Law is a competitive industry. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), there are more than 1.3 million licensed attorneys in the United States. Lawyers and law firms rise and fall on their professional skills. At the same time, law firms need clients. Without client acquisition, even the most adept attorney cannot thrive. Law firm branding can make or break long-term client acquisition strategies. In this article, our digital strategy consultant for law firms discusses the essentials of law firm branding.
Understanding the Importance of a Developing a Strong Law Firm Brand
As a starting point, it is important to understand the difference between marketing and branding. While the two concepts are closely associated, they are also distinct. A brand is about who you are, whereas marketing is about building awareness. Branding is fundamental to your law firm’s identity. Marketing is the tactical approach used to get your message before a target audience. Some key reasons why law firm branding is so important include the following:
- A brand makes a law firm look professional and helps them gain trust;
- A brand establishes clear objectives and identifies a target audience;
- A brand helps a law firm stand out in a competitive industry;
- A brand supports marketing and advertising objectives; and
- A brand improves client acquisition—both by generating and converting leads.
How to Create a Powerful and Effective Law Firm Brand
When developed properly, a law firm’s brand can be powerful and effective. Creating the right brand for a law firm requires careful focus on the professional services that the firm can offer. Here are some of the most important elements needed to build a powerful brand identity for a law firm:
- Brand Personality: A brand is unique to a law firm. In some ways, a brand can be thought of as similar to a personality. A law firm’s brand personality generally varies based on the type of services that it provides. For example, a firm focused solely on criminal defense likely has a different personality than a firm that has a large business mediation practice.
- Target Audience: You cannot build an effective branding strategy unless you know and understand your target audience. Ultimately, law firm branding is about connecting lawyers with more qualified clients. In developing your branding strategy, it is important to carefully consider what your target audience wants.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): As described by Business News Daily, a unique selling proposition (USP) is “something that differentiates your product or service from others like it.” Does your law firm bring something special to the table in your practice area and/or local market? Developing a USP can be a powerful branding tool.
- Messaging: Finally, a law firm’s brand messaging should be consistent. Does your law firm fight aggressively to hold big insurance accountable in personal injury cases? Does it work compassionately to help parents find solutions in divorce cases? A consistent message helps current and potential clients better relate to the brand.
Creating Your Law Firm’s Brand Identity Goes Beyond the Intangible
A brand is an intangible asset. The brand value of a major company like Nike goes far beyond the physical value of its products. However, a brand identity is built, in part, on physical tangible assets. To start, a law firm should generally have some type of logo. A well-designed logo is both professional and memorable.
Other tangible assets—including things like the name of the law firm, business cards, the firm’s letterhead, and the typography used on your website—are also key to developing your brand. Law firms must consider the physical part of building a powerful brand identity.
Integrating a Digital Strategy as Part of a Branding Strategy
Digital marketing is a key part of the overall client acquisition strategy for many law firms. A significant share of potential clients uses the web to look for and evaluate lawyers. In 2022, you must get your law firm’s digital marketing right. As part of this, law firms should integrate a digital strategy as part of their more comprehensive branding strategy. Broadly speaking, digital marketing is the process of increasing your firm’s web presence and honing your message. Most often, digital marketing for law firms involves:
- Developing a user-friendly, professional website;
- Building up-to-date profiles across major review sites;
- Creating reliable and professional content—potentially on and off-website;
- Putting the best search engine optimization (SEO) practices in place; and
- Considering a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign.
As a law firm develops and implements a digital marketing strategy, it must pay close attention to its overall brand proposition. A digital strategy should always be well-integrated and consistent with a law firm’s branding strategy. When done properly, digital marketing and law firm branding support each other. A digital marketing strategy will get a law firm’s core brand message before more qualified clients.
SunRize Marketing is a Leader in Law Firm Digital Marketing
At SunRize Marketing, our digital strategy consultants for law firms have the professional skills and experience that you can rely on. If you have any questions about law firm branding, we are here as a resource. Contact us today to get started bringing your law firm’s branding strategy to the next level.