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Legal marketing is not what it was 50 years ago, or even 5 years ago.

The explosion of internet marketing, clickbait-style content, and SEO proficiency has changed the game completely.  According to Blackfin’s 2017 report, here’s what lawyers, both big and small, are doing this year:

Do-It-Yourself Internet Marketing

Small firms especially are quickly learning that you don’t need to pay thousands of dollars to consultants for skills you can learn online for free.

This allows attorneys to have greater control over where their money goes and how their firm’s brand is presented.

It also means that more of the marketing budget goes to actual marketing, instead of paying for the consultant’s time.

There are plenty of reputable free training courses out there.  We’ll cover the options more specifically in a separate blog post, but for now, a quick Google search should yield you some great results.

Longer Content

If you’ve been to the average firm’s website, you’ll notice how they list their accomplishments and services very generally.  In 2017, clients want to know exactly what they’re getting.

That’s why we previously talked about creating useful content for your potential clients.  They want you to give them something valuable before they commit to paying you thousands for your services.

That’s why I recommend that you give away general tips for free.  People like you more after you give them useful advice.

Blackfin gives the specific advice of having a lengthy FAQ page; however, since “FAQs” sounds a bit generic, I would suggest calling it the “10 Biggest Tips for [your practice area]”

Visual Stimulation

This should be a no-brainer: better-looking websites perform better.  Finally, lawyers are paying attention.

Your average small firm will have a barebones website that looks like it was created in 2004.  An ugly website is an immediate turn off for prospective clients.

Web design is like anything in the technology industry: what is considered state-of-the-art today will look archaic in five years.  Your website must adapt to the recent advancements in website design.  If you look at any big law firm’s website, you’ll see what I mean.  They usually look pretty slick, but that’s because they have a large marketing budget.

You, however, can get away with having a great-looking website without the enormous cost of hiring a design firm in Silicon Valley.  Sites like Upwork.com offer experienced web designers from around the world to improve your website for a fraction of the price of a US firm.

These 2017 trends are not surprising considering the recent developments in and popularity of internet marketing.  Don’t let your firm get left behind.