Most of the solos and small firms we know have a finite amount of time to dedicate to legal marketing, so having a process in place that nurtures a lead along the path to becoming a client is a great benefit. 

One of the best ways to capture leads is through education marketing and your blog plays a singular role in this regard.  Blogging allows you to initiate the conversation with prospects who are having the kind of problems you solve.  Once you establish your expertise and gain their trust by providing stellar and relevant content, they are much more likely to take the next step to engaging you, usually by visiting your website or landing page that you are using in your blogs to direct your traffic.

In addition, offering a free report on your blog or website in exchange for a prospect’s email address is a true win-win:  it’s a great way to capture those leads that may not be ready to pick up the phone or send an email and your prospect gets a free guide that helps them understand their legal issue better.

So here is how the process goes when you automate it correctly:

• Prospect becomes engaged through content on your blog
• Prospect enters their email address to get your free guide, either on your blog or your website/landing page
• You have an auto-responder system established that emails them the guide and a little more information about your firm
•  An automated drip email campaign begins where your prospect is sent pre-written emails according to a schedule you establish in your system that educates them more about your firm, the steps they should take next, testimonials from previous clients, a free consultation offer, etc.  

The goal is to lead the prospect along the buying path and get them to do what you want – call, set an appointment, etc.  Beyond adding content to your blog on a regular basis, everything else is done automatically, with no intervention from you or your staff needed until the prospect calls and your regular intake process begins.

You can also use the same system to nurture qualified leads until they become clients, sending a series of emails to prospects that miss an appointment or fail to hire you after the initial consultation.