10 Creative Marketing Tactics for Law Firms

Small law firms and solo practices encounter the same challenges as other small businesses. They face fierce competition and often have to make unusual efforts to stand out from the crowd. Even after you have taken care of the basics with your law firm branding, with a website, logo, brand identity, and target client, you might still need to employ creative law firm marketing to generate business. 

These ideas represent new and innovative ways you can increase awareness of your law firm, reach and connect with potential clients, and increase your network within the community. Both online and offline, creative law firm marketing can help get the right clients for your firm walking through the door. 

Pop-up Shop

The pop-up shop is a retail concept where a store opens for a short period of time. They “pop up” in a retail space for a few weeks and then move on to another location or sell online only. Pop-up shops are great retail innovations because they give digital and e-commerce brands the chance to connect directly with customers. Instead of judging a product from its online description and photos, customers have the chance to touch and handle an item.

A pop-up shop gives your potential clients something they don’t get from a website: the chance to communicate with you directly. It’s common for lawyer websites to offer free initial consultations. Instead of relying on a potential client finding you through a Google search and making an appointment, try to be somewhere they are. A pop-up lets you have one-on-one consultations on the spot. 

If you don’t want to lease an entire retail space, consider partnering with a local business for a small privacy booth in their office. A local insurance broker for example might be a good fit for a small law firm that wants temporary space. 

Local Community Events 

Instead of a full-fledged pop-up where you give free consultations, consider getting a booth at a local farmer’s market or craft fair. Typically, the people here are not looking for a lawyer. Your presence, however, can help increase awareness of your law firm. 

You can distribute brochures and items with your logo and contact information, such as notepads and magnets. A useful item can stay in a person’s house for a long time, and you might one day get a call from a prospective client. 

Partner With Local Nonprofits

Although most of the crowd at a farmer’s market might not be thinking about hiring a lawyer, other more niche groups might be. An example is a nonprofit group serving refugees. They might need legal services connected to immigration, employment, and social assistance. If these are your areas, ask the nonprofit if you can set up a booth at an event or community gathering that supports these people, so they know there is legal help available. 

Attend Industry Events 

Try to get a space at conferences designed for your potential clients. If you serve technology startups or small businesses, go to new product launches or trade shows. Setting up a booth can get people thinking about the operational aspects of their companies, and the legal services they might need, while they are marketing their new products. 

Sponsor Events Your Clients Attend

Sponsorship is a tried-and-true marketing strategy, from logos on little league uniforms to advertisements on the boards of hockey rinks. As an out-of-the-box creative marking tactic, have your law firm sponsor an event your clients might attend, but where they don’t expect to see you. 

An example is a family lawyer sponsoring a wedding fair. This gives you the chance to dislodge the immediate association between “family lawyer” and “divorce,” by promoting your services in drafting prenuptial agreements and other legal tools that help people start their new life on a positive note. 

Partner With Businesses That Serve Your Client Base

There’s sponsorship and then there’s partnership. Some companies offer different services to your potential clients. You can approach these businesses to place a paid ad for your law firm on their website or to refer you if clients ask. 

An example is a family lawyer who partners with an online scheduling app serving co-parents of children who live in separate households. Although the scheduling app can help the adults coordinate parenting time, they will need to talk to a lawyer if they want a formal modification to the parenting agreement. If they want new legal representation, your name is front-of-mind because of your ad on the app or site. 

Hobbies as a Way To Network

There’s an old stereotype that golf is synonymous with business. There is some truth to the idea that it’s often through recreational activities that deals are made. One creative marketing strategy might be particularly easy: do what you love and meet new people in the process. If you like to sing, join a community theater. If you love to swing a bat, join an amateur softball team. As you get to know your fellow thespians and athletes, they will inevitably ask what you do for a living. In the process, you’re getting the word out about your law firm. 

Online Puzzles

Almost every law firm has a social media presence. You can make yours creative and distinct by giving people a reason to follow and share your posts. If you have ever played Wordle or any other daily game on social media, you know how addictive it can become. 

You can use a simple puzzle or game generator to create a weekly activity. To keep the marketing focused, you can create a practice area-specific theme with every game. As an example, you can post a crossword puzzle with phrases connected to motor vehicle collisions. 

Creative Memes

The meme is a staple of social media. You can create some attention-grabbing photo and text combos that uphold your law firm’s image while still generating traffic. An example would be a meme with the text: “Mom told me to never go to bed angry. Up all night? Contact our law firm today.” 

A meme can take the form of an image combined with a phrase, similar to an old-style magazine advertisement. A picture of several children and several parents, with the phrase, “Full house? Get a prenup before you say ‘I do’” could appeal to couples about to marry and blend their families. If you or a marketing firm can think it up, you can put it on social media. 

“Choose Your Own Adventure” Blog Posts

It is common for law firm websites to include case studies about past clients who used their services and had positive results. You can switch up this format by creating fictional “choose your own adventure” posts that draw upon legal concepts. 

In pick-a-path or multiple-ending stories, readers have the option of steering characters in different directions at several points in the narrative. If you adopt this format for your legal marketing, you can put the legal story at the forefront. 

Depending on where the characters end up, their legal needs might change and your law firm can itemize possible solutions. The posts are interactive, fun, and get people thinking about legal issues. They also reinforce the fact that even in challenging circumstances individuals have options. 

Martindale-Avvo Can Help Market Your Law Firm

Even with creative law firm marketing, your practice might still need the basic components of online and offline promotion. Martindale-Avvo offers comprehensive legal marketing solutions, from websites and online profiles to real-time lead generation. Let’s connect today and see how we can help you reach your potential clients.