Legal Internet Marketing Blog
What makes you trust a company? There are a variety of acceptable answers for this question, but one of the most important answers, particularly from a marketing standpoint, is WORD OF MOUTH. In today’s age of instant access to information, positive feedback from customers can quickly find its way to the friends of those satisfied customers…and their friends…and their friends (the same goes for negative feedback, but this shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a bad thing). In short, customer reviews can give a potential customer a good idea of what a company and its products are really like from the less biased opinion of a fellow consumer.
In the world of legal Internet marketing, word of mouth is most often associated with customer reviews. These reviews can be found on local listings sites, such as Google Places, professional networking sites, such as Linkedin, or social networking sites, such as Facebook. Regardless of where these reviews are located, they’re important, and for a variety of reasons.
Reviews on Google Places, which are generated on both Google and some third party sites, such as Insider Pages, are important because they are factored into search engine rankings. In short, the more reviews you have, the better. Reviews on Linkedin and other professional networking sites, such as the attorney rating site Avvo.com, are important because they accompany individual profiles that highlight an attorney’s experience and skills. These sites are often turned to by consumers to help differentiate between attorneys when deciding on whose legal services should be retained. Reviews on Facebook are important because they are the most viral of the bunch, appearing on the newsfeeds of friends, which may then be shared by those friends and so on and so forth. Ultimately, in social media, word of mouth is vital to a successful marketing campaign.
People tend to ask their family and friends for their advice when making important decisions. Hiring an attorney is certainly important, so it stands to reason that people are going to talk about such a decision with others. And, seeing that discussion these days has found its way onto the Internet, it’s important for attorneys to remember that online reviews and word of mouth are an essential part of marketing a business.
Remember, reviews, whether good or bad, present opportunity for you to address potential clients, regardless of whether or not you are directly corresponding with them. People see reviews, they read reviews, and they consider reviews. Make sure your legal Internet marketing campaign has them.
Want more clients? SLS Consulting can be the difference you need in your legal Internet marketing campaign. Call us today at 323-254-1510 for a free growth assessment of your law firm.