When it comes to driving prospective clients to your business, look to the experts. Climbing to the top of the search engine ladder is tough, but with the right legal marketing consultant, you can get the edge you need to bring in new leads and generate more revenue.
A skilled marketing consultant can help you develop effective strategies to convert prospects into paying clients. Legal marketing consultants can use their expertise to analyze your company’s existing marketing strategy and update it or build an entirely new one. But keep in mind- this is no small task, and plenty of legal marketing consultants make big promises with few results.
The key to finding the right law firm marketing consultant is to clearly define your goals and have a good understanding of what you’re looking to achieve. Then, research potential candidates to ensure that you select someone who understands your specific needs and has the experience necessary to help your law firm reach its goals. Make sure they understand best practices regarding marketing services in the legal industry so they truly understand how to best navigate the arena.
When to Hire a Law Firm Marketing Consultant
There are several key stages in your law firm’s development where it makes sense to hire a law firm marketing consultant. First, in the initial launch of a new practice, consultants can develop an integrated marketing plan to help generate early awareness and build a client base.
For established firms looking to scale, consultants provide expertise and objective insight to refine strategy and maximize outreach. One of the best times to turn to legal marketing consultants as an established firm is when you are undergoing a rebranding. A marketing consultant can help develop a cohesive law firm brand identity, create targeted marketing campaigns, and effectively communicate these changes to your target audience.
Furthermore, if your firm struggles to generate a consistent flow of high-quality leads and convert them into clients, it may be a sign that you need expert assistance. Hiring a good marketing consultant can provide the necessary support if your law firm lacks the internal resources or expertise to handle marketing effectively.
Delivering Business Results: Our Digital Marketing Case Studies
10 Must-Have Skills for a Legal Marketing Consultant
There are some really important skills a hiring manager or law firm should look out for when hiring a legal marketing consultant. From SEO knowledge to high-quality copywriting, we’re breaking them all down in this section.
1. Experienced in Your Specific CRM
When searching for a legal marketing consultant, finding someone experienced in working with the customer relationship management (CRM) system you use is essential. While there are various CRM systems available, let’s focus on the importance of a marketing consultant with WordPress skills, especially if your law firm does not have a website or your current website needs improvement.
A consultant proficient in WordPress can create a professional website that effectively showcases your firm’s expertise and services. They can customize the website, manage plugins, optimize page speed, and ensure mobile-friendliness. Additionally, they possess knowledge of WordPress security and best practices to safeguard against hacking or data breaches.
By employing a legal marketing consultant with WordPress skills, you can reap a host of different benefits for your law firm. With the right experience, they can create an appealing law firm website that attracts potential clients, improve search engine optimization (SEO) to boost visibility, and provide ongoing website maintenance and support.
Learn effective SEO techniques specifically for WordPress sites.
2. SEO Knowledge
A consultant with SEO skills should understand keyword research, on-page optimization, business development, and link building well. They should be able to identify relevant keywords for the law firm and optimize the website content to target those keywords. Additionally, they should be able to build high-quality backlinks to the website to improve its authority and relevance.
SEO expertise is essential to attract more clients and optimize a law firm’s online presence. With SEO as the foremost digital marketing strategy, employing a law firm marketing consultant who fully understands it will ensure your success.
Hiring a consultant with SEO skills can benefit a law firm in a number of ways. This includes:
- Increase website traffic and attract more potential clients.
- Establish the law firm as an authority in their practice area.
- Improve the website’s user experience by making it easier for potential clients to find relevant information.
To evaluate a consultant’s SEO knowledge, you can ask them to provide examples of previous projects where they have optimized a website for search engines. Or simply ask them the basics of search engine optimization- if they don’t have the answers, don’t hire them!
Get your practice noticed online with effective law firm SEO techniques.
3. High-Quality Copywriting
Copywriting involves writing persuasive content for marketing to drive website traffic, increase revenue, improve lead generation, and other sales tactics. A marketing consultant with copywriting skills should be able to create clear, concise, and persuasive copy for various marketing efforts, including websites, blogs, social media, and advertising. They should also be able to write in a style that is engaging and easy to understand while still conveying complex legal concepts.
The benefits of hiring someone with copywriting skills include:
- It can help create a consistent and persuasive brand message across all marketing channels.
- It can help establish the law firm as an authority in their practice areas, which can also help build trust with potential and new clients.
- It can help create content optimized for search engines, which can improve a law firm’s visibility in search engine results pages.
You can ask to see writing samples or a writing portfolio to evaluate a consultant’s copywriting skills. It could be in the form of a Google Drive that holds the samples or a custom website with their writing samples. The samples need to be related to the legal industry – preferably to your firm’s practice areas. Additionally, you can give them test tasks to ascertain their ability to write for different marketing channels, such as social media or advertising.
4. Graphic Design Skills
Graphics design combines art and technology to create an image or layout revolving around a theme or topic. A marketing consultant with graphic design skills should be able to create eye-catching designs for marketing initiatives across various marketing collateral, including logos, business cards, brochures, and websites. They should have experience working with design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign and have a deep understanding of design principles such as color theory, typography, and layout.
What are the benefits of hiring a consultant with graphic design skills?
- It can help create a strong visual brand identity that is consistent across all marketing channels.
- It can help create compelling marketing materials that are more likely to attract and engage potential clients.
- It can help save time and money by creating high-quality designs in-house rather than outsourcing to a graphic design agency.
To evaluate a consultant’s graphic design skills, you can ask to see their portfolio of previous design work. Look for a range of designs that showcase their versatility and creativity. You can also ask them to provide examples of how they have helped clients create a consistent brand image or improve the effectiveness of their marketing materials.
Discover the key elements of successful law firm website design.
Comrade Digital Marketing Agency can help you with the above if you’re unsure how to go about it. Schedule a free consultation.
5. Understanding of Google Analytics
A consultant with Google Analytics skills should be able to set up and configure Google Analytics, create and analyze reports, and use the data to identify opportunities for improvement. They should be able to track and measure key performance indicators, such as website traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rate, and provide recommendations based on the data.
Google Analytics is key for a legal marketing consultant to track and improve website performance, as well as for the understanding of how their marketing efforts are truly benefiting their firm.
Hiring a consultant with Google Analytics skills can benefit a law firm in a multitude of ways, including:
- It can help to measure the success of marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.
- It can help identify improvement opportunities in website design, content, and user experience.
- It can help to optimize the marketing budget and spending by identifying the most effective channels and campaigns.
To evaluate a consultant’s Google Analytics skills, you can ask them to provide examples of previous projects where they have used Google Analytics to measure marketing performance. Look for evidence of their ability to set up and configure Google Analytics, create and analyze reports, and use the data to identify opportunities for improvement.
Uncover valuable insights with digital marketing analytics for your law firm.
6. Social Media Marketing Skills
Social media marketing expertise is essential for a legal marketing consultant to have in order to improve and engage through your social media channels.
There are so many social media platforms- from the popular, like Facebook, to the more professional, like LinkedIn, to those focused on aesthetics, like Instagram. A marketing consultant with social media marketing skills can help a lawyer or a law firm establish a strong social media presence and engage with potential clients, ultimately increasing leads for a firm. Examples of social media marketing skills include content creation, community management, social media advertising, and analytics.
You can ask for previous experience in social media marketing to better understand their strengths and weaknesses in the field.
Boost your online presence and engage with clients through social media marketing for lawyers.
7. Email Marketing Experience
Email marketing allows law firms to send tailored messages to potential or existing clients. A marketing consultant with proven success in email marketing strategies can help a law firm create compelling email campaigns, improve open and click-through rates, and generate more leads. You can verify their competence through their portfolio or give them a task to perform.
8. Expertise in Digital Marketing
Digital marketing plays a vital role in attracting and engaging potential clients in the legal industry. A skilled legal marketing consultant should deeply understand various digital marketing strategies and channels. They should be well-versed in search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and online reputation management.
To evaluate a consultant’s digital marketing skills, inquire about their experience implementing successful digital marketing campaigns for law firms. Request case studies or examples showcasing their ability to drive targeted website traffic, generate quality leads, and convert them into clients.
9. Paid Marketing Skills
Paid advertising is a core element of modern legal marketing. As such, finding a consultant well-versed in paid marketing strategies and tactics is important. Look for a specialist with proven expertise in platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads. These paid channels offer an effective way to target clients actively searching for specific legal services. A qualified consultant should understand optimization techniques like audience profiles, bidding adjustments, landing page testing, and campaign reporting.
Inquire about their approach to campaign optimization, budget management, and tracking mechanisms they use to measure success.
10. Good Communication
Good communication skills are a valuable asset for consultants. When meeting with your firm’s lawyers and staff, the consultant will need to explain strategic recommendations and garner support. Look for a consultant who listens attentively, engages professionally, and adapts knowledge delivery based on audience comprehension.
To assess their communication skills, engage in a conversation or interview to evaluate their ability to articulate concepts clearly, actively listen, and adapt their communication style to different audiences. Request proposals and references, asking contacts specifically about the consultant’s clarity and responsiveness will reveal their communication abilities.
Bonus Skills to Look for When Hiring a Marketing Consultant for Law Firms
Aside from the skills mentioned above, there are other complementary skills you can look out for when hiring a consultant.
Legal professionals often face unique challenges in marketing their services, making these additional skills invaluable.
Frontend Web Development (HTML/CSS/Javascript)
Frontend web development skills can be useful for a marketing consultant when making changes to a law firm or legal marketing association’s website. Skills in HTML, CSS, and Javascript can allow a consultant to make website updates and improvements without relying on a developer.
Optimize your law firm’s website for technical SEO to improve its performance.
Google Advertising
Google Ads services for lawyers can be an effective way to target potential clients who are searching for lawyers using relevant keywords. A marketing consultant can help incorporate Google advertising into the law firm’s marketing strategy to create effective ad campaigns, improve ad relevance, and maximize return on investment.
Drive targeted traffic and generate leads with Google Ads for lawyers.
Facebook Ads
Facebook advertising can be a cost-effective marketing option for law firms to target potential and prospective clients based on their interests and demographics. A marketing consultant can use Facebook advertising to help a law firm create effective campaigns, improve ad targeting, and generate more leads.
Unlock the potential of Facebook marketing for law firms to grow your clientele.
Video Editing
Video content marketing can be a powerful way for law firms to engage with potential clients as video content grows in popularity with the rise of platforms like TikTok. A marketing consultant with video editing skills can help a law firm create compelling video content that showcases their expertise and highlights their services.
Engage and connect with your audience through compelling video marketing for lawyers.
Hiring a Consultant vs Hiring a Law Firm Marketing Agency
A legal marketing consultant typically has specialized knowledge in the legal industry and marketing strategies. They work closely with your firm to develop and implement marketing plans, offering personalized attention and tailored advice. Consultants can provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness, as you only pay for the services you need. However, they may not have the same resources and support as an agency.
On the other hand, a law firm marketing agency is a team of professionals with diverse expertise in various marketing disciplines. They can offer comprehensive services, including content creation, SEO, website development, social media management, and more. Agencies often have established processes and systems in place, allowing for efficient and streamlined execution of marketing campaigns. It’s a team working in your favor, not just an individual.
Hire the Best Legal Marketing Experts at Comrade
No matter what digital strategies interest you most, hiring the right law firm marketing consultant for your law firm is essential to seeing results. Ultimately, marketing consultants are responsible for developing and implementing your marketing strategy, so partnering with a team that truly understands your messaging and marketing initiatives is crucial. Don’t rush the process. Take your time and find the best consultant for your needs.
For a comprehensive approach to reaching more prospective clients and growing your firm, hiring a third-party agency can be your best solution. At Comrade Digital Marketing, we can handle all the legal marketing consulting tasks to drive business to your firm. Our team of experts offers a customized approach tailored to your specific needs and goals that will help you bring in new leads and generate revenue. Contact us today to learn more.
