Marketing is an extremely important and challenging aspect of managing a law firm. Annette Choti, legal digital marketing expert, shared highlights from some very intriguing marketing statistics that may reshape the way you view your firm’s own strategy in her recent article for Attorney at Work. Shared below are a few interesting facts to consider when reaching out to prospective clients:
1. The American Bar Association reported 43% of Law Firms do not possess a Marketing Budget (2022).
Looks can be deceptive when assuming the bigger a law firm is, the more established its marketing plan and revenue will be. The simple fact is nearly half of existing law firms do not understand the importance of building a yearly marketing strategy and budget.
2. According to a Clio’s Legal Trends Report survey, 57% of people independently searched for their lawyer.
Circling back to having a proper marketing budget, investing in online ads to appear in search engine and social media results will help younger demographics rely on online information to find you. Below is a list of methods by which people were able to find their lawyer:
- Law firm websites (17%)
- Search engines (17%)
- Online reviews (9%)
- Phone book (8%)
- Lawyer directory (8%)
- Law firm blogs and articles (7%)
- Social media (5%)
The same report states younger generations will heavily rely on a firm’s online presence to make their decision: 48% of millennials and 49% of Gen Z are more observant of a law firm’s website compared with 34% of Gen X and 21% of Baby Boomers.
3. A client’s first contact is made by phone 68% of the time.
Another interesting statistic bought to attention by Clio’s Legal Trends Report survey is that 68% of clients will reach out to a firm through the phone and 42% of those calls will result in hiring if the lawyer has a very strong first impression. Below are some examples to follow in creating a strong first interaction to enable the client to trust you and value your services:
- Timeliness of communication
- Clarity when communicating the next steps
- Transparency of costs
- Expectations set regarding the progression of the case
- The lawyer had a pleasant and favorable tone
Read more interesting statistics in Choti's article for Attorney at Work.
