Most lawyers don’t ignore marketing on purpose. They’re just busy. Cases pile up, emails come in, and marketing ends up as something you think about “when there’s time.”
The problem is that when you stop checking your marketing, small issues grow quietly in the background. Your contact form might break. Ads might drift off target. Reviews might sit unanswered.
You don’t need a full-day strategy session to prevent that. One focused hour per month is enough to catch problems early and keep things moving in the right direction.
Here’s how to do it.
Link to Minutes 0–10: Check Your Leads Minutes 0–10: Check Your Leads
Start with the most important question: are leads coming in?
Look at the past 30 days and count:
- Phone calls
- Contact form submissions
- Direct emails
Then compare that number to the previous month.
You don’t need complex dashboards. A simple spreadsheet or intake log works fine. What matters is noticing trends. If leads dropped suddenly, something may have changed—your ads stopped running, your site slowed down, or search rankings shifted.
If leads increased, that’s useful too. It tells you something you’re doing is working.
Link to Minutes 10–20: Review Your Lead Sources Minutes 10–20: Review Your Lead Sources
Next, figure out where those leads came from.
Ask your intake team or check your intake notes:
- Google search
- Google Business Profile
- Referral
- Paid ads
This step often surprises lawyers. Many assume most leads come from search when referrals are actually doing the heavy lifting—or the other way around.
Knowing the real sources helps you decide where to spend time and money.
Link to Minutes 20–30: Look at Your Website Basics Minutes 20–30: Look at Your Website Basics
Now open your own website like a normal visitor. Check three things:
- Does the site load quickly on mobile?
- Is your contact information easy to find?
- Does your contact form still work?
It sounds obvious, but broken forms and outdated phone numbers happen more often than people realize. One quick test each month can prevent lost leads.
Also glance at your homepage and one practice area page. Ask yourself: If I were a potential client, would this make sense in 30 seconds?
If the answer is no, make a note to simplify the messaging later.
Link to Minutes 30–40: Check Your Online Profiles Minutes 30–40: Check Your Online Profiles
Search your name and your firm name on Google. Look at what appears on the first page:
- Google Business Profile
- Review sites
- Your website
- Any directory listings
Then check your Google Business Profile directly. Make sure:
- Your hours are correct
- Your phone number is correct
- Your latest reviews have responses
Responding to reviews—even a quick thank-you—shows activity. It also signals to future clients that you pay attention.
Link to Minutes 40–50: Review Your Content and Visibility Minutes 40–50: Review Your Content and Visibility
Take a quick look at your recent marketing activity. Ask yourself:
- Did we publish a blog post this month?
- Did we ask for reviews?
You don’t need daily content. But steady activity matters. If the answer to all four questions is “no,” that’s a signal your visibility may start fading over time.
Pick one simple action for the coming month. Maybe publish one blog post. Maybe send a short newsletter. Consistency beats bursts of activity followed by silence.
Link to Minutes 50–60: Decide One Improvement Minutes 50–60: Decide One Improvement
The last step is the most important: choose one small improvement for next month.
Not five. Not ten. Just one.
Examples:
- Shorten your intake form
- Ask three recent clients for reviews
- Update your attorney bio
- Add a FAQ section to a practice area page
- Test a new ad headline
Small improvements add up. Over the course of a year, twelve small upgrades can significantly improve how your marketing performs.
Marketing doesn’t require constant attention, but it does require awareness. One hour a month is enough to stay informed, fix small issues, and make steady progress.
And that steady progress is what keeps your firm visible while everyone else is too busy to check.