It might be strange to think of your law firm in the context of branding. But with so much marketing shifting to digital these days, building a brand is an increasingly relevant marketing strategy for all types of businesses, including law firms.
The American Marketing Association gives the following definition to the term “branding”:
“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”
Law firms can leverage digital marketing to build a brand, which simply means distinguishing yourself from other firms online. For examples on successful branding strategies, let’s examine the following brands to see what they’re doing differently.
Lesson 1: Netflix’s Use of Voice on Social Media
As more and more businesses use social media for outreach and engagement, it becomes ever more important to sharpen your voice so that it doesn’t sound salesy or stiff like a lot of law firms online.
An ever-innovative brand, Netflix doesn’t shy away from boldly adopting social media to its advantage. When it puts out a tweet about one of its shows, it crafts copy that reflects the voice of the show.
All Hell is about to break loose. Get ready, witches. pic.twitter.com/PW6Je3kGFf
— Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (@sabrinanetflix) October 22, 2018
It also tweets in very casual, engaging tone accompanied by interactive content that prompts its followers to respond.
which witch are you today? pic.twitter.com/us6BJbMfm1
— Netflix (@netflix) October 18, 2018
Key takeaway: Don’t be afraid to adopt a distinctive voice instead of a generic tone that will easily be drowned out online. Law firms generally shouldn’t be as casual or flippant like Netflix, but you can find a happy medium that makes you sound like an approachable attorney and not an out-of-touch lawyer, especially when you’re communicating online.
Lesson 2: Coca-Cola’s Last Customer Video Ad
You may have heard how important it is for law firms to utilize video for online marketing. Cisco forecasts that by 2019, video traffic will account for 80% of all internet consumer traffic. So yes, video marketing is important, but if everyone is making videos, what kinds of videos could you create to make yourself stand out from the crowd?
One of Coca-Cola’s holiday ads that gained a lot of positive traction was The Last Customer, which featured real retail workers toiling during the busy holiday season, unable to spend time with their families. The company surprised them by treating them at the last minute, resulting in warm, emotional content as the ad follows the reactions of the workers.
Key takeaway: More than any other type of content, video has the potential to touch people’s hearts, no matter what service you’re offering. Think of ways to make a personal connection through video by putting people first. This is especially relevant for legal services that have the potential to drastically affect people’s lives.
Lesson 3: Virgin Airlines’ CEO-Driven Blog
Developing your law firm’s blog is a long-term game, but the potential benefits are worth the investment in time. In addition to successful SEO strategies, there are ways to add content that will resonate with readers and set you apart from other blogs.
Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Airlines, is one of the biggest influencers out there. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, he invests in contributing content that contains the wisdom and expertise he has gained throughout the course of his career. Take a look at his blog and you’ll see it covers topics ranging from business to productivity that will interest a lot of readers, especially based on his reputation as a thought leader.
Key takeaway: Authoritative blogs are a key component of building a trustworthy law firm. While not everyone has the influence of Richard Branson, many firms have direct expertise in the field that they can share through a blog. Personalizing the content this way, through highly relevant, personal and interesting insights, can attract more clients to your services.
If you want to make your online presence stand out, we can help. At Real Legal Marketing, we invest in marketing strategies that work directly for legal services. To request a consultation, reach out today.
