Small law firms know how to stick to a tight budget. You know how to pinch pennies where you can, such as having employees contribute to a coffee fund or eliminating costly monthly expenses such as streaming satellite radio in the lobby.

While it’s important to stay conscious of your budget, there are certain things you cannot cut — and one of them is legal marketing. Legal marketing is a worthy investment because it brings potential clients to your firm, helping to pay your bills in the long run. Still, many small law firms want to spend as little as possible on their marketing expenses. The question then becomes: What’s most important to invest in?

Focus on Your ROI

The smartest marketing plans emphasize media with the greatest return on investment (ROI). Years ago, firms had to invest in TV and radio with unknown ROI. You couldn’t see the direct correlation between ads and a rise in clients. Plus, it was expensive to buy ads for your firm.

Online marketing offers multiple solutions to these marketing challenges, and a concrete ROI is one of the most noteworthy. Using analytics programs, you can see what is driving traffic to your site, whether it’s a search query or a link from a social media site. These analytics can help you figure out where to focus your small firm’s budget.

The Key to Legal Marketing for Small Law Firms

The most essential part of an effective marketing plan is a user-friendly website that includes fresh content. What exactly does that mean? For starters, your site should be:

• Functioning — Your site should be able to load on mobile devices as well as desktops. You can use Google tools to check if your site is optimized for mobile. Also make sure all of your links work and your site is functioning quickly.  
• Relevant — Offer smart, helpful information on your site that will interest your potential clients. Make your site a place they can go for information, which will help increase your search engine rankings.  
• Updated — Add a blog to your site, so you have a place that you can update frequently with new content. Search engines love sites that are refreshed frequently.

Other Smart Investments

You’ll want to put your largest share of dollars toward your website and website content, but you can also market your firm in other ways such as:

• eNewsletters
• Video marketing
• Social media
• Press releases

Put Your Small Law Firm’s Marketing Budget to Smart Use

Lawyers Writing for Lawyers can help you squeeze the most out of your marketing budget. Contact us today to get started.

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