Marketing the legal sector
Written by Amy Shaw
Marketing legal services requires building trust and educating clients, while respecting and safeguarding complex and sensitive information. Specialised marketing campaigns are therefore required, including the creation of case studies and the monitoring of brand reputation management.
This article has been assigned the following categories: Marketing, Social media,
Marketing legal services is vastly different from marketing consumer goods. When marketing products, potential buyers can easily compare features, touch and experience the product before buying.
However legal firms’ services, much like other professional services, are often complex and require trust and credibility before their client considers purchasing.
There is also the need to convince some business owners of the need for professional advice, rather than turning to search engines for contract and other templates, which is the majority of cases, are not fit for purpose and leave businesses exposed when they are most needed.
To market the legal sector, understanding it not only from a marketing perspective but also from a technical and legislative standpoint is essential.
Building trust and educating
Building trust and educating potential clients can be challenging in legal marketing. Legal services are often perceived as difficult to understand by the general public, and legal firms’ clients may not be aware of the exact service they need until they are educated on the options available to them.
The key is to craft content that showcases a legal firm's expertise while demystifying its services. Whether through articles, social media posts or case studies, it’s important to share knowledge and position the firm as a thought leader. By providing informative and engaging content, a legal firm can build credibility and educate prospective clients, increasing their confidence in choosing the firm for their legal needs.
Case studies in legal marketing
Case studies are vital in marketing professional services, and this is particularly true in the legal sector. Case studies help alleviate potential clients’ uncertainty towards purchasing an intangible service. A well-constructed case study demonstrates a firm's ability to solve similar problems for past clients and address their concerns before they arise.
Anonymised case studies can be a good solution for legal firms, as they highlight successful outcomes while respecting client confidentiality. Some legal cases involve sensitive issues, making it necessary to tread carefully when sharing details publicly.
They can also demonstrate the importance of obtaining professional legal advice, rather than turning to Google.
Reputation management
Managing law firms’ online reputation is more important than ever, as conversations about brands increasingly happen outside the firm’s control. Monitoring social media channels and engaging in real-time responses to client feedback is essential to stay on top of these conversations, as well as responding to media enquiries sensitively.
Scaramanga’s experience
Scaramanga has been involved in marketing for the legal, enforcement and debt recovery industry for over 15 years, working with the High Court Enforcement Group (HCE Group), and its various brands, Excel Civil Enforcement, The Sheriffs Office and the National Eviction Team.
The main legislation that governs these clients’ worlds is Taking Control of Goods (TCoG), and HCE Group offers TCoG training courses and qualifications. Claire Scaramanga, Scaramanga Marketing’s Managing Director, has gained these qualifications, demonstrating Scaramanga’s commitment to understanding our client’s industry.
Scaramanga has helped HCE grow by carrying out the following marketing services on a retainer basis:
- Content research, creation and marketing
- Written case studies for tenders
- Organic social media posts
- Thought leadership via directors’ social media accounts
- Email marketing
- Database development
- Print and digital advertising
- Events management
- Media relations
- PR campaigns
- Branding
The outcomes
- Before The Sheriffs Office was acquired by HCE Group, it reached top 4 in the industry.
- We successfully pitched a TV show, The Sheriffs Are Coming, to the BBC, which ran for eight seasons, reached 32 million people and won a Broadcast TV award.
- HCE Group and The Sheriffs Office are now the largest independent High Court enforcement company in the country.
- The National Eviction Team has won several very large and high-profile national infrastructure clients.
- Excel Civil Enforcement has raised its profile significantly and has won multiple new tenders in target areas of the county, including a London Borough.
“The best marketeer I ever worked with and greatly helped my business grow from £750k to £5m in 7 years. Highly recommended.”
-David Carter, former owner of The Sheriffs Office
Contact us to see how we can help your legal firm, and view our work for HCE Group, Excel Civil Enforcement, The Sheriffs Office and the National Eviction Team.
