Millions of Americans use the Internet every single day. They search for information, they seek entertainment, and they look for the services and products they need. While there is still a decent amount of people who watch television, most prefer to pick up their phone, search for what they want to watch and tap Play. The reason we are telling you this is because family law firm marketing is changing. Gone are the days of newspaper and Yellow Book ads. Now, the focus needs to be online. Law firm Internet marketing is here and it’s here to stay.
Reasons Family Law Firms Should Focus on Internet Marketing
What does someone do when faced with one of life’s challenges? Depending on how private he/she wants to keep it, the person may turn to a good friend OR a search engine, like Google. With the ability to search for any topic, people can seek support from those who have gone through a similar situation or are currently dealing with one.
Even when someone turns to a friend first, the chances are high that person will end up online at some point to collect information. This means that at some point in a person’s struggles, he/she will be looking for help online.
The enormous amount of information and resources online make people turn to the Internet. What many businesses, including family law firms, don’t know is that Internet marketing is what makes them visible to the ones who are online.
Internet marketing is what brings family law firms out of the darkness in the online world into the limelight. It’s what gets them exposure when people are looking for and yearning for guidance during a living nightmare. They are looking for something or someone to cling to for help and Internet marketing is what brings those people the lawyers and law services they seek.
Boost Online Visibility
No matter where you live, there is competition to be seen online. Even if you’re a local law firm serving area residents, your site still competes with other law firm sites throughout the country. How do you stand out from your competitors locally and nationally?
Content marketing – a part of Internet marketing – puts out the information people are searching for in their times of need. Knowledge is contained in articles, pictures and videos that live on your website. This knowledge is what ends up being placed on search engines and comes up as an option to those who may be looking for it.
Establishes and Develops Trust
Internet marketing not only attracts people to your site to gain information from your content, but it also establishes and then develops trust. People who feel as though you’ve helped them will feel as though they can trust you and will want to see what else you can offer them. This is when your services may be the perfect remedy to their situation.
Promotes Services
As mentioned above, when people find what they need, feel as though your family law firm marketing gives them the help they need, they will be more likely to convert (as in reach out for your services).
Content on a website isn’t the only way to utilize family law firm Internet marketing. There’s also:
- SEO
- Google Ads
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
SEO Increases a Family Law Firm’s Visibility on Search Engines
SEO, which is Search Engine Optimization, is the act of optimizing a website for search engines. Since search engines function based on codes, they look for keyword phrases to understand what a website is about, and then they look for other factors to know how valuable the site is to search engine users.
Internet marketing includes working on your website to ensure that it is properly optimized for your target audience. In other words, it contains the information people interested in your services seek and it is on the site in a way that search engines will be able to understand, so they will display it to people searching for what you’re providing.
First Place Ranking on Search Results with Google Ads
Google Ads, also known as Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, is a great way to get your site in front of your target audience on Google’s search engine. The process is quite simple, but setting it up to be effective can be quite complex. Ads are created based on keyword phrases chosen that people who need your services use on the search engine. The ads need to be enticing to elicit clicks. Those clicks on the ad go to a landing page, which if designed well, converts people. A conversion includes calling or completing a form for additional information or a consultation.
This is an example of a Google Ad for two family law firms:
The cost of Google Ads is determined by the number of clicks an ad receives. Some keyword phrases used in the ads cost more than others. The phrases that have a higher chance of converting someone who clicks on an ad will cost more. The number of other family law firms trying to use the same keyword phrases in their ads also influences the cost of ad clicks.
Google Ads can generate a great ROI or go through your budget quickly without a single lead. This is why for this form of family law firm Internet marketing, it’s best to go with a professional.
Social Media Is a Source for Support
Most Americans are on at least one social networking site on a daily basis. They use it for two reasons:
- Entertainment
- Information/Support
When promoting a family law firm on social media, it has to be done in a way that not only lets people know it’s a reputable, trustworthy, and highly knowledgeable practice but also one that is available. People who are struggling with a family matter are not seeking entertainment on social media, but
rather support. They may turn to friends or strangers who have experienced a similar situation. The goal of social media for family law firms is providing information that other people can use as a resource to help those who are struggling.
Resources can be:
- Articles
- Videos
- Infographics (images with information)
As you can see in the below Facebook post, this law firm presented a story to share information:
Those who have a similar situation will feel instantly comfortable to reach for help. You can see more examples of this on their Facebook page.
Social media marketing is a combination of promotion and information sharing. Usually, this happens seamlessly in one post while other times it can be in separate posts. Knowing how to balance it just right is how to succeed with this part of family law firm Internet marketing.
People Need Time – Email Marketing Gives Them That
Email marketing is another part of family law firm Internet marketing. It is one that helps people who need a bit more time to decide whether your law firm is the right one for them. Email marketing is effective – the return on investment is $42 per $1 spent on it. Why is it effective? Mostly, it has to do with The Marketing Rule of 7. This rule says that prospects need to be exposed to the marketer’s message at least 7 times before taking action to buy a product or service.
Email marketing consists of sending emails to subscribers on a particular topic. These people have signed up for emails, so they are warm leads. When a family law firm sends valuable emails, the recipients will react similarly as they would to good content on a website or social network.
Promotional emails that don’t meet the needs of recipients will not work. The emails need to be highly targeted and useful for them to be effective. For instance, an email that offers advice on how to navigate a divorce can engage recipients greatly and make them want them to reach out for further legal assistance through the process.
Many email marketing tools exist to create attractive looking emails that spark people’s attention:
These are affordable options that are user friendly depending on how much time you have to invest in this part of your family law firm Internet marketing.
Family Law Firm Internet Marketing Services
Family law firm Internet marketing is more necessary than ever before. Law firms cannot rely on offline marketing tactics any longer. People immediately turn to the Internet when they are struggling with family issues. They search for answers to their questions on search engines and they turn to social media for support. When they find a website that has information they need to either work on their issues or feel better about their situation, they are more likely to reach out for services. This is especially true if they sign up for email marketing, which takes them from not knowing if they should move forward to knowing for sure that your law firm is the one for them.
Family law firms that struggle to bring in new clients usually do not have enough of an online presence to capture all of the people who turn to the Internet for help, which as you can see is a lot. If you’re not utilizing family law Internet marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy, you’re missing out on clients to competitors who are using it.
Now is the time to get ahead of the competition when it comes to marketing your family law firm on the Internet. We understand that you may not have the time to learn the ins and outs of it or implement best practices, which is why as a digital marketing company, we can help.
We offer website design and development, SEO, PPC, social media, and email marketing services to help improve your family law firm’s presence online. This will help your target audience find your website easier, increasing the chances of them contacting you for your legal services.
GoBeyondSEO has a team of professionals ready to take care of all your family law firm’s Internet marketing needs. Contact us today for more information.
