Law Firm Advertising: Top Ways to Grow Your Clientele

If you’re looking to attract more clients, law firm advertising is an essential component for growing your business. Strategically finding ways to get your firm’s name in front of as many people as possible—using free or paid advertising tactics— increases your chances of having a steady stream of business throughout the year. We’ll use this article to explore the benefits of advertising and share ideas to help you reach potential clients. 

The Benefits of Advertising Your Law Firm 

Advertising your law firm may seem like a huge commitment. But there are benefits that come with this investment. Specifically, you’re: 

1. Building your brand

Advertisements don’t just pay off in the short term—it’s also an effective way to build your brand over time. Legal advertising via social media, email, website, and print will elevate your brand and increase awareness. As a result, you’re increasing your chances of attracting new clients and receiving referrals.

2. Attracting your target clientele 

Advertising for lawyers is also important because it attracts the exact clients you want. For instance, if your firm specializes in personal injury or tax law, you can target your advertisements at people looking for those specific services.

3. Adding another tool to your stack

Most law firms rely on referrals and reviews to attract more business. While these methods are effective, advertisements are additional tools that can supplement your existing client outreach efforts. Ads are especially effective for new firms, which may not have built up the credibility or online presence to bring in new clients regularly. 

How to Advertise Your Law Firm

You can use many advertising tactics to boost your law firm’s visibility. Our favorites are outlined below—along with an indicator of the potential cost of each one, based on a scale of free to $$$. 

Yelp/Google reviews/Avvo 

Cost: Free

According to JurisPage, 57% of consumers look for a lawyer on their own. This means that many people likely rely on online reviews to make decisions. That’s why creating a profile on Yelp, Google reviews, or Avvo is a great (and free) advertising tactic. In addition to reviews, these sites also list the law firm’s website, their specialties, location, and other details that can help consumers identify the right lawyer for their needs. 

Social media marketing

Cost: $

Digital marketing is a must-have for most law firms these days. With so many people spending time on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, paid ads on these sites are a great way to meet potential clients where they are. While this method isn’t free, it’s a great way to see a return on investment and raise your brand’s visibility. 

Google ads

Cost: $$

Over 80% of consumers use search to find local businesses—including law firms. So having your company’s name show up at the top of a search page can be huge in attracting clients. This type of advertisement will cost you but is well worth it, given that Google Ads convert 50% better than organic search results.

Local advertising

Cost: $$$

Local advertising—such as billboards and print ads—has been a staple of law firm marketing for years. While these tactics have become less popular over time, this approach still has value if done thoughtfully. For instance, family-focused lawyers may gather leads and witness increased conversions by placing advertisements in the community newspaper or magazine. 

Select Advertising Tactics Best Suited for Your Firm 

There are a wide variety of advertising tactics to choose from. So, how do you decide on the best choices for your firm? That depends on three different factors: 

Goal 

The first step is to identify the goals for your law firm ads. Are you trying to book as many consultation calls as possible by next month? Or are you focused on finding the right clients, even though it might take more time? Your desired outcomes should map directly to the tactics you decide to invest in. 

Target audience 

It’s also important to consider where your target audience might be. The type of clientele you want to attract should inform everything from where you place your advertisements to the type of content or copy you write. For example, a personal injury firm should have different messaging than an immigration law firm. 

Budget

Finally, take your budget into consideration. How much are you willing to invest in advertisements, and for how long? Figuring out a number and working within those constraints will yield better results than spending all your resources without a plan. 

3 Best Practices for Law Firm Advertising

If this is your first time investing in advertisements for your law firm, here are a few best practices to keep in mind: 

1. Think about your clients’ needs 

Whichever type of advertisement you decide to invest in, keep your clients’ needs front and center. So if you’re creating copy for a Facebook ad, don’t just write about how prestigious your firm is. Explain why it’s worth someone’s time to reach out to you.

How are you uniquely qualified to support them? What type of experience do your lawyers have? How do other clients feel about your services? These are helpful questions to think about while you’re working on advertisements. 

2. Start small 

You don’t need to invest in all these different advertising channels simultaneously. In fact, we discourage it. The better strategy is to pick one or two advertising tactics that seem like a good fit for your firm and execute those. Over time, as you begin to see success, you can expand your advertising efforts. 

3. Monitor your performance 

Finally, it’s critical to track performance over time. This will allow you to see if your advertisements are effective. If they are, then you can invest more in that approach. If they’re not, you can iterate—whether by tweaking copy or targeting a slightly different demographic. This may also include switching to a new tactic if needed.  

Start Advertising Your Law Firm

If your law firm is ready to take on new clients, consider adding advertising to your marketing budget, no matter what type of firm you run. You can significantly grow your business with a thoughtful strategy—without breaking the bank or affecting your reputation. If you’re looking for more tips, guidance, and resources on how to boost the visibility of your law firm, check out our blog, such as this blog about the importance of fonts for legal documents.