Law is a very competitive industry when it comes to market share and getting new clients. Criminal defense law is one of the most challenging areas of law to practice. This article is intended to explore different options of marketing for criminal defense attorneys.
Referrals from Other Lawyers and Clients.
The two most lucrative referral sources for criminal defense lawyers are past and current clients and fellow attorneys practicing at different law firms in different areas of law. The majority of some law firms’ clientele comes from referrals.
Some individuals are willing to refer past criminal defense attorneys to their friend or colleague. Some individuals however would be embarrassed to talk openly about such private matters. So they generally keep such matters to themselves.
This means that the majority of referrals usually come from fellow attorneys. Many lawyers practicing criminal defense depend on referrals for the majority of their business. You may find lawyers have set up referral fees. More organic ways of getting referrals are networking or through business development.
Promote Your Brand Where Your Clients Are.
This is a great way to reach several criminal and DUI clients if you don’t have a large marketing budget or if you are new to criminal defense. This method of marketing borrows a leaf from behavioral marketing. When behavioral marketing is done well, in a smart way, you will be able to reach a considerable number of your target audience with a much tighter budget than with forms of advertising and promotion.
For example, if you are targeting DUI clients, they are mostly found in bars. You can brand merchandise such as lighters, pens, and other small promotional materials under the brand of your law firm. Make sure your name or brand is showcased; what you do, criminal defense lawyer tag, and your contacts.
You could offer bar owners in your local areas and jurisdiction to have these items given to their customers for free. It is advisable to brand items that customers can take home with them. The longer your target audience holds on to these items, the better the odds are for your firm when a client needs a criminal defense lawyer.
Building a Reputation.
One of the most effective ways of creating a buzz about your criminal defense legal practice is by taking on highly publicized cases that will generate news and media attention. As cases gather up attention so will the law firm and its reputation in the local market and communities.
One way to kick-start building of reputation, whether you are a law firm with years of experience or you are a new practitioner, is to take no pro-bono work and controversial cases with no cost to the client. While some potential clients won’t remember or recognize a law firm’s name from reading it in the newspaper or seeing it in the news, most of them will. This builds a stronger source for a referral.
As you gain new clients from media attention, they will continue to come, and you will have long-term business relations with those that are aware of you and are confident in your ability and competence.
Internet Marketing and Advertising.
Internet marketing for your criminal defense law firm can start at a low budget and rise steadily. There are 69,500 google searches on average per month that refer to the words criminal defense lawyer and DUI lawyer according to Google’s keyword planner. These are only the searches with more direct keywords and search terms.
Internet searching through the web or other platforms such as YouTube for videos is a crucial component for criminal attorneys looking to increase the number of files they open per month.
Make Videos.
Video is a rising source of content all over the world. We stream more videos today with the bandwidth being faster and cheaper. Videos could be for entertainment, educational or informational purposes.
Little is required to record a video. You can do it on your phone or invest in a camera and small microphone that you attach to your shirt. With video recording about your criminal defense law firm, you can publish on different platforms including, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to get attention.
The video structure format is as follows:
- Introduction – introduce yourself, your area of law, and your firm
- Pitch an offer – this is done quickly (10 seconds) and move on to the next point
- Tell a story – one or two minutes. Make it short and relevant
- Discuss the point – the moral point of your story. What did you want to say about criminal defense?
- Re-pitch your offer – make it quick having pointed out your expertise earlier on
- Outro – final point then restate your introduction
Videos don’t need to be very long. You can share a video that is three minutes to 15 minutes long. However, longer videos on YouTube can perform better than shorter ones.
These are proven tactics a criminal defense lawyer can get clients. It is necessary to note that there are just as many ways and chances to reach potential clients over the internet as there are in person. You should therefore be open to other ways of achieving the intended goal.
