Marketing for law firms is essential for survival in today’s competitive environment for lawyers. Today, clients choose their attorney based on what they find online. This can be through either through a search engine, Google reviews, referral programs, or a law firm’s website.
If your firm isn’t actively marketing itself, you’re likely missing out on attracting new clients and getting the best cases. If you need a lawyer advertising plan or lawyer marketing plan, you’ve come to the right place. These top marketing tips for lawyers are some of our favorite legal industry secrets.
Our comprehensive guide gives you some of the most proven law firm marketing strategies. We wrote these practical steps to help bring in new clients, strengthen your reputation online (and offline), and grow your legal practice. These are our best law firm marketing ideas for lawyers in all practice areas.
Legal Marketing Statistics
Legal marketing is unlike B2c retail or B2b tech industries. Attorney marketing relies heavily on trust, expertise and making personal connections with potential clients. With this in mind, marketing your services is just one piece of the pie. In addition to visibility and awareness, lawyers have to build credibility and confidence with potential clients online and offline.
Statistics tell the story:
- Over one-third of clients find their attorney through online searches.
- Pages ranking in the top three positions of search results generate over 50% of clicks.
- Many law firms dedicate little or no budget to marketing, leaving a significant gap in the market.
- Going into 2025, the best law firms spend on average 3-5% of their annual revenue on digital marketing
Starting Your Marketing Plan
This is how we help law firms create a solid marketing plan:
Set Clear Goals
Start by identifying what you want to achieve. Vague attorney marketing strategies or goals such as “get more clients this year” won’t cut it. Instead, set pinpoint, specific, measurable targets such as:
- I’d like to increase my website’s monthly leads by 20%.
- I want to generate 50 consultations from online ads within the next three months.
- My firm needs to rank in the top three for local searches like “personal injury lawyer in [City].”
Define Your Audience
Every law firm serves a unique set of clients. Whether you focus on personal injury, business litigation, or estate planning, define your ideal clients. Use these characteristics:
- Demographics: Age, income, and location.
- Needs: What legal problems do they face? What solutions are they looking for?
- Behavior: How do they search for and select an attorney?
For example, a law firm marketing plan for personal injury cases might target individuals aged 30-50 who recently searched for “accident lawyer near me.”
Analyze the Competition
Study your competitors to identify gaps in their strategies. Are they strong in digital marketing but neglecting community engagement? Do they focus on volume but miss out on personal connections? Use these insights to position your firm more effectively.
Offline Marketing vs. Digital Marketing for Lawyers
We suggest, for a winning legal marketing plan, to use both traditional and online methods to reach and connect with clients.
Offline Marketing
- Referrals
- Referrals remain one of the most effective lawyer marketing ideas. Build strong relationships with former clients and professional peers. Consider offering incentives, like discounts or thank-you gifts, for successful referrals.
- We like to design and build law firm websites with referral programs built-in, for past clients to easily send new clients your way.
- Community Engagement
- Host free workshops or sponsor local events to connect with your community. For example, a family law firm might hold a Q&A session about custody laws, while an estate planning attorney could run a seminar on wills and trusts.
- For free workshops, you can also increase your reach by filming these, posting on social media or live streaming.
- Direct Mail
- Target specific neighborhoods or demographics with personalized letters or postcards. Highlight your specialties and include an easy way to contact your firm. Sometimes these are called ‘mailers.’
Digital Marketing Strategies For Lawyers
As a law firm digital marketing agency, we have plenty of advice for lawyers when it comes to growing a law firm online.
- Design Your Law Firm Website
- Your law firm’s website is the centerpiece of your law office marketing plan. It should:
- Load quickly on all devices.
- Clearly explain your services.
- Optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Include pages for each practice area, such as “business litigation attorney” or “medical malpractice lawyer.”
- Feature testimonials, FAQs, and contact forms.
- We design beautiful websites for lawyers law firms in all practice areas.
- Your law firm’s website is the centerpiece of your law office marketing plan. It should:
- Local SEO
- Local clients searching for terms like “estate planning attorney in [City]” need to find your firm. Optimize for local SEO by:
- Claiming your Google Business Profile.
- Including location-based keywords on your website.
- Asking satisfied clients to leave positive reviews online.
- Google gives you a shareable link to make it easy for clients to post.
- Local clients searching for terms like “estate planning attorney in [City]” need to find your firm. Optimize for local SEO by:
- Content Marketing
- Share valuable content online. You can use keyword planning tools like SEMRush to help understand what clients are searching for.
- Write blog posts on common legal questions like “What to Do After a Car Accident.”
- Publish case studies that demonstrate your expertise.
- Create videos explaining complex topics in simple terms.
- Share valuable content online. You can use keyword planning tools like SEMRush to help understand what clients are searching for.
- PPC Advertising
- Use platforms like Google Ads to target high-intent keywords, such as “criminal defense lawyer near me.” Pair compelling ad copy with optimized landing pages to drive conversions.
- The cost-per-click on law firm keywords are some of the highest in the world. In order to maximize CPC (cost per click), consider getting a video done for the landing page, to increase conversion rates.
- Social Media
- Use LinkedIn for professional networking and Facebook to connect with local communities. Share updates, legal tips, and client success stories.
- Each platform depends on what practice area you’re looking to serve. For instance, if you’re a business lawyer, you may want to stick with business-oriented apps like LinkedIn, instead of the consumer-dominated Facebook or Instagram.
Small Law Firm Marketing Tips
Not all firms have large budgets for digital marketing, but even small investments can yield big results for small firms if used wisely. Our favorite lower cost marketing strategies include:
- Focus on Referrals
- Referrals cost very little but can generate significant business for lawyers. Encourage happy clients to spread the word, and offer gift cards for new client referrals.
- Google My Business
- Posting on Google My Business is free. Make sure to get reviews every single time you get a new customer – and share posts consistently on GMB.
- Join Legal Directories
Opportunities for Growth with Video and Email
For firms looking to grow rapidly, these advanced strategies can set you apart:
Develop Email Campaigns
Segment your email list by client type, location, or interest. Send targeted messages such as:
- Updates on new laws affecting specific cases.
- Invitations to free consultations.
- Success stories to build trust.
Video Marketing
Video content is engaging and easy to consume. Create videos that showcase:
- Client testimonials.
- Explainers for complex legal processes.
- Insights from your attorneys.
We create law firm video content such as brand videos, testimonial videos, mini-documentaries, and more. If you need inspiration, check out our law firm video production portfolio.
Track Your Results and Continue to Refine
To know what’s working, measure the performance of your law firm advertising plan – here are some metrics to keep in mind for legal marketing:
- Website Traffic: Track how many visitors your site gets and which pages they view.
- Conversion Rates: Measure how many leads turn into consultations or clients.
- Ad Performance: Evaluate the effectiveness of PPC campaigns by looking at cost-per-click and click-through rates.
We use tools like Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity and Google Search Console to gather data and adjust our marketing strategies accordingly.
Law Firm Branding is More Important for Marketing Than You May Think
Branding is often overlooked in legal marketing strategy, but it’s one of the best ways of improving the perception clients have of your firm. A poorly designed website or brand guideline can certainly drive customers away. A strong brand makes your law firm more recognizable and trustworthy. And building brand awareness starts with building better brand identity.
Start with Your Firm’s Core Values
Begin by identifying what sets your firm apart. Are you known for aggressive representation, personalized service, or an excellent understanding of a specific area of law? Build your brand around these qualities. For example:
- A family law practice might focus on compassionate service and client-first advocacy, filming a testimonial video.
- A business litigation firm could show results-driven strategies, professionalism, and insights on a blog.
- A criminal defense attorney may highlight their dedication to protecting client rights in the courtroom through video.
Visual Media
Part of core values can also include brand identity & messaging. Things to consider for brand identity:
- Well designed website
- Clean business cards and email signatures.
- Using consistent colors and fonts in all digital and print materials.
- Updating your website to match your branding and highlight your firm’s specialties.
- Use the psychology of color to find the positive attributes that best match your law firm’s values. For instance, blue and purple evoke feelings of trust and reliability, whereas shades of red are more ‘exciting.’
Brand Messaging
Your message should communicate who you are, what you do, and why clients should choose your firm. Use language that connects with your target audience and reflects the tone of your practice. Our favorite way of doing this is producing law firm videos. When we write brand videos, we get to the true core of your law firm’s brand identity. For example:
- “Defending Your Future: Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys” positions your firm as a defender of personal rights.
- “Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Security: Comprehensive Estate Planning Services” appeals to those looking for long-term solutions.
Community Engagement
While digital marketing is essential, community involvement can give you opportunities to build local connections and grow your reputation offline. Many potential clients prefer working with firms they see as active members of their community.
Sponsor Local Events
Sponsoring events like charity runs, school programs, or community fairs are great. Make sure your firm’s name and logo are prominently displayed on event materials, banners, and advertisements.
Host Free Legal Workshops
Offering educational workshops is a great way to demonstrate your expertise while giving back to the community and generate leads or referrals. For instance:
- A family law firm could host a seminar on “Understanding Custody Agreements.”
- A personal injury practice might offer tips on “What to Do After a Car Accident.”
- Estate planning attorneys could guide attendees through the basics of creating a will.
Make sure to get the contact information of all visitors.
Collaborate with Local Organizations
Partner with nonprofits, small businesses, or community groups to co-host events or provide resources. For example, a workers’ compensation lawyer might work with local unions to educate employees about their rights.
Local SEO
Law firm digital marketing gets your firm visible to clients actively searching for legal services online. Work hard on improving your local search engine optimization (seo) to maximize online results.
Refine Your Local SEO Efforts
Local SEO is critical for connecting with clients in your area. In addition to claiming your Google Business Profile, focus on these tactics:
- Add location-based keywords to your website pages and blog posts (e.g., “business litigation attorney in [City]”).
- Use structured data markup to help search engines identify your firm’s location and services.
- Create pages for specific neighborhoods or regions, like “Divorce Lawyer Serving [Suburb].”
Beyond optimizing your Google Business Profile, explore these tactics:
- Geo-Targeted Keywords
- Incorporate location-specific phrases, such as “best personal injury lawyer in [City]” or “divorce attorney near [Neighborhood].”
- Localized Landing Pages
- Create dedicated pages for each geographic area you serve. For instance, a personal injury firm might have pages for “Personal Injury Attorneys in Florida” and “Car Accident Lawyers in Miami.”
- Facebook
- Update your Facebook business profile to match your address.
- Encourage Reviews
- Positive Google reviews boost your credibility and local rankings.
PPC Campaigns
Pay-per-click advertising (digital advertising) remains one of the fastest ways to generate leads. To optimize your campaigns:
- Focus on high-intent keywords like “estate planning lawyer near me” or “personal injury attorney consultation.”
- Use negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches and improve your ad spend efficiency.
- Experiment with Google’s Local Service Ads to capture even more qualified leads.
Email Marketing for Lawyers
Email marketing continues to be one of the most cost-effective ways to nurture leads and maintain relationships with past clients. By providing valuable content and updates, you can keep your firm top-of-mind. Use apps like mailchimp or constant contact for email marketing.
Create Targeted Email Campaigns
Segment your email list by client type, case history, or location to deliver highly relevant content. For example:
- Send estate planning tips to older clients.
- Provide updates on business law changes to corporate clients.
- Share information about upcoming workshops with your local audience.
Use Email Drip Campaigns
Set up automated sequences to nurture potential clients over time. A personal injury firm might create a sequence like this:
- Welcome email introducing the firm and its services.
- A follow-up email with tips on what to do after an accident.
- A final email offering a free consultation.
Include Calls-to-Action in Every Email
Encourage email recipients to take the next step, whether it’s scheduling a consultation, downloading a guide, or attending an event.
Tracking Your Marketing Campaign’s Success Rate
The best marketing plans evolve based on data and performance. Regularly check up on your stats to identify what’s working and where improvements are needed. Some important metrics to monitor include:
- Website Traffic: How many people are visiting your site, and which pages are most popular?
- Conversion Rates: How many visitors turn into leads or clients?
- Ad Performance: Are your PPC campaigns generating clicks and leads at a reasonable cost?
Conduct Regular Audits
Review your marketing materials, website, and campaigns every few months. Look for outdated information, low-performing ads, or pages that need better optimization.
Experiment with New Strategies
Don’t be afraid to try new approaches. If your firm hasn’t yet explored video marketing, content marketing, or email marketing, now may be the time to test these methodologies.
Work with Solvis Media
Creating a great marketing plan for lawyers requires time, effort, and dedication. By combining traditional advertising methods with advanced digital marketing strategies, you can build a system that gets you results year after year. Whether you’re focused on personal injury, estate planning, or criminal defense, the principles in this guide provide a roadmap to success.
Start with a few marketing strategies that work with your firm’s strengths and grow from there. With a clear lawyer advertising plan and a mix of offline and digital methods, your firm can attract more clients, strengthen its reputation, and achieve sustainable growth.
For those firms ready to jump right in with a world-class law firm marketing plan, get started today. Whether you’re updating your existing marketing plan or starting from scratch, we can help build your firm’s marketing strategy. Don’t wait—your clients are searching for you now. Check out our law firm marketing services here. Use these legal marketing tips as much as you’d like, and feel free to check out more of our articles on law firm marketing.