When you run a law firm, the one thing you need to be sure of is drawing in clients. The more clients you have, the more money you’ll make, and the longer you’ll be able to run your firm. Some people may choose to hire an outside firm or spend a large amount of money on marketing to get their name known, but that’s not necessary. Instead, you can rely heavily on referrals to collect more clientele for your firm—referrals are more likely to earn you another client since this is a recommendation to the client based on trust.
There are a few ways you can build a referral campaign for your law firm. Here are some of those methods.
Customer Service
In the professional world, excellent customer service is key. Everyone who works with customers should strive for good customer service; it builds a trusting relationship between yourself and your clientele. While running a law firm, your customer service etiquette is one of the most basic steps in making sure your firm is successful. The more satisfied your clients are with your work, the more likely they are to refer you to their friends, family, and colleagues.
As you launch your referral campaign, make sure to reiterate this crucial step to your staff: pay attention to detail, stay in constant communication, and have a value-based approach to billing.
Professional Relationships
Your clients aren’t the only ones who will refer you to others. Other attorneys and professionals in related fields will have more of an incentive to refer you to others: they’ll help you grow your business, and in return, you’ll help them grow theirs. This is why building your professional relationship with others in or around your field is vital to a successful referral campaign. Start first with other attorneys, then reach out to related fields like bankers, CPAs, and financial advisors.
Social Media
Social media is a fantastic way to maintain your referral relationships. These sites offer platforms to stay in touch with your former clients and network of professional associations, so having major platform profiles like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram will go a long way in keeping those relationships up-to-date. Regularly update these profiles—they won’t do you any good if they’re just sitting there! Share updates and news about your firm, client testimonials, and articles or blogs that are relevant to your industry. Automating these posts will help you save time if you’re busy.
You can also keep in touch with email marketing. Emails are more personalized than social media profiles as they have fewer distractions, making them more private and direct. Build a targeted email list for different groups in your network, then send out content updates from your firm on a monthly basis. This will keep your firm visible to your entire network and at the forefront of their minds.