Published on July 2nd, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

Digital Marketing Do’s and Don’ts for Law Firms to Survive COVID-19

Digital marketing is becoming the most dominant ad channel in the U.S. as estimates point to over 50% share in overall advertising spend for the year 2019 overtaking traditional ad spends. What this means is that you cannot ignore digital marketing at all. Even starker is the increase in consumption of digital media by people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports indicate that customers accessed digital platforms much more after COVID-19 than they did before the pandemic struck.

Thus, digital marketing takes centre stage in any media activity. With the changed circumstances under the influence of COVID-19 here are a few do’s and don’ts that your law firm should consider while planning your digital marketing strategy.

1. Do update your website

People are looking out for updates on law issues and you need to create a special COVID-19 update section and ensure it is updated in real time. You must be alive to the situation and check all information that is on your website and certify its veracity. Any laxity here would cause your credibility to be questioned.

Secondly, you tend to think that your content is evergreen but actually it is not so. You must revamp content strategy and ensure the content you upload is highly topical to reflect the current reality.

Your law firm would do well if you will hire an agency that can offer reliable digital advertising for lawyers so that you receive professional advice from experts in digital marketing and advertising.

2. Do recast your media plan

The dynamics of media consumption habits are changing. You have to immediately recast your media mix and skew it heavily towards online media. Most media other than digital media are ignored and there is no benefit in continuing with your old media mix. Your media strategy should be biased towards social media and videos.

3. Do remove automated messages

If you are using chatbots and AI to answer customer queries, it is advisable to discontinue that service till such time that normalcy returns. If you neglect this simple tactic your law firm can lose a lot of face. Further, automated messages are too impersonal and they don’t work during COVID-19 when customers are looking for some reassurance from real people.

4. Don’t over sell

These are sensitive times and customers are over sensitive to any kind of stimuli. Be careful in the message you are sending out. Your messaging should be more of empathy than pure selling. In fact, overselling is a strict no.

5. Don’t be light hearted

There is a tendency for you to use humor or light heartedness in your communication. While that would be a good strategy during normal times, it is not at all suitable for COVID times when people are looking for more compassion.

6. Don’t target composite audiences

Digital marketing is suitable for personalized advertising and you should not target general audiences. That is a waste of advertising money. Be specific about your target audience and target them with appropriate choice of message and media.

7. Don’t panic

Hopefully, COVID-19 is a temporary blip on the business horizon. Things will return to normal once a vaccine is found. During this time, it will be detrimental to you if you panic and stop all communication. In fact, this is the best time to gain your existing customers’ confidence by keeping them engaged with relevant content and reassuring them of your continued support. It is also the right time to woo new customers through digital marketing as they are easily accessible in COVID times.

8. Don’t sensationalize

Sensationalizing is a strategy suitable during normal times. With so much of fake news flooding cyberspace your sensationalized messages will become counterproductive. Therefore, be sober and somber in your messaging and avoid sensationalism totally.

As a law firm, you are in a much better position than other businesses to overcome the hurdles caused by the pandemic. Moreover, you have the opportunity to acquire new customers. So, do follow the tips given above and realize the potential you have for growth.

Tags: Coronavirus, COVID-19, digital marketing, dos and don'ts, law firms, survive

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.