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Why Law Firm “Lead Generation” and Inbound Marketing are Different

3 mins

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Some lawyers assume lead generation simply involves hiring a pay-per-lead or pay-per-click service to feed them anyone remotely interested in talking. Those mistaken lawyers might as well stand on a busy street corner shouting, “Who needs a lawyer? I’m a lawyer!”


While that person might walk away with a handful of new phone numbers or scheduled appointments, the odds of any of those leads being your ideal client are very slim. The audience is not filtered based on their interest or need for your specific services. The best clients usually come to you because they’ve researched your services and understand how you can help them. It’s called inbound marketing, and since the proliferation of Internet search engines, it has become the preferred tactic for those trying to generate qualified leads.


Your firm’s website is now the virtual office. The information you provide there will offer visitors a glimpse into your services and professional style. Rather than pestering a random audience, hoping to catch them at the perfect moment, inbound marketing attracts those searching for your services. For example, optimizing your site for specific keywords, like “best defense attorney Seattle,” will attract people that Google that phrase. This will weed out others looking for “best real estate attorney Seattle” or “best defense attorney San Francisco.”


People no longer need to be told what they need; they know it, and they actively research it themselves. By creating content, like blogs, ebooks, webinars or white papers, specifically for your ideal client, you’ll create an organic method of generating new leads. The better your content, the better the leads. But good content is nothing without strong promotion.


The internet is littered with undiscovered content, and regardless of how good that content is, it doesn’t do the firm any good if nobody is reading it. Social promotion is one of the most effective ways to drive potential clients to your content. By posting snippets of your interesting content and including actionable language like “go to our site to check out this post and others”, you can drive social media users to your firm’s site. The nuance, of course, is that getting your social posts seen is more than just a matter of posting it. If your social presence - the new gateway to marketing - isn’t performing, it’s because you might be using a 2015 strategy that doesn’t work anymore.


Think about a deep sea fishing trip. Without the right bait, you’ll never attract the big fish. Sure, you can go out there with a couple of lures, and maybe you’ll get lucky, but the guy that’s chumming the water will likely catch the tuna. Inbound marketing is like chumming the water. It gives your firm the best chances of attracting the perfect clients.


Inbound marketing is more effective than purchasing lists because it requires more time and effort to successfully execute. When you begin to write your blogs, make sure you’ve consulted with a marketing professional about best practices. This content is a reflection of your firm, its services, and yourself. It’s worth getting right the first time.


If you’d like to learn more about inbound marketing for lawyers or even strategize a content plan, reach out to us by clicking the button below. We help all types of attorneys grow their practice with the most modern and effective methods.


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Raj Jha