Back in the day, you could hide from the Internet. There was a
time (like when horseless carriages were in general use) when
potential clients would not look for or vet lawyers online -- at
least not aggressively. This was a function of a lack of
information (just think of how much more stuff is online in 2016
than in 2006) and a lack of savvy (as more and more consumers flock
to the Internet for purchasing advice, and use search more
regularly than ever before, they get better at finding what they
need), which has, of late, been remedied. The upshot is that, in
the modern environment, consumers, including consumers of legal
services, know how to find (the right) service providers online. In
terms of looking to the Internet for professional services, the
methodology for finding a lawyer is not all that much different
from finding a chimney sweep. The primary questions to answer, at
least as these relate to your Internet marketing, are:
- How will potential clients find you?
- What will they find when they do discover you?
The answer to the how question is that they're searching for you
online, probably using their smart phones and Google (maybe a
Bing-Windows Phone combo, if you're generating a lot of business
from Western Europe). There are two primary events that will spur
potential clients to look for a lawyer online. Either they've been
referred to you, or they have a legal problem for which they're
seeking a solution, in which case the most relevant service
provider among the first several search results likely wins. The
Internet is the perfect avenue for vetting service providers,
especially with the rise of review sites that those service
providers have little control over. It used to be that a potential
client took a referral because he or she had no way to verify the
lawyer's quality in an objective way; now, there are myriad ways to
do just that, including the advent of platforms that label lawyers
with numerical ratings. Given that fact, it makes a great deal of
sense that the modern consumer does not take a referrer at his
word. Failing to perform due diligence, in a world where it is very
easy to do, is a risk that most consumers are unwilling to
take.
When a potential client Googles you as a referred provider,
they're keying in your name. When a potential client has a problem,
and doesn't know who you are (yet), they're typing in a question --
plus, probably, a geography indicator (where or near where they
live) and some one or a combination of the terms "lawyer,"
"attorney" and "law firm." That potential client, in the first
instance, cares not for your awards and accomplishments. He wants
an answer to a specific question. Now, if you have not made
available an answer, you have little hope of getting found in that
instance -- that first (and potentially only) search.
Therefore, this whole discussion hinges on whether a consumer
researching a specific legal question online will be directed to an
answer that you have provided. If not, you stand (potentially far)
less of a chance of being found, ever. Certainly, there are tactics
lawyers can apply to goose search results non-organically - such as
developing Google Ad Words campaigns. But the clearest, cheapest
and easiest path for most solo and small firm attorneys, is to
engage a content marketing strategy. Content marketing is just
exactly what it sounds like: the production and dissemination of
content in your areas of expertise, potentially across a wide array
of media and channels. Many law firms maintain blogs, and probably
the most obvious, well-traveled route to leveraging content
marketing is by blogging and republishing those posts via social
media. However, that is far from the last option, even if it is the
most tried and true. Video is becoming more and more popular, as
are podcasts. Heck, there are law firms with Tumblr and Pinterest
accounts. The real question is not where you put your stuff
(everywhere you can is likely the best answer); the true line of
inquiry is what you have to say. Since your potential clients are
searching to answers for questions, provide them. If you're worried
about not having enough to say, collect 10 basic client questions
you have received, answer them, and publish your answers. Then,
type in those questions, and see where you rank now. The provision
of relevant content is the clearest way to a potential client's
heart -- and Google's.
Jared D. Correia is the assistant director and senior
law practice advisor at Massachusetts Law Office Management
Assistance Program.