Six Budget-Friendly Marketing Ideas for the Small Law Firm

This post was originally published in October 2018 and verified in September 2023.

So, you’re a skilled lawyer working for a small (or solo) law firm - though it may be tempting to assume your reputation or skill alone is enough to attract a strong client base, don’t be fooled. As with any business, a good marketing strategy is paramount to success. Though small firms may not have the luxury of dedicated marketing departments, your business does not have to be daunting or expensive. Below are some tried-and-true tips for marketing your small law firm without spending a fortune.

Invest in Search Engine Optimization

If you’re going to spend money on something marketing-related, spend money on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You can have the fanciest website in the world, but without an SEO plan, the energy (and money) you spent on your website is all but wasted. In order for potential clients to find your website when they’re searching for law firms or legal services, your website needs to surface when they type in key search terms. Hiring an SEO professional to make sure your website content contains the right keywords—and attracts the right people—is necessary in order to foster a steady flow of business.

Create a Free Lawyer Listing on a Platform Like Avvo

This one is a no-brainer. When potential clients go looking for legal help, they often use lawyer search tools such as Avvo. Though there are several search platforms to choose from, Avvo offers free listing options, so you can get your name out there at no cost.

Network, Network, Network

Attending networking events and making time to connect with other professionals is especially important in DIY law firm marketing. Of course, you likely won’t walk away from every networking event or lunch meeting with a new client, but making connections in your community significantly increases your chances of a  new business contact recommending you when they or someone they know needs legal services.

Remember the Power of “Word of Mouth” Marketing

Speaking of recommendations: from positive reviews on Yelp^® to a former client recommending your services to a friend, personal recommendations have always been and always will be marketing gold. Any way you can foster these types of personal recommendations will serve you well in the long run. Besides making in-person connections and networking, make it easy for clients to spread the word by emailing them a link to leave a review on Yelp at the end of an engagement, or offer a discount to clients who introduce you to new business.

Become a Resource for People Looking for Advice

Whether that’s speaking at events or sharing relevant articles on social media, become a trusted voice in your area of expertise. Speaking engagements are an excellent vehicle to this end, as are digital strategies such as blogging about topics that matter to your audience and sharing articles on social media that would be interesting to your followers. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of potential clients: what information would you want to hear if you were them? What topics or sources would be helpful to you?

Keep Track of the Numbers

Are people visiting your website, but not converting into clients? Are you spending time sharing blog content on social media, but few people are clicking? Keeping tabs on how various marketing tactics are performing is essential to success. No marketing strategy is perfect right off the bat, so you should expect to have to tweak things (or completely revamp them) as you grow and learn more about your audience. Keep track of how your efforts are faring, and be willing to adjust if your current strategy isn’t working. 

Don’t let the idea of marketing without a marketing department overwhelm you. There are plenty of resources out there  just waiting to be harnessed. By utilizing free marketing tools available online, building positive relationships with the  people in your network and keeping tabs on how your strategy is performing, you can take your firm further than you ever thought possible.

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