Marketing for legal sources and law firms in the past has always been fairly conservative, sticking to the general information and service that is being conveyed. But recently, legal marketing trends have started to lean towards the use of case studies, which are typically used by the tech industry or other areas where statistics make the sale with powerful numbers for or against the brand. It seems only logical for lawyers; the Law is the Law and there is a bottom line.
Last year, B2B Technology Marketing Group took a survey of over 600 marketers and demonstrated how proven studies were viewed and found to hold “the most effective tactic and format.” Though the legal field has not used this strategy much in the past, it is becoming more popular, and getting good reactions from the public. Attorneys have a need to express the legitimacy of their firm for their potential clients, and what better way than with real-life statistics that show the results of their practice?
Clients need to have concrete evidence provided when they are going to be in a court of law that has rigid standards and expectations. Let’s look at the ways case studies display the company they are proposed for:
1. An attorney must display a sense of confidence in their specialty, and they must articulate effectively that they have a plan and a proven approach to providing for their client. Old advertising used their money and efforts to explain why their legal services surpass other agencies. This approach focused on finding a method of lifting the agency to a superior level based on the client services when a lawyer was retained. But, the attorney must efficiently identify the problem from all angles and then show how their strategy and perspective provides value for the individual case.
2. The public today is generally more informed than those of yesteryear. They want to see proof that this law firm has demonstrated their ability to overcome and solve the problem – their issue at hand.
3. Relating case studies show the prospective client exactly why your law firm is superior to the others, and why you would be the best choice. Half the programs on TV, including the news, graphically show drug use and murders every single day across the streets of America. The audience doesn’t miss a thing, so when they find themselves or a family member in need of legal representation, they want to know the facts; what can you do for me? And this is true no matter what type of law it is from DUIs to personal injury to estate ownership in Family Law.
4. Law firms are built on their expertise. In the 21st century, people expect proven, concrete information from the companies they interact with, which shouldn’t be a surprise because they have been trained over the past 25 years to check reviews, ratings, and testimonials before making decisions on purchases. These purchasing techniques are ingrained in the purchasers’ mindset, so why would they expect anything less from a legal service that would be imperative to their future? No one accepts marketing claims at face value, the tech-savvy public looks for excellence and truth at a reasonable rate along with a level of social validation.
The Future of Legal Marketing
The prediction is that more firms will be investing in case study videos and other advanced displays of their own amazing case studies at the top of their inventory of “wins.” This information is what clients are looking for. Trust is what will have to be portrayed in the core marketing content in legal blogs, newsletters, ads, podcasts, pitches, and proposals to attract the client.
The need for trust begins with an honest, straightforward story that has been documented by another human being. The potential client needs to be aware of how the process works, what is expected of them in the long run, how the firm works and how this firm values my experience? The bottom line is that to select a firm, clients need to know that they can trust that firm with their personal information that is so exploited in the world today; they need to find some hope and envision an end with your help to this season they are going through.
And, they also need to know that their lawyer did what they said and could even expand on that for them. Trust begins with a good story, and there is no better story than the experience of someone who has found success in a similar situation before you and is willing to share it. This is the logic that will be more useful and seen more often in legal tech marketing despite the high cost of production because it is pertinent to the person, the individual who needs help. Lawyers of Distinction can help build turst for your clients – learn more about the Lawyers of Distinction Membership.
Source: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/law-firms-are-increasingly-using-case-studies-to-build-client-trust
