Get a Twitter account.
Write and publish some blog posts to rank on Google.
Buy TV ad space.
These are all well and good, but your firm needs some out of the box ideas to stand out from the crowd.
The foundation of marketing is matching creativity with demand. You already know your target audience and their most common frustrations. Your marketing plan should include new and creative ways to deliver the message to them.
You don't need to pull your hair out to come up with bold and innovative ideas. We'll give you a launching pad to consider fresh, impactful ways to meet your clients right where they are.
What is Out of the Box Marketing?
Standard marketing follows familiar lines that attorneys have relied upon for years. Think of traditional marketing in the form of billboards, newspapers, or television ads, or digital marketing channels like search engines, online ads, or social media.
Out-of-the-box marketing takes a small step outside the standard practices in favor of newer approaches. For example, you can use newer tools like TikTok or a different tone of voice to stand out from your peers.
Stepping outside the box doesn't mean abandoning the fundamentals. You can still use traditional or digital marketing channels. What changes is how you use them.
Out-of-the-box marketing tends to work best when paired with proven marketing efforts. Standard marketing channels deliver time-tested results more often than not, giving you free rein to test new waters with a few out-of-the-box ideas.
Traditional vs. Out-of-the-Box Marketing Examples
To help you step outside of traditional marketing ideas, we'll start off with some examples.
Casual, Down-To-Earth Approach vs. Buttoned-Up and Professional
The legal industry has a niche vocabulary that flies over the heads of everyday people. A casual, down-to-earth approach goes against the grain of your more buttoned-up peers.
This method can look like using relaxed, informal language in a blog post. You could also try wearing more casual clothes in your video advertisements. The more relatable you are to a stressed or distrustful audience, the better.
Billboards vs. Murals
People expect to see advertisements for lawyers on billboards or giant screens. They blend into the background while people commute.
But an original mural showcasing your firm's passion for a case well done could turn a few more heads than usual.
You could commission a mural from a local artist to show your connection to your community. The illustration could also have a local flavor, such as natural imagery or a famous public domain building.
Investing in something more artful than your face on a billboard could help you stay top-of-mind with prospective clients near you.
Pamphlets vs. Everyday Items
A pamphlet combines visual design and text to give your clients a full picture of what you do, why you do it, and exactly where to find you. When potential clients receive one, they already know it's an advertisement designed to get results.
Printing your logo or slogan on a thumb drive, coffee mug, or bookmark seems strange to some law firms, but that's exactly why it stands out. You'd normally find this kind of approach for, say, a cafe or a library.
This easygoing, top-of-mind marketing reminder could be what your clients need to view your firm positively.
Potential customers get something they can use all the time instead of a piece of paper with your picture on it. These everyday items can be a gentle reminder that you're available during a time of need.
How Innovative Marketing Strategies Can Help You Grow Your Practice
Now that we've seen some examples of how out-of-the-box thinking differs from your traditional marketing campaign, let's look at some ways in which employing creative marketing ideas can help your law firm grow:
Stand Out From the Crowd
With countless law firms vying for attention online, an innovative marketing campaign can help your law firm stand out from the pack and connect with your target market.
This is particularly vital in areas of law, such as personal injury, where competition is fierce. Innovative use of social media, real-world involvement, and compelling storytelling can raise brand awareness and help your firm become memorable in the minds of potential clients.
Better Engagement
Innovative marketing often ventures into new platforms and mediums that others have overlooked or underutilized. From podcasts and webinars to influencers and augmented reality, the more channels and platforms your firm is present on, the more potential clients you can reach.
Enhanced client engagement can also come through interactive content, like quizzes, online games, or webinars, or through engaging storytelling that pulls at the heartstrings. The more engaged a potential client is, the more likely they are to remember and pick your firm when they need legal help.
Elevate Your Reputation
By adopting innovative marketing strategies, your law firm demonstrates that it is forward-thinking and not afraid to adapt to changing times. This, in itself, can attract clients who value staying ahead of the curve.
One of the most advantageous effects of innovative marketing is its potential to enhance your firm's reputation and showcase your brand values. By taking an outside-the-box approach, you demonstrate your knowledge, creativity, and leadership in your field. In today's online world, where your digital reputation often precedes any in-person interaction.
Boost Your Marketing Strategy with These Ideas
Commentary Videos on Social Media Platforms
With a bite-sized format for delivering information or entertainment, social media platforms specializing in short-form, user-generated content are a reliable way to get your clients tuning in. With over 2 billion active monthly users on Instagram, you can potentially reach millions using video content marketing on Reels. YouTube Shorts is another popular option that might one day replace TikTok.
By using these platforms, you can create educational videos for common legal issues, such as car crashes. They also function as "free samples" of how one might begin to explore the legal process by working with you.
This marketing tactic works well to keep your business and brand image at the forefront of peoples' minds. If someone experiences a fender bender, your video may be the first thing they think of.
You don't have to limit yourself to car crashes, either. Divorce Lawyer Denise is a popular TikToker who uses the platform to engage with potential divorce clients. Since divorce is a difficult topic to discuss, her casual approach is a breath of fresh air.
Live Events for People Interested in a Career in the Legal Industry
While skill-based learning is better than ever, people miss the interactive element. When someone doesn't have the time to sign up for a college course, you can create live events as a suitable stand-in.
Live events give your clients the thorough educational experience of a class without a heavy price point or time commitment.
Even better, they get to interact with you to increase the value of their experience. These events are prime for generating leads with increased engagement.
When up to 80% of consumers prefer a live-streamed event over reading a blog post, you're already on your way to meeting your clients' needs.
Documentary Style Content Series about Product Recalls
Documentary-style content slots neatly between bite-sized videos and long seminars. It's entertaining on its own but functions as a way to build trust with leads by showing off your expertise.
This content can be one-off videos or lengthy series involving compelling stories. Better yet, you don't have to start completely from scratch. You can repurpose news stories and offer your educated perspective on the matter.
This tactic hasn't quite caught on with lawyers yet. Still, one example from outside the legal industry is ProfitWell's documentary How Skype Blew a 10-Year Lead to Zoom. This video repurposes existing content to analyze Zoom's rise and Skype's fall in the video call industry.
Like TikTok videos, these mini-documentaries function well as top-of-mind marketing. More often than not, your customers keep coming back because they genuinely enjoy what they watch.
Partnerships with Local Business Owners for Referrals
A flurry of marketing checkboxes can have you overlooking what's right in front of you. Organic partnerships with local business owners solve many problems in one fell swoop.
Local businesses you can consider partnering up with include:
- Physical therapists
- Chiropractors
- Car dealerships
These partnerships don't happen overnight but are highly beneficial in the long term. Partnering with businesses that work in areas that overlap with your services is a great way to increase qualified leads. Many of these referrals are from people who already need your services.
Build Connections with Community Campaigns
Similar to local business partnerships, community involvement can strengthen relationships, and showcase your law firm's values. When law firms get involved in local events, sponsorships, charities, or other community endeavors, they're establishing a visible, positive presence within the communities they serve, and that can be far more influential than any traditional advertisement.
There are numerous ways to get involved, from sponsoring local sports events to participating in charity drives.
Remember, community involvement shouldn't be a one-off event—it should be ongoing. Maintaining regular engagement in local activities and causes means that loyal customers and potential clients alike will remember your firm's strong reputation.
Pop-up Shops are a Face-to-Face Engagement Strategy
Compared to engaging on social media channels, face-to-face engagement seems to be a lost art. Yet, there remains a tremendous value in direct, personal interaction. Pop-up legal clinics or advice corners in public places, such as community centers, fairs, or shopping centers, provide a low-pressure way for the local community to interact with your lawyers.
This 'pop-up' strategy can add a human touch to your legal services, breaking down barriers that might be intimidating to potential clients. Offering face-to-face consultations or legal advice can also provide immediate value to people, helping you to build trust on the spot. The more people who know and trust your name, the more chances of referrals you'll have in the future.
To succeed, ensure your pop-shop event is clearly advertised, ideally in conjunction with a local event. Then, offer free, no-strings-attached advice to individuals who drop by—consider this a community service rather than an instant revenue opportunity.
Always have professional-looking business cards (or the aforementioned everyday items) available for attendees to take home so they can easily reach you when they do need detailed legal services.
Find a Marketing Partner Who Gets Your Industry
Marketing agencies are a dime a dozen. Each promises to skyrocket qualified leads and propel you past competitors.
But the agencies with the highest chance of landing that promise are specialists who understand your industry inside and out.
Agencies that understand the legal field know how your business works, what your clients want, and what ethical restrictions lawyers must abide by. You'll get more than technical polish, but the strategic insight to ensure your firm is being represented well.
At Rankings.io, we focus exclusively on law firms. We design our marketing campaigns with your unique challenges in mind. Contact us today to learn how we can help you sharpen your strategy and think outside of the box together.
