Finding new clients is a difficult thing for any new lawyer, especially those who decide to hang out a shingle and go out on their own. There is simply no single way to bring in clients any more. Gone are the days where you could simply put an ad in the yellow pages and wait for the phone to ring. Now, lawyers mus be willing to go the extra mile, to build relationships, and to offer good service. I've added three tips that I find very effective in bringing in new clients consistently.
1. Network, network, network
One of the first places that people look for a new lawyer is through their network of contacts. Whether it is a question on social media, or a phone call, people want to find a lawyer trusted by the people that they trust. Simply building relationships with your network of contacts is a great first step. Joining an organization like BNI that encourages referrals is another great way to go as you can develop a very large network of people who will be looking for opportunities to refer people to you.
2. Search Engine Optimization
While the yellow pages used to be the first place that people would look for a new lawyer, now Google has taken that mantle. If someone is looking for a lawyer and they cannot get a referral from a friend, then Google is the next stop. Taking advantage of search engine optimization, or SEO, involves having a website that is optimized for the terms that your potential clients would use to search on Google. I recommend against trying to do this on your own and hiring an SEO firm to take care of it for you. For a reasonable monthly fee, you can have a steady stream of calls and emails from interested prospects. I have heard great things about the guys at irvineseo.co, so if you are looking for an agency, they could be a great place to start.
3. Your reputation matters
Make sure that you are taking great care of your clients. If you don't and you end up with unhappy clients, they will find places to leave reviews online. And while you might not think that is such a big deal, what do you think happens when someone refers a friend to you. For the most part, they will Google you to see what the web has to say about you. Of course they will see your website in the search results, but they will also see the review sites. If you have several bad reviews visible in the search results, you have probably just lost a very valuable referral.
1. Network, network, network
One of the first places that people look for a new lawyer is through their network of contacts. Whether it is a question on social media, or a phone call, people want to find a lawyer trusted by the people that they trust. Simply building relationships with your network of contacts is a great first step. Joining an organization like BNI that encourages referrals is another great way to go as you can develop a very large network of people who will be looking for opportunities to refer people to you.
2. Search Engine Optimization
While the yellow pages used to be the first place that people would look for a new lawyer, now Google has taken that mantle. If someone is looking for a lawyer and they cannot get a referral from a friend, then Google is the next stop. Taking advantage of search engine optimization, or SEO, involves having a website that is optimized for the terms that your potential clients would use to search on Google. I recommend against trying to do this on your own and hiring an SEO firm to take care of it for you. For a reasonable monthly fee, you can have a steady stream of calls and emails from interested prospects. I have heard great things about the guys at irvineseo.co, so if you are looking for an agency, they could be a great place to start.
3. Your reputation matters
Make sure that you are taking great care of your clients. If you don't and you end up with unhappy clients, they will find places to leave reviews online. And while you might not think that is such a big deal, what do you think happens when someone refers a friend to you. For the most part, they will Google you to see what the web has to say about you. Of course they will see your website in the search results, but they will also see the review sites. If you have several bad reviews visible in the search results, you have probably just lost a very valuable referral.