While people across the country are adjusting their lives to the COVID-19 crisis, we’re monitoring how those changes affect the legal landscape. With people spending a lot more time at home and online, lawyers need to be prepared to respond to new behaviors. How can you make sure the right clients find you? By following these tips:
1. Make sure people know you are currently available and handling cases.
Now is a good time to write new blog posts for your website that explain how you are handling cases at this time. Broadcasting this information on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social profiles will help spread the word to those who come across your firm, and give them hope that you can still help them.
2. Let people know that you are available for video conference consultations.
Since we are all practicing social distancing and many states have required residents to shelter-in-place, you can adapt by offering video conference consultations.
3. Be sure phones can be answered.
During this time, more conversions are arriving through phone calls instead of website submissions. However, according to a report by Wordstream over 30% of these calls are going unanswered.
If the pandemic is affecting your office hours, be sure to implement measures to be able to answer calls. If you’re working remotely, be sure that call forwarding is set up correctly and that your answering service is aware of your current situation. Update your new phone extension and office hours on your ads, Google My Business profile, website, and other directories.
4. PPC cost-per-click is down as competitors pull out of Google Ads.
Take advantage of a lower cost-per-click (CPC) by keeping your Google Ads running. In our first weekly review since shelter-in-place orders were implemented across the country, we saw CPC down 25% with some markets showing an increase in clicks and impressions. Stay in the market! While your competitors are running away, this is an opportunity to get lower-cost traffic.
5. Come up with COVID-19 related topics for your blogs
Potential clients will want to know how COVID-19 will affect their case. For example, Portland Oregon family law firm, Gearing Rackner & McGrath, answered the question “Can a Spousal Support Order Be Modified Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic?”
Whatever your area(s) of practice, you can answer questions that are being asked by your current and future clients. Give them a sense of security in knowing that you can still help them, and let them know how.
6. Your Google My Business listing should be up to date.
Make sure your Google My Business information is up to date. If your hours have changed, update your listing. Plus, use Google Posts to communicate COVID-19 related updates to the public.
In case you missed our update (Google My Business Pauses Reviews During COVID-19 Crisis). In a recent public notice, Google announced “New reviews, review replies, and all Q&A will be unavailable during this time” which means your new client reviews will not post to your GMB listing anytime soon.
Therefore, you should pause your review-generation outreach efforts to clients. Since there is no new information on whether or not those reviews would become available later on, you shouldn’t risk it.
Instead, use this time to go through your client database and see who hasn't reviewed your firm. Then, once Google is posting new reviews again, start your outreach efforts.
7. Keep your clients up to date on how your team is doing through regular social media updates and email blasts.
It helps clients when they know their law firm is working through any bumps caused by the coronavirus crisis. Be sure to send out honest and grounding messages about how you’re doing to put your clients at ease.
8. Continue encouraging your contacts to practice recommended prevention measures such as social distancing, frequent handwashing, and staying at home.
That includes your colleagues, staff, clients, and anyone else involved in your law firm’s network. Consider sending out emails that encourage safe practices. This not only shows that you and your firm are doing your part to flatten the curve but it also tells potential clients that you are open, working, and able to handle new cases.
9. Remember, more people are online right now than normal.
This is a great time to reach out to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter audiences and engage with future clients.
At Custom Legal Marketing, we’re closely monitoring the ways in which the COVID-19 crisis affects the legal marketing environment, brainstorming with clients, and doing everything we can to keep leads coming in during this time.
Find out how Custom Legal Marketing can become your law firm marketing partner by setting up a free appointment with one of our legal marketing specialists.
Cristina Fríes is a MA in English/Creative Writing from UC Davis (2019), and is a legal marketing strategist and content developer for CLM. Her interests include creating compelling marketing content, writing books, and traveling the world.