No matter how unpredictable and unpleasant 2020 has been, marketing for Law Firms never stops. 2021 is approaching, and it brings light at the end of the tunnel. If you want to be ready for the arising opportunities, you need to start looking at the untapped potential.

In the past couple of weeks, we looked into the most important moments and trends of 2020, covering PPC’s highlights for Law Firms and SEO for Attorneys. Today, we’ll look into what’s next. What do we expect to be the hottest trends for legal marketing in 2021, and how can your Law Firm get ready and make the most out of them with sustainable strategies?

We’ll focus on three main pillars. Google Ads, Social Media, and SEO. Each one is equally important and is a contributing factor for a long-term holistic strategy for growth. Are you ready to discover the most prominent marketing trends for the legal vertical in 2021?

  1. Social Media trends for Law Firms in 2021

Social Networks have been on a constant rise. 2020 has been a remarkable year for most of them, seeing their user base grow and the overall engagement increase. Experts assume that one reason is the social distancing and lockdown reality that we are facing, leading people to turn to online media for their communication with family and friends. This doesn’t mean, however, that usage is expected to drop. On the contrary, stats predict that it will keep rising. You can take a look below at the supporting graph.

  • Facebook

The Social Network is mostly preferred by Lawyers, providing one of the most powerful tools for their digital marketing. For 2021, we see two strong trends that Attorneys can focus on and aim for success.

  • Organic posting and growth. That’s nothing new. We’ve devoted a separate article on this, but it’s among the hottest expected trends for 2021, and we’ll explain why. Organic reach might decline, but it’s still essential, especially for people in their research phase. We’d suggest you combine it with your buyer persona’s main characteristics and create appealing posts on a daily or at least weekly basis. For example, US Hispanics are among your desired prospective clients, and make weekly Spanish posts, mainly aimed towards them.
  • Facebook Ads for Law Firms are among the most effective ways to successfully invest in digital marketing successfully. No matter if you want to increase your brand awareness or get in front of your next prospective client, you can achieve it through the platform. What do we see as a trend for 2021? The CPC (Cost Per Click) is relevantly lower compared to Google Ads, while usage is on the rise. That means opportunity. Investing in Facebook Ads, or increasing your budget will help you target more people, with just a fragment of the cost.

  • Instagram

We perceive Law Firms as brands. Establishing your authority and creating the desired brand awareness is no easy task and requires the right methodology and tools. One of the most effective tools for that purpose is Instagram. Organic posting on your Law Firm’s Instagram is the first step. By creating regular updates on posts and stories, you can stay in touch with your existing followers and gradually grow your base. Instagram Ads will help you gain more relevant followers, bring your brand to the front, and eventually give you the chance to retarget users who clicked on your Ad.

Tip: Put your focus on your brand. Showcase your success, and make the most of your reviews and reputation management strategy. 

Remember to keep an eye on other emerging social networks. Tik Tok is a good example, and there is potential in there, but with all the complications involved, we don’t see it as a must for 2021 Law Firm strategies.

  1. SEO trends for Law Firms in 2021

Search Engine Optimization is a strategy that requires time, effort, and proper execution. So, if you are interested in it but you’re not investing yet, it’s time to do it now so that you can start seeing your first signs of ROI sooner rather than later in 2021. What are the hottest trends we expect in 2021? The first is (as we keep saying in our podcast) diversify (diversify, diversify!) your content. How can you do that?

  1. Start working on your SEO strategy in Spanish. The first step is to always consider the value of US Hispanics to your Law Firm. As soon as you figure this out, you can start working on your content. Be careful, though; translating what you already have is not going to work. It’ll most probably be full of grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Transcreation is the way to go. Create original content for Your Law Firm’s Spanish website that will effectively capture US Hispanics’ interest, let the Search Engines crawl it, and rank it higher.
  2. Invest in video marketing for your Law Firm. If you follow our blog, you already know that we consider it indispensable for Law Firms. We recently published a full blog article with the essential guide to video marketing for Law Firms. To sum it up, we consider it a significant trend for 2021. Videos allow you to capture the interest in a more complete and spherical way, creating the necessary emotional stimulation whenever needed. It also allows you to have appealing and current content to share across all platforms.
  3. Start with your Law Firm’s podcast. We know that many attorneys are hesitant, but it can prove to be a very effective tool. You can create authority, you can give added value to your clients, and you can also attract prospective clients. Why do we add it to the SEO trends? By transcribing your episodes, you can get a consistent production of relevant, high intent written content that will help you rank higher. You can also eventually create an additional tool that will help you get more links. If you bring guests to appear on your podcast, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see them sharing the episode or adding a link on their website showcasing their appearance.
  4. Get ready for voice search by optimizing your website. Voice search has been trending for a few years now, but we see it gradually living up to the expectations. Voice assistants are here to stay, and you can miss out on significant search volumes and opportunities if you are not prepared.
  1. Google Ads for Law Firms in 2021

Google Ads are one of the most discussed topics for Attorneys who want to increase their caseload and sign more clients through digital marketing. Inevitably, we couldn’t skip it, so let’s get going to the points that we consider hot trends for legal PPC in 2021.

  • Google Search Network Ads for Law Firms in Spanish. We mentioned Hispanic marketing above, both for Social Media and SEO, and we consider it the biggest opportunity with the most significant untapped potential. The reasons behind our thought process are concrete and specific. CPCs are relatively lower compared to the corresponding high intent keywords. The search volumes are on the rise, especially after Summer and for specific Personal Injury and Workers Compensation cases. Additionally, US Hispanics are mobile power users, meaning that they often prefer their smartphones or tablets when searching online.
  • Google Display Network. That is another major opportunity for Law Firms that want to grow in 2021. It allows you to use remarketing and retargeting techniques to get you in front of high-intention prospective clients. They could fall into two categories. First, visitors to your website that didn’t convert, and second, searchers who browse other websites and share some common characteristics that could signal potential interest.

What are our takeaways for 2021 digital marketing trends for Law Firms:

  • Social media have gained momentum, and their importance is expected to continue growing. Invest in them in terms of time and effort (organic) and budget (paid).
  • SEO is a component that can drive traffic and new cases to your Law Firm in the long run. Diversify your content, and remember that it’s not all about written blog articles.
  • PPC and Google Ads can help you gain momentum for 2021, yielding quick and efficient results.
  • US Hispanics represent one of the most significant opportunities for Law Firms and the most critical untapped potential on many occasions.