Digital Marketing Vs. Traditional Lawyer Advertising

The inability of lawyers to embrace change is the butt of many jokes - the same thing applies to lawyer advertising. To drive our point home, there are still lawyers out there who rely strictly on word of mouth and the Yellow Pages to promote their practice.

While some of those methods still have a place within certain demographics, growing your practice today is possible only through digital marketing.

We’re going to address that issue - how you can take lawyer advertising to the next level with some modern digital marketing ideas. We’re also going to take a small trip down memory lane, to demonstrate how the world of lawyer advertising has changed.

Let’s go back to 1977, shall we?

Pre-Internet Era Lawyer Advertising

Back in 1977, a few key events happened: Jimmy Carter became the president and Star Wars graced the silver screen. But for legal professionals, this year marked the official birth of lawyer marketing when the U.S. Supreme court ended all prohibitions against legal advertising.

Quite soon, law firms everywhere embraced different methods of promoting their practices. You could see lawyer ads on bus benches, billboards, and even buses themselves. Lawyers also wholeheartedly embraced printed media such as magazines, local newspapers, etc. 

For those with deeper pockets, it was not uncommon to run local television ads either. 

However, the staple of law firm advertising was the yellow pages (the Google of its time). If someone was looking for an attorney or really anything, they would consult this big yellow book. 

So, what’s the current status of these advertising methods? Do they still work?

Spoiler alert: they’re at death’s door.

Why Digital Marketing is Winning

It’s only natural for traditional lawyer advertising to be phased out by newer and flashier (and more effective) methods. This is especially true today when the internet has become the main source of information for so many people. 

In the modern era, most individuals will look for a lawyer online. This is where you should conduct the majority of your lawyer advertising as that's where people are looking for legal services. 

While some traditional methods like a well-placed TV commercial can work for particular demographics, it’s way too expensive and inconsistent to substantially drive the growth of your practice.

Compare that to running pay-per-click (PPC) ads. With these ads, you can show your website in the search results of those looking for a lawyer. The best thing is, you don’t need a massive advertising budget since you’re not paying for ‘’views’’, you’re paying per click (as the name suggests).

With digital marketing, you’re advertising only to those who are looking for your services instead of regular people who are only waiting for the commercials to end before they can go back to their reruns of Friends.

So how do you modernize your lawyer advertising methods?

Simple Digital Marketing Ideas For Lawyers

Here are some basic tips that will give you a taste of what you’re in for and in which direction you should grow your law firm.

1. Modernize your website

A proper marketing strategy revolves around your website, which is a good starting point for the rest of your lawyer advertising journey. After all, you’re going to need to send those clients to a page where they can learn more about you, right?

If you already have a website but it’s old, you may have to redesign it. A well-designed website will instill trust in your customers and ensure they’re not leaving your online corner because it’s confusing or has painfully slow loading times.

Most importantly, you need to make certain that your website is mobile-friendly since most searches happen on mobile devices. All of this will see to it that you’re not putting off potential clients with bad performance, and your website will also rank higher in search results.

2. Run PPC and Google’s Local Service Ads

We already mentioned PPC ads, so you’re familiar with the basics. For them to be effective, you’ll need landing pages.

Landing pages are standalone web pages, created strictly for the advertising campaign. The general idea is that the person will click on your ad and be taken to the page that contains your elevator pitch, so to speak. 

This page needs a ‘’call to action’’ which instructs your visitors to do something - fill out a contact form, sign up for your newsletter, and so on. 

A good alternative to PPC ads is Google’s Local Services ads. These can be a powerful lawyer advertising tool as it allows you to show your ads above organic search results and even standard search ads. 

The fundamentals are the same for both types of ads, the difference being that for Local Services ads you will pay for leads instead of clicks. Because of this, they offer a better return on your investment than PPC ads.

To run Local Services ads, you will have to go through Google’s screening process first, though. Still, getting it done is worth it.

3. Don’t ignore SEO

Yes, we are talking about lawyer advertising, but not all advertising is ‘’in your face’’. Digital marketing is a lot more subtle. 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website for certain keywords, improving its internal linking and structure to rank better in search engine results. 

In other words, SEO ensures your website is placed higher whenever someone is looking for a specific search term. 

Why is it important?

Because it’s a long-term strategy to receive organic traffic without running any type of ads or increasing your advertising budget. For instance, whenever someone is searching for legal services in your area, if your SEO is on point, your website will rank in those results. The higher you rank, the higher the chance of them choosing you as their lawyer.

4. Content marketing

Another subtle marketing method that also gives you a boost in organic traffic (and improves your SEO) is content marketing. 

Modern legal clients expect more and will usually see straight through obvious advertising lingo. This is why you need to offer something of value to them without necessarily expecting anything in return. 

You can do that by posting helpful and educational content. 

For example, by posting blogs, you can showcase your expertise and offer help to those looking for quick and easily accessible legal advice. In turn, you will increase trust, develop relationships, and boost your traffic and conversions.

5. Establish a social media presence

For many law firms, social media has a bad rep and they simply choose to ignore it altogether. While you do have to be careful with it, especially when it comes to case-sensitive information, you can achieve a lot by establishing a social media presence.

First, you’ve got to research who your ideal client is and adjust your approach accordingly. This also extends to your choice of platform. If you’re practicing commercial law, your area of focus should be LinkedIn. If you’re a family lawyer, maybe Facebook is the better choice.

Next, research your main competitors to get some ideas on the type of posts that resonate with your audience. Develop a posting schedule, create engaging content, and you’re on your way to success. 

The Future of Lawyer Advertising

Marketing your law practice doesn’t have to be expensive as it was. If you have time and the willingness to do it, all of the aforementioned methods can be done at a very low cost (social media and posting content is free once you pay for your website). 

However, if you truly want to make a difference, you can set aside a marketing budget and hire a digital marketing company to do it for you. That way, you can focus on practicing law and not think about SEO and other shenanigans.

The best thing is, if you hire a full-service digital marketing agency like Oamii, you get a comprehensive marketing and advertising plan tailored to your budget. We’ve worked with many law firms, helping them establish a strong online presence and reach their business goals - and there’s no reason why we can’t do the same for you!

Give us a call at 561-228-4111 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get you started on your modern lawyer advertising journey.