Technology

The Future Of Legal Marketing: Why Lawyers And Law Firms Need A Digital Footprint

Your online presence can increase brand recognition and awareness.

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As the recent global pandemic has taught us, adaptability to technology is key and the old ways of in-person legal marketing or traditional ways of conducting business have shifted. If you or your law firm do not have an optimized LinkedIn profile, a SEO-optimized website, or a strong overall digital presence, you’re likely missing out on important marketing, recruiting, and business development opportunities to drive revenue and enhance professional profitability. In this week’s column, I want to take you through key strategies and tips on why it’s imperative that lawyers and law firms utilize the digital landscape to effectively conduct legal marketing for now and the future.

It’s a known fact that people do more business online today than they did five or even 10 years ago. As a result, your personal brand (who you are to the outside world) matters. Letting you know I’m the owner and founder of The Writing Guru® doesn’t tell you much about what I do or niche service I provide. Similarly, telling someone in your LinkedIn headline that you’re an attorney at XYZ law firm doesn’t tell readers what area of law you practice or specialize in. Throwing in a tag line for your firm and omitting key practice areas also can diminish visibility. This is because your personal brand has become synonymous with what makes you a trusted resource to others — it should include your practice area, your target clientele, and what makes you unique or valuable.

Most often, Google is the starting point for others when they search for a local attorney or law firm. Take a minute and Google your name as well as your law firm’s name. Look to see what populates. How many pages of Google does your firm populate on? Is the value proposition clear? How far back does your Google search take you for your own name? What is your firm’s social media presence? Does your firm have a business page on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? When is the last time your firm posted on social media? When is the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile?

Your head might be spinning from all these questions. That’s because they all matter. Your online presence can increase brand recognition and awareness by drawing people to you and your firm across the digital landscape, not just via the firm website or firm bio. On the other hand, if your firm’s online presence is lacking, that may ultimately lead to less visibility for yourself. Therefore, by sprinkling both your individual digital footprint and your law firm’s footprint across various social media channels, blogs, and articles (which link back to the firm’s website), you expand your SEO and search ranking, creating a win-win situation for legal marketing.

When I speak to law firms and bar associations about the power of personal branding and marketing for lawyers, I often explain that having a digital presence is not just about setting up social media channels and letting them remain static. It’s also about contributing to content that shares the voice and actions of the firm. This includes sharing firm news, case law updates, big wins, and even blog posts on social channels. This leads to more business opportunities as well as marketability of your lawyers to stand out in a crowded profession and legal market.

Keep in mind that whether you’re an entry-level attorney or managing partner of a law firm, you have your own personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile is a place to display that brand and it should always be optimized and current. It should reflect areas of practice, showcase things you’re doing in that practice area (speaking and other thought leadership), and things you’re doing on behalf of your firm and in the legal community. Law firms can market on their social media pages to prospective clients, potential firm members (attorneys and other legal professionals), as well as showcase the firm’s culture and community involvement. The key is to keep it relevant, interesting, and most importantly, active.

Digital marketing in the legal profession is here to stay. It’s time to harness its power. I hope to see you leveraging marketing opportunities across social media. You can find me at @thewritingguru on all social media platforms.

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Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at [email protected], connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.  

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