I talk a lot about the importance of differentiating your firm by focusing your marketing efforts on communicating your unique competitive advantage – the benefits a client gets from working with you, the value you provide, the results you’ve gotten for past clients and the creative solutions you employ to solve legal issues.

Once you’ve got your UCA down cold, you can then go about spreading the good word.  Here are some effective ways to do that:

Testimonials. If it’s not barred by your state bar, then testimonials on your website are a good way to verify that people who have used your services are happy with the outcome. It is even better to have testimonials on your behalf on third-party websites like Avvo, Yelp! or Google.

Social proof. Being visible on social networks and having a good crop of followers lets those considering your services get more comfortable with the idea of hiring you – we have a strong herd mentality, and like to know we’re not alone.

Case studies. Posting relevant case studies to your website and your blog that are written for the average person (not another lawyer) can be very effective.

Videos. Populating your website and blog with videos that give prospects a feel for what it would be like to do business with you is another good way to showcase your skills.

Third-party endorsements. If you’ve been profiled in an article or interviewed in the media, post those interviews and articles on your website.