Growing Law-firms Make These 7 Common Marketing Mistakes-How to Avoid Them
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- February 18, 2024
- Blog, Seo & Marketing
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Are you a small to medium-growing law firm with a website, and social media platforms but you are not able to see how these platforms help your law firm brand grow? Then, it might be time to review your digital marketing strategies so that you may realize which digital marketing mistakes that are negatively affecting your firm. We’ve conducted several surveys since 2022 and realized majority of law firms tend to fall to the same group of mistakes that are similar and share the same causes. This means the majority of these can be corrected with ease if Law firms understand fundamental digital marketing strategic protocols. Here are the most common digital marketing mistakes we’ve seen small to medium-growing law firms make:
1. Having an Outdated Website
We have seen many law firms that have websites built on various template platforms. Some look pretty in the eye and sophisticated at first glance, but when you interact with the site you begin to realize some of the basic mistakes that were committed during the web design process which can be directly attributed to the web designer either not explaining properly to their client or a direct result of a workflow that was not properly instituted with no accountability. Some websites look ignored and outdated, which sends a message of neglect to your visitors.
A website with old content definitely makes it impossible to lead your prospective clients toward a buying decision on your site which directly affects your sales. Some websites were never optimized for various screen resolutions and sizes, which makes it difficult for sites to configure well to various mobile device sizes and this is a definite turn-off to clients.
Most law firm websites might have been designed with unclear marketing objectives to the point that they were merely considered as online brochures and digitised company profiles which was a good idea at the beginning but may no longer be useful to the vision of the practice and growth thereof. Some sites were never designed to drive leads to the business and they are digital dead ends for clients and the law firm has completely no idea how much it is losing from this oversight.
The most common is that many law firms don’t understand the power of data analytics which can help in decision-making concerning adjusting marketing goals, they simply do not know this fact and do not know how can it be used to their advantage.
We advise all our clients to take time and seriously consider their approach when they invest in website design for their practices because having a website is not just good enough, but using the website as a marketing tool is key because you are forced to lay down some definite goals which can be traced and reported upon ( your digital marketing agency should discuss and detail this with you, they also should help you with creating a strategy on this aligned with your marketing and growth goals.)
This means you will be constantly tweaking your digital marketing tools based on new information projected by analytics until you have plugged all leaking gaps in your website marketing. and even implementing.
2. Refusing to Request (or document) Online Reviews
Traditionally the organic power of the word-of-mouth still takes the centre stage as a key marketing pillar in the legal practice. It is still a great method but as more and more people of the world spend more time on their hand-held devices, it becomes more compelling for the sector to move with times. Individual law firms will be well placed if they develop their understanding and use of the digital spaces and create valid long-term digital marketing infrastructure.
Think of the power of a positive review going up on your website which has the potential of reaching 100-fold people over perpetuity whilst word of mouth moves slowly and has an expiry timeline depending on who is spreading the word and what are intentions.
We have found out that many law firms do not understand the power of gathering reviews from their former clients for their online portals. Some reasons for this are the fear of negative reviews, sensitivities around cases, and client anonymity preferences imagined or real. It’s important that you put in the time to gather online reviews (we help our clients with easy strategies to gather reviews from former clients.)
Most law firms miss a ripe opportunity to seek them out at the end of service provision with clients and consistently ensure ongoing clients are happy with their work. Law firms also miss opportunities to, build case studies and add favorable testimonials to their websites especially when they have winning streaks with their clients they tend to be unable to request this of their clients. Getting positive reviews on your Facebook or Google pages also helps build credibility.
3. Not Having a Clearly Defined Target Audience
One of the biggest digital marketing mistakes lawyers make when marketing and advertising is not having their ideal client identified. Today’s digital avenues allow highly targeted marketing.
Take the time to put together buyer personas, which are semi-fictional representations of your ideal clients based on market research and real data about your existing clients. Then, make sure you’re keeping those personas top of mind when creating any digital strategies.
One of the most common marketing mistakes that growing law firms make is not having a clearly defined target audience they want to talk to and this mostly means their messaging is either generic and vague or they do not have enough consistency to get their attention.
This can lead to a scattergun approach, where the firm’s marketing efforts are not effectively reaching the right people because they are either using the wrong online platforms, they are talking to the wrong audience or they are sending an inefficient bland message that looks like any other marketing garbage out there.
By not knowing who their ideal clients are, law firms can waste time, resources, and money on marketing tactics that generate little to no results which means it does not matter how professional your marketing firm is or how qualified your team is in the marketing department you will still not see results due to lack of targeting.
Not understanding their target audience can be a significant pitfall for growing law firms, without a clearly defined target audience, law firms may struggle to tailor their marketing messages and strategies to resonate with the right people. This can result in a lack of engagement, low conversion rates, and missed opportunities to attract and retain valuable clients.
The traditional marketing methods of shooting marketing messages to anyone who will listen and hoping something sticks simply don’t apply anymore because in the digital age marketing has evolved into a science of targeting and when you think you have targeted your competitors super refine their targeting to the minutest detail of clarity which means they always create opportunities to reach individuals who need your services, at the right time.
4. Not Evaluating Your Marketing Data
You’ve likely heard the term “data-driven decisions”? In today’s data-driven world, neglecting your marketing analytics is like driving blindfolded in a hailstorm on an oncoming traffic. . We have come to realise that many firms do not use the data available to them to improve their efforts, some of the most common reason is that law firms do not know of the importance of data analytics in marketing decision-making, some even dead on refuse to acknowledge digital marketing importance and prefer to believe they have the winning sauce, they have figured out what is good for their business (which is sad because they will realise at some point that they have missed out on a genuine growth opportunity.)
Overlooking the importance of evaluating marketing analytics data is a significant marketing mistake made by many growing law firms. By not analyzing the data, law firms lack the necessary insights to understand their audience’s behavior, preferences, and engagement levels. This can hinder their ability to make informed marketing decisions and optimize their campaigns for better results.
Law firms should ideally review their marketing analytics on a regular basis to stay informed and make data-driven decisions. The frequency of reviewing analytics can vary based on the firm’s specific goals, marketing activities, and available resources, your digital marketing experts should be able to advise upon analyzing your goals, vision and expected outcomes of your campaigns.
However, a general recommendation is to conduct a thorough analysis at least once a month, monthly review allows law firms to track progress, identify trends, and make timely adjustments to their marketing strategies. Additionally, it is beneficial to assess analytics data after major marketing campaigns or initiatives to evaluate their effectiveness and gather insights for future improvements. Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance between staying up-to-date with analytics without getting overwhelmed by constant monitoring.
5. Not Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business, including law firms. One of the key elements in achieving online visibility is search engine optimization (SEO). Our surveys have indicated that more than 70% of growing small and mid-sized law firms do not pay attention to Search Engine Optimisation into their websites because they either do not understand what is it and they are skeptical about its importance. We have found a staggering evidence that less than 8% of law firms with websites fully understand and implement SEO strategies in their digital marketing.
It is even dire to find out that these numbers are mostly in the dense urban area’s major metros like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Gqeberha and Pietermaritzburg. Other regional cities like Mbombela, East London, Kimberly, Bloemfontein, the situation is even far dire as almost less than 1.5% of incorporated law firms are able to use SEO let alone have a clear understanding of the need to use professional digital marketing services for their growth.
We understand that SEO is a complex process. With ever-changing algorithms, it can seem like a never-ending task. However, at its core, the goal of a search engine is to provide web results that answer the searcher’s question. The higher your law firm appears on the results page of a search engine, the more visibility your law firm will receive. Content is the king of SEO. However, that doesn’t mean that just creating content will get you to where you want to be. You need to create a content strategy. You need to keep your target audience in mind. You need to do keyword research so that you can incorporate the appropriate terms and phrases to get your law firm on page one of Google. It’s no secret that there is a science behind SEO. That’s why many firms turn to partners like us to manage their SEO.
SEO is an ongoing process, and it’s crucial to monitor and analyze the performance of your website regularly. Many law firms make the mistake of not using or planning for SEO in their marketing efforts due to pure ignorance or false sense of having everything figured out or some based on a fading belief that only word of mouth works for their marketing. It does not make sense to have a law firm website but not invest in SEO as it needs to be part of your marketing arsenal as it will help you in monitoring your website’s performance, analyzing user behavior, and making data-driven optimizations, you can continuously improve your SEO strategy.
6. Ignoring Social Media
In digital age, social media has become a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. However, many growing law firms often overlook the importance of social media in their marketing strategies, some because they have tried it and it did not work for them (only to find out that they either became impatient, or they were not using a professional agency or it was managed internally either by their admin person or “IT department”). This can be a costly mistake that hinders their growth and limits their ability to reach potential clients based on a mistaken unfortunate strategy that was never conceived well for specific targeted goals to begin with.
No matter your personal preferences of the age-old word of mouth over on social media, you still need to admit to the truth that without social media in your marketing mix you are leaving a lot of gaps in your marketing growth. Ignoring it, not putting thoughtful effort toward it, and not learning about its benefits are all things that will hurt your practice’s marketing and thwart your growth plans. Again, working with an experienced agency will help if you over using your admin staff who may not have the necessary skills to develop organised targeted strategies and necessary tools to keep your marketing fresh.
To learn how to create a successful social media marketing strategy for your firm, check out this free eBook: Advanced Social Media Strategies for Law Firms.
7. Lack of Client-centric Educational Content
One common marketing mistake that growing law firms often make is failing to provide client-centric educational content by creating content that offers solutions to their target audience’s pain points, firms are demonstrating that they’re leaders in their industry who understand potential clients’ needs. Many law firms focus solely on promoting their services without considering the needs and interests of their target audience. This approach can lead to a lack of engagement, limited brand visibility, and missed opportunities to establish trust with potential clients. In this section, we will explore why providing client-centric educational content is crucial for marketing success and provide actionable tips on how to avoid this mistake.
The Importance of Client-centric Educational Content
Client-centric educational content is content that is created with the specific needs, interests, and challenges of your target audience in mind. This type of content goes beyond promotional material and provides valuable information, guidance, and insights to your potential clients.
Takeaway:
Effective digital marketing strategies are constantly evolving. Thus, there is a relentless need to re-evaluate what works by consistently reviewing your analytics while avoiding common mistakes. We hope you can learn from these common digital marketing mistakes and correct course – or, even better, not make them in the first place. When you avoid these mishaps, your law firm should see an improvement in marketing ROI and online lead generation.
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