The age-old advice given to brick-and-mortar businesses looking to succeed is “location, location, location.” The criminal defense attorney’s equivalent is “reputation, reputation, reputation.”
But how do potential clients find out about you and your reputation?
Criminal defendants aren’t out networking with attorneys, building relationships in case they eventually need representation. They often need an attorney now, and their search is an emotional, fraught process.
At the same time, “no one can hire you if they don’t know you exist,” says Jessica Aries, founder of By Aries, a digital marketing consultancy specializing in services for legal professionals.
So how will a prospective client find you? And what evidence will convince them that you’re the best attorney for their case?
Identify Your Ideal Client, Then Go After Them
For many criminal defense lawyers, their practice consists of whoever walks through the door. “Many lawyers get thrown around by the winds of randomness,” says Jack Newton, CEO and founder of Clio, a global provider of cloud-based legal technology.
By contrast, many marketers begin their work by identifying their target audience – and the best are “very niche,” Aries says.
Criminal defense lawyers can take a note from those marketers and start by identifying their own niche.
Ask yourself what types of cases you want to work on. Consider which cases will be the most successful and which will be the most profitable. Identify your ideal clients – those you’re best suited to support. Choose any specific services you want to provide. Then, pursue those matters.
Over time, you build expertise and reputation until you get more regular referrals for the cases you want, Newton says.
Know Your Audience
It’s vital to know the audience you are marketing to.
For example, as a criminal defense lawyer, your first contact for a new case may not come from the client but their family member, Aries says.
If that’s the case, then a website that addresses the question, “Do you need a lawyer because you’re in jail?” may have insightful information but could still miss the mark.
The approach may be more effective if the website asks, “Is your loved one in jail?”
Be Strategic and Avoid ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’
Be as strategic about marketing yourself as you would be when representing a client.
“Tactics eventually fade. A strategy is the only thing that really works,” Aries says.
Once you’re clear on your target niche, and the best channels for it, resist the temptation to be everywhere at all times.
“Every day, there’s something new,” she says. “You have to be strategic and not get the ‘shiny object syndrome,’” chasing down every new app or site.
Perfect Your Initial Client Contact and Intake
Before beginning any new campaign, be sure you can handle the influx of potential clients. Review how you answer prospective clients’ calls and emails, and hone your intake process, Newton says.
Newton is amazed at how many lawyers lose business simply because they don’t respond to client inquiries. In 2019, Clio secret-shopped 1,000 law firms, posing as ideal clients. Most firms never responded to emails, while their calls frequently went to voicemail and were never returned, according to Clio’s findings.
No marketing strategy can overcome an inability to engage with and onboard potential clients.
Who You Are Is More Important Than Your Credentials
Many lawyers think credentials are crucial for getting new clients. According to Clio’s 2020 report, however, that’s not true.
When listing factors clients use to choose a lawyer, “at the top of the list is online reviews and reputation, and at the bottom is where they went to school,” Newton says.
Gen Z and millennial clients, in particular, find attorneys by searching online.
Frightened by an indictment, they’re looking for a lawyer who personally connects with them. They’re asking, “Do they help people like me? Have they helped others in my situation?”
When the answer is yes, “That creates a ton of comfort,” he says.
Routinize Getting Reviews and Testimonials
Survey every client at the end of each engagement to determine their satisfaction with your service.
When clients have a high “net promoter score,” which is a strong likelihood they will recommend you to others, ask them to write a testimonial or recommend you on sites such as Avvo or Google Business.
Not everyone will do it, but “when you make that ask, more clients than you think would,” Newton says.
Find Ways to Build Rapport with Clients Before They Meet You
Find opportunities to regularly educate prospective clients about your values, experience and personality.
The goal is for potential clients to feel like they already know you before they have any direct contact, Aries says. “Use these outlets to build the rapport before they need you,” she says.
Reach the Clients in the Way They Want You To
Choose channels that give you immediacy, Aries says. Direct mail and commercials may introduce you into the market, but posting on YouTube, TikTok or other social media may be better for connecting with individual clients.
And communicate the way clients want you to. “Many lawyers want to phone an 800 number, but that’s not the way most clients engage,” Newton says. His surveys say clients want to chat online, have a video call or use other tech to get their message to you.
A Website Can Set You Apart From the Rest
According to a 2022 survey by the American Bar Association, 1 in 10 small firms and 4 in 10 solo practitioners don’t have a website. But various client management systems allow you to create a website in minutes, and sites can be integrated with intake programs and more.
When a firm’s website allows clients to schedule meetings, transmit secure documents, submit online payments and more, the firm demonstrates its commitment to making a difficult process as frictionless as possible. It will be a “solution partner for their client,” Newton says.
In contrast, the firm asking a Gen Z client to fax documents and mail a check will seem archaic and out of touch.
Constantly Test and Refine Your Approach
Don’t expect every marketing effort to be a win. It won’t be. Test, gather data and track strategies, so you can invest more into successful initiatives, Aries says.
Then, be prepared to adapt when client attitudes or communication preferences change.
Good marketing, like the law, constantly evolves.
