Lawyer marketing in the internet era is certainly no easy task. Between all the different channels of marketing, your website, article marketing, directory listings, Google Ads, retargeting, and social media, keeping up is increasingly complex. The variety alone is enough to make your head spin, not to mention Google’s ever-changing search algorithm.
It’s no wonder that lawyers focus solely on the here and now – the lead that just emailed you about their case. In doing so, we miss the forest for the trees.
The reality is that many personal injury case leads don’t convert into clients, whether it’s because the statute of limitations has run or it’s a property damage case. Here’s what most lawyers fail to realize: website leads yield short term and long term conversion. A website lead which turns into an actual client is a short term conversion. This is where most lawyers get stuck. Many lawyers fail to realize that a website lead can also turn into a client down the road or at least, recommend friends and family members to you – this is long term conversion. Having a successful internet marketing strategy requires realizing this simple fact and taking appropriate action. Specifically, you must capture contact information from all leads and continue the conversation so that when they do have a valid case, they will think of you and only you.
Expertise – The Importance of the Authority Index for Conversion
At the outset, it’s important to discuss authority index, which is your credibility on the internet as an expert in your given area. Without credibility, there is no conversion. If you and your website are not credible in the eyes of the search engines, then you will not rank. If you do not rank, then you will not see any potential leads. These are overstatements, but true nonetheless. Authority rank or authority index is crucial.
As Google becomes better and faster at delivering search results, becoming a thought leader is now more important than ever. Over the last year or so, Google’s algorithm updates affected many law firm websites. It’s what I call the authority-relevancy updates which assessed your presence across the internet, not just on your own website, and whether your presence across the internet is relevant to your area of expertise. If you are a personal injury lawyer, are you noted as a criminal defense lawyer across the web? If so, you would be low on the authority-relevancy index for personal injury law.
Part and parcel of being a thought leader is being an expert in your field, be it car accidents, medical malpractice or disability. Being an expert in your field not only affects search engine ranking, but it also affects how a website visitor perceives you. When they perceive you as the person who can solve their legal problems, they will contact you, instead of your competitors.
Developing your authority index requires content, and there is no limit to the type of content you can produce. Articles, videos, books, and news are just some of the types of content on the internet which can help your authority index. For busy lawyers, finding the time to publish content on the internet is often challenging, but well worth the time and effort. It goes without saying that content must be topically related to your target area, or your stated area of expertise.
Once you’ve developed your authority index, you’re well on your way to converting website traffic into leads. However, there are two important aspects of conversion which many lawyers simply misunderstand. First is the human side of communication in the age of emails and texts, an era which literally encourages robotic-like communication. Second is the follow through or follow up.
Develop Your Leads into Followers – Connect with Your Leads by Humanizing Yourself
After a lead has initiated contact with you, the next step is to turn them into a believer. The best way to do that is to show them your human side, which means picking up the phone and calling them. I see busy lawyers respond solely by email, which is a mistake because it fails to inform the lead that you are approach-able, knowledgeable and most importantly, willing to take the time out of your busy day to listen, something many clients say their lawyers don’t do and is a turn off.
Now of course, most lawyers simply do not have the time to call every website lead. However, you don’t have to. Fish where the fish are. Have a mechanism in place so you can identify the leads you want to develop and those you do not. Use the internet to determine whether a lead is someone you want to take the time to develop into a believer. Do a quick internet search, check out the lead’s LinkedIn profile, and you can quickly determine whether a lead is someone you want to add to your network. If a potential lead emails you about a case you would ordinarily decline but it turns out she works in a chiropractor’s office, well, that’s a no brainer.
Develop Your Leads into Followers – Connect with Your Leads and Follow Up
The means and methods of follow up vary. There are literally dozens of ways to keep your audience listening. After all, our potential clients only need us when they have a problem. So the key is making sure you are top of mind when an accident does happen or when their friend/family member has an accident.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Mail a follow-up packet which includes your Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus profiles. Include a handwritten note, “[Name of lead], I’m truly sorry we could not help you with your [insert legal problem]. However, please stay connected with us. We may be able to help you in the future.”
2. Email the individual an article about their specific issue. If they contacted you about a car accident case which you declined, you can still send them a Checklist for Car Insurance in [your state]. At the end of the day, grow your garden well. Don’t just pick the initial fruits of your labor. Instead, tend to your garden, plant the right seeds, and down the road, you will reap larger and larger yields.
