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Garnering prospective clients can be tricky. Unless your law firm has an existing relationship with a prospect or close client, new business is often drummed up through effective marketing techniques. In this day in age, any law firm without a sound digital strategy is setting itself up for future loss. People spend 24/7 on their computers and smartphones, and rely on their devices to connect them with new information and access to potential partners and service providers.

With that said, it can also be difficult to highlight your proficiencies and distinguish your firm from competitors using basic digital marketing strategies. Every firm has a working website, most employ comprehensive SEM and SEO campaigns, and most (likely) employ an email marketing strategy. These practices are necessary to competing and hopefully, winning over prospective clients. The new challenge is not necessarily launching a standard digital practice to put your firm on the online map, it’s launching initiatives within your digital strategy that will separate your organization from the pack. One of the most effective ways of aligning with prospects is through education.

No individual who has not undertaken the grueling grind of law school expects to self-teach the intricacies of law. However, people are interested in understanding their basic rights and the necessary steps for bringing a case to court, especially within today’s tumultuous political climate. Educating individuals also helps law firms; people are often confused by the language of the law and call upon law firms to help them determine whether or not they have a real case. While this is not necessarily a waste of time, these instances are not necessarily billable. By participating in educational initiatives, lawyers have the opportunity to offer legal clarification to the masses and truly help individuals who may not be able to afford their support.

By providing the public (and potential clients) with educational opportunities, you’re offering a significant value to their lives. Education instills a level of trust among people. Companies that provide educational resources to the greater public are able to prove their expertise, rather than just stating it through advertising campaigns. Consumers today have seen and heard every imaginable pitch. While clever copy and creative visuals used to be enough to command public attention, it’s no longer enough. Today, every major organization produces a slew of innovative advertisements. However, the public is becoming increasingly indifferent to these efforts because they’re no longer the exception – they’re the expectation. The best way for an organization to truly distinguish itself is to offer something that adds real value to a consumer’s life: education. The internet has leveled the playing field, but there is still an opportunity to gain an edge through the promotion of educational resources.

Client expectations have evolved; Attorney search provider BCG has seen significant changes in client wants and needs; today people want their lawyers to provide them with ongoing training and seminars so that they can develop a clear understanding of the nuances of their cases and the dynamics of the legal landscape. In fact, client perceptions of a firm’s willingness to provide ongoing education impact law firm rankings. BTI’s Brand Elite 2016 ranking saw the firm Hogan Lovells climb five spots on the list due to their cybersecurity education initiative. By providing their clients with an additional educational service, they have not only empowered individuals, but also increased the sentiment surrounding their firm.

The education landscape is rapidly changing thanks to technology. People no longer have to enroll in programs to gain insight into specific topics and fields of study. The edutech movement is empowering individuals of all backgrounds and ages to take a more active role in every aspect of their lives including, health, professional development, and even legal needs. Through developing portals, ongoing training, and virtual lessons, firms are also creating more content which can be used in promotional efforts. For example, law firms education campaigns can be directly leveraged in PPC campaigns. Using Google AdWords, firms can bid on common legal long tail queries to ensure that their ad shows up in the search results. The additional educational content can also be used as an additional landing page to support the education related PPC ads.As virtuous as education initiative are, they can also greatly benefit your firm. Organizations that are committed to education ignite engagement and trust – both of which will always attract future clients.

As virtuous as education initiative are, they can also greatly benefit your firm. Organizations that are committed to education ignite engagement and trust – both of which will always attract future clients.