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Mastering Legal Marketing: Trends and Tips for Law Firm Success in 2024
Marketing sounds relatively easy in theory.
You build a website, post on LinkedIn, and… BAM!
Clients.
We wish.
In reality, digital marketing is increasingly complex, from how search engines rank websites to how emerging technologies impact legal marketing.
With the summer season approaching, now’s the time to circle back around to your 2024 marketing plan. Think about how you need to pivot your strategy to achieve your goals.
Some of these strategy changes may result from specific problems—maybe you’re not getting enough leads, or maybe your law firm somehow ended up attracting people from the wrong state entirely. Other changes may come from developments in the legal marketing industry and broader economic changes.
Whatever your goal, these are the digital marketing developments you need to know to achieve your KPIs and grow your law firm.
What are the latest legal marketing trends in 2024?
Digital marketing is critical to growing your law firm. So, what do you need to know to stand out from the crowd?
1. Savvy law firms are being selective in how they use generative AI.
As much as AI hype continues to grow, there is also increasing pushback on AI-generated content from data privacy laws, search engines, and social media platforms.
One of the biggest problems with AI for law firms is lack of accuracy. Generative AI bots like ChatGPT often rely on outdated data sets. Sometimes, they just make things up. Sometimes, they churn out content riddled with biases. This can lead to significant ethical concerns and breaches of compliance with bar association rules.
Security concerns and class action lawsuits may have long-term implications for the viability of a marketing plan designed around AI.
So, how can law firms leverage emerging technologies like AI effectively to improve their marketing—without jeopardizing compliance?
Generative AI models can still be incredibly helpful as tools in the brainstorming process, and even for tasks such as meeting prep and document summaries. Use generative AI to brainstorm topic ideas, build article outlines, and even create rough drafts of emails.
Just make sure to do your editorial due diligence before you press “send.” Fact check, copy edit, and proof as if a non-legal professional wrote it. (Because, in fact, ChatGPT is a non-legal professional.)
On the security side, safeguard your sensitive data by using a ChatGPT integration. This helps restrict data collection by protecting it with a secure API.
2. High-volume content creation is out.
Google’s March core update has big implications for businesses that rely on low-quality content. The key changes focus on reducing unoriginal or unhelpful web content in search results and removing spam content from its search results entirely.
What does this mean for law firm marketing?
Low-quality, unoriginal content creation is out. Scaled content creation, also known as scaled content abuse, is really out.
Scaled content abuse is the creation of low-quality content on a large scale to manipulate search results. AI-generated blog articles that provide vague legal definitions or web pages that exist solely for keywords could actually harm your business.
Instead, Google is focusing on increasing the visibility of high-quality, helpful content.
That means, for your best marketing ROI, focus on providing value to your potential clients. Create blog posts or social media posts around frequently asked questions, legislative updates, and common concerns within your field.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more important than ever.
A staggering 89% of consumers research local businesses online, whether it’s through Google or social media. It’s critical to be visible in search engines to people in your area who need legal services relevant to your field.
But remember! With Google’s March update, spammy website pages bursting with keywords—but lacking value—will only hurt your search engine visibility.
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Want to see a healthier cash flow and happier clients? Start accepting payments online! On your quest for the right payment processor, look for features that streamline and support the way law firms operate.
What SEO strategies are essential for law firms to improve their search engine rankings?
SEO is complicated, but there are a few standby tactics to help boost your rankings:
- Deliver a good user experience. Make sure your website is up-to-date, easy to navigate, and loads quickly. Put key information where people can find it and add strategic CTAs so they can get in touch with you.
- Focus on quality over quantity. The better the content, the higher it will rank. Similarly, don’t write long blog posts just to add word count. Focus on fully answering the question/addressing the topic.
- Post consistently and regularly update your website to show Google that you’re still active—but keep your content updates relevant. Don’t add a blog post about the Met Gala or the World Series unless it’s relevant to your clients.
- Include keywords related to your field and location on each page—but just don’t slap people in the face with it. Try to work it into website copy naturally.
4. Video is a growing medium.
Consumers value video content: 31.7% of Americans use TikTok daily. Whether it’s on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram Reels, or your website, video is a powerful medium to expand your audience, boost your visibility, and attract new leads.
What role does video marketing play in the legal sector, and how can law firms leverage it?
Consumers’ appetite for video content applies across all industries, including the legal sector.
With video content, it’s critical to know your audience and where they watch videos. For example, if you practice elder law, Facebook may be a more effective place to post videos compared to TikTok, which skews heavily toward Millennials and Gen Z.
5. Personal branding is key to growing your network.
Want to increase your network, boost referrals, and position yourself as a leader in your field? You need personal branding.
Personal branding is important for attorneys. But how can you build a strong online presence?
- Engage with your network on LinkedIn. Comment, repost, and like other people’s content to increase your visibility outside of your network. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors people who regularly engage with the site’s content.
- Post regularly on your personal social media. This can vary from reposting company blogs, with your own opinion in the caption, to providing your perspective on legislative developments.
- Create interesting content. Produce bylined articles on your company’s website. Consider guest blogging for publications to increase your digital footprint.
- Pitch yourself as a guest speaker on podcasts catering to your audience. Even a five-minute interview can increase traffic and visibility.
6. Consumers want to work with businesses they can trust.
At its core, legal marketing is most effective when it focuses on starting relationship-building conversations between law firms and prospective clients.
But consumers today also have a lot of distrust towards businesses. Many are concerned about data breaches. Others are worried about scams.
One of the biggest marketing faux-pas? Misrepresenting your practice.
As you hone your marketing strategy, focus on staying authentic to your law firm’s brand. If you’re a more formal corporate law firm, don’t try to follow microtrends on TikTok.
How else can you build consumer trust?
- Show up. Post consistently. Be visible in the online space. Show people that you’re here to help.
- Don’t overstate your services or qualifications.
- Showcase the people behind the law firm (see personal branding above). Consumers trust people more than businesses.
- Once someone is interested in your firm, educate them about your services and processes through email campaigns to help them feel like they know you and can trust your legal counsel.
Launch your legal marketing strategy to new heights with Rocket Matter
Use digital marketing to start relationship-building conversations with real people who need your services.
Rocket Matter has everything you need to improve your law firm’s marketing efforts and achieve those 2024 KPIs, including a secure ChatGPT integration, Legal CRM with robust data analytics, and a turnkey website builder with regularly updated content. Schedule a demo today!
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Want to see a healthier cash flow and happier clients? Start accepting payments online! On your quest for the right payment processor, look for features that streamline and support the way law firms operate.
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