To acquire or retain
We’ve all seen the statistics around client acquisition versus client retention (spoiler: it’s cheaper, easier, and quicker to keep existing clients than to find new ones).
But as the marketplace grows – and the legal sector becomes increasingly competitive – the trick is not to focus on one at the expense of the other, but to expertly balance both.
It can all feel a bit Catch-22.
How does your law firm speak to a new audience while continuing its existing conversation? And do it without wasting precious resources.
Forget what you know about marketing
Byron Sharp, Professor of Marketing Sciences and author of How Brands Grow, highlights a long-held fallacy: that business success depends on ultra-loyal brand evangelists who wouldn’t use anyone else.
And that’s just not how it really works.
Firms in all industries rely on the occasional customer. The casual client. The light buyer. Many will be new to your service, or have cases ongoing. Few will be seen regularly, bringing with them a consistent workload. While research suggests four out of 10 consumers have used a law firm or solicitor in the last two years, it’s unlikely most are repeat consumers.
However, you can make repeat clients more integral to your business model. Look for areas where you can cross-sell services in a natural way to your clients. There are several legal services that easily go together, for example:
Will-writing and power of attorney
Divorce and a new will
Divorce and conveyancing
For clients, brand loyalty isn’t about loving a product or service, but relying on it when they need it.
Fear of alienation, then, is often unfounded. Unless the shift is dramatic, existing clients are likely to stick with you.
Rather than being an uphill battle, appealing to a broader audience is actually going with the flow – and ultimately the only way to really grow the firm.
Where to start
Be yourself
There’s a reason all your existing clients chose you – and chose to stick with you. Identify what it is that has made you successful so far.
It might be your skills and specialism, competitive prices, location, decades of experience, or even a memorable ad you ran in the local paper.
In many cases, what impresses clients is purpose. Why you do what you do – and how you do it. Highlighting your core purpose is an excellent way to define what sets you apart from competitor firms.
Think to yourself:
What are we here for?
Why do we get out of bed in the morning?
What makes a satisfying work-day?
What are the cases of which I feel most proud?
These questions may work well on an individual level – but can you answer them for your colleagues, senior partners, and the firm as a whole?
These are your strengths. The essence of your business. Unless you’re embarking on a wholesale rebrand, embrace them. It creates a comforting brand consistency for new and existing clients.
Follow the data
Time and money. The two most valuable resources – and ones few solicitors can spare.
Successful businesses don’t make decisions without the data to back it up. Otherwise, how would they know whether they’re expending resources unnecessarily, in the wrong places, or on the wrong people?
Use your website and marketing data to define any growth strategy. If you engage a digital marketing agency, they’ll be able to access and share much of this information.
This will help you identify opportunities for building out your client base. But it also tells you who they are.
You might find the demographics dominated by older clients concerned about updating their wills, or those with more complicated trusts who want a solicitor they can rely on for future financial decisions.
Whoever they are, they might be your ideal client – in which case, great. You can now start the right conversation with them.
Or they might be misaligned with your objectives – low income or low complexity cases, for example – at which point you can begin investigating who and where your ideal client is, and how best to reach them.
If your firm is attracting clients outside of that ideal fit, consider what decisions you’re making that are bringing them in. Does your pricing need to change? Is your marketing targeting the wrong audience? How are you presenting yourself online?
One voice, many tones
Let’s say you’re aiming to attract a radically different audience.
For instance, perhaps your firm has concentrated on offering wills because your area has an older demographic.
Now, you want to appeal to a younger crowd – first-time buyers in the housing market, or young professionals involved in family disputes.
That’s a major shift.
The trick to avoiding alienation is to maintain your firm’s existing voice while adapting your tone.
A good way to think of it is this:
Voice is your company’s personality. It can usually be summed up in a single word – professional, experienced, caring.
Tone is the flavour you add, depending on the audience, topic, or marketing channel.
Tone lets you build rapport. It’s about altering what you say and how you say it to focus on what’s important to the audience.
You can see this in action on major brand websites where different customer types are addressed differently – one voice, multiple tones, consistent yet tailored.
Raise awareness levels
Awareness is a problem in the legal sector. Even the most recognised brands only achieve moderate awareness levels.
In other words, people don’t always know these companies exist – or they’re not front of mind.
This is where many businesses go wrong. They emphasise short-term, narrowly focused campaigns: one hit, a handful of clients, job done.
Your marketing should be a constant stream of promotion.
It’s about not only being there for those who need you immediately, but also seeding awareness so you’re a trusted name when they eventually do.
A steady flow is essential when attracting new business. By making your online ads valuable and distinct – offering useful guides, being bold and creative – you’ll stand out from the crowd and appeal to existing and new clients at once.
Find new clients with The Law Superstore
If you’re looking to add a new type of client to your list, The Law Superstore can help. You can target by location, service and more, allowing you to test new demographics without heavy research.
As a comparison site, the platform connects you with people actively seeking legal support. No sky-high marketing costs. No minimum-term contract. Just smart, simple flexibility to find the right clients for your firm.
Start your trial today.
