Online Marketing for Law Firms: 7 Powerful Tools
In addition to your website and blog, you can use several online marketing channels to boost your law firm’s business. This guide discusses our favorite content marketing tools for growing law firms. These tools work best when employed together and accompanied by a professional website with a robust blog.
1) E-books for law firms
What is an e-book?
E-books are electronic books – a digital form of a printed book for use on computers, phones, tablets, or other electronic devices. E-books are powerful marketing tools, especially for law firms, because they demonstrate expertise. Publish an e-book to establish yourself as an expert on your practice areas and subject matter.
Benefits of E-books for Law Firms
There are several advantages to e-books over other types of marketing material. Use your e-book to incentivize readers to become leads (‘’sign up today and receive our free e-book”). E-books have unique design capabilities that allow you to add charts, graphs, and other images that enhance your content. E-books have no distribution cost – once you have created the e-book, you can distribute it an infinite number of times with no extra cost. You can embed links and other online resources into your e-book – something you cannot do with a printed copy. Moreover, e-books are portable, accessible, and searchable, making them functional and easy for the reader.
How to Write an E-book for Law Firms
1) Choose a topic and title that matches your audience’s needs
Your e-book aims to generate leads, so focus on topics potential clients want to know about. Your title should clearly state the topic and define the book’s purpose. Good ideas for titles include: ‘’Best practices for [topic in your practice area]’’, ‘’An Introduction to [topic in your practice area], ‘’Common Questions about [topic in your practice area]’’, ‘’The Definitive Guide to [topic in your practice area].’’ ‘’Best of’’ lists also make for good titles. Use a number in your title, such as ‘’10 Ways to Win Your Personal Injury Case’’ or ‘’12 Steps to Successfully Register a Trademark.’’
2) Conduct research and outline the topic
You want to hone in on the exact information that your audience wants to know more about. Read through existing publications and identify any knowledge gaps you can fill. Google search terms that people will likely search for and pay attention to the auto-fills. The auto-fills are the most common searches for those terms. As such, the auto-fills are good for identifying the kinds of information your audience wants to know.
Gather as much information as possible and verify that it is accurate and up-to-date. Keep your findings organized and use them as a reference while writing your book. Use the most interesting, up-to-date, and cutting-edge information you can find. Contact subject matter experts and ask them questions. Simply regurgitating the same general information that’s online will not achieve the desired results. Your content must be unique and original to gain traction.
Once you have completed your research, outline your book. Outline each chapter. Break each chapter down into headings and subheadings. Think of each chapter as an individual blog post, if that helps. However, the chapters should be well-organized and flow seamlessly and logically.
3) Write the E-book
Use short words, sentences, and paragraphs. Doing so makes the book easier to read and digest. Keep words to four syllables or less. Keep sentences to 20 words or less. Keep paragraphs to 3-5 sentences (6-7 max). Use a heading or subheading for every paragraph or two (or three if paragraphs are long). Ensure your headings and subheadings are formatted correctly (H1, H2, H3, H4).
Your e-book should be readable by an 8th-grade student. You can check your e-book’s readability score for free using Microsoft Word. To improve readability, 1) shorten the words, sentences, and paragraphs, 2) use transition words like ‘’and, so, but, thus, and therefore,’’ and 3) use active voice instead of passive voice.
4) Design the E-book
You can use free templates from Adobe, Canva, HubSpot, and others to design your e-book. Ensure the e-book’s design matches your law firm’s colors and logo. Consider secondary colors to your brand’s color palate. E-books can make your law firm’s color scheme shine.
Add visuals. Use charts, graphs, and professional photos to illustrate the concepts you discuss in your e-book. Use the illustrations to enhance the reader’s understanding of the written content and add an element of visual learning. Highlight key quotes and statistics with text boxes.
5) Place calls to action in the E-book
Presumably, the reader entered your lead funnel to obtain the e-book (by providing their contact info or signing up for your newsletter). The calls to action inside the book take the reader further down the lead funnel, such as directing them to schedule an appointment with you. Your calls to action should be clear and visible, making it easy for the reader to contact you.
6) Convert the E-book to PDF
Convert your e-book to PDF so people can easily read and download it on any device. Do not publish your e-book in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint—these files are editable and can be easily corrupted or distorted. Converting your e-book to a PDF that readers can easily download and store will ensure that consumers read it in the form you intended.
7) Create a dedicated landing page for your E-book
Create an attractive landing page dedicated specifically to your e-book. The landing page promotes the e-book, describes its contents, and contains a contact form visitors must complete to obtain it. The landing page should include an image of the e-book, highlight the benefits of the e-book to the reader, and answer frequently asked questions about it.
8) Promote your E-book
Once you have the landing page URL, you can promote your e-book across all your platforms. Include calls to action on your home page and other pages directing readers to download the e-book. Link to your e-book in your blogs. Send links to your e-book in your marketing emails. Promote your e-book in paid ads. Share your e-book and link to it on your social media accounts. Create social media share buttons within your e-book to enable readers to share the book on their social media easily.
9) Track your E-book’s success
Track your landing page with Google Analytics to measure the number of visitors and downloads of your e-book.
2) Law firm newsletters
Your law firm newsletter lets you stay in touch with your clients, former clients, and industry colleagues. Get subscribers to build your email list. Make sure that your newsletter complies with the marketing rules in your jurisdiction.
How often to write a law firm newsletter
Communicate consistently – once a month or once a quarter are good goals for law firm newsletters. However, be realistic about how often you can put out high-quality content. Writing a great newsletter takes time. If you need help, you can hire us to write it for you.
Use a professional email template
Use your email marketing software to create a professional-looking newsletter template that matches your firm’s logo and color scheme. Make sure the newsletter includes your logo and contact information. To make your newsletter more engaging, use attractive text boxes, photos, videos, charts, graphs, and buttons. Include links to your website and social media, and make sure they are clearly visible.
Your newsletter design should be simple, with limited fonts and colors. It should also be clear, well-organized, and uncluttered. Don’t try to fit too much content into a small space.
What to include in your law firm newsletter
Ideas for your newsletter may include: 1) your take on trending news topics related to your practice, 2) recent events that your law firm hosted or participated in, 3) upcoming events your firm is hosting or participating in, 4) attorney profiles for new lawyers or staff members, 5) changes to rules or regulations in your practice area, 6) FAQs, and 7) links to free resources like your blog and e-books.
Style and readability for law firm newsletters
Write your newsletter in plain English. Avoid legalese and technical jargon. Make it easy to read, and be brief. Your newsletter is not a novel. Keep it concise and to the point. Focus on educating and connecting with readers rather than selling to them. Encourage readers to contact you with questions about the content – this is a good way to generate warm leads.
3) Law firm marketing emails
Make your law firm marketing emails personal. Use the recipient’s name and reference their specific legal interests. Tailor your content according to their past interactions with your firm. Law firm marketing should focus on building relationships and not be ”salesy.”
Segment your email list
Email marketing isn’t one size fits all. Segment your email lists based on the types of services they’re interested in, their level of interest, and your past interactions. This helps you direct the most relevant content to them and reduces the risk of getting unsubscribed or flagged for spam.
Choose an attention-grabbing subject line
Choose an engaging subject line that people will likely read, but avoid sensationalism. Speak to the email’s value and incorporate a sense of urgency or relevance.
Prioritize compliance
Always comply with the marketing rules of your jurisdiction. Violating professional rules can result in discipline from the State Bar. You must know the rules where you practice and follow them. Compliance is one reason we recommend having an experienced lawyer write your marketing emails. If you hire us to write your marketing emails, every email is guaranteed to comply with the rules in your jurisdiction.
Send test emails
Send test emails to yourself before you send them to clients. Check the test email for formatting, links, and other issues affecting the email’s presentation.
Share exclusive content in your marketing emails
Share exclusive, valuable content in your marketing emails that readers cannot find anywhere else. This adds value to the email and reduces the risk of spam and unsubscribes.
Use a professional email template
Use an email template consistent with your firm’s logo and color scheme. Make sure your firm’s logo and contact information are clearly visible. Include links to your law firm’s social media pages. Depending on the nature and content of the email, you should also include “share” buttons so that readers can easily share the content to their social media.
Use photos and images
Use professional photos, images, charts, and graphs to make your marketing emails more appealing. Nobody wants to read a giant wall of text. Make your marketing emails visual and keep the text concise.
Use a spam checking software
Ensure that your newsletters and marketing emails do not go to spam by using a spam checker to eliminate spam words. Emails that go to spam are useless because the recipient doesn’t see them.
4) Law firm social media content
Your law firm should have a presence on social media, especially on LinkedIn. Our presence on social media should consist of 1/3 original content, 1/3 curated content (sharing other people’s content), and 1/3 social engagement (liking, sharing, commenting, and messaging).
Social Media Content Ideas for Law Firms
Much of the success on social media boils down to posting videos. Make sure every post includes a photo or video. Ideas for original content include 1) providing tips and advice about your practice areas, 2) sharing success stories and positive client reviews, 3) celebrating personal and professional milestones, and 4) debunking myths and misconceptions about the law.
Curated content may include legal news and updates, legal resources and recommendations, employee posts, and posts from industry colleagues. Be sure to engage with your audience by liking, commenting, and sharing people’s posts. Be very personal when contacting people over direct messages—do not spam.
Make sharing a goal
Your goal is for your posts to be shared. The people in your audience will share posts that they believe are valuable to their audience, so keep that in mind. Use a unique caption that adds value to the conversation—don’t just say the same thing everyone else is saying. Posts that add value are more likely to be shared.
Include a call-to-action and links
Include a call to action at the end of each post, such as to contact you, check out one of your other articles, or download your e-book. Ensure your call to action includes a link. Only link to content relevant to the original post.
5) Legal guides and checklists
Detailed guides and checklists can be extremely useful to clients and make excellent marketing tools. They demonstrate your expertise, earn trust, and provide value at the same time. Write guides and checklists for common legal processes and procedures within your practice area.
For example, if you are an immigration lawyer, make a checklist for all the documents and information clients need for each immigration path. If you are a business lawyer, write a guide for forming an LLC or registering a trademark. If you are a family lawyer, write step-by-step guides to adoption or divorce.
If you want more of a certain type of project, publish a guide or checklist about it.
6) Law firm promotional materials
If your law firm participates in or sponsors local events, bring promotional materials such as business cards, merchandise with your logo (pens, mugs, folders, notepads, highlighters), and visual signs and banners that explain who you are and what you do.
Bring brochures and mailers that explain how you do what you do and what makes you unique. Include your firm’s name, lawyers, practice areas, offices, office hours, and contact information. Provide the specifics of your service and focus on the benefits to the clients. Be concise. Use a professional design and color scheme that matches your firm’s logo and colors. Use attractive images, graphs, and charts to teach and engage readers visually.
Avoid banal information in your promo materials. Focus on providing value, not just information.
7) Law firm advertisements
Ad campaigns on Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Facebook Ads can deliver strong engagement. The first step to starting a digital ad campaign is to develop a marketing budget. Consider 7-10% of your revenue as a starting point for your marketing budget. Dedicate a small, daily amount of your marketing budget to digital ad campaigns. Start with a very small amount ($10-$25 per day), and move on to bigger campaigns once you’ve identified successful strategies.
Your digital ad content should include your practice area, services offered, location, an engaging photo or video, and a call to action (with a link). If you want to hire a professional to manage your digital ad content, we are here to help.
We offer a complimentary consultation where we will ask questions about your firm and create a detailed content plan based on your answers. The content plan is customized to your practice and is yours to keep. There is no commitment and no high pressure sales. Schedule your free consultation today because we have limited space available.