Digital marketing is on the rise, while having your online marketing plan in place is important, there’s a goldmine often overlooked: referral marketing. Lawyer referral marketing is one such goldmine that can help you succeed in the legal industry. When a credible source refers you to a client, they are most likely to trust you. The conversion rate of the referral is also high. Clients might not go to a lawyer that they randomly saw on the web or billboard. But they are likely to trust the lawyer that someone known referred to.
We will be exploring referral marketing, tools, and why it is still important and relevant for lawyers.
Overview of Lawyer Referral Marketing
Lawyer referral marketing is a practice that involves building a professional relationship with others in the industry to generate referrals and new business. This is the process of encouraging your satisfied clients and professional connections to recommend your services to potential clients. It is a simple way to get new business for your legal services. There are various different lawyer marketing ideas that can help you get referrals, which we will discuss further in the blog.
Why Referral Marketing is Important for Lawyers & Firms?
Referral marketing is a very prominent and profitable long-term marketing strategy that you can leverage for your legal business. According to reports by Forbes, 78% of B2B marketers say that referral programs generate good or excellent leads.
Law firm referral marketing is important because:
- In comparison to traditional advertising, it is more cost-effective. You can acquire leads without spending a lot of money on marketing and advertising.
- Referrals are credible and usually come from trusted sources. Potential clients are more likely to trust you and chances of conversions are more.
- You can generate quality leads that are more likely to convert with the help of referral programs.
Ways to Generate referrals for your law firm
If you are wondering how to get referrals for your firm. Here are some of the most useful marketing referral ideas for lawyers and law firms:
Establish Presence in the Community for Visibility
Lawyer referral marketing doesn’t have to be a complicated and time-consuming process. You simply have to look for opportunities to put yourself out there in a legal community. This simple act of yours can get you referrals.
Community involvement is a major part of successful lawyer referral marketing. If you get involved in the lawyer community and show up at the events, you will get visible. Unexpected referrals can follow you by being active and publically involved in letting people know about your practice.
You can get visible in the community by attending:
- Legal conference
- Workshops
- Fundraisers
- Seminars
- Webinars
- Chamber of Commerce gatherings
Getting out there and participating in conversations, FaceTime and online meetings with other professionals in the industry can also be helpful. According to a recent survey of Harvard Business Review subscribers, 95% of respondents say face-to-face networking meetings are essential for long-term business relationships.
Build a Strong Referral Network
Don’t just limit your referral networking to people you know, go beyond and build a strong network. Successful law firm referrals involve networking with new people and finding new partnerships.
To meet new people and build strong referral networks, attend conferences, workshops, charity events, industry panels, and fundraising events. All these events provide a great opportunity to meet new people. Local discussion communities and meet-ups are also great opportunities for networking. You can connect with the state bar, chamber of commerce, and other local organizations to connect with new people. Having face-to-face interaction is priceless and will provide you a chance to build strong relationships with other attorneys and firms.
Don’t Shy Away, Ask for Referrals
It doesn’t hurt to ask for referrals from clients and legal professionals who already know you. The simplest and easiest way of getting referrals is by simply asking for referrals. You may already have a list of people who you can reach out to for referrals. Most lawyers and firms maintain a proper list of all new, old, existing, and potential clients. Apart from this, they also have a contact list of partners, colleagues, and businesses. Just scrap the list, reach out to people you already know, and also for referrals.
Other ways in which you can also for referrals are by creating an email campaign, writing a newsletter, and asking clients to share their experiences with you.
Leverage Social Media Platforms
Almost more than half the world’s population is using social media platforms. This makes social media platforms a great source for generating referrals. By engaging on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram, you can reach wider audiences while sitting at your office.
There are a few different ways of leveraging social media platforms for your referrals:
- Create engaging and relevant content for your audience, share tips, offer advice, talk about trending industry topics, and more.
- Directly engage with your audience and fellow professionals. Comment on posts, share content, engage in open discussion, and go live on different platforms.
- Use relevant hashtags to reach out to your potential clients.
Consider Strategic Partnerships
For lawyer referral, you can also consider having a strategic partnership plan. Apart from lawyer networking, you can also have a strategic marketing plan in place. With a properly structured referral marketing plan, you can create a framework for individuals to refer potential clients to your law firm. For these referrals, you will have to offer certain incentives to individuals referring to your services.
Share Customer Testimonials & Case Studies
For getting referrals, you can also share positive feedback from your clients on your law firm’s website, social media, and other such platforms. You can also create customer case studies and how you helped them with their legal matters. This will help you in creating a positive brand image. Make sure you are taking approval from your clients before sharing their journey and experience with you. Reputation management for law firms and referrals from clients depends on the positive experience of your past and existing clients.
Ask Fellow Legal Professionals for Referrals
If you want to build a strong attorney referral network, make sure to ask your fellow lawyers for referrals. This will not just help you in getting new clients, but also build strong professional relationships with fellow lawyers. Many times, law firms meet with clients that might not fit for their law firm and if you have a professional relationship with firms, they can refer you to clients.
Tools for Attorney Referral Marketing
Here are some tools that you can use for attorney referrals and marketing:
Referral Software and Platforms: There are numerous software available in the industry that can help you connect with your potential client. They can find you through directories and such platforms. Not just that, these platforms can also help you in managing your referrals in one place.
Client Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Law firm CRM allows you to keep track of all your past clients, identify potential clients, and nurture relationships with present clients.
Email Marketing Platforms: Email marketing is one of the most effective and useful tools for referrals. You can stay connected with past clients, present clients, share valuable content, generate leads, or even set up an email marketing campaign for a referral program.
Online Review Management: Manage your online reviews from clients. It is important to monitor and manage online reviews as it will give a boost to referrals and conversions. Positive online reviews act as social proof and increase trust for referrals.
Start Building Your Lawyer Referral Network
You need a reliable and efficient platform to convert leads, manage leads, and intake new clients, and this is where CaseFox comes in.
Client intake and lead management: With CaseFox’s custom client intake form, you can easily onboard clients, track and convert new leads. Build the intake form according to your needs and save client data for the intake process.
Website development: Create a custom professional law firm website with CaseFox. Automate the process of client intake process, integrate custom forms on the website, and accept payment directly through the website.
Try CaseFox and see how it can improve your conversion and lead management process.