How Law Firms Can Use Lead Magnets to Grow Your Mailing List
Regardless of your law firm's size, an email marketing campaign should be a core part of your marketing strategy. It's a great way to connect with past and potential clients, referrals and colleagues because your law firm is now front and center in someone's inbox with a well-crafted email.
Social media and blogging alone should not be your top marketing priority. The latest research shows that 59% of marketers find email their most effective marketing channel.
Email marketing is a great way to;
Continuing to build a relationship with potential and past clients.
Boost your brand awareness, and build your brand
Promote informational and quality content and services
Encourage lead generation by asking individuals to provide their personal information in exchange for signing up for your content.
(By the way, if you need help creating an engaging, beautiful, polished and professional monthly or quarterly email marketing campaign, this article is a great resource; Law Firm Newsletters: Do Emails Still Work?)
What is lead generation?
Lead generation is the process of attracting potential law firm clients to your business and increasing their interest in contacting you through nurturing (lead magnets), all with the end goal of converting them into clients.
So, then what is a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is a free item or service that is given away in order to gather contact details. For example, in the case of email marketing, your law firm would create a lead magnet that potential clients can receive in exchange for their email addresses so that your law firm can grow your email list.
The goal is to create effective lead magnets that your ideal client wants so they will join your email list.
Guides, Videos and Checklists
How these 3 lead magnets can grow your law firm’s email list
Most of the clients we work with have an effective lead magnet to help attract potential clients and provide them with valuable information, which also helps their law firm stand out against their competitors. The three most effective lead magnets we have created for our law firm marketing clients are downloadable guides, videos and checklists.
1. Create a downloadable guide or eBook
Creating a well-thought-out and professional guide or eBook that potential clients can download directly from your website in exchange for their contact information is a highly effective way to grow your email list. This free guide can showcase what you can provide for your clients, giving them a little insight into working with your law firm and how you can help your clients. Some of our clients have created a single guide highlighting a specific service, and some prefer multiple guides based on essential topics from within their services. Here are a few examples of guides that have worked well for law firms.
Guides that are an extension of a specific topic. For example, the topic could be how to tell your children you are getting a divorce. The accompanying guide could be tips on how to guide children through your divorce at different stages.
Informative guides based on a law firm's top services answer general FAQs.
Helpful guides that can be used to walk potential clients through steps on how to do something. An example is a person looking for information on becoming a United States citizen. You can provide them with the steps on what they should do, how to prepare for the citizenship interview and where to get more information.
2. Film an informative video or webinar
People prefer to watch a video over reading content. According to recent statistics, 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool that has effectively generated leads.
So, how can your law firm use video as an effective lead magnet for your law firm? The best way to use video as a lead magnet is similar to how you would use a free resource guide to grow your email list. Create an informative video based on an interesting topic that would be relevant and helpful to your potential clients. You don't need to overthink your video production. You can create your video with your iPhone or record your video on Zoom or Google Meet. Here are some ways to use video as a lead magnet for your law firm.
Host a webinar. Invite other lawyers or knowledgeable experts to discuss an important topic. An example topic would be how to co-parent effectively and invite a psychologist as a guest.
Create a FAQs video answering top questions that you frequently receive from clients.
A video series providing an overview of the typical legal case process.
Tip: Build a nurture campaign for your videos
If you are using videos as a lead magnet, setting up a nurture campaign is the most effective way to promote this content to your potential clients. A nurture campaign is time-based emails sent out automatically to your audience (email subscribers) to inform them (using your video content) and to motivate them to take some action (such as contacting you for your services). Nurture campaigns differ from drip campaigns because nurture campaigns are more emotionally or more based.
So, for example, you would create a series of emails based on your video content. The first email would be an introduction email, including the 1st video in a series. Each video would have a separate email if you had a series of videos. One of your final emails would ask if your reader had any questions, how to contact you or could provide them with any additional resources or materials. Your last email in the nurture campaign should include your services, what you can provide for your clients and ask them to contact you.
3. Create a checklist
Another effective way to grow your email list is to create a checklist for your potential clients. A checklist can be an excellent tool for your clients and a great way to help them stay organized or to help them gather important documents. People like checklists because they’re short, convenient and easy to use.
Ideas for checklists that have worked well for law firms include;
What to do after being in a car accident
Resources for local child psychologists to help your children through a divorce
Steps to help someone get an immigration visa
Documents needed when filing for a divorce
What makes a great lead magnet?
Most law firms don't realize they can provide great valuable resources to potential clients with a minimal amount of work. A well-thought-out checklist, well-design PDF free resource guide and insightful videos are all you need to make a significant impact.
Remember, your potential client doesn't want to read an entire book, watch hours of video or try to remember everything to bring to an immigration interview. Instead, prospects want to find the answers they need quickly and reliably.
As you create lead magnets for your law firms, remember these four key points;
Does your lead magnet address a significant problem and help to guide your readers to resolve the issue or provide support?
Is your lead magnet polished and professional? Does it represent your branding?
Is your lead magnet easy to follow and understand? Is the layout easy to read and understand as well as informative?
Does your lead magnet include bold headlines and CTA's (Calls to Action)?
Final thoughts
Your law firm can stand out from the competition and attract new visitors by creating helpful, engaging, well-designed lead magnets that address the needs of your potential clients. With an effective email marketing strategy and nurture campaign, you will have created something that provides real value to your prospects and increases leads for your law firm.
If your law firm needs help creating effective lead magnets, a creative email marketing strategy or a nurture campaign, we are happy to assist with your law firm's marketing needs.
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