Marketing to Lawyers and Law Firms: Understanding Decision Makers and Influencers

Introduction

Marketing to the legal industry presents unique challenges compared to marketing to other business sectors. Lawyers and law firms have specific needs, preferences, and decision-making processes that marketers must understand to reach and persuade them effectively.

This article explores how companies can successfully market their products or services to lawyers and law firms, focusing on the key decision-makers and influencers who drive purchasing decisions.

The Legal Industry Landscape Before diving into marketing strategies, it's essential to understand the legal industry's landscape. There are over 1.3 million licensed lawyers and over 47,000 law firms in the United States alone.

The industry is highly competitive, with firms ranging from solo practitioners to large, multinational firms with thousands of attorneys. Law firms are typically organized into practice areas, such as corporate law, litigation, intellectual property, real estate, employment law, and more. Each practice area has unique needs and challenges, which can impact purchasing decisions.

Another critical factor to consider is the size of the law firm. Solo practitioners and small firms often have different needs and budgets than large firms. For example, a solo practitioner may be more price-sensitive and prefer all-in-one solutions that can handle multiple tasks. At the same time, a large firm may have more resources to invest in best-in-class solutions for each specific need. Key Decision Makers in Law Firms When marketing to law firms, it's crucial to understand who the key decision-makers are. While the specific roles and titles may vary depending on the size and structure of the firm, here are some of the most common decision-makers:

Managing Partners: In most law firms, the managing partner (or partners) has ultimate decision-making authority over firm-wide purchases and investments. They are responsible for the firm's overall strategy and direction, including budgeting and resource allocation.

Practice Group Leaders: Many law firms are organized into practice groups, each with its leader. These practice group leaders often significantly influence purchasing decisions about their specific practice area.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or IT Directors: The CIO or IT Director is often the key decision maker for technology-related purchases. They are responsible for ensuring the firm's technology infrastructure is secure, reliable, and efficient.

Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) or Finance Directors: The CFO or Finance Director manages the firm's finances, including budgeting, accounting, and purchasing. They often have significant influence over purchasing decisions, particularly for large investments.

Office Managers or Administrators: In smaller firms, the office manager or administrator may have a significant role in purchasing decisions, particularly for day-to-day supplies and equipment.

Influencers in the Legal Industry: Besides the key decision-makers within law firms, several important influencers can impact purchasing decisions. These influencers may not have direct purchasing power, but their opinions and recommendations carry significant weight. Here are some of the most important influencers in the legal industry:

Attorneys: While individual attorneys may not have direct purchasing power, they can be important influencers within their firms. Attorneys are often the end users of products and services, and their feedback and preferences can shape purchasing decisions.

Legal Industry Thought Leaders: There are several prominent thought leaders in the legal industry, including bloggers, podcasters, and conference speakers. These individuals often have large followings and can influence purchasing decisions through content and recommendations.

Legal Industry Associations: Many associations and organizations cater to the legal industry, such as the American Bar Association (ABA) and the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). These associations often influence their members significantly and can be important channels for reaching legal professionals.

Legal Technology Consultants: Many law firms work with external consultants to help them make technology purchasing decisions. These consultants often have deep expertise in legal technology and can be important influencers in the purchasing process.

Marketing Strategies for Reaching Lawyers and Law Firms

Now that we've identified the legal industry's key decision-makers and influencers let's explore some effective marketing strategies to reach them.

Educational Content Marketing: One of the most effective ways to reach legal professionals is through educational content marketing. Lawyers are knowledge workers who value content that helps them stay informed and up-to-date on industry trends and best practices.

To create effective educational content, identify your target audience's key pain points and challenges. Then, create content that addresses those challenges and provides valuable insights and solutions. This could include blog posts, whitepapers, eBooks, webinars, and more. When creating educational content, it's important to remember your target audience's specific needs and preferences. For example, if you're targeting solo practitioners, your content may focus on cost-effective solutions and time-saving tips. If you're targeting large firms, your content may focus on enterprise-level solutions and best practices for managing complex legal matters.

Here are some suggested readings to better understand how to create content that will resonate with the intended buyer personas:

• How to Create Buyer Personas

• Buyer Personas - the Foundation of Strategic Marketing

• Discover How To Create Great Content

• Content Marketing Formula - Rules for Success

Targeted Advertising: Targeted advertising can effectively reach legal professionals, particularly on platforms where they are already spending time. For example, LinkedIn is a popular platform for legal professionals, and it offers robust targeting options based on job title, company size, and more.

When creating targeted ads, it's important to consider your target audience's specific needs and preferences. Use messaging and imagery that resonates with legal professionals and highlight the benefits of your product or service in terms that matter to them.

Industry Events and Conferences: Industry events and conferences can be excellent opportunities to reach legal professionals in person. Legal conferences attract thousands of attendees, including key decision-makers and influencers.

To make the most of industry events, consider sponsoring or exhibiting. This can give you valuable exposure and the opportunity to connect with potential customers face-to-face. You can also consider speaking at the event or hosting a workshop or panel discussion to showcase your expertise and thought leadership.

Here are some articles to help you achieve the best results from the events and conferences:

• The Importance of Trade Shows and Conferences

• Optimizing Your Trade Show Participation

Referral Marketing: Referral marketing can be a powerful way to reach new customers in the legal industry. Lawyers often rely on referrals from colleagues and peers when purchasing decisions, so building relationships with existing customers and encouraging them to refer others can be an effective strategy.

To encourage referrals, consider creating a formal referral program that rewards customers for referring new businesses. You can also focus on providing exceptional customer service and support, which can help turn satisfied customers into loyal advocates for your brand.

Account-Based Marketing: Account-based marketing (ABM) can be an effective strategy for companies targeting larger law firms. ABM involves identifying key accounts that are a good fit for your product or service and creating personalized marketing campaigns to reach the decision-makers within those accounts.

To implement an effective ABM strategy, identify your ideal customer profile and create a list of target accounts. Then, develop personalized content and messaging for each account and use tactics (such as targeted advertising, direct mail, and personalized email campaigns) to reach the key decision-makers within those accounts.

To operate a highly successful ABM program, adopt the recommendations outlined in these articles:

• Account-Based Marketing

• Stop Waiting for Your Ideal Client - Use ABM

• ABM - Strategies for Targeted Success

Thought Leadership and PR: Thought Leadership and PR Establishing your company as a thought leader in the legal industry can be a powerful way to build credibility and attract new customers. To do this, focus on creating high-quality content showcasing your expertise and insights and seek opportunities to share that content through industry publications, speaking engagements, and media appearances.

You can also leverage PR to build brand awareness and establish your company as a trusted resource in the legal industry. This could involve partnering with industry associations or organizations, sponsoring research or surveys, or creating newsworthy content that attracts media attention.

Here are some articles that will help you implement an effective PR program:

• Public Relations - Strategic Insights

• Elevate Your Brand: Public Relations Best Practices for 2024

• Earned Media Can Boost Your Brand's Reputation and Sales

• Five Winning Earned Media Campaigns

Influencer Marketing: One of the most cost-effective ways to capture the attention of law firm decision-makers is through influencer marketing. Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to connect with their target audience. To understand how to implement an influencer marketing strategy that will convert into the acquisitions of law firm clients, take a look at these articles:

• The ALMOST Definitive Guide To Influencer Marketing

• Who Are Influencers?

• The Science Behind Influencer Marketing

• Influencers - How to Measure Performance

• How to Find the Right Influencer

• Influencer Marketing - The Impact of Artificial Intelligence

• How to Become a Paid Influencer in 12 Easy Steps

• Influencer Marketing - Know Your Legal Duty

If there is any question about whether Managing Partners can be acquired through influencer marketing, consider the following articles:

• How to Influence the C-Suite to Buy

• The Psychology of the C-Suite: Unlocking CEO Mindset

• Four Myths of Marketing to the C-Suite

• Capturing the C-suite With Owned Media

• Captivating the C-Suite With Earned Influence

Measuring Success and Adjusting Your Strategy: As with any marketing strategy, measuring your success and adjusting your approach over time is important. Here are some key metrics to track:

1. Website traffic and engagement: Track the number of visitors to your website and engagement metrics like time on site, pages per visit, and bounce rate. This can help you gauge the effectiveness of your content marketing and advertising efforts.

2. Lead generation: Track the number and quality of leads generated through your various marketing channels. This can help you identify the most effective tactics for new business.

3. Customer acquisition: Track the number of new customers acquired through your marketing efforts and the revenue generated from those customers. This can help you calculate your return on investment (ROI) and make data-driven decisions about where to allocate your marketing budget.

4. Customer feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your customers to understand what's working well and where there may be opportunities for improvement. This can help you refine your marketing strategy and ensure that you're meeting the needs of your target audience.

Conclusion

Marketing to lawyers and law firms requires a deep understanding of legal professionals' unique needs, preferences, and decision-making processes. By identifying the key decision-makers and influencers within the industry and developing targeted marketing strategies to reach them, companies can effectively promote their products and services to this valuable audience.

Whether through educational content marketing, targeted advertising, industry events, referral marketing, account-based marketing, or thought leadership and PR, there are many effective ways to reach and engage legal professionals. You can optimize your approach and drive long-term growth and success in the legal industry by continually measuring your success and adjusting your strategy based on data and feedback.