It’s hard to stand out. You have to look at your competition and understand what they’re doing. Then you have to do something different while attracting the same clientele.

That’s difficult for any line of work, and for lawyers, it’s especially so. More than 1.3 million Americans are lawyers. That’s not counting paralegals, secretaries, and other professionals.

One way to get yourself noticed is through law marketing. But marketing is about a lot more than running ads. You need to set targets and adopt a series of lawyer marketing strategies.

Start today. Here are five.

1. Know Your Audience

Marketing only works if you have a target audience in mind. This audience needs to be as specific as possible. “I want to attract everyone who needs a criminal defense attorney” is an unattainable goal.

Run campaigns that target specific groups of people. You can run several at once, using free resources. There are a few different groups you can keep in mind.

You can attract contacts in your industry. If you operate in family law, you may get referrals from mental health and education professionals. Your strategy can be directed at these people.

You can target current clients. Even after someone has signed on with you, you need to court their attention.

You can even target the media. You can pursue leads by pitching stories to journalists in your local market. This will give you credibility that you can develop your brand on.

If you don’t know which audience to pursue, focus on the one you have right now. Look at the demographics of your previous clients. Think of strategies that will appeal to them.

2. Generate Leads and Referrals

A lead is someone who is interested in your firm. This is not someone who just visits your website.

A person becomes a lead after they take action that shows an interest in your law firm. They ask for a free consultation or provide you with their contact information.

One great way to generate leads is through law firm content marketing. By producing original and informative content, you seem like a thought leader. This encourages people to want to work with you.

Start by running a blog. Before you launch your website, prepare at least three 1,000-word articles about your area of the law. Top-ten lists tend to be effective.

Try to write at least one article every week. Post them on social media and send them to interested clients.

A referral is someone who goes to your firm after your firm was suggested to them. Many lawyers refer cases to another firm if they’re busy.

Connect with the lawyers in your area, especially in your field of law. Develop a good rapport with them so they send clients your way. Do not ask them for leads.

Referrals are a give-and-take measure. You need to return the favor and give clients over to them.

3. Build a Website With SEO

Every business should have a website, not just law firms. Websites connect with people of all backgrounds, providing necessary information on services and experience. They serve as a terrific lead generator, provided the website itself is good.

Craft a website with a few pages. On your home page, provide photographs of yourself and include a brief description of your law firm.

Include a separate page for services. Go into more detail about what you offer and what cases you’ve managed. If you cover multiple areas of law, have a subpage for each area.

Include a contact page. Leave your phone number, email address, and social media accounts. Offer free consultations or services for reduced fees.

It’s not enough to produce this content. Law firms use search engine optimization to make their website easily accessible through search engines. This process involves several edits.

Every page should load quickly. The slower the page, the more likely someone will click away. Remove videos and photos that aren’t necessary.

A reader should be able to read everything on a page. Keep backgrounds simple and select common font choices. For instance, Johnson Litigation, PLLC uses black text on white backgrounds, which makes everything easy to read.

Include the keywords that people use to search for things. In particular, target keywords related to your local area. Sprinkle them across the descriptions of your firm and your blog posts.

4. Construct a Social Media Presence

After people look at a company website, they turn to social media. Social media reinforces a person’s first impressions, encouraging them to work with a business. It also attracts new leads by itself.

Your law firm should have Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages. Provide your contact information on each account. Have a profile picture with your firm’s logo or a headshot of yourself.

You should share links to blog posts and your company’s website. But you need to do a lot more than that. You will turn off potential clients if you offer too much promotional material.

You need to provide informational material on all social media platforms. Share infographics related to the law and your local area. Retweet articles and videos with updates on your field of law.

Try to show a little bit of your character. Wish people well during holidays and congratulate your fellow lawyers on their successes. You can keep your personal life private, but being human makes you sympathetic.

5. Take Track of Your Law Marketing Efforts

The strategies you start with may need adjusting as time goes on. You can make those adjustments if you have figures showing how things are going.

Website and social media platforms have analytics tools. You can track how many people view and engage with your content. Depending on the platform, you may be able to break demographics down.

Visit your analytics tools at least once a week. Take notes of your figures.

If a piece of content facilitates engagement, produce more of that kind of content. If something under-performed, consider doing something else.Strategies to Land More Legal Clients

The Five Essential Law Marketing Tips

Law marketing encourages people to work with you. But it can be a little complicated.

Start by figuring out your target audience. Craft your campaign around working toward those specific people.

Generate leads through content marketing and a good website. Expand your client base by sharing informative material on social media. Check your analytics pages, and adapt your marketing accordingly.

Your firm is in your hands, but you can succeed with the facts. Follow our coverage for informative guides.