As internet searches continue to expand, legal marketing gets more and more competitive. With so many new law firms popping up and fighting for clients, firms must find strategies that are efficient and effective in finding prospective individuals interested in their services and turning them into clients. When it comes to online marketing for bankruptcy lawyers, this concept is especially true. Bankruptcy is an emotional and, at times, embarrassing affair, where potential clients are not in a good situation and want someone to help and comfort them without the prying eyes of friends and family. This is why individuals in this situation often turn to the internet to find their answers.
Consequently, bankruptcy lawyers must implement a well-executed online marketing strategy to bring in the prospective clients they need to help their firm grow.
Marketing Strategy
One of the most challenging factors when it comes to marketing for bankruptcy lawyers is that there’s not a lot of room for error. Law firms usually have one shot at grabbing the attention of potential clients. Bankruptcy lawyers need to come up with an effective marketing strategy that reaches the right audience. It should look something like this:
Figure Out the Target Audience
Before you begin engaging in any marketing, it is imperative to figure out who you are trying to market your specific message to.
1. What are the Demographics of Your Audience?
When it comes to bankruptcy, there is no “one-size-fits-all” model. The situation can affect anyone, and when looking into your target audience, you need to consider the following demographic elements:
- Age
- Gender
- Their Location
- Type of Business or Size of Business (if assisting business owners)
2. What Specific Legal Issues does your Target Audience Have to Deal With?
It is also essential to consider as a consultant what services your clients are trying to get from you:
- Are they looking for help with Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
- Are they a business or a private individual?
- Are they trying to stop debt harassment?
- Do they require bankruptcy advice, asset protection, or bankruptcy litigation?
3. What Selection Criteria is Most Important to your Target Audience?
Providing specific information to your clients is critical in helping your firm build its presence where your clientele is the most active. And certain selection criteria is often more important to your target audience than other information. Consider the following:
- Price
- Trustworthiness
- Geographical Distance
How can you figure all of this information out? One of the most effective ways is through informal surveys of existing customers or paid market research. These tactics will provide you with the information you need to develop a marketing strategy that works best for your firm.
Positioning
Positioning is a marketing concept which outlines the best way a business needs to market their products or services to their customers. Good positioning makes a firm’s services unique and allows them to stand out from competitors. This is especially beneficial in a cluttered market.
- Selection Criteria: Coming up with a good positioning plan is about discovering specific selection criteria that can differentiate your firm and create value for your clientele base. A solid positioning strategy usually explores the following:
- Customers: Segmenting customers helps to discover prospects with similar needs and wants
- Market Profile: Comparing competitors, size, and the stage of growth
- Competitive Analysis: Looking into the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities amongst other firms
- Delivering Value: Figuring out how your firm will provide market value at the highest level
Lead Generation
Now that you understand the importance of finding prospective clients through robust marketing strategies and positioning, it is time to transition into another important marketing topic – converting potential leads into actual clients through lead generation. Lead generation is the process of capturing leads interested in your firm’s services to develop future sales.
- Leads Usually Come from PPC or SEO
- PPC: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is an advertising model used to drive traffic to websites by having an advertiser pay a publisher whenever an advertisement is clicked. It is a way for your firm to buy visits to your website, rather than “earning” them organically. Webrageous increases attorney leads with PPC and uses effective strategies to convert website users into prospective clients for your law firm.
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of updating your website design and content so that it appears in the search engines and gets more visibility.
Legal marketing is becoming increasingly competitive and you can have a peek here to hire the best SEO service to make your company stand out from others. With each firm optimizing the latest marketing techniques and technological advancements, it is essential to either have an internal marketing department or partner with a marketing agency to expand your marketing capabilities and potential leads. You can Google My Business for the best SEO services.
Turning Unqualified Leads into Clients
Unqualified Leads Vs. Qualified Leads
The difference between an unqualified and qualified lead is that an unqualified lead may not need the services that you are providing. On the other hand, a qualified lead is a viable prospect that aligns with what you do. The qualification process determines which leads are qualified or unqualified.
Leads Are Qualified Through the Intake Process
The intake process at a law firm can help make or break that firm’s ability to sign a qualified lead. Qualified leads can be turned into clients on the first phone call if the intake is done well, which is highly dependent on the overall intake process. Developing a sound system with proper training and prepared scripts for the intake specialist is a huge factor for a firm to start converting contacts into actual clients.
Even if you are working with a marketing agency, it is important to remember that the marketing process is not complete until an intake specialist has qualified and converted the lead into a client. Although this process may seem complicated, it does not have to be. In fact, all your firm needs is some guidance to turn these prospects into clientele.
Learn how to improve your intake process with A Guide to Turning Bankruptcy Inquiries into Attorney Appointments.
