Lawyers Who Embrace Technology Are Winning Big

A case for rewriting the legal marketing playbook.

When it comes to technology in the legal profession, an outside observer might think lawyers have lived under the proverbial rock for way too long. In a profession dominated by traditions dating back centuries, attorneys and law firms are increasingly finding new opportunities in places that other industries have been extracting benefits for years. So, what drives this lack of innovation around the halls of the bar and how is it that some modern attorneys have been able to turn this convention on its head?

Part and parcel to the practice, lawyers still climb a traditional ascent within the ranks of their respective firms. This approach to firm succession leads to stability and longevity and it constantly generates a new class of hungry lawyers to help beat the streets for new business. As associates make their way to partner, however, they rely less and less on marketing, generating most of their business from repeat clients, referrals and their reputation.

But in a world where consumers and corporate decision makers (clients) rely more and more on technology to find information and make decisions, the leaders within a firm (the partners) don’t always prioritize the use of technology for the people who need it most (the hungry associates).

Now, there is another type of firm altogether: the young firm. Newer firms made up of young confident attorneys who are willing to take a risk to avoid being the grunt in a larger firm. These firms are setting up shop with technology as the foundation. They use cloud-based billing systems and CRMs, they deploy case-winning technology for settlement negotiations and at trial, and they advertise their services in the digital space to attract new clients who are looking for an attorney to solve their problem.

Understanding Shifts in Client Behavior

On an otherwise normal day in October in 2016, the number of visits to all websites from mobile devices surpassed the number of visits from traditional computers for the very first time, according to StatCounter. It was a couple of years after experts predicted this would happen, but it was never a matter of if, but a matter of when.

Further proof of the shift in behavior can be found in data out of CEB Global (Gartner). In a Forbes article, Patrick Spenner, a Managing Director at the firm wrote:

“57 percent is how far along in the purchase process a typical B2B customer is before they are meaningfully engaging supplier Sales reps.”

The behavior shift is also evident by observing legal technology companies like Avvo, the company behind the popular lawyer ratings and reviews site, that built a mobile app to help consumers find an attorney. Not only does this signify that mobile plays a role in the research process, it’s proof that some consumers and decision makers are going directly to the Internet to find an attorney to help them with their legal problem, skipping the referral from a neighbor or colleague and discounting the the firms plastering buses and billboards as second rate or as having less integrity.

Reinterpreting Legal Ethics

Other perceived hurdles for modern legal marketing reside in the ever-changing ethical guidelines that attorneys must follow when promoting their firm. When working with new firms, we often hear objections to a variety of marketing and advertising strategies, with out-dated ethics guidelines cited as the primary concern.

For instance, many attorneys believe that they aren’t able to use client testimonials in their website or marketing efforts. While most state bars still have restrictions in place, the use of testimonials in online marketing isn’t necessarily prohibited. In Connecticut, for instance, the inclusion of a disclaimer that says (in essence) “past performance doesn’t guarantee future results” is sufficient for highlighting testimonials on a website while complying with ethics guidelines.

While the Connecticut guidelines indicate that the disclaimer residing in the footer of a website is sufficient, others have more strict guidelines. The Virginia Bar, for instance, requires that the disclaimer precede each and every statement of case results and is more specific as to the language and appearance of the included disclaimer.

This one ethics rule may seem a bit granular, but it demonstrates a common problem facing those tasked with marketing their firm: misinformation. It’s also important to point out that the inclusion of statements of case results, or testimonials, can have a significant impact on a visitor’s perception of the firm’s ability to resolve his or her unique case. Decision makers want to evaluate an attorney’s or a firm’s experience and these success stories help instill a sense of confidence that their decision is sound.

Adopting New Tools

Firms that are a bit more aggressive in their pursuit of growth are also relying heavily on new technology to manage their firms, win more cases and bigger verdicts, and attract more of the right types of clients to their conference rooms.

While practice management technology isn’t a new concept, newer players in the space are offering cloud-based solutions that are more robust, more flexible and less expensive than their clunky predecessors. Take Clio, for example. The company offers a case and practice management solution for as little as $39 per month and in its nine-year history has been able to attract over 150,000 attorneys to its client base.

Other attorneys are winning more with other technological solutions. Legal video production company Geomatrix Productions, based in Connecticut, is helping its clients win inside the courtroom and at settlement. With the use of expertly crafted settlement videos, courtroom playback services and 3D animation, their clients are taking fewer cases to court, winning bigger settlements and winning more of the cases that do go to court. As one attorney testifies in a marketing piece by the company, “the Judge’s decision was nearly four times greater than the last offer by the insurance company.” Successful firms are becoming even more successful by understanding the power of video to educate clients and elevate their profiles to win more new business too.

In addition to using video to attract new clients, the fastest growing firms are deploying entirely new marketing strategies that incorporate technology into the core of their efforts. From being able to track the precise marketing source of new client opportunities, for instance, firms can take more control and expect more predictable outcomes as they choose where to spend their marketing dollars. Modern firms are also investing more in their websites as consumers and B2B clients spend more time researching options before making a call to a prospective provider.

Creating content that offers valuable insight and pushes a firm’s website higher in search results, and crafting compelling ads that are targeted to active searchers of legal services are just a couple of the mechanisms that these firms are utilizing to be distinctive and differentiate and get ahead of the competition.

Changing Attitudes About Technology

As a firm considers technological solutions for their management and growth efforts, it’s important to acknowledge that everyone has a different perspective on the function and ability of technology to solve problems. Some may think that technology is the only solution, while others might think that technology will only make things more complicated.

Taking stock of your firm’s stakeholder positions is an important first step in the process to deploy a technological solution. Understanding how each stakeholder evaluates options will be helpful for presenting a winning case. Getting buy-in at all levels of the firm is a must in order to succeed with implementing game-changing technology. As many have experienced at one point or another, trying to implement tech without buy-in can lead to a lot of wasted time and money, as those solutions aren’t adopted by everyone in a firm.

Ditching the Scatter Shot for Strategy

Development and marketing directors looking to grow their firm with new media must also take strategy into consideration. A digital marketing plan without a strategy is sure to become unpopular with a firm’s leadership and a poor strategy can be even worse. It’s no longer acceptable to say, “let’s design a new website because our old one looks old.” It’s critical to first understand the goals of a website (or any other initiative) and chart a path for how it will be used in conjunction with other marketing techniques, advertising mediums and self-service activities.

The same goes for buying media. Big newspaper ads and expensive events produce unpredictable results, while a well-informed digital strategy will place the right message in front of the right prospective clients at the right time, all while spending significantly less money. Integral to this is the ability to accurately and granularly track the performance of a campaign and make timely adjustments as new data steers the direction. Old media simply doesn’t offer the same level of flexibility or control.

As firms evaluate their options in an increasingly digital landscape, enlisting the support of experts who deliver consistent results is nonnegotiable. Whether it comes to hiring an in-house team or relying on a third-party vendor, it’s important to assess the track record of experts and trust that they can deliver. As attorneys engage the support of experts, they must ensure that they have a plan in place for progress reporting and conduct financial analysis on a continual basis. The firms that are fastest to fail at implementing new technology are the ones that aren’t paying any attention to results and don’t know with confidence what impact their decisions might have.

Will Melton has advised companies of all sizes on their digital strategy from technology infrastructure and marketing initiatives to digital customer interfaces and mobile apps. He is the co-founder and lead product engineer at Client Magnet. Utilizing new tools and proven digital strategies, Client Magnet is dedicated to helping attorneys, law firms and professional service providers acquire more of the right types of clients faster and at a lower cost. This post was originally published at ClientMagnetPro.com.