When people think about legal marketing, the first thoughts that often come to mind are the scores of television commercials that promise the law firm “gets paid, only if you do.” Unfortunately, personal injury law has garnered a negative reputation, largely because of the ways in which this area of the law has been traditionally marketed. In reality, the practice of PI law requires hard work, large amounts of time, as well as formidable strategic and litigation skills.
As such, its promotion should be marked by the professionalism the field merits. And there are ways to do so that can attract not just more cases, but better cases as well.
The first thing the key decision maker at a personal injury firm must determine is what the actual objective of the marketing effort should be. If it is simply to “make the phones ring,” then certainly the high visibility medium of television is a good way to proceed. Of course, implementing a television campaign can be expensive if only from a media purchasing standpoint. Thus it should only be undertaken if the financial resources are available and if the firm has a very clear understanding of its specific marketing objectives.
There are, of course, other ways to promote the PI practice. Search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising should be considered as front-line tools. Both can be managed to a level compatible with each firm’s budget. Personal injury attorneys should also seek out every opportunity to speak, publish and disseminate informational material. This means not just focusing on what is happening at the firm, but also leveraging particular trends or cases being discussed in the news (e.g., van rollovers, Firestone tires, etc). Finally, public outreach programs (see cause marketing) should also be considered.
The very nature of this area of the law dictates that PI firms remain top of mind at the time when an individual has a need. A.L.T. Legal Professionals Marketing Group has the experience, the knowledge and the resources to help your firm promote itself on a consistent basis so that when an individual is involved in an accident or other injury-inducing event, he or she will remember and feel comfortable calling your practice.
Learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of marketing activities for law firms here.