You don’t want to hear us say it, so we won’t. (Okay, we have to, sorry.) 

We’re living in changing and uncertain times. 

Four months ago, we all hoped that the pandemic would be a short, weird blip on our national radar, but COVID-19, like a bad neighbor in the apartment next door, is here to stay for the foreseeable future. 

That means the short-term adjustments we made in those first few months need to be adapted for a longer-term strategy. That means honing in on your digital strategy, staying on top of trends in a more aggressive way, and strategizing on how to keep your client pipeline full. 

The Digital Age, Part Two

Now is the time to be fully engaged online. The push-pull of focus on digital and in-person marketing has stopped for now. It’s simply not reasonable or safe to encourage a focus on in-person marketing. Now we need to pull from the deep well of resources digital marketing offers to get results. 

Here are a few concrete steps you can take today. 

Audit your website and social

Growing your firm right now means being on top of your online presence. But do you know what’s on your website? How about your social profiles – when was the last time that you looked at them? These are some of your most important marketing resources right now so make sure that they are fresh and functional. 

Conducting an audit is simpler than it sounds. Using a tool like SEMRush makes it as easy as inputting your website address and having it crawl your site for SEO, content, and more. (SEMRush offers both free and pro versions of their services depending on your needs.)

Auditing your social can be done with a simple Excel sheet to track profiles and information you share across them. The goal is to make sure that everything is consistent and accurate. 

Refine your digital client services

Digital client services are a lifeline right now. Are you extending it to your clients? Check your website for the following:

• Online calendar for scheduling
• Client portal for the secure transmission of documents, communications
• Digital bill pay 
• Platforms for video conferencing

Having these pieces not just in place, but working really well for both you and your clients will help improve client experience. And a happy client is worth a lot these days. 

Explore paid social advertising 

You can get good out of unpaid social media – just having an active feed is proof of life and it delivers value for establishing your brand! When it comes to growth, though, social is pay to play. (Except, perhaps, on LinkedIn.)

Paid social is a complex ball game of its one, but right now, it’s worth pitching a few balls, provided you establish clear goals and target your audience carefully. 

Like a Candle in the Trend  

Stay current sounds easy but it can be challenging – but at the same time, it doesn’t need to be! The key to successfully staying on top of developments in the legal industry, in marketing –  really, in any industry – is to find a routine and a process that works for you. Because let’s be real: you’re not going to keep up with something if it fundamentally doesn’t work for you. 

That being said, there are ways you can make it easier to keep an ear to the ground. Refining your social feeds is a great way to listen up. For Twitter and Instagram, pick relevant hashtags to follow – that will filter out some of the noise. Legal Twitter is an especially lively, diverse community to mine. For Facebook and LinkedIn, join industry groups and let others do some of the work for you. (But pro tip – you need to share, too!) 

If this sounds like a lot of screen time, it doesn’t have to be. Set aside ten to fifteen minutes each day to scan, save articles, and tuck away a few ideas for later. 

Finally, look OUTSIDE the legal and marketing industries. What’s going on in other sectors? Real innovation isn’t limited to just one industry – it has a ripple effect. 

Keep the Pipeline Moving

Who knows what lies six months from now? Clearly none of us do! Working hard now to keep your pipeline moving along is key. But with the shift to digital and ongoing economic concerns, this will take attention to a few extra questions. 

Are there leaks in your pipeline where new clients might experience delays, frustrations, questions, or even switch law firms? Now is not the time to lose new clients because of workflow issues!

• How are you tracking leads? Do you have a standard process in place?
• Make sure you’re optimizing your response times to digital era expectations. Quick responses are essential!
• How are you tracking clients moving through your firm? Do you know who needs what? This is especially important for new clients.
• Track your client referral sources! Knowing where potential clients are coming from will help you determine where to focus marketing efforts and give you insight into what services are valuable right now.

There’s no shortage of challenges these days for both law firms and clients. However, growth can happen by focusing on digital, staying on top of trends, and keeping your pipeline open. 

How are you helping your law firm grow? We’d love to hear your insights.