How to Define a Law Firm’s Unique Selling Point

According to the American Bar Association’s annual Profile of the Legal Profession, the legal field has experienced consistent and sustained growth through the years, with over 1.3 million active lawyers in the United States as of 2020. ‌

With more attorneys than ever competing for business, it’s essential that you set yourself apart from the competition. In today’s competitive legal field, your law firm needs a unique selling point (USP) that exemplifies the essence of your law firm and the specific qualities that set it apart from competitors.‌

Keep reading to learn how to create your law firm’s USP and get an edge on the competition.‌

What is a Unique Selling Point (USP)?

Your USP lets prospects know why your law firm is different from similar practices in your region, and how potential clients will benefit from working with you instead of your competitors.‌

How to define your law firm’s USP

1. Consider your caseload and track record

You want your USP to reflect the current status of your law firm. Consider the types of cases you’ve handled and look for patterns to identify potential areas of specialization. They will be evident even if your firm pursues casework in a variety of areas.‌

Follow these 5 steps to cultivate your firm’s specific niches:

• Create categories. You want to divide the different types of cases from each practice area. Create subcategories when relevant. For example, “driving while intoxicated” or “slip and falls.”
• Analyze your categories. Make note of which categories you have worked on most by counting the number of cases in each particular niche.
• Collect demographic details. You’ll want to create lists of demographic details for both individual and business clients. For individuals, collect client ages and education levels. For businesses, collect industry information and employee headcounts.
• Find feedback from current and previous clients. What do they appreciate about your law firm? What adjectives do clients use to describe your law firm? Who would they recommend your practice to — and why?
• Compile the information. Once you’ve collected this information, you can get to work creating your USP by outlining the specific types of cases you work on most to determine who your target market is.

2. Take a closer look at the competition.

Before you can determine what sets your law firm apart, you’ll need to understand how your competitors operate and where opportunities exist within the local market.‌

Consider the following:

• Which legal services do clients struggle to find in your region?
• What styles do other attorneys adopt when consulting with or representing specific types of clients?

You may discover that your services already occupy an underutilized niche. If that’s the case, you simply need to focus on conveying that value to prospects.‌

3. Incorporate your target clients’ pain points.

If your USP involves an accessible solution to your clients’ concerns, it will be much easier to convince qualified leads to convert. Familiarizing yourself with your clients’ pain points is essential if you want to create an effective USP.‌

Common pain points include:

• Cost of legal services when alternatives already exist (court-appointed defense or legal documents online)
• Discussing sensitive topics that they’ve avoided previously
• Wanting an immediate solution — for example, social justice in civil rights cases or leaving a legacy in estate planning cases 
• ‌

‌4. Leverage the strengths of your firm’s staff.‌

Your staff’s strengths should be integral when it comes to crafting your USP. It’s essential to consider all staff when determining strengths, including attorneys, paralegals, and aides. If your messaging fails to accurately reflect their strengths and methodologies, you risk wasting your marketing efforts by attracting leads that aren’t right for your firm.‌

Include this information about your employees in your USP:

• Areas your attorneys excel in
• Types of cases that bring out your team’s genuine passion for the legal industry

Aspiring clients want to know that their future lawyers are trustworthy, passionate about their respective practice areas, and have proof of success. An impressive case history can support your USP, as can testimonials and reviews from previous clients. ‌

Using your USP to attract more clients

To attract more clients, you’ll need to establish professional credibility with a targeted legal internet and social media presence. ‌

Position yourself as a legal expert in your specific field: 

• Become a visible, reputable legal source of verifiable facts, figures, and legal counsel.
• Review marketing materials to ensure consistent use of descriptive copywriting, photos, case studies, speeches, and articles to convey your expertise.

It may take a lot of time and effort to determine your ideal USP.‌

The following are examples of effective USPs detailing expertise:‌

Stripe‌

“Payments infrastructure for the internet. Millions of businesses of all sizes – from startups to large enterprises – use Stripe’s software and APIs to accept payments, send payouts, and manage their businesses online.” ‌

Stripe effectively conveys their concise, effective USP by directing it at a specific target audience while describing the different uses for their software.  ‌

Robinhood‌

“Investing for everyone. Commission-free investing, plus the tools you need to put your money in motion. Sign up and get your first stock for free. Certain limitations apply.”‌

Robinhood’s USP directly conveys that it’s a financial services platform intended for everyone — not just stock experts — and that it offers all the tools you need to invest. ‌

The following are examples of ineffective USPs:

• A client-focused law firm offering in-depth legal expertise and experience.
• We provide the best legal services to our clients.

When composing your USP, imagine that you’re a potential client looking for legal help in your firm’s niche. What would convince you to hire yourself? Tell your visitors exactly why you are the best choice and drive these points home with all of the data you just collected and analyzed.‌

Level up Your Legal Marketing With Martindale-Avvo

Defining your law firm’s unique selling point and marketing strategy can be a daunting task. Reach out to the law firm specialists at Martindale-Avvo for proven, expert advice. We can help you cultivate an effective USP and marketing campaign that appeals to your target demographic. Connect with us today to get started.