A Guide To Digital Marketing for Lawyers

Whether facing criminal charges, needing help with a civil dispute, going through a divorce, estate planning, buying or selling property, or dealing with immigration issues, millions of Americans will require the services of lawyers to address their legal needs and protect their rights and interests.

How can you make sure those people hire your law firm? 

As consumer behavior evolves, law firms must embrace several marketing and advertising strategies to attract and retain new clients. But many don’t – 43% of law firms do not have an annual marketing budget. 

Several strategies, including broadcast TV, radio, and billboards, have worked for firms looking to increase brand awareness and attract new clients. As a bonus, several digital tactics can serve as the perfect complement. Let’s explore what digital marketing for lawyers entails and some top strategies to enhance your firm’s online presence and client base.

What is Digital Marketing for Lawyers?

Digital marketing uses digital channels, platforms, and technologies to promote products, services, or brands to targeted audiences. By embracing digital marketing tactics, law firms can elevate their visibility, attract qualified leads, and ultimately grow their business.

In the case of a law firm, these digital platforms and tactics may include:

• having an up-to-date website that employs SEO to bring in visitors, social media marketing to engage with users and drive traffic to the website; 
• email marketing to build relationships; 
• and digital video to leverage the advantages of sight and sound to build credibility and put a face to the firm. 

These tactics also complement other strategies, which may or may not include TV advertising, direct mail, billboards, and radio. An integrated campaign like this gives a firm top-of-mind awareness when consumers are in the market.​ 

A well-designed digital marketing strategy is essential for standing out in the legal marketplace, especially as 65% of law firms allocate most of their marketing expenditures to online platforms.

5 Top Digital Marketing Strategies for Lawyers

Here are some top digital marketing strategies tailored specifically for lawyers:

1. Website

For any brand in any industry, a well-functioning website is a must. It’s a powerful marketing tool with a 24/7 library of information about your legal services, allowing potential clients to learn about your practice at their convenience. You can showcase your qualifications, experience, and case results to differentiate yourself from competitors, including client testimonials and reviews to help build social proof and credibility, reassuring potential clients that they’re making the right choice by hiring you as their lawyer.

Plus, with a great SEO strategy, you can educate and inform potential clients by attracting organic traffic from people searching for legal services online.

An effective website is also a great communication tool. It can facilitate client communication by providing online contact forms, appointment scheduling tools, live chat support, and FAQs. These capabilities help streamline the intake process and make it easier for clients to contact you with their legal inquiries.

2. Video Advertising

By embracing the power of visual storytelling, 62% of law firms use video marketing to generate new business among a local audience while building brand recognition and trust, and eventual brand fame. After all, consumer behavior studies show a preference for video as an ad medium, especially as we see shorter messaging across platforms. 

Video creation can be relatively low-cost, utilizing a phone and free video editing apps. Videos like these can also appear on several channels, including broadcast and streaming TV and digital channels like YouTube, social media sites, and other websites via contextual or native advertising. Additionally, introducing new technologies like AI will provide businesses with enhanced targeting capabilities for higher conversion rates and ROI.  

3. Social Media Advertising

Social media platforms have millions of active users, allowing lawyers to increase their visibility and reach a wider audience. By sharing valuable content and engaging with users, lawyers can attract potential clients who may have yet to find them through traditional channels. 

It’s also an excellent platform for content distribution. By consistently sharing content that showcases the firm’s expertise, values, and personality, lawyers can establish themselves as authorities in their field and build brand safety and trust with their audience.

Social media advertising platforms also offer advanced targeting options that allow lawyers to reach specific demographics, interests, and locations. This targeted approach can help lawyers maximize the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns and generate leads more efficiently.

4. Clickable Display Ads

Display ads often include visual elements such as images, graphics, and videos, which can capture users’ attention more effectively than text-only ads. Lawyers can use visually appealing ads – such as banner ads, expandable ads, and pre-roll video – to showcase their expertise, highlight client testimonials, communicate their unique value proposition, increase their visibility, reach their target audience more effectively, and ultimately attract more clients to their practice.

Display advertising can be incredibly effective, but we need less than 15 seconds to get a user’s attention and make it count.  

Compelling creative is an essential part of any strategy, and taking the time to craft the right messaging and target the right audiences with high-quality ads will make a difference. Click here to learn how to make your ads more clickable. 

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing is an essential component of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. It can help lawyers establish their expertise, educate and inform their target audience, improve their search engine visibility, build brand awareness, generate leads and conversions, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Content marketing can also take several forms, from articles, blog posts, and videos to ebooks, whitepapers, webinars, podcasts, and case studies. 

Combine the Power of Digital and TV

Combining broadcast, streaming, and digital for a cross-channel marketing campaign allows law firms to reach a wider audience, target specific demographics, increase brand awareness, adapt to consumer behavior, optimize campaign performance, maintain message consistency, and capture audience attention in today’s multi-channel media landscape.

• Maximizing Reach: By combining broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, law firms can maximize their reach and ensure that a diverse audience and potential clients see their messaging.
• Adapting to Consumer Behavior: Today, content consumption is across various platforms and devices. With a cross-channel strategy, law firms can meet consumers where they are and adapt to changing media consumption habits.
• Capturing Audience Attention: Different platforms offer unique opportunities to capture audience attention. Broadcast TV allows for high-impact, visually engaging ads, while streaming and digital platforms provide interactive and personalized advertising experiences. By leveraging the strengths of each platform, law firms can create more engaging and memorable ad campaigns.

Why Is Digital Marketing for Lawyers Important

Digital marketing is crucial for law firms across several specialties (including injury law and family law) to establish and maintain brand awareness, attract new clients, and foster loyalty. In an environment where acquiring new customers can be costly, digital strategies offer measurable outcomes and the potential for long-term brand equity and loyalty.

• New Customers: Effective digital marketing attracts new clients through targeted messaging and engagement.
• Measure Success: Digital platforms provide tools for measuring the success of marketing efforts, enabling firms to optimize strategies for maximum impact.
• Brand Equity: Consistent, strategic digital marketing enhances a firm’s brand equity, fostering trust and credibility.
• Brand Loyalty: According to Harvard Business Review, generating a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. Engaging with clients through digital channels cultivates loyalty, reducing the need for costly new customer acquisition.

Start Your Digital Marketing for Lawyers with TEGNA

By partnering with TEGNA for your next digital campaign, your brand can easily benefit from the news-trust halo and see tangible results through simplified advertising solutions and local media options: Linear broadcast, CTV/OTT streaming, and digital marketing. From concept development to implementation and measurement, we offer the highest level of support as your marketing partner. Contact us to learn how we can support your brand’s advertising goals.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Law Firms Need Digital Marketing?

A robust online presence is crucial for any business, including law firms. Digital marketing allows law firms to reach a wider audience, engage with potential clients, and establish credibility and expertise. It also enables them to showcase their services, share valuable content, and connect with clients on various platforms such as search engines, social media, email, and websites. Moreover, strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, and pay-per-click advertising can help law firms increase their visibility, attract qualified leads, and ultimately grow their business.

What Social Media Do Lawyers Use Most?

Lawyers’ choice of social media platforms can vary depending on their target audience, practice area, and marketing goals. However, lawyers’ most commonly used social media platforms include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

What Is The Best Form Of Advertising For A Lawyer?

The best form of advertising for a lawyer depends on various factors, such as the target audience, practice area, budget, and marketing goals. However, we believe the best form of advertising for a lawyer may involve a combination of broadcast and streaming TV with digital tactics tailored to the advertiser’s specific needs and objectives.