Forms Library

Marketing Your Law Firm in a Distressed Economy

By Maya Blyth and Ken Matejka, Legal PPC

It’s tempting to scale back your marketing efforts during an economic downturn. Your business’ cash flow is tightening and you want to save every dime to get you through the slow times in your law practice.

A lot of practice areas are recession-proof. Just as people need to see their doctor when they’re sick, people have to hire a lawyer when they face a serious legal problem such as getting served with eviction papers or being charged with a crime.

Some practice areas can actually increase in troubled economic times, for example, bankruptcy, foreclosures and family law disputes. Many of these legal problems are so serious that most people would not choose to face them without competent representation.

Be Agile and Refocus Your Law Practice
You can adapt and balance your law practice with areas that are more recession proof. For example, if you provide estate planning services to high net worth individuals who recently lost a lot of money in the stock market, your business may suffer. Right now could be a great time to market yourself to less wealthy people who need to qualify for Medi-Cal benefits or veterans’ benefits.

Now is a Good Time to Advertise in Search Engines
During an economic crisis, advertisers instinctively panic and slash their marketing budgets. This is good for you because as other lawyers retreat, you face less competition and can bring more traffic to your Web site more affordably. Don’t be the one to panic. Take advantage of this opportunity. If you’re not in the search engines, this is the perfect time to get started.

Finding the Right Message
You can create an advertising message that targets price conscious people who are tightening their belts. If you’re a cost effective alternative to the next law firm in the search results, say so in your
ads. Solos and small law firms with little overhead are uniquely positioned to package themselves attractively to the value conscious consumer of legal services.

Ken Matejka and Maya Blyth are cofounders of LegalPPC, a San Francisco based marketing company dedicated to helping solo practitioners and small law firms get more clients from the Google search engine. They can be reached at ken@legalppc.com or maya@legalppc.com