Are Your Law Firm’s Online Reviews Costing You Clients?
One of the most important ways to strengthen your brand online is through social media marketing. In fact, social media is currently one of the primary referral sources for small law firms across the country.
But when prospects tumble across your social media pages, what kind of testimonials are they reading? What do the reviews on your Google My Business or Facebook pages say about you?
Trust us, it matters.
Here are three reasons why you should take control of your law firm’s online reputation and improve your reviews.
1. Law Firms Have a Reputation Problem
There are a lot of negative perceptions about lawyers out there. We’ve all heard hacky (and sometimes offensive) “lawyer jokes.” That perception—and even those jokes—makes a real impression on some people.
Of course, you might be able to change minds through your standard sales strategy once a prospect calls or emails you. But if they don’t trust your firm in the first place, they probably won’t call in the first place.
You might never get the chance to prove their perceptions wrong.
In order to give potential clients the confidence to contact you, you have to humanize your law firm and build trust. And one of the best ways to do that is by letting your previous clients and partners speak for you.
So by ensuring that you have plenty of glowing reviews on your social media pages, you can help heal all those negative impressions. Make it crystal clear that they shouldn’t be afraid to pick up the phone or send an email.
A little social proof goes a long way.
2. Prospects Are Already Researching You Online
There’s a simple fact every modern law firm can take for granted: potential clients and referral partners are researching you online.
These days, no one buys much of anything without checking reviews. The internet makes it easy to investigate every choice we make.
We’ve all scrolled dozens of online reviews, comparing good and bad experiences, before making a purchase. Even when customers are standing in a store face-to-face with a product they want, they still often whip out their smartphones to read the online reviews.
And that’s often for products that are under $100. Hiring a lawyer is a much bigger decision than picking the right shampoo. Making the wrong choice could mean a client ends up working with an unprofessional attorney, racking up unnecessary expenses, and possibly losing their case.
Rest assured: before most prospects even consider contacting you directly, they’re googling you, checking out your social media profiles, and reading your public reviews. And if they don’t like what they see, you can bet that they’re going to contact someone else.
So, are your online reviews attracting prospects or turning them away? It’s a question every attorney ought to be asking.
3. Positive Reviews Don’t Happen by Accident
For some reason, it always seems to be the unhappy customers and clients who make the most noise. When people are angry or disappointed, they’re often likely to type out a scathing review. Satisfied clients, on the other hand, may not even think about it.
It’s not uncommon to see even a reputable business with a one-star rating on Google because a single dissatisfied client left a poor review and no one else bothered.
By leaving your social media profiles on autopilot, you could hurt your reputation severely. Even if you aren’t actively setting up social media accounts, they can still be representing you. You may have an automatic Google My Business profile full of incorrect information and negative reviews.
If you want your online presence to represent you in a positive light, you have to be intentional about it. You may not be able to remove your negative reviews entirely, but with the right strategy in place, you can at least drown them out with dozens (or even hundreds) of positive reviews from happy clients and partners.
So don’t leave it to chance. Take control of your online reputation and create the public image your law firm needs.
How About a Little Help?
If you’re like most business owners, then your review game could probably use a little work. Unfortunately, as a busy professional, you may not have the time to invest in cultivating a better image for your law firm.
If you’d rather let someone else handle the hassles, we can help.
At Let America Know, we give trial attorneys across the nation the support they need to strengthen their online presence. Just contact us, and we’ll help you boost your brand, reach your target audience, and attract more leads.
Click here to check out our done-for-you social media program customized for trial attorneys.