Whether personal or professional, creating a budget is one of the more stressful moments of the year.

The leaves have changed and the temperature has dropped, which means 2019 is just around the corner. Have you finalized next year’s marketing plan yet?

If you’re planning for 2019, you may be waiting until January to start spending money on your business. But that might not be the best course of action, especially if there’s still money left on the table this year.

If you want to communicate effectively to your prospects, you need to understand them.

Sometimes, the path to more clients means presenting yourself to a smaller audience. Find out how celebrating your niche can lift your firm in the long run.

A Google My Business listing has every essential nugget of information someone would need to research, contact or locate a law firm. Here's how to claim your listing.

Legal consumers and moviegoers have something in common. They both notice quality and thoughtfulness. Does that describe your law firm videos?

Video marketing is quickly becoming the go-to source for the mobile consumer. Find out why.

Want more personal injury clients? Start by tailoring your marketing to mobile devices.

While five years ago many of your prospects were searching for an attorney on their desktop, today they’re mobile. Now that Google search results are mobile oriented and there’s a smartphone in every pocket, it’s past time your firm implemented marketing plans based on Apple and Samsung, not Dell and HP. This isn’t as hard…

What performance metric matters the most? Opinions may vary, but for most attorneys, the number they really want to watch is Click-to-Call.

Reach more gen x legal consumers with a mix of old-school tactics and modern online marketing.

There's a strong connection between your law firm's intake practices and your online reputation. Get a grip on the former, and watch the latter improve.

Bringing video content to your law firm's marketing one of the most effective ways to engage audiences on social media.

You could be an absolute expert in your particular field, but if your only means of showing that prowess online is through an unread blog post on a low-trafficked website... well then you're not getting all you could out of your effort.

Attorneys: You might look at your law practice and think: If it ain’t broke, why fix it? So what do you do when growth isn’t your main objective? How can you use legal marketing to sustain the level of clients and business you already have?

Take a look back at LawyerMarketing.com's most popular bits of legal marketing advice from the past year.

How did a small investment in a FindLaw directory profile and strategic advertising cause one attorney's phone to start ringing off the hook? Read today's blog to find out.

Even during a slow holiday season, law firms can take steps to drive traffic amidst the noise of doorbuster sales.

Facing a shrinking divorce market, law firms who rely on these cases need to expand their view - and their marketing.

What do changing marriage and divorce rates mean for your firm? How might you need to change the way you market your services?

Google is making a change to how Chrome handles unsecure websites. Find out what HTTPS means, and what it means for your law firm.

Family law firms counting on divorce clients need to know: Fewer people are getting married these days. And those that do are waiting longer.

Pay-per-click advertising is awesome for marketing your law firm. But it's not the only thing that works. The true path to long-term marketing success is shaking the PPC addiction.

Need a little help managing your small law firm? Check out these free (or at least cheap) technology options to help keep your law practice running smoothly.

Websites are essential, but they're only part of an online marketing strategy. Online legal marketing requires a diversified approach across several elements.

The specificity offered by Facebook and social media presents an unprecedented opportunity for law firms to target their message to the exact audience they want.

The way attorneys interact with people on the phone is very important to the health of your law firm.

Solo attorneys are expected to do it all. But how can you succeed when you're doing all of it by yourself?

The ABA recommends 50 hours of pro bono legal work each year. How can attorneys make this fit into their businesses?

We get it: You went to school to be a lawyer, not a web designer. But your website is not a set-it-and-forget-it tool. That’s precisely why we created this handy checklist.

To make sure your solo firm’s website is up to speed, use the following five criteria to gauge how it performs.

Millennials make legal hiring decisions quite differently than their parents and grandparents did. Fortunately, law firms don't need to toss out their current playbook to reach this generation.

The internet age has made it both harder and easier than ever to reach potential clients. Unfortunately, the new normal is a world where all of your competitors are in the same arena.

Building trust between attorneys and prospects online isn't all that different from how it's done in the real world.

Marketing your law firm to millennials requires some new thinking. Are you ready for what's next?

Marketing firms that promise top Google search rank sound great, but they're selling a myth that will impact your law firm's business – often faster than you'd think.

Americans are driving more miles than ever before, but we're also the safest we've been since the era of disco. It's time to think about what this could mean for your law firm.

January is a natural time to refresh and renew. While you're cleaning your cupboards, you should also clear your law firm’s marketing plan of these outdated ideas.

Paid promotion on Facebook is one of the best values on the web today. In the history of marketing, there has never been a more serendipitous alignment of audience, specificity and price.

Face it: the legal landscape is changing, and it isn’t going back. Welcome to the new normal. There are higher expectations from clients, competition and the economy that can’t be ignored.

A well written and maintained legal blog gives you a platform to reach out to online consumers who need an attorney. A blog addresses their issues while enhancing your SEO campaign. Here’s how.

Effective social media participation does not have to be time-consuming. If you aim for three qualities in your social media use, you can harness a majority of its value without sacrificing a large portion of your very in-demand time.

However you recognize Love Your Lawyer Day, it's an opportunity for your firm. Why not use it to sew some goodwill among your local community?

It's a common misconception that computers spook senior citizens. But when you’re a lawyer specializing in social security and disability benefits, opting out of online marketing means ignoring over half of your potential clients.

November Fourth is officially “Love Your Lawyer” day, a chance not only for your clients and colleagues to appreciate your profession, but a time for you to engender goodwill in the community.

A lot of attorneys spend a lot of time on other business tasks. What do they understand? That you need to put the time and effort into growing your firm today so you can practice tomorrow. That can start with these three tips...

Print has more power than most people think. Power to influence potential clients to take action. Power to demonstrate authority in your practice and power to help your firm stand out from the competition.

A medical degree is a lot like a law degree in that it comes with a wealth of jargon that is important to your profession. But it also means a lot of terms and phrases that clients will not understand.

A legal site like FindLaw.com is more than just a directory. What about the millions of legal consumers who come to research their issues and needs every month? What’s the best way to reach them?

Legal directory listings are quick and easy to set up. But even among directories, there is an abundance of choice and questions that need answers. Register for this webcast to learn how to make the most of your online listings.

PPC is far from simple, but several core concepts will determine your ad’s frequency, position and cost-per-click. If you wade into the deep waters of PPC, you’ll want to at least get familiar with the following terms.

Every aspect of your professional environment is contributing to your client’s opinion of you. The good and the bad can add up faster than you realize.

The quality and authenticity of your images makes a difference to your business. One study showed that website conversion can increase up to 45 percent when real images are used instead of stock photography.

If you haven’t already noticed, we’ve made some changes to LawyerMarketing.com in the past month. Beyond freshening up the look and layout of the site, we’ve revisited the philosophy behind our web presence and the way we communicate with our readers.

When you provide prospects with practical information, they’ll develop an awareness and affinity for your law firm. In contrast to traditional marketing that aims to tell potential clients about your firm’s qualifications and experience, content marketing shows them via such tools as blogs, social media posts, informational videos and the like.

Lauren Clark hung her shingle without an established client base and, like any small business, needed to build her roster as quickly as possible. Lauren knew what she was getting in to. She understood that the tale of a solo startup is often a tragic one.

Think you’re safe from hackers? You might have Norton anti-virus protection on your firm’s computers. That’s a good thing. But don’t be lulled into believing Norton or any other digital protection means you can rest easy.

The go-to place for the latest information about the largest attorney rating service recently got a serious face lift. SuperLawyers.com, the longtime home for lawyers interested in everything from how to talk about Super Lawyers to a vast attorney referral network, is now optimized for any device.

Putting aside the technical aspects of pay-per-click advertising (of which there are many) sometimes a successful campaign depends more on your perspective and approach rather than finding just the right terms. Our upcoming webcast delves specifically into this topic and will feature content experts from FindLaw and Google.

The following is an excerpt from the free playbook, Legal Marketing 110: Getting More Out of Legal Directories. Once you list your firm online with whatever information a basic profile allows, you’ll have the opportunity to boost your listing by adding features. These “advanced” options can provide more opportunities for you…

Which lawyer directory should I choose for my firm? You might expect us to say, “All of them” but the reality is, legal advertising isn’t that simple, and a shotgun approach isn’t exactly strategic. It’s true that the more listings you have, the more likely you are to be found.

Some law firms aren’t exactly fully-engaged in their marketing. They participate with minimal effort, doing no more than they must to simply stay afloat let alone grow. You’ve seen it before. Think back to the ol’ phone book. Nestled deep in each category, hidden among the ads and boxes, you could always count on…

Have you heard the news? FindLaw has been selected as a Google AdWords™ Premier SMB Partner. This is a big deal for us, and a great deal for our clients. For us, it validates the hard work and dedication of our in-house pay-per-click experts. At FindLaw, we place a premium on deep technical knowledge…

If you’re over the age of 34, the idea of tossing out your desktop or laptop computer and moving to a mobile-only experience probably seems crazy. Then again, ten years ago, we thought people who had ditched their land-line telephone were outliers. But if you want a sense of what the future holds…

I know how it feels. Thanks to the Internet, it seems as though your firm’s hard-earned reputation is in the hands of people who can hurt you with just one smart-aleck comment or a harsh online review. They don’t even need to be former clients…..

Remember the good old days when your law firm’s reputation was defined solely by the quality of its work? In contrast, today can feel like the Wild West. Discussions with clients that once were private and “protected” may now be force-fed into the maw of the insatiable social media beast…

There’s more to a high-visibility website than a nice layout and good information. To deliver clients, a law firm’s website site needs to keep performing after the initial launch. It needs to stay up-to-date with ever-changing requirements of clients and of search engines. This is no simple task. One of the many regular maintenance processes…

Remember SMART goals? They’re the goals that most business leaders agree actually mean something. This is because of how they’re structured: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. When we last wrote about SMART goals for law firms, we used the following example……

Is it a key element of your visibility strategy, or just table stakes for being online at all? For Bowden Cyr, PLLC, legal directories are an invaluable resource. The Twin Cities law firm helmed by Susan Bowden and Lisa Watson Cyr uses the FindLaw and Super Lawyers directories as well as…

You’ve no doubt heard it hundreds of times—if not more—over the past decade: Print is dead. Makes sense, right? When a pipe bursts in your basement, you Google a local plumber. For a last-minute ride across town, you tap Uber or Lyft on your smartphone. And then you have…

Here’s something worth knowing. Go to Google and type in “filing for bankruptcy” or something similar. No, we’re not saying you need to file for bankruptcy. It’s to demonstrate how search engines are changing. You’ll see something akin to this: Note that highlighted box. This is Google’s best attempt to answer the question…

Teenagers need shoes. Constantly. Take, for example, a stereotypical young male sports fanatic. Fall football feeds into basketball season, which transfers into track and field in the spring so they can stay in shape for – you guessed it – more football. Every sport demands a different pair of shoes and a teenager’s feet are…

We’ve been talking about how today’s legal consumer moves fast to address their legal needs, and how their search behavior has changed in recent years. Here’s the good news: According to FindLaw’s new white paper on legal consumer behavior, if one of those consumers does choose to contact you, chances are excellent…

How fast do people move when facing a legal issue? Faster than you’d think. In fact, one in five legal consumers take action within a day of their incident. How far are they willing to go? Not that far. Legal consumers generally want someone local – within about 20 miles. How hard are they looking?...

That’s because most likely, that legal consumer isn’t shopping around—he or she already has done the research. Now you need to make sure that you follow through. That’s one of the many business-building lessons you’ll find in a new white paper from FindLaw on legal consumer behavior. The white paper’s insights are rooted primarily…

By this point, most folks are either “in” or “out” when it comes to social media. If you’re one of the millions of people with a personal Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account, you may have wondered if you should also have one as a practicing attorney. The answer is simple: Yes, you should.

It’s nice just to be recognized. True, but it’s even nicer to benefit from recognition. So take a look at your office wall. Whether it has just one plaque or seems at risk of collapsing under the weight of your awards, it can probably be doing more for your law firm’s business.

Writing a legal blog is a superb way to market your practice. It can boost your firm’s credibility among your peers and potential clients, and it can boost your visibility online. So what are the strategies for crafting a good legal blog—one that will get read? Here are some tips, gleaned from the practices…

Folks, they’re not all going to be hits. You’ve probably already heard the “inspirational” statistic that Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times during his career. The lesson being: Don’t be afraid to “go for it” and risk failure. Well, with that indomitable spirit in mind, we’ve taken a look back at our least popular posts...

Frequent readers of this blog and FindLaw clients already know: A simple website is not enough to get your firm noticed by today’s legal consumers. Your website may be the center of your online presence. In theory, the design and content attracts relevant site visitors who will choose to contact your law firm.

One of the toughest things to do in marketing is limit yourself. Choosing to highlight any one aspect of your law firm’s services can feel like cutting out every other potential client. And for some law firms, this is true. But in the case of DarrasLaw, a singular focus and highly targeted marketing was exactly…

Does your law firm have a legal blog? Do you know why or why not? Existential crises aside, sometimes it’s wise to simply take stock of which marketing tactics you’re employing and to what end. So if you haven’t thought about the big picture behind legal blogs lately, take a moment to…

One year ago, we pointed out that attorneys can be thankful that their business isn’t tied to a frenzy of slashed prices and year-end drama. Instead, we explored how attorneys can build their own buzz in any season. These lessons ring true, but let’s take an updated look at the strategies outlined in that article:

“Conversion” has become one of those Web buzzwords that gets tossed around a lot. You’ve no doubt heard of it along with other terms like “the cloud” or “responsive design.” Strip away the buzz, however, and you’ll see that conversion is a practical concept. It simply means persuading website visitors to take an action.

While these pages typically focus on the strategies and tactics of online lawyer marketing, there’s no denying that a lot of legal consumers still use “the old ways” to discover an attorney. Top among these offline resources, referrals are just as essential as a solid website for most law firms.

It’s easy to pick on Microsoft. The former top dog just doesn’t have much of a cool factor in the public eye. Especially when held up against hotter brands like Google, Apple, Amazon and the like. But what about Bing? Some folks may say that Microsoft matters less than it used to.

When FindLaw started seeing a noticeable decrease in traffic to robertslawteam.com, we contacted the client – Roberts Law Group – to address their new challenge. While the law firm’s marketing program had performed at a high level in the past, clearly something had changed. Roberts Law Group had always focused on using best practices in…

A year ago, we asked, “Who is Answering Your Phone?” That post focused on phone behaviors and stated the importance of a positive experience. Call it a sneak peek if you will, but the thrust of that blog post is just as relevant today: take good care of the people who call your law firm.

These pages have told you many times before, take the time to look back at your law firm website’s performance. It’s the only way to know which of your online marketing tactics are working, and which ones need to be modified or abandoned. In the interest of practicing what we preach….

As you’ve probably already heard, listing your attorney profile in an online directory is a smart move. Legal directories place your profile in front of consumers actively looking to hire an attorney. More importantly, directories are a foundation for building a comprehensive online presence. But how do you choose the right…..

Imagine you’re in Austin, TX for the first time. You’ve never been there before and you really want to understand what the area is like. You could read some travel guides, but the most authentic way to get a feel for the environment would be to simply walk around and see what you find.

Once you have your design finalized, it’s time to make your website more than just a pretty face. Now comes content. Content is a big term, and for good reason. It can encompass everything from web pages and blog posts to tweets and videos. This chapter will focus primarily on…

Understanding your audience is the secret to connecting with them. This is true in most every business, but especially for law firms serving clients in more urgent and stressful situations – like those facing drunk driving charges. These clients have a lot at stake and need an attorney who understands their situation.

Think about the last time you saw a large group of people. Maybe they were in an elevator. Or waiting for a taxi. Or in line at a movie theater. Many of them probably had their noses glued to their smartphones. Some were texting, posting to Facebook or using Snapchat apps.

As we head into a long holiday weekend, the volume of drunk driving arrests is sure to increase. And while there is truly no “slow” season to the DUI market, there are ways to better position your firm to serve these clients. Establishing yourself as the DUI attorney to call begins with speaking…

It’s crucial for your law firm to pay attention to its brand. Your brand is your identity in the marketplace. That means your firm has a brand whether you pay attention to it or not. And if you aren’t paying attention, you’re losing business. So what is your law firm’s brand?

This one goes out to the wine aficionados out there. Think back to your early experiences with what Robert Louis Stevenson called, “bottled poetry”. Odds are, you weren’t born knowing your Beaujolais from your Bordeaux. You probably had to learn to articulate something as abstract as “finish” and it’s safe to assume that your palette…

Who do you think you are? You might consider yourself part of a trusted law practice, a helpful partner to your clients with years of experience. But does a potential client see your law firm the same way? Does he or she see your firm at all? All law firms have a brand…

You’re an attorney. Your job is to work hard to help your clients. So why should you pay attention to your firm’s “brand”? You’re aware that a good slogan is helpful, perhaps when used with a simple logo that consists of your firm’s name or the partners’ initials. But there’s much more to branding.

Have you heard of (or worked on) a cross-border divorce? A cross-border divorce, for example, could be a husband from Miami seeking to divorce his wife, who happens to be a Colombian citizen. Situations like this one are a growing phenomenon among Hispanic families in certain regions throughout the United States.

For many attorneys, the work is its own reward. Whether your clients need basic representation, hard-earned justice or simply some peace of mind, you’re often in the position to make a real impact in their lives. As rewarding as it is to see the effects of your work, a little recognition never hurts either.

Think about a time when you’re not at your desk in front of the computer. Maybe it’s while you’re at court. Maybe it’s out with friends at a restaurant. Maybe it’s in the evening with your feet up on your sofa. Pick any of those times and ask yourself: Are you online at that moment?

Heard any good lawyer jokes lately? We’ll admit, there are some funny ones out there. How about any good lawyer stories – the ones that make you proud of your profession? We’ll admit, we like these better. They’re better because they work with you, not against you. Building and leveraging a good reputation is a…

Tired of reading about marketing that doesn’t relate to your law firm? Want to spend less time scouring the web for relevant information? Looking to gain an edge on the competition? Maybe you should get to know Legal Marketing Snapshot. This email dispatch from FindLaw was specifically designed as a marketing resource for busy attorneys.…

FindLaw’s 2014 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey revealed that 55 percent of consumers looking for an attorney offline depend on referrals, either from family, friends or coworkers, or from other attorneys or legal professionals. What is the source of referrals? Relationships. How do you build meaningful relationships that lead to referrals? Networking.

Who are you at your firm? Attorney? Paralegal? Administrative Assistant? Whatever your official title, odds are you wear multiple hats or serve as several different personas in your role. You might be the experienced attorney with all the answers. You might be the operations manager/marketer/gatekeeper/whatever-else-you-have-to-be today. But to the person calling your firm…

It’s finally here. Google’s long-awaited update is scheduled to arrive today. And with it, mobile friendliness transforms from a commonly held best practice to a core tenet of website design. We’ve known this change was coming since earlier this year, and FindLaw’s own research has illustrated the scope of mobile web use…

As you’ve no doubt already heard, Google is making a big change on April 21st. Mobile friendliness will become a ranking factor in their search results and websites that aren’t up to par will likely face real consequences to their visibility. If you’re unsure about the status of your law firm website…

In part 1, we discussed why your firm shouldn’t rely on your website’s traffic report as a measure of your online marketing’s effectiveness. Even big numbers of visitors don’t always translate into new business—which, after all, is why you have an online presence. This time, we’ll look at why your traffic report might not…

We’ve seen it time and again. Law firms decide to dip their toes into pay-per-click advertising without really understanding the system. They cast about, looking for the perfect combination of keywords and cost to make their campaign worthwhile. It’s incredibly common for people to rely on intuition and luck when crafting their first PPC campaigns.

Check your website analytics one morning, and either of these results would make your day: • Your firm received 10,000 website visits • Your firm ranked on the first page of Google With metrics like these, it must be obvious that you and your firm are doing something right in your online marketing.

It’s common business sense: Your marketing needs to deliver consistent, meaningful value. Small bumps and erratic results simply do not cut it. It’s also well known that the best way to do this is through integrated tactics that support one another. When your marketing is spread across multiple channels and fine-tuned regularly…

In our previous posts (here and here), we tapped recent FindLaw research and other data to reveal the best ways to reach the complex divorce market. If you’re serious about a divorce practice, one of the key facts you need to know is that two-thirds of all divorces are being filed by women.

In our previous post, we looked at the complexities of the divorce market. Now let’s discuss how to present your firm online so that you can best reach consumers contemplating divorce. Months ago, FindLaw began testing the effectiveness of different online elements and platforms targeting divorce consumers. Based on our research…

When the news reports a celebrity divorce, the report typically includes the “fact” that the U.S. divorce rate is about 50 percent per year. But when you take a look at the overall data, the picture is far less bleak. So, the numbers can be massaged. That’s no big surprise.

If you’re an attorney who provides estate-planning services, you probably took note of last week’s announcement from Facebook. The social media giant released an update on February 12th that allowed its users to bequeath their account access to a loved one in the event of their death. It’s a great common sense step…

Savvy marketers know the secret to winning over customers: people make decisions emotionally and justify them intellectually. Thisscientific study confirms it and ourown white paper has applied this to law firm marketing. But what’s the best way to connect emotionally with consumers online? In a word: stories. Great stories are one of the most powerful…

Generating new inbound leads is one of the hardest aspects of law firm marketing. Smart attorneys everywhere can build an online presence that checks off all the boxes, yet still sees fluctuation in traffic and clients. That’s the nature of business; it requires patience and fortitude. But weathering the doldrums isn’t a growth strategy.

Much has already been written about the advertising hits and misses during Super Bowl XLIX, but one thing is certain, most ads were simple brand plays. At cost of $4.5 million per 30-second spot, the majority of advertisers aimed for general awareness over product sales. And it worked. Take Loctite for example…

Think about your current clients. If each of them recommended your legal services to a friend, how would they describe working with your firm? Obviously their cases and outcomes would be different – so would your tactics for serving them – but would there be a positive common thread across all their experiences?

There is no such thing as a dumb question, right? We tell schoolchildren this every year, yet how many times have you wanted to bang your head against a wall after speaking to a client? It can be frustrating, regularly facing the same challenges, assumptions and misinformation day in and day out.

What does your website say about you? As an attorney, you work in a very competitive industry. There may be several attorneys in your geographic area that offer the same services as you do. There may even be some on the same block. So how do you identify your unique selling points…

Objections are as much a part of legal arguments as the argument itself. It is no wonder then that lawyers seem to have objections to things beyond the courtroom. When it comes to social media, concerns surrounding benefits, time commitment and unique content creation are common among lawyers and law firms concerned about moving into…

Where is your law practice going? Where do you want it to go? Not many attorneys wish their careers to simply plod along. Most desire to grow their businesses — add clients, boost their revenues, perhaps take on a new partner, paralegal or assistant. If growth is your ambition, you need to make a…

In our previous post, we talked about three easy resolutions you can make to improve your social media marketing in 2015. If you’re already working with a well-planned social media content calendar, or if you’re hoping to push a bit further beyond your comfort zone, consider adding these resolutions to your list:

If you haven’t already, resolve to make this a breakthrough year for your law firm’s social media presence. It’s easier than you might think. In fact, some of the most effective resolutions are simply a matter of dedicating time and structure to your current activities. • Develop a consistent social presence

If you’ve been doing your homework, you’ve spent a lot of time spreading the message of your law firm this year. As you tweet, blog, post and talk about your firm time and again, it’s easy to believe your own hype. But if you never check in with the world at large…

If you’ve been practicing law for any amount of time, you’ve almost certainly been asked your opinion on where a prospective student should go to law school. After all, choosing a law school is one of most important decisions future lawyers will make. No one wants to risk his or her time…

Odds are, you’ve encountered the term integrated marketing before. If it sounded like a buzzword, that’s understandable. But the idea has merit and it’s an important one for small law firms to understand. Thankfully, integrated marketing is aptly named – it’s a unified approach to marketing where multiple tactics work together.

In the world of online marketing, aiming to position your firm as the “best DUI/divorce/criminal lawyers in (insert name of city here)” is like showing up at a movie audition with a hundred other actors. You may indeed be the most talented, but against such fierce competition, you’re still a long shot at best.

Odds are, you already have a website. And odds are, you’ve put a lot of time and resources into it. But do you really know how it stacks up? Of course one of the best performance measures is whether or not your website is delivering the leads you need, but that one broad number…

It’s already underway. People across the country have begun lining up outside of stores waiting for the doorbusting to begin. Whatever your personal opinion on Black Friday, there’s no denying its nationwide influence on retail stores and their promotional strategies. Fortunately for you, law firms aren’t subject to the same market forces. If you’re looking…

For law firms in highly competitive markets, traditional marketing delivers traditional results. But to really gain an edge, established firms need to reinforce their position as forward-thinkers who understand legal issues on a higher level. Thought leadership campaigns are an excellent way to showcase a firm’s expertise and depth of knowledge.

Welcome to the age of integrated marketing for small law firms. Due to the proliferation of Internet-based marketing tools and tactics, spreading a consistent message across multiple channels is no longer just for large law firms with ample budgets and a dedicated marketing staff. Regardless of your firm’s size, the key to a unified approach…

It takes a lot of phone calls to find a new client. If only a certain percentage of callers turn into clients, that should tell you something about the importance of that ringing phone. So tell us this: Who’s answering your phone? All your marketing efforts are leading up to this moment.

First question: What is a “citation”? It’s simply an online listing of your firm outside of your own website. So why is a citation important? Actually, the question should be posed: Why are many citations important? Having a broad network of external citations to your business helps establish your firm’s authority…

There’s more to Google than search. As crucial as search results are to your firm’s business, Google has plenty of other tools that you should learn about. So let’s take a look at four of the most notable—and useful—when it comes to marketing your law firm. The first three offer ways to establish…

Who do you entrust to run your firm’s PPC advertising? A nephew you consider “online savvy?” The friend who dabbles in marketing as a hobby? Or maybe you are doing it yourself, monitoring the keywords and managing each campaign’s budget every day. The bottom line is this: You need someone who is transparent...

54 million people. That’s the US Census Bureau’s estimate for the number of Hispanic Americans in the United States as of mid-2013. Not only is there a large number of Spanish-speaking individuals already, Hispanics are now the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. By 2060, Hispanics are predicted to make up approximately one third of…

Can’t think of anything interesting to publish on your law firm’s Facebook page? Then it’s time to re-think the type of content your firm is sharing on the world’s largest social network. The good news is that there’s likely an abundance of content ideas readily available that your audience wants

You might call him or her a lead. Or a prospect. Or maybe a contact. In the world of law firm marketing, it’s an individual who has expressed a legal need and a desire to speak with an attorney. Not yet a customer, a lead presents an opportunity to connect with someone…

F¬or many law firms, the main office is only one of several places business gets done. And for home-based law firms, reaching customers often means using virtual office spaces. While this is a great way to position your law firm conveniently in front of potential clients, in the virtual world ofGoogle My Business…

You’ve just gotten a call that fills you with excitement—and maybe a little dread. You’ve been asked to be interviewed by the media. Very few people are comfortable facing a camera or simply speaking on the record. What if the reporter asks you something that ends up making you look bad?

While not a common practice, taking the time to put yourself in your customers’ shoes can reveal a lot about your law firm’s intake process. Intake is what you do with the phone calls, emails and other prospective clients that come into your firm every day. While good intake practices might seem obvious…

Show, don’t tell. It’s one of the most basic tenets of good writing, and it’s a relevant concept in law firm marketing as well. Look at it this way, most law firm websites tell you how much they relate to their clients. Somewhere after they’ve outlined how much experience they have…

Does your law firm have a mobile version of its website? Do you know how many customers or phone calls it typically generates? Have you checked its analytics lately? One law firm took the time to evaluate their website’s performance and discovered a troubling discrepancy. The firm had a mobile website that received plenty…

Think of your firm’s website as your store. True, you’re not selling retail wares. But like a good retailer, you need to entice visitors to stop in and look around. In many cases, your website is your first contact between your firm and potential clients. Most likely, you wouldn’t patronize a store that had…

So you’ve got a Facebook business page for your firm. And you have a LinkedIn account for yourself and your firm. Maybe you even have a Pinterest or Twitter account to boot. But do you know what it takes to build a good social media post? A savvy author will try to do…

Pop quiz: What are the three most common legal issues faced by consumers? Ask the average television viewer this question and they might guess assault, murder and high stakes insurance fraud. As you know, reality is far more prosaic. In fact, our 2014 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey revealed that…

How’s it going? That marketing campaign you’re running. Not sure? Well, you’ve got a problem. See, legal marketing success isn’t a guessing game. Print ads, websites, PPC, television and outdoor advertising are just some of the ways you can spend your marketing dollars, but if you’re not doing your homework…

Unique visits, page views, time on site—keeping watch over all of your website’s performance statistics often feels like a hassle. In reality, these data points are worth your time and can often make the difference between new cases and lost opportunities. You see, when it comes to attracting new business…

Are you doing all you can to make sure your law firm is irresistible to potential clients? Because when it comes to legal consumers, it seems that love at first sight really does exist. FindLaw’s 2014 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey asked respondents how many attorneys they contacted or seriously considered before making a selection…

You know (or should) that having a website is essential to your firm’s success. More and more consumers are looking to the web for attorneys and recommendations. And you know (or should) that keeping your website fresh and useful to consumers is crucial to attracting new business. But all that’s not enough…

The web is crucial for those seeking legal services. From the devices consumers are using to how they are searching online, this infographic from FindLaw and Google shows how today’s attorney-seekers are behaving.

In last week’s article, we discussed howpay-per-click (PPC) marketing can target specific geographies and practice areas.This week, we’ll explore an alternative strategy: using PPC ads to defend an existing brand. How will you know if this strategy is right for you? One perspective depends on how strong your law firm’s brand is already.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing is a complex and valuable tool that isn’t always understood properly. PPC ads are small links most often seen at the top and sides of a search engine results page. These ads have a very prominent visual position and often look like a “top hit” search result. With such desirable placement…

The good news is your hard work has paid off. Potential legal clients are absolutely motivated by your expertise. The bad news though – many law firms promote themselves in terms that aren’t important to these same legal consumers, which is a key finding fromFindLaw’s 2014 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey.

You already know that your reputation has a huge impact on your business, but what are you doing to manage that reputation? Obviously your actions and case history are significant drivers of this, but don’t overlook the importance of social media as a contributor as well. Are People Using Social Media to Find Attorneys?

You’ve probably seen the articles: With everyone texting and emailing and otherwise digitally communicating, telephone communication is dying, at least for business purposes. But that’s simply not true in the legal world. The telephone is still far and away the most popular method of contacting an attorney: 74 percent of legal consumers choose to call…

What’s the newest trick to get law firms to the top of search results? The program that anticipates what Google will do next? The keyword generator that spits out the magic phrases? It’s a trick question. There are no silver bullets when it comes to legal digital marketing. That’s the message that FindLaw…

While what follows might not make much sense, according to recent research commissioned by FindLaw, it’s something that lawyers need to be aware of, and act upon: When considering an attorney, most consumers hold interpersonal and emotional factors just as highly as degrees and experience. This finding comes from FindLaw’s recently conducted…

Why should you update your law firm’s website based on how McDonald’s sells McRib sandwiches? Two words: scarcity sells. The McRib has achieved worldwide fame because it’s only available for a few weeks out of the year. Savvy marketers will tell you that limited availability not only creates a perception of greater value…

A recent survey of legal consumers revealed that over half (55%) of respondents contacted a legal professional for assistance. While “over half” sounds good, there is still a large percentage who chose another path. As you look at their decisions, think about the opportunity for growth these individuals represent: • 20% handled the situation on…

If your law firm’s website offers too many choices, chances are good that potential clients will make the one choice you don’t want them to make: going elsewhere. It may sound counterintuitive, but offering people too many options can confuse them and lead to them making no decision at all.

Most law firm websites are designed to emphasize the status of the people who, in their view, are the most important to the firm’s success. No, not their potential clients, but their own attorneys. This shortsighted focus can be a major contributor to the website’s poor conversion rate. In marketing terms…

There’s no shortage of good questions when it comes to making marketing work for your law firm. That was the case last week during our webcast, How to Gain Exposure for Your Firm in a Crowded Marketplace. Attorney Lauren Clark joined me, and we covered a lot of your questions…

As you market your law firm across all the various platforms available in today’srapidly shifting marketplace, keep one crucial word in mind: consistency. Whether your firm specializes in criminal or family law, the proliferation of Internet-based marketing tools and tactics presents a great opportunity to expand and solidify your customer base…

Super Lawyers is proud to announce the recipients of the 2013 Super Lawyers Pro Bono Awards. The annual awards honor those who represent poor and exploited clients — and do so without fee. “We are honored to recognize the recipients of this year’s Super Lawyers Pro Bono Awards for their outstanding pro bono legal efforts,”…

Congratulations! You’ve won a prestigious industry award. Maybe you’ve received a recognition from Super Lawyers or picked up a national accolade in your specialty. You’re basking in the glow of what you’ve achieved. But once you’re done doing that, ask yourself: What am I going to do with it? In fact, you can, and should…

So you’ve made the effort to plunge your law firm into social media and started a Facebook business page. Now comes the hard part – posting and making it work. Social media can help you reach new clients and extend your influence in your community in powerful ways. Of all platforms, Facebook is the most…

There’s a good reason why so many lawyers blog these days. In fact, there are numerous reasons why blogs have become an effective legal marketing tool. The more you blog, the easier you make it for potential clients to find you online. Awell-crafted post can also build your authority as a thought leader…

Ladies and gentlemen of the legal profession, we need to talk about your law firm’s social media activity. Maybe your Facebook posts and tweets have gotten a little stale and repetitive. Maybe you haven’t posted anything for a while. Or when you do post, it’s about things you’ve seen elsewhere…

FindLaw left the legal marketing world for a night on the opera stage last month. In the Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge, our marketing experts built a brand new website for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Upper Midwest Region (MONCAUMR). We were just one of many organizations to donate time and expertise to assist local…

You’re a busy attorney. So why should you write a blog? There are more reasons than you think. A blog can bring traffic — notably, potential clients — to your website. A blog can also establish you as an expert. It could help make you a go-to person on a legal topic for journalists…

Online marketing is an undeniably effective way to connect with new clients. A well-designed website, along with social media presences and regular blog posts, can help your firm get found. That’s particularly true in a time when more and more people are using the Internet to find and research potential attorneys.

Still need more proof that your law firm needs an online presence? Weigh the following evidence. FindLaw recently conducted a professional survey of 1,000 American consumers on their methods of searching for attorneys. So where do you think they’re most likely to look? You might think friends or word-of-mouth sources…

As an attorney, you want your firm to speak as clearly as possible to potential clients who have many other legal options to choose from. That means you can’t let your most important marketing tool – your website – work against you. Stuffing it with flashy graphics and lots of text won’t impress visitors…

“TV is dead” is a common refrain heard in marketing circles where the edgiest ideas often get the most attention. It’s not surprising if you look at the anecdotal evidence. Between iPads, smartphones, mobile apps and the proliferation of new media, how does anyone have time to watch TV and why would advertisers waste…

Law firms that don’t use social media are a dying breed. Savvy attorneys know that a platform like Twitter is where consumers are congregating. It gives you instant access to 115 million active users, many of whom will search for quality legal resources at some point. When they do so…

If you’re like many attorneys, you have some set notions about how attorney-seekers find your law firm online. Namely, that ranking high on Google’s search results for short phrases such as “Chicago DUI attorney” is the silver bullet that will deliver a steady stream of business. However, according to a FindLaw white paper and study…

It’s been barely two decades since attorneys have been allowed to advertise. But in that scant amount of time, thanks to everything from Twitter to Google maps, the art and science of online marketing has grown immensely in its reach and precision. Still, you may be skeptical about the benefits of online marketing efforts…

Social media is no longer optional for lawyers. If you’re not using it to create awareness and position yourself as an authority, you might as well be using a typewriter and rotary phone. That’s how big the gap has become between social media users and “anti-social” lawyers — and it’s widening by the day.

We’re excited that one of FindLaw’s employees has been selected to join a panel of judges in a first-of-its-kind contest for law students interested in pursuing a career in public service. Tanya Roth, editor and team lead for the FindLaw legal blog network, will serve as an expert judge for a new Public Interest Fellow

You’re an attorney. You don’t sell cars or clothes or Coca-Cola — you provide a useful, needed service. Why should you worry about yourbrand? The word “brand” may make you think about projecting a flashy logo. However, a brand is about how you engage with potential clients and the feelings and responses it elicits.

Your law firm’s reputation is like a sheriff’s badge. It’s a mark of your authority. It gives clients and prospects good reason to trust you and your knowledge of the law. But as many law firms are finding, it’s getting harder to make sure that outsiders aren’t tarnishing that badge.

Here’s one thing you can safely assume about your website visitors: They arrive with a specific purpose in mind. Few people surf lawyer’s websites for fun and relaxation. Given that, it pays to know a little about those people who visit your firm’s site. What features will create the all-important good first impression?

The Internet is a double-edged sword for attorneys. On one side, it’s a remarkably powerful channel for marketing your firm and its services. On the other, it’s a mostly unregulated world where anything can be posted, Tweeted or mentioned about you. It’s not difficult to imagine. A former client may have written a scathing review…

These days, to be successful, a law firm needs to have an online presence, especially a website. But to truly benefit—and to avoid getting burned—you need to fully understand the basic needs of the prospects you’re trying to reach. Our next FindLaw webcast does just that. Think about your firm’s current website.

Lawyers love LinkedIn, and it’s not hard to see why. Of all the major social media platforms, LinkedIn’s focus on business gives it a suitable aura of professionalism. It offers multiple ways to share content and showcase law firm expertise. And it can be a robust networking tool — an eye-opening 98 percent of respondents…

A well-designed law firm website can function as the linchpin of your law firm’s marketing efforts. It allows you to make a first impression with potential clients. It conveys the essence of your firm’s unique brand. It’s the main way that most people find lawyers these days (particularly if it’s optimized for mobile search).

Building a successful law practice takes clients, and obtaining new leads can often be tricky. This is where Lead Generation comes in, to help bridge the gap between your next potential client and you. Lead generation is essentially the use of a third-party service to connect the dots between you and qualified future clients.

We continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week’s offerings from various areas of FindLaw’s unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news, and case law. Take a look at what’s new: FindLaw Consumer Blogs: • Does Your Gym’s Liability Waiver Mean Squat?

What is Super Lawyers? You may be familiar with the glossy print magazine with smiling attorneys on the cover, but that just scratches the surface of what Super Lawyers has to offer. At its core, Super Lawyers is a unique way to provide visibility to attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice.

How can we help you? Let us count the ways. From gadget reviews to ethics news, our blogs lead the way. Okay, enough of the sing-song. You’re busy, so we’ll get right to it. You should be reading our lawyer-penned Technologist and Strategist blogs. They’re extremely useful, we promise! How so?

Happy New Year! As 2014 begins, we continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week’s offerings from various areas of FindLaw’s unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news, and case law. Take a look at what’s new: FindLaw Consumer Blogs:

It’s a common mistake. When trying to attract new clients, many attorneys focus on boosting their firm’s rank in search engine results. While page rank is important, it’s only the first step in bringing in new clients. Conversion – the process of turning site visitors into paying customers – is just as important.

Here’s a question to consider: Why does your law firm have a website? Because your clients expect it? Because Web search is now the main way that people find law firms? Or because a site is an essential component to your firm’s brand? Of course, the answer to all three questions is…

There seems to be a disconnect when it comes to using social media channels as legal marketing tools. Plenty of attorneys and law firms blog regularly. A growing number use Facebook, Twitter and even niche platforms. But some lawyers continue to view LinkedIn — the world’s largest...

When it comes to Internet marketing, attracting visitors to your law firm website is only part of the equation. The other, equally important elements are screening and converting those visitors into clients. And that can be a challenge. No matter how engaging your site’s content and design, you’re still at the mercy of…