Promoting any kind of business is tricky during hard times and the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States and abroad is no different. But the problem is perhaps even more acute for lawyers. The topics they need to talk about are sensitive and it’s an emotional time for a lot of families and business owners.
Here are some tips for how to effectively handle law firm coronavirus marketing.
Tip #1: Talk about the law.
It’s a sign of how saturated our environment is with COVID-19 related content that it’s necessary to include this as a pointer for a law firm. But it’s worth a reminder that when people come to your website or run search engine queries on topics pertinent to you, they are not looking for your opinion about wearing a mask or encouragements to “support small business” or “be safe.” They are looking for information about the law.
Tip #2: Encourage existing clients to think long-term.
Having said that, there’s nothing wrong with personally reaching out to individual clients to see how they’re coping with these times. In a broader sense, some email marketing to your list can encourage some long-term thinking.
If there’s an upside to a pandemic and lockdown, it’s that people can think about important issues that otherwise get neglected in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Estate planning is a good example. If your firm specializes in this area, a free consultation right now can be a terrific way to reach out. If you have a tax law practice, your clients have extra time to file and can think strategically about their deductions.
Whatever your practice area(s), there are surely some issues you prod your clients to consider and they can’t find the time. Bring those to their attention now.
Tip #3: Develop your platforms & personas.
Maybe one of the areas that you can think long-term is by looking at the platforms you have in place for distributing content. Are your social channels receiving appropriate attention? Are you podcasting? If you’ve got a blog up, that’s great and a necessary first step. Now you can think about using that content in audio formats and in social posts.
As a part of this development, the slower pace of business life gives you an opportunity to think more deeply about your brand message. It’s an easy temptation to write to “everyone” rather than to a specific marketing persona. The most successful marketing campaigns have personas in place so you can picture the type of people you’re writing or speaking to.
If you don’t have personas, develop them now. If you do have personas in place, review your recent content offerings and make sure you’re staying on message.
