Let’s face it: marketing your estate planning or elder law firm can feel like trying to build IKEA furniture without instructions. You know it’s important, but where do you even start? And how do you make sure all that effort isn’t for nothing?
You didn’t go to law school to be in marketing, but it’s hard to grow your firm without it!
The good news: You don’t have to be a marketing whiz to create a plan that works. With a few practical steps and a clear strategy, you can attract the right clients and grow your practice without burning through your budget—or your sanity.
Of course, we’re a marketing agency for attorneys, so we think this is something you should definitely get help with. But here are some basics if you want to assess how you’re doing or try to DIY it.
5 Steps to Bring in Great Clients
Here are five steps to help you build a strategic marketing plan that actually does what it’s supposed to: bring in clients.
1. Understand Your Ideal Client and Their Journey
Your marketing shouldn’t scream, “LOOK AT ME!” Instead, it should quietly whisper, “Hey, I can solve that problem for you.” To do that, you need to know your clients better than they know themselves.
- Picture your ideal client and get really specific: Are they an overwhelmed adult child who just realized Mom’s house needs to go in a Trust? Or a single retiree panicking about what happens to their cat if they don’t wake up tomorrow?
- Map their journey: What are they Googling at 11 p.m. in a cold sweat? (“How do I protect my farm from the nursing home?”) What’s stopping them from calling you? (Spoiler: They’re terrified you’ll use language they don’t understand or charge them just to breathe.)
Why this matters: When you understand their problems, you can speak their language—and no, that language isn’t legalese.
2. Conduct a Comprehensive Marketing Audit
Time to Marie Kondo your marketing. What’s bringing joy (aka great clients)? What’s just clutter? It’s really easy to collect clutter when it comes to marketing. The industry is INFAMOUS for chasing down the latest shiny object.
- Evaluate your website: If it’s slow or looks like it hasn’t been updated since “Friends” was first on TV, fix it.
- Review your social media: Are your posts getting likes from actual humans or just your Aunt Linda?
- Spy on competitors: What’s working for them, and how can you do it better?
Why this matters: You can’t fix what you don’t measure. And let’s be real, no one has time for marketing that doesn’t work.
3. Set SMART Goals
“Get more clients” is not a goal. It’s a wish. Goals need to be specific, measurable, and not based on fairy dust.
- Specific: “Increase workshop sign-ups by 20% this quarter.”
- Measurable: Use data—not your gut—to know if it’s working.
- Achievable: You can’t dominate Google overnight, but you can start with “Get on page 1 for [your City] estate planning attorney.”
- Relevant: If workshops are your bread and butter, focus there—not on TikTok dances (unless you’re into that).
- Time-bound: Put a deadline on it. Otherwise, it won’t happen. Let’s be honest. At the very least, you’re a business owner and an attorney. That’s more than enough for one human to do. (And I’m sure you’re wearing tons of other hats as well.) If you’re going to add marketer to that list, create small deadlines you might have a chance of meeting.
Why this matters: Goals without a plan are just expensive daydreams.
4. Develop a Multi-Channel Strategy
Clients aren’t hanging out in just one place, and neither should you. Cast a wide net—but do it strategically.
- Website: Think fast, clean, and clear. Make sure potential clients know what their next step is in less time than it takes to order a pizza.
- Content: Answer their burning questions before they even ask them. Blogs like “5 Things You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Planning” can work wonders.
- Email: Don’t just send “Hope you’re well” messages. Provide value, like reminders about free workshops or ways to improve the effectiveness of their estate plan.
- Social Media: Be where your clients are—most likely Facebook and LinkedIn, not Snapchat.
Why this matters: You don’t need to be everywhere, but you do need to be where it counts.
5. Monitor, Adjust, and Repeat
Your marketing plan isn’t a Costco rotisserie chicken—don’t “set it and forget it.”
- Track results: Did that blog post get clicks? Did your Facebook ad bring in any calls?
- Gather feedback: Ask clients how they found you. If it was a Google search, find out what they typed.
- Refine your strategy: If something’s not working, change it. Marketing is like gardening—sometimes, you need to rip out the weeds.
Why this matters: Marketing is always changing. Your strategy needs to be responsive.
Marketing your law firm doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or full of fluff. By following these five steps, you’ll have a clear, practical plan to reach the clients who need you most.
And remember, a great marketing plan isn’t about shouting louder than your competition. It’s about solving problems, building trust, and making life easier for the people you serve.
If you’re ready to stop winging it and start seeing results, we’re here to help. Cottrell Communications specializes in marketing for estate planning and elder law attorneys, so you can focus on what you do best: helping clients. Let’s create a strategy that works as hard as you do.
