Digital Marketing: 10 Foolproof tactics to boost lead generation

By Kevin Vermeulen

In today’s online-first world, law firms and lawyers looking to drive new business acquisition can’t afford to ignore digital. However, merely having a website and a few social media profiles  won’t be enough to attract attention from potential clients. Every digital asset incorporated into a firm’s marketing strategy must also be optimized and effectively leveraged for lead generation.

But how can lawyers and law firms ensure they’re doing enough? They can start by adopting these 10 foolproof tactics for lead generation.

Optimize web page layout

A law firm’s website serves as the cornerstone of any effective lead generation strategy. But if users are compelled to immediately click away due to an unattractive or confusing page layout, any traffic a site does garner probably won’t do much for the firm’s lead generation efforts.

To ensure all webpages are designed to maximize visitor-to-lead ration, legal marketers should keep the following tips in mind:

• Language should be simple; avoid over-complicated copy.
• Ensure text is visually appealing with bullets and shorter paragraphs.
• Use a judicious mix of images and videos.
• Keep the page brief;  prioritize value over length.
• Place prominent call-to-actions (CTAs) above the fold

Identify conversion barriers with heat maps

Because heat maps gather data on visitor behaviors, they are powerful lead generation tools every legal marketer should be using to:

• Identify friction points, such as site elements that appear clickable but are actually static.
• Determine how visitors interact with calls-to-action.
• Pinpoint areas visitors interact with the most, as well as page elements that prevent them from following the conversion path.

Dynamic CTAs for greater personalization

Using the same call-to-action for every visitor was once standard practice in website design, but no longer. Now that it’s possible to continually collect data on user behaviors, law firms have the ability to completely transform their CTA’s. By leveraging information on a visitor’s location, browsing history, whether they’re already a client or a lead, and more, legal marketers can serve up dynamic or “smart” CTAs with wording customized for the specific type of prospect who’s viewing it.

Gated lead magnets

Offering gated, downloadable content, such as a free PDF checklist, eBook, whitepaper, or survey, is a surefire way of enticing visitors to provide their contact information for use in future marketing campaigns. Gated content is easily promoted through pop-ups, in the CTAs that appear in blogs, and even through social media. The key is to keep contact forms short and to the point – visitors should only be asked to provide information that’s absolutely essential.

Free, no-obligation consultations

Some people who hesitate to contact a law firm worry they’ll be required to pay up front or commit to retaining that firm before they’re ready to do so. Allowing visitors to sign-up for a free, no-strings consultation directly from their website allows firms to proactively eliminate those concerns. Once a prospect engages with the firm through the free consultation, legal marketers can direct further nurturing efforts their way.

Hosted webinars

A webinar allows a law firm to engage directly with potential clients while showcasing their expertise in a specific practice. In order to attend the webinar, prospects are typically required to submit their contact information during the registration process. Keys to a successful lead-generating webinar include choosing a timely and unique topic that’s of great interest to the target audience, getting the right presenters on board, and effectively promoting the webinar on the firm’s website and through social media.

Personalized google ads

Google Ads offer firms an effective means of connecting with prospects who are actively searching for the services they offer. Legal marketers can take things a step further by using dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) to customize an ad to a searcher’s specific query. It’s been shown that people are much more likely to click on the headline that most closely matches their search intent.

Remarketing campaigns

In many cases, visitors won’t fill out a contact form the first time they land on a website. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested in a law firm’s services – it could simply be that they’re just not ready to make a final decision. Remarketing (also known as retargeting) campaigns allow a legal marketer to serve display ads to this highly qualified audience, keeping their firm top of mind and creating additional opportunities for conversions.

Live chat tools

Adding a live chat tool to a law firm’s website can increase conversions by 3.87%, according to the popupsmart blog. Live chat facilitates early contact with website visitors and helps move them down the marketing funnel so they can be converted into a lead. With AI now in the mix, live chat tools are more powerful than ever before.

Guest blogs

Law firms can get their names in front of an entirely new audience and position their attorneys as thought leaders in their industry by providing guest blogs to reputable websites that are relevant to the practice areas they serve. A guest blog includes the name of the attorney who authored the piece and often a link back to the firm’s website, opening up an entirely new avenue of lead generation.

While lawyers and law firms will find a multitude of opportunities for connecting and engaging potential clients within the digital realm, reaping the benefits is highly dependent on their ability to deploy creative lead generation tactics optimized to attract attention from their target audience.

Kevin J. Vermeulen is a partner in Good2BSocial LLC, a digital marketing agency that focuses on law firms and companies in the legal industry. He can be reached at [email protected]