As the new year begins, many businesses take this opportunity to reflect on their marketing strategies to identify the areas that worked well as well as the aspects that need to be improved moving forward. Small to mid-sized law firms typically want to focus on growing their practices to serve a higher number of clients. Although focusing on your digital marketing strategy is an accomplishment on its own, it’s best to think of this strategy as an ongoing process instead of a one-time event. The most successful and impactful marketing strategies require regular review, assessment, and tweaking to ensure that these tactics are delivering the results you’re after. As your law practice starts to look ahead into the New Year, now is the perfect time to consider some of the top legal marketing trends we can expect to see in 2024. With these trends in mind, your law firm can design a cutting-edge and strategic marketing plan to maximize your chances of achieving your goals. Below are just a few of the most anticipated legal marketing trends to watch out for as we move into the next year.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Content Generation Tools
It’s no surprise that one of the top trends in digital marketing concerns the use of artificial intelligence (AI) content generation tools. These last few months have seen an explosion of AI technologies, and such tools have the potential to reshape virtually every sector in ways that we may not even realize yet. As soon as companies like OpenAI made AI content-generation tools available to the public, people started to use them in innovative ways and explore their capabilities (as well as their limitations). While the idea of using AI to handle all of your law firm’s content writing needs (i.e., website content, blog posts, even legal briefs) may sound attractive, it’s essential to approach these decisions with extreme caution. By now, you may have heard of the attorneys in New York who were sanctioned for submitting a legal brief that was generated by the AI chatbot ChatGPT. The brief included six fictitious case citations, leading to public embarrassment for the lawyers who maintained that their actions were in good faith. Moreover, the content that is generated by ChatGPT and other AI tools comes across as stilted, awkward, repetitive, and distant in tone. For now, human-created content works best to convey genuine concern for your clients and to inspire them to enlist your legal services.
Using Some AI Tools to Improve the Client Experience
Before we write off all AI technology as “bad,” it’s important to understand that some AI tools, when implemented strategically and purposefully, can actually maximize a law firm’s efficiency while improving the client experience. The term “artificial intelligence” encompasses a wide range of tools, extending far beyond content-generating chatbots. For instance, many websites have integrated a chat tool that asks site viewers if they need information on a specific topic. These tools can encourage potential clients to get in touch with your law firm and make an appointment to discuss their needs and goals. You can also use email automation to send your clients a request for feedback in the form of a review. Not only does this request encourage your clients to share their thoughts and feel that your firm takes their comments seriously, but streamlining the client review request process increases the chances that more clients will take this step. What’s more, using automated tools removes much of the hassle and potential awkwardness of asking your clients to write a review when you are meeting in person.
Growth of Social Media Marketing for Law Firms
Social media is not going away anytime soon. The most recent research has found that the average person spends nearly two and a half hours on social media apps every day. As you develop your digital marketing strategy, why not capitalize on meeting your potential clients where they already are? Social media advertising builds awareness of your legal services. Even if someone does not have an immediate need for an attorney, their familiarity with your online presence will make it more likely that they will think of you when an issue or question arises. As we move into 2024, advertising on social media platforms will continue to become more customized and interactive, enabling your law firm to reach individuals in specific age groups or socioeconomic classes—in other words, you can reach those you are hoping to serve more easily and effectively.
Video Content Continues to Reach Potential Clients
In today’s ever-increasingly competitive digital marketing landscape, video content is emerging as one of the most effective ways to capture a customer’s attention. Creating short videos that highlight your practice areas or address common client questions or concerns is a great way to connect with potential clients and inspire their trust in your ability to help them. People who visit your website can get a sense of who you are by reading the written content, but this impression only goes so far. When someone watches a short video of you explaining a legal topic or celebrating a recent case you won on behalf of a client, they can see the person behind the legal services. In most cases, potential clients want to feel heard, valued and reassured more than anything else when looking for a lawyer. The nonverbal cues, encouraging tone, and genuine concern you show for the well-being of your clients can all be conveyed through the videos you post on your website and social media platforms. If you’ve never incorporated video into your digital marketing strategy, consider making this a goal in the New Year.
If your law firm’s goal is to engage with more clients and grow your practice, talk to the LegalRev team today about how we can help. Call us at (800) 893-2590 or schedule a quick meeting here to discuss your vision and marketing goals.
