No matter what kind of attorney you are, we know that you’re busy helping, advocating for and doing work on behalf of your clients.
But it’s time to take a moment and think: are you doing everything you can to make sure you are taking care of yourself and your practice?
As more and more searches occur online, it’s becoming increasingly important to digitally present your practice in the best light possible — especially through online reviews. Whether you’ve been practicing for years or you’re new to the legal industry, read on to learn more about how review marketing is crucial for attorneys and their digital marketing strategies.
Why Review Marketing for Attorneys Matters
We have written before about just how much online reviews are worth to a business owner, but it bears repeating. According to a 2018 survey, 86 percent of consumers consult online reviews for local businesses, and a whopping 91 percent of the younger generation (18-34) find online reviews as trustworthy as personal recommendations.
Reviews are important for all industries, but they are especially essential for attorneys.
Due to the potentially personal and long-term nature of your working relationship, consumers want to know about the attorney they will be working with — and reviews are going to be the first things they consult for that information. For that reason, reviews for attorneys can hold more weight than those for other industries.
After all, I might search “tacos near me” and spend a few minutes checking out reviews before deciding on my lunch destination, but I’m definitely going to spend more time doing research and comparing the reputations of family law attorneys whose services I need for a pending divorce.
That’s not to say that tacos aren’t important (I mean, c’mon)! But choosing my lunch doesn’t have the same weight and significance as, say, my choice in a bankruptcy attorney.
Like everyone else, I’m looking for a quality professional with integrity and experience — and I’m going to rely heavily on the testimonies of past clients to help me make that decision.
Generating Reviews
As long as you have a listing on key directories like Google, Bing and Yelp (plus other industry-specific sites like avvo.com, lawyers.com or justia.com), there is an opportunity for individuals to leave reviews. And it’s possible your business is listed on these sites without you creating an account yourself.
Of course, just because these opportunities exist doesn’t mean that people will automatically leave reviews there.
It’s important to actively request reviews and feedback from clients because it’s unlikely that they will do so on their own! And unlike other industries, such as food or retail, you don’t have hundreds of customers walking through your door each day, so you can’t rely on sheer numbers to ensure reviews appear.
Instead, it’s crucial that you proactively and consistently request reviews from past and current clients, depending on when they best feel the value of what you are doing for them.
Responding to Reviews
Of course, a good review marketing strategy doesn’t just stop after generating reviews.
Once you receive a review (positive or negative), it’s important to leave a response. This helps provide closure to the individual who left the review, plus the 89 percent of consumers who read responses to reviews as part of their buying journey.
Like the star-rating, your responses to reviews affect your online reputation, and it’s another way for you to present yourself as the ideal professional and set yourself apart from the competition.
For potential clients looking for an attorney to represent them, the way you respond to reviews could be a make-or-break factor. You can always find tips here for how to respond to every type of review!
Final Thoughts
For attorneys, reviews are crucial. Of course, a successful review marketing strategy takes time, and it never really stops.
Make sure to keep your practice ahead of the digital marketing curve by focusing on your online reputation — and if you ever need any help, you can always reach out to our experts for additional guidance.