Establishing your firm as a top authority in your practice niche is crucial to your growth—no matter what your specialty entails.
We’ve all heard that the key to a law firm’s growth is branding, but is there more you should consider when implementing a marketing plan? Of course there is. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be writing about it! After you’ve set your marketing budget and optimized your website, pushing your firm to the next level—beyond branding—means putting in some extra hours.
What Does Authority Mean for a Law Firm?
Imagine taking a survey of people in your area who are in need of legal representation. The vast majority of those polled would probably tell you that they want to hire a firm that is well-known, knowledgeable, and respected within the community. In most cases, those polled would likely also affirm that any legal team that meets these criteria has to be top-notch because their ads are everywhere. You can’t make that kind of money if you’re not any good, right?
While you probably already know that the law firm with the biggest advertising budget isn’t necessarily the best suited for the case, this line of thinking is instinctual. People associate production value with the quality of your services. This is why it is so important to position your law practice as an authority within your given market.
How Do I Position My Law Firm as an Authority?
Clients are usually at a crisis point when they need an attorney and when people are in trouble, they want the best attorney in town. You have to work to gain a potential client’s trust before they step foot in your office, and you can do this by positioning yourself as a leader. There are a number of ways to do so and most of them aren’t too difficult. In fact, a few don’t cost any money at all. A few examples of how to establish your firm as an authority include:
- Donating your time to a local charity in need of legal advice. Pro bono work is great PR, and it gives your firm the kind of press that you can’t buy. Aside from putting your name out there, you’re also building a very visible case history, which lends you authority in your field.
- Provide legal analysis to the media. One way to get your firm’s name out there is to offer legal analysis to local reporters. In most cases, they will include a taped interview with you or add your name to their article as a courtesy. This is a wonderful way to garner attention for your practice as an authority on a given topic. (Hint: HelpAReporter.com can get you started.)
- Add blog posts to your website consistently. When people need legal information, they usually jump online and try to find a page that gives them a general idea of how to proceed. The more blog posts you add to your website on a given subject, the better chance that they will see the information and view you as an industry leader. (Hint: If you aren’t great at writing blog posts, consider working with a creative agency that specializes in legal content.)
While these are just a few examples, they all drive home the same point. In order to see your firm grow, you have to establish yourself as an authority and earn the trust of your clients prior to working with them. The more often they see your name in conjunction with the type of law in which you specialize, the greater the chance they will call you the next time they need legal assistance.
To learn more about how to establish your firm as an authority, contact Kirkpatrick Creative at 866-864-9425 to schedule a free consultation! We specialize in law firm marketing and legal branding.