaining and delighting clients is with an effective client intake process. The most successful law firms regardless of their size rely on client intake software to follow up on their leads for them to ensure no opportunity gets missed.Automation ensures that clients get responded to quickly, and efficiently, from the first phone call to signing a retainer agreement. Client intake software like Lawmatics allows you to personalize your automations, and trigger certain responses based on your preferences. Perhaps when signs up for your newsletter, drip campaigns for law firms will send them an automated follow-up giving a little more information about your law firm. Or perhaps your client schedules a confirmation, client intake software will send an automated reminder significantly reducing the risk of client no shows resulting in lost time.Automation is the only way to prioritize leads and clients equally without having to sacrifice one for the other.[oxygen-template id="6131"]

Save time, cut costs, and drive growth with Lawmatics client intake software

It takes a team effort to build a thriving law firm, yet a team can only do so much with the resources that they have. The fewer employees that a law firm has, the more difficult it can be to follow up with every inquiry. A client intake solution like Lawmatics means automating your business and making it more efficient so your team can focus on staying connected with clients while automation handles your leads.From automated email workflows for law firms to sending out fee agreements and getting them signed thanks to electronic signature for legal documents, automation makes it possible to take on more business for a fraction of the work. You can seamlessly move your leads through each stage of the client journey with custom automation that offers a tailored experience that leaves a positive impression. Why over complicate your client intake process when you could leave it to technology to do it for you? The reality is that most challenges faced by law firms can be easily handled with Lawmatics.Are you ready to see how you can win more business, and impress your clients with the help of Lawmatics? Sign up for a free product demo today!

Comparing your own practice to the most successful law firms in your area can leave you wondering what their secret is. Maybe they have better connections, maybe they know some SEO tricks that you don’t, or maybe they put something extra in their coffee— whatever it is, they’re doing something right. It can be baffling to see other law firms in your area appear first on Google search results, while you struggle just to make it on the first page.While it may seem like the recipe for success is some sort of secret enigma, the truth is the answer isn't as mysterious as you might think. Just like Dorothy realizes she had the way back to Kansas the entire time, the secret to scaling your law firm is right under your nose and you don’t even know it.If you’re feeling like you’re run down and burned out trying to keep up with it all, you’re not alone. Statistics show that attorneys are some of the most stressed-out people on the planet due to the long hours and exigent workloads.The great news for worn-out lawyers is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Stop working harder and start working smarter by clicking your heels three times with these secrets to success.

Value time as money

The most successful law firms value time as money, so they don’t throw it away frivolously and are constantly looking for ways to gain more time. One of the most laborious pieces of a lawyer’s job is the client intake process. Onboarding new clients is tedious, and getting back to every inquiry your law firm receives either by phone call, legal client intake form, or email can feel impossible to stay on top of. A recent study showed that on average, law firms take over 3 days to respond to a message from a potential client. Since response time plays such a critical role in a client choosing your firm over another, leads need to be followed up with as soon as possible. Making a great first impression from day one means a timely response.Yet, with all of the administrative tasks, consultations, and hearings, there simply aren’t enough hours in a day. So, how are the most successful law firms keeping up with it all and maintaining five-star reputations? They rely on client intake software to automate for them.Instead of manually taking each prospect's information and inputting it into your system, client intake software inputs it into your law firm CRM for you. From the moment a contact is entered into your system, they are meticulously tracked and automatically followed up with, shaving off hours a week that you can dedicate instead to what matters most in your firm.Another time-consuming element of running a firm is creating complex legal documents that can take hours to days to complete. With legal document automation, you can assemble an attorney-client agreement with a few clicks by autofilling directly from your database. That means you can hand over client and attorney-client agreement directly after a consultation sparing yourself even more time.Clients can easily sign contracts from wherever they are thanks to tools like an client e-signature tool which eliminates the need for printing and scanning. not only is it a time-saver, but it also eliminates the risk of human error that comes along with manually generating documents.The more that you start to value time as money, the more time you will dedicate to what matters most in your practice.

Build your brand

If there's one thing that the pandemic taught us it's that businesses had to be adaptable to stand the test of adverse times. Social distancing measures forced lawyers to change the way they do business, most importantly, change the way that they found clients — online. Yet with so many firms competing for Google’s attention, it's important that you know the right ways to differentiate yourself. Building your brand is critical for standing out to potential clients, and shining on Google.Besides methods like establishing themselves on social media, and optimizing their website for SEO, the most successful firms know that the most efficient way to increase your brand’s visibility is to rely on automated marketing. Law firm client intake software streamlines your marketing and puts it on autopilot so you can turn your attention towards profit-generating tasks.Letting automation handle your marketing allows you to customize what goes out to who at what time based on triggers of your choosing. Automation tools like audience segmentation software target specific audiences based on characteristics, making them more likely to open the message. Rather than an all-in-one marketing approach, you can establish your brand by appealing to the right audience with a personalized delivery that creates brand loyalty.Whether you're welcoming a new client or sending out a happy birthday message to a prior client, personalized messaging makes you memorable and keeps you top of mind for standing out as a law firm. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or a mid-sized firm, automated drip email marketing like Lawmatics gives your firms’ marketing a "big company feel" and establishes your firm as a modern and polished brand.

Know what's working — and what isn’t

The most efficient law firms know that there is always room for improvement. There are constantly new opportunities for growth, and more places to find even more profitable clients. Although data is relatively new in the legal world, it's been around for quite some time in the business world. Legal reporting software makes it possible to track your productivity and see where the majority of your time is going. Identifying your weak points can help you make changes where necessary, and implement better time management.Seeing your current client intake process from a bird's eye view helps you identify where your best clients are coming from, so you can turn your attention more towards those sources. A data-driven approach to client intake with goal tracking for law firms is essential for identifying holes in your practice and making improvements where it counts most.Success starts with identifying what your goals are and tracking them with law firm reporting software. Lawmatics client intake software comes with built-in legal data analytics so you can easily set new goals and track them, helping you stay on top of your objectives. The right software makes it easy to read your data, providing the tools to improve your law firm's efficiency and take control where it matters most.

Make your clients feel connected to you

One of the most common complaints about lawyers is poor communication. Clients want to be updated on their cases without having to play phone tag. Leaving your client waiting around for your phone call for an update will quickly frustrate them and result in a poor reputation.Yet with so much on lawyers' plates, it's hardly reasonable to expect lawyers to get back to every client as soon as possible. The only way to make clients feel connected to you every step of the way is to rely on client intake software to automate your follow-up for you. Client intake software gives your clients direct access to you, whether by SMS for law firms, email, or scheduling an appointment themselves, making them feel like they’re talking to you every day when in reality, it’s the power of automation.Getting your clients great results in their case is important, but believe it or not, it's not all that goes into A positive customer experience. Believe it or not, there are plenty of clients out there who are thrilled with their lawyers despite not having gotten them the best outcome for their case. it all comes down to the client journey. If you can provide a positive experience for your client from the minute they first contact your firm all the way to the end of their case, you will successfully have delighted your clients.The key to client delight is making them feel valued and acknowledged every step of the way. Each stage of the client journey is an opportunity to engage and delight. Workflow automation for law firms can help you deliver a powerful client experience that makes each client feel like they're your only client.

Stop tolerating no-shows

We've already gone over how time equals money, so it goes without saying that losing time on client no-shows is a huge waste of resources. One of the biggest causes for client no-shows is a lack of a systematic client intake process. Software like Lawmatics makes consultation scheduling easy from the first step. While manual appointment scheduling involves a lot of emails back and forth trying to find the best time that works for everyone’s schedule, Lawmatics automated appointment scheduling allows your clients to do it themselves.It’s easy to schedule their own consultations by selecting the time and date that works best for them. It's as simple as sending them a link to your schedule that shows only the dates and times that you want them to see. Not only does it make it easy for clients to schedule themselves without the hassle of lengthy back and forth, but automation sends out reminders to you and the client, making sure that no one forgets the important event. Just say no to losing time that could have been spent on something more valuable.

Prioritize referrals

Referrals are one of the greatest tools you have for generating new business. So, make it easy for your clients to refer you to their friends and family!The client journey is broken up into three phases: intake, active matter, and former client. There is a considerable amount of client attention surrounding the first two stages, yet by the third stage the majority of law firms taper off.Unfortunately, what these law firms don't realize is that 75% of law firms' business comes from referrals. Don’t stop the relationship once the case is closed or you’ll be overlooking a huge opportunity for growth.Just because your client's case is closed doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to engage them. Continue to send out law firm marketing materials, send them a happy birthday message, or send them updates about changes in your law firm. The idea is to stay in their minds so the next time they have a friend or family member looking for legal services, you come to mind first.Beyond client referrals, you should also look for referral opportunities with other businesses. Start thinking like a CEO and consider what sort of businesses may be a great source for finding clients. Identify who and where your ideal client is, and figure out how you can network and build relationships with the businesses they go to. The more you start to think like a business person, and not just like a lawyer, the more you start to value the importance of referral through networking. There’s no such thing as too much visibility for your law firm. Get out there and rub shoulders with everyone — you never know who your next client could be!

Prioritize the best, and automate the rest with Lawmatics

Lawmatics platform automates the entire client intake process making your clients feel like you’re connected to them every step of the way. Not only is time money, but time is also freedom. The more you can automate, the more you’ll free up your schedule for what matters most in your practice. The more you have the freedom to turn your energy towards your clients, the closer you’ll be to building a five star reputation that Google lists on top.Stop running your practice through tedious manual processes like spreadsheets and email back and forths that eat up your time and resources, and start seeing every minute as valuable.

"Double down on what you’re best at and automate the rest."

— Jordan Ostroff

Making the switch to law firm client intake software will save you so much money and time that you're actually losing money by not automating. Best of all, Lawmatics can save you time in multiple areas - from document automation to time and billing software.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics legal CRM system and attorney intake software can help you scale your law firm by driving new and repeat business? Sign up for a free product demo today!

We’re thrilled to announce that we have been included in the 2021 CRM, Intake, and Virtual Receptionists Buyer’s Guide released by Legal Tech Publishing which spotlights innovative legal technology products for lawyers.We have been recognized in this legal technology buyers guide based on a selection process that included product reviews and supporting articles.“We’re incredibly honored to be recognized as the most intuitive and robust law firm CRM and client intake platform specific to the legal industry,” said Matt Spiegel, CEO. “With Lawmatics, lawyers are able to focus on getting the most desirable outcome for their clients without getting bogged down with day-to-day administrative tasks that negatively impact their client relationships and reputations. This, in turn, leads to more business, happy clients, and profitability.”At Lawmatics, we are dedicated to serving as a go-to resource that helps lawyers be the best they can be. Being included in third-party publications that explain the impacts of solutions in the legal tech marketplace helps us achieve our mission of assisting lawyers. By participating in the Legal Tech Publishing eBook series, we support our community of fellow providers and together can provide lawyers with a succinct list of reputable and vetted selection of products for their consideration.Keep reading to see some highlights from the guide.

Lawmatics helps lawyers get efficient in generating new and recurring legal business

“Lawmatics enables you to automate your entire intake process as well as any other repetitive process or tasks that might be part of your firm’s flow. You can create automated workflows to move potential clients through every stage of the client journey.”

The 4 reasons Legal Tech Publishing recommends Lawmatics

• Lawmatics is for any law firm that wants more leads and is serious about growing its business.
• Automation drives the lead generation and marketing platform.
• The platform integrates with numerous marketing sources and legal apps to drive efficiency and reduce costs.
• Reports analyze costs for leads and clients provide key performance indicators (KPIs) to analyze and measure against as the firm grows.

Get your free copy of Lawmatics review in Legal Tech Publishing’s CRM, Intake and Virtual Receptionists Buyer’s Guide: 2021 Edition to learn more.

What is your role at Lawmatics, and what does your job entail?

I am the Implementation Manager at Lawmatics. My job is to make sure that my team and I are onboarding everyone who signs up for Lawmatics to ensure they successfully use the platform. This includes teaching customers about all of our different features, creating automations, and migrating data into Lawmatics.

How did you end up working for Lawmatics?

I had previously worked with Matt and other members of the team at a different company, so when Lawmatics was developed, I did not hesitate to hop aboard!

What’s the best part of your job?

I enjoy turning a firm’s manual intake process into a streamlined and automated process. Doing so allows the attorney to focus on practicing law and their staff to focus more on growing the business instead of wasting hours every day on follow-ups, sending engagement agreements, scheduling appointments, etc. In addition, it is a great experience doing the first run-through of a firm’s new process in Lawmatics and seeing all of the time they will be able to save.

What challenges have you faced or opportunities you’ve uncovered working remotely during COVID-19?

The biggest challenge has been not being able to see the amazing people I work with! But, working remotely has given us some great opportunities to add to our integrations like Zoom and develop some pretty great workflows for attorneys who have to work from home.

Where are you originally from, and how did you end up in San Diego?

I am originally from Sacramento and moved down to San Diego in 2010 to attend San Diego State (go Aztecs!). Aside from living in Spain for a year after college, I have been here ever since!

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Spend time with my wife and dog :).

What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?

I am “that guy” that has a regrettable tattoo after a night out with my bone-headed friends.

What is the one thing you can’t live without and why?

Good weather. San Diego has turned me into a huge wimp, and now if the temperature drops below 60 degrees, I am basically out of commission.

Do you have a favorite saying, quote, or personal mantra, and if so, what is it and why?

“Don’t sweat the petty things, and don’t pet the sweaty things.”

I have always been a huge fan of comedy, and my dad got me into George Carlin at a young age. As silly as this quote is, it always comes to mind when I’m feeling stressed.

Can you walk us through your "Aha" moment - the moment when you realized how powerful the Lawmatics platform is for lawyers and law firms?

When I first started onboarding new customers, I quickly realized that Lawmatics could easily handle all or most of their pain points. Our robust automation engine, easy-to-use intake forms/fee agreements, and in-app scheduling solution make the platform a one-stop-shop for most attorneys. It is pretty amazing that almost anytime an attorney presents me with a problem, I can say, “Lawmatics can handle that.”

Based on your experience, what words of wisdom or advice do you have for legal professionals looking to help their law firms win more business, impress clients, and be more efficient?

Don’t over complicate your intake process, and make sure you cater to your client’s preferences. For example, if you are having issues getting appointments scheduled, start sending links where your clients can schedule or, better yet, add a scheduling form to your website.

If you are having issues gathering information from clients, send them easy-to-use intake forms via email and text with reminders that provide them with a link to that form that will take them right where they left off when they started it.

Also, don’t follow up manually. Set up some drip campaigns to keep your firm top-of-mind for clients who are still shopping or aren’t quite ready to move forward yet.

...basically, you should use Lawmatics. :)