Email marketing for lawyers is integral for building a strong client roster and nurturing leads while building loyalty to the firm.
In this post, I’ll provide you with the ins and outs of email marketing for lawyers and show you some examples you can use for yourself to make your email marketing efforts successful.
What is email marketing for lawyers?
Believe it or not, one of the most common complaints clients have for lawyers is poor communication.
And that’s exactly where email marketing comes in. Through it, law firms can bridge the communication gap between them and their clients and:
- Drive conversions.
- Establish trust and rapport.
- Provide legal insight and analysis.
- Seek referrals or online reviews.
- Remind clients of their subject matter expertise.
- Announce internal news, such as new hires.
- Educate clients through blog posts or videos.
- Nudge potential clients toward scheduling consultations.
- Announce new services, such as an expansion into a new practice niche.
Why is email marketing important for lawyers?
Law firm email marketing can be beneficial in more ways than one. Not only can it help draw prospective clients, but it also:
- Generates revenue – 59% of marketers say that email marketing is the single most effective way to generate new revenue.
- Fosters relationships – Developing a regular email marketing strategy can be a powerful way to humanize the firm. For example, follow-up emails can be a wonderful way to say thanks to clients who come in for a consultation.
- Allows alignment with the firm’s goals – Proper email marketing content segmentation allows firms to fine-tune their email blasts, addressing each client right where they are in the sales funnel.
- Builds brand awareness and reputation – Every firm benefits from visibility within the legal industry, earning trust through authority and expertise.
3 Examples of email marketing campaigns for lawyers
Here are the three most common ways to incorporate emails into a legal marketing strategy.
Educational emails
Educational emails in the form of email newsletters can be great for providing valuable information to your audience that underscores the firm’s competence and expertise.
Some examples include:
- Legal tips and guidelines – For instance, an estate planning law firm might send an email suggesting three reasons to create a living trust. A personal injury firm might send out a reminder of what to do in the aftermath of a car accident.
- Preparing clients for upcoming events – If you have a client who’s going to have their day in court soon, email can be a great way to touch base about what to expect, how to behave, etc.
- Industry insight – An example of this type of email would be a real estate lawyer sending out an overview of current housing trends, hoping to provide clients with enriching information and perspective. Or an LLC attorney might provide insight into the top players in the field, such as Northwest Registered Agent reviews.
Here is one example of a law firm marketing email that introduced industry insight, positioning the firm’s subject-matter expertise:
| Subject: Industry Updates in [Legal Area] Dear [Prospective Client], I hope this email finds you well. As an attorney at [Law Firm Name], I wanted to share some industry updates in [legal area] that may be of interest to you. Recently, there have been some changes in [law, regulation, or trend] that may impact your business [or personal situation]. At [Law Firm Name], we strive to stay informed about the latest legal developments in [legal areas] to provide our clients with the best legal solutions. We have a team of experienced attorneys who specialize in [legal areas] and can provide personalized legal services to meet your needs. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how we can assist you with your legal needs, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards, [Your name] |
Promotional emails
At the end of the day, your marketing efforts are all about promoting your firm’s legal services. There are plenty of ways to do this with emails. Examples include spreading awareness about an upcoming webinar event or providing a discount code for a free consultation.
Promotional emails can also be used to “warm up” cold leads and new clients, expressly promoting the firm’s services, denoting the value to the end user, and leading them to your law firm’s website.
Consider this example from a personal injury firm:
| Subject: Are You Prepared for a Personal Injury? Dear [Prospective Client], Accidents happen, and when they do, they can be life-changing. If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, our law firm is here to help. We have a team of skilled personal injury attorneys who can help you obtain the compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Plus, we’ll lend a listening ear and help you overcome even the most difficult of legal challenges. We have successfully represented clients in a wide range of personal injury cases, including car accidents, slips and falls, and medical malpractice. We understand that dealing with an injury can be stressful, which is why we will guide you through every step of the legal process! Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. We’re looking forward to speaking with you! Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Law Firm] |
Case study emails
Another way for attorneys to exercise strategic email marketing is by providing their users with case studies.
Here is an example:
| Subject: Success Stories in [Legal Area] Dear [Prospective Client], I hope this email finds you well. As an attorney at [Law Firm Name], I wanted to share some of our recent success stories in [legal area]. We recently represented [Client Name] in a similar case to yours, and we were able to [describe the outcome]. At [Law Firm Name], we are committed to providing effective legal solutions and achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients. We have a team of experienced attorneys who specialize in [legal areas] and are dedicated to providing personalized legal services to meet our clients’ needs. I would be happy to discuss how we can assist you with your legal needs further. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a call. Best regards, [Your Name] |
Email marketing tips for lawyers
In the following section, I’ll share some tips and best industry practices you can use to generate optimal results for your law firm’s email marketing campaign.
Define your strategy and campaign type
Before you do anything else, it’s important to set a specific aim. What are you trying to do alongside your email service providers, and how will you measure success?
Be intentional in outlining measurable goals for traffic generation, lead generation, or improved online visibility.
Segment your list
Depending on your goals, you will likely need to break down your email subscriber list into many narrowly targeted lists. These lists may represent different stages of brand awareness. Or, they may denote different sections of your clientele.
For example, an estate planning firm may have one list for wills and another for trust litigation clients.
Use an email template
It’s important to ensure that your emails are easy to read. Luckily, you can do this with various email marketing templates.
There’s a plethora of platforms nowadays (more on these later) that offer pre-made templates for announcements, area launches, client alerts, etc. This method is less time-consuming than creating your own emails from scratch, + you can customize them according to your liking.
Get the design right
Speaking of email marketing templates, it’s important to ensure that your emails are easy to read. To accomplish this, you can:
- Use headings and subheadings as appropriate.
- Include short sentences and plenty of white space.
- Make certain that your law firm email marketing template is mobile-friendly.
Add value through content
Design is crucial, but content is king. 👑
Every email you send should provide direct value to your readers, or else you’ll see a high bounce rate and low open rate.
So, make sure to:
- Provide value in the form of real information – For example, an LLC attorney can offer free Northwest LLC reviews when recommending a registered agent or guidelines for crafting an Operating Agreement.
- Offer discounts – Provide value in the form of discounts or promotional offers as appropriate to your practice.
- Send a monthly content roundup – Promote your thought leadership through a law firm blog or through regular video updates. Use this content as fodder for your email list, sending out links and quick summaries to those who might have missed your content the first time around.
- Provide exclusivity – Another one of the top email marketing ideas for lawyers is to share something that only subscribers have access to, such as a free white paper, a limited-edition discount, a personalized email, or a personalized video message from one of your partners.
- Spend extra time on subject lines – Simply put, subject lines can make or break your email marketing campaign. The best subject lines are concise yet also convey clear value. In short, they should provide an obvious incentive to open the email, which, in turn, increases the click-through rate.
- Be mindful of privacy and preference – A final email marketing tactic for attorneys to keep in mind: Always provide a clear way to unsubscribe, making it plain that you care about consent and don’t take your readership for granted.
Review analytics and revise your approach
How often should you send emails? And what kinds of content seem to engender the most engagement? These are data points you may need to learn via trial and error and with a little A/B testing. A critical part of the email marketing process is regularly reviewing data and revising your strategy accordingly.
Answer common questions
Let’s face it: the majority of your clients are likely to ask a lot of the same questions. One way to go about answering common questions is to provide basic answers.
For example, for questions such as “How to start an LLC in California?”, you can have premade emails that list the steps to starting an LLC in California, describe the process, and mention the fees.
Explain complex concepts in a simple way
For someone who hasn’t received a law education, the law can be intimidating and quite complex. Breaking down complex concepts for your clients and presenting them in a simple manner can go a long way in helping them understand their problems.
Let’s take the example of starting an LLC in California again. You could perhaps create a simple infographic explaining the process from start to finish, helping them get a clearer picture.
Keep your emails concise
If we’re honest, most people nowadays have short attention spans. So, use this to your advantage, resist the temptation to write a long-winded email, and instead, keep it short and concise.
Bonus points: include videos and pictures with actionable tips and other media assets to make your emails more interesting.
Measure your results
Open rates, bounce rates, click-through rates, and other metrics are great indicators of how your email campaign is performing.
Most email marketing software nowadays offers solid analytics you can use to optimize your Law firm’s marketing strategy.
For instance, if you’re facing a high % of bounce rates, you might want to consider validating your email list.
Choose your marketing software
Once you have determined the type of campaign you want to run, the next step is to pick an email marketing platform that offers the templates and automation features required to turn that campaign into a reality.
What is the best email marketing software for lawyers?
As for specific software recommendations, there are some platforms that any law firm can benefit from. While these programs are not strictly designed specifically for law firms, they provide the tools law firms need for marketing success.
After consulting our email marketing experts, here are some tools that you can’t go wrong with.
1. Mailchimp
Mailchimp has been a leading name in marketing automation for quite a while now. It comes with many pre-made email templates that can be modified with the intuitive, easy-to-use editor.
Plus, automated workflows make it easy to create custom email marketing campaigns.
2. Moosend
Moosend provides advanced and flexible email automation tools and offers easy ways to format your email content. Most importantly, it’s affordable and has flexible pricing plans.
3. Hubspot
Hubspot isn’t only an email marketing platform. It’s also a holistic digital marketing and CRM software suite, providing a number of integrative ways to draw in a target audience.
While it’s not the most cost-effective solution, it offers superb drag-and-drop editor metrics that ensure a great return on investment.
4. Constant Contact
By contrast, if you’re looking for something a little bit simpler, Constant Contact is a great automated email platform that simplifies the process of maintaining communication with a target email list. It’s worth considering, especially for smaller firms.
Conclusion: Attorney email marketing is essential for firm growth
Every attorney wants to see their client roster expand, their reputation flourish, and their law firm prosper. Accomplishing these goals requires a robust and multi-faceted marketing strategy focused on conversion rate and retaining current clients.
Use this article as your go-to guide for optimizing your attorney email marketing strategy, choose the best email marketing software, and you’ll be golden.