Search engine optimization, top-of-funnel, and pay-per-click? You’d be forgiven if these words spark confusion. After all, you went to school to study law, not legal marketing.
And yet, legal marketing has become incredibly important for firms of all sizes. As competition intensifies, it can be a powerful way to gain an edge over the competition and attract a steady flow of clients. The good news? You don’t have to take on this work alone. Search carefully, and you’ll find a crop of companies that can elevate your law firm’s marketing.
The only challenge lies in finding the right one for you. To help, we’ve rounded up our top tips for choosing a legal marketing company, along with a list of the best legal marketing companies in 2023.
What is legal marketing?
Legal marketing is an umbrella term that refers to driving awareness and attracting clients to a law firm through various methods.
These methods can range from print ads and television spots, to online strategies, like search engine optimization and social media marketing.
The ultimate goal of legal marketing is to generate business and drive revenue for a law firm.
Understanding legal marketing companies
Advertising was banned in all states by the Supreme Court up until 1977. That means that up until a few decades ago, marketing in law firms was non-existent.
While recently there’s been a spike in digital marketing, many firms still don’t market themselves. According to research in the latest ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, 30% of legal professionals don’t have an annual marketing budget. That’s not a huge surprise. With no shortage of administrative tasks to complete each day, many legal professionals struggle to find the time to practice law, let alone promote their business.
That’s where legal marketing companies step in. With their unique skill set and expertise, they take on a lot of this heavy lifting.
Services legal marketing companies offer
Today, there are a variety of legal marketing companies that offer specialized services.
- SEO agencies. You’d be hard-pressed to find a law firm that doesn’t want to appear on the first page of Google—which is where SEO agencies can help. These specialized agencies can increase your ranking on search engines and drive traffic to your site by harnessing tactics like keyword analysis and link building.
- Advertising agencies. With their ability to plan, develop, and execute impactful campaigns, advertising agencies help law firms get noticed in a highly competitive landscape. They use a wide range of channels, from print ads to radio and TV spots.
- Content creation agencies. Content continues to be king—and the legal industry is no exception. Offering everything from strategy to copywriting and analytics, these agencies help law firms produce valuable content that resonates with their audience and builds their brand’s authority.
- Social media agencies. Social media agencies specialize in developing campaigns that help firms connect with their community and showcase their expertise. LinkedIn is a popular platform for legal professionals.
- Branding agencies. Brand agencies specialize in the development of your greatest asset. Through tag lines, logos, marketing materials, and more, they help create an image that conveys what sets your firm apart.
- Website development agencies. Nowadays, your website is one of the first places potential clients will interact with your firm, which makes the role of website development agencies particularly powerful. If a custom-built website is beyond your reach, Clio Grow offers an easy-to-use law firm website builder within its legal management software system.
Benefits of legal marketing companies
Legal marketing companies offer a wealth of benefits to law firms. Here are some of the top advantages.
They know the ins and outs of the legal industry
There are scores of marketing companies that cater to many industries—but working specifically with a legal marketing company can truly make a difference. Legal marketing companies understand the unique requirements of the industry, from the ethical considerations to the latest regulations. Therefore, you can count on them to get the job done without facing any potential consequences.
They help you work more efficiently
Finding new clients is a massive commitment. After all, lawyers are already strapped for time as it is, with most completing fewer than three hours of billable work each day. With one less thing on their plate, law firms can work smarter and focus on the things that really matter.
They grow your firm by boosting your online presence
Through strategies like search engine optimization, paid advertising, and content marketing, legal marketing companies help increase your law firm’s visibility. As a result, you’ll attract new clients and grow your business. Accordingly, as you take on more cases, you can leverage legal practice management software, like Clio Grow, to seamlessly intake clients.
5 of the best legal marketing companies of 2023
As you set out to pick a potential legal marketing partner, you’ll quickly discover a dizzying array of legal marketing companies in the marketplace. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t fret. We’ve rounded up the five legal marketing companies to know about.
Rankings.io
Rankings.io is an award-winning marketing agency focused on search engine optimization for personal injury lawyers. Founded in 2013, the company helps law firms boost their online presence and organic search rankings through strategies like website optimization, content marketing, and link building. They’re catered to “elite law firms” that often have larger legal marketing budgets.
Comrade Digital Marketing Agenc
Chicago-based Comrade has been delivering digital marketing services to law firms. The company’s talented team of designers, brand specialists, and developers support clients with needs from web development and SEO to pay-per-click advertising and social media marketing. In addition, they work with legal professionals in fields like personal injury law, criminal defense law, family law, and immigration law.
Kaleidico
Founded in 2005, Kaleidico is a Michigan-based digital marketing agency focused on lead generation. Working with mortgage lenders, law firms, and financial technology companies of all sizes, they provide web design and development, brand strategy, SEO, and content marketing.
Jurispage
JurisPage is a full-service digital marketing firm that only works with law firms. Founded by a lawyer, JurisPage helps firms increase their visibility in addition to scaling their business. Moreover, this legal marketing company partners with law firms to build a web presence to impress referrals, potential clients, and colleagues.
ONE400
ONE400 is a leader in the legal marketing world. Its team of experts support law firms, legal tech companies, legal services organizations, and others in the field with marketing, design, and website development.
Interested in learning more? Discover additional legal marketing companies in our Clio App Directory.
How to choose the best legal marketing agency for your firm
As you pare down your list of potential legal marketing companies, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind.
- Reputation. Does the legal marketing company have stellar reviews or testimonials on their website? Great. If not, you may need to do some digging to find reviews that speak to their professionalism and reliability. Additionally, it’s helpful to see what firms they’ve worked with in the past.
- Experience. Is the firm just starting out, or do they have decades of experience? Partner with a company that boasts an impressive track record in helping clients achieve their goals.
- Skills. For example, is the agency focused on legal? Or are they an agency that serves a host of industries? The former has incredible benefits for law firms, as they’ll understand the many nuances of the legal industry. Additionally, there are also legal-specific questions to ask and skills to look out for to assess their knowledge, like when hiring a law firm web designer or legal SEO writer.
- Portfolio. Reading about a company’s expertise on their website is one thing—but as it often goes, showing can be so much more powerful than telling. In any case, take a look at their case studies, portfolio of past work, or success stories.
Want more? We cover seven basic skills to look for when hiring a law firm marketing consultant.
Final thoughts on legal marketing companies
To conclude, in today’s highly competitive landscape, law firms are turning to marketing to stand out. Fortunately, this work can be outsourced to legal marketing companies. On the whole, this can help you work more efficiently, increase revenue, and take your firm to new heights.
Along with finding the right legal marketing partner, consider some of the tools already at hand that boast impressive marketing features. For example, Clio Grow’s client intake and website builder, which comes with everything you need to deliver a great first impression, right out of the box..
Looking for more information or resources? Discover our complete guide on digital marketing for lawyers.