With the abundance of billboards, bus stop bench ads, and bathroom stall advertisements we see on a daily basis, it is understandably difficult for an attorney to be seen in order to get more personal injury clients. The old way of advertising your firm isn’t always as effective as it used to be and attorneys need to be more creative with their business development efforts. Many personal injury attorneys struggle with where to begin or how to implement an affective strategy; however there are certain key things you can do get more personal injury clients.
The first step to increasing your book of business is to connect with people, whether through a word of mouth referral or creating more visibility online. However, today’s client does their due diligence when it comes to researching an attorney. This means, a friend may have referred them to you, but he or she will likely jump online to continue the vetting process prior to picking up the phone to contact your firm. What they are finding once they locate you online is crucial to whether you are getting more or losing more personal injury clients. It is important that your online profiles and directory listings are optimized and informative. Be sure your contact and location information is up to date, and that all platforms are congruent in messaging and details. If you haven’t already done so, claim the many profiles and listings available online to personal injury attorneys, then be sure to optimize them.
If a potential client is visiting your website, it is important that they are able to connect with you easily. Those who have been injured most likely want representation right away and therefore need instant gratification when it comes to contacting an attorney. This doesn’t mean you must be sitting next to the phone 24 hours a day, however there are many ways to create and maintain instant contact with potential clients. One effective way to create instant contact to get more personal injury clients is to provide a Live Chat option on your website. This allows a potential client to quickly have their questions answered or obtain more information from a representative or paralegal.
As a personal injury attorney you are most likely familiar with the stereotypes and “ambulance chaser” nicknames that have come to be over the years. The best way to get more clients is to work hard at defying these stereotypes. Providing a valuable service and building lasting relationships with your clients will only serve to benefit you in the future. Word of mouth referrals can be an incredibly powerful advertising tool for attorneys and your reputation stands on the crux of that potential. Build a better law firm and serve your clients well, and you will continue to get more personal injury clients.