Unlocking Legal Support: How Marketing Automation Can Enhance Access to Legal Aid in Florence, SC
Enhancing Legal Aid Services Through Marketing Automation
Revenue Engineer embraces the idea that law firms and lawyers must look to marketing automation tools that will help them to better identify, engage and nurture potential leads in order to best convert them into paying clients. In addition to managing leads, there are opportunities to understand and refine your firm’s practice from a metrics perspective, to increase the return on investment in your marketing efforts.
In reviewing an article that discusses legal aid options in Florence, SC (one that Revenue Engineer is publishing), the focus is on how marketing automation strategies are useful in a legal aid context. This can be particularly useful in understanding how legal aid service providers can improve lead management.
Lead management for legal aid involves some of the same issues as personal injury law, for example. In both cases, the services are likely to be needed at a critical juncture in the lives of the potential client. A person may need a personal injury lawyer immediately if they are injured in an accident. Legal aid helps underserved populations navigate legal issues that can be all-consuming. When these individuals find themselves in crisis situations, they may not have legal skills and knowledge, and they may also be hindered by self-doubt. Often individuals don’t understand their rights, and they may not know how to take action to help themselves. There are significant barriers to learning about the services and programs available to them. This is where marketing automation tools can help. These individuals can benefit immensely from legal aid assistance.
In South Carolina, programs such as SC Free Legal Answers offer free legal advice for eligible individuals. For example, the South Carolina Bar gives advice on specific areas of law to those in need of such advice. It also provides videos (here is an example) and a number of other resources. The connection between these resources and those who can best benefit is where the digital marketing strategy comes into play. With a CRM software, your organization can better create experiences that result in conversion for those seeking legal aid. By tracking leads, your legal aid services can determine what digital assets are working (and which are not). It also allows you to streamline the intake process to ensure that the greatest number of future clients can benefit from your services. The SC Free Legal Answers program, for example, lists legal topics so that questions can be asked of attorneys in the appropriate area of law (and also assigned according to expertise if the organization desires). The question is also categorized based on the zip code of the potential client. This is an important feature, as this means that someone seeking help in the Greenville area would be represented by a local attorney. Marketing automation systems provide you with the tools you need to make this meaningful connection come alive. You know that the person seeking the legal aid in Florence, SC (zip: 29560) is a resident looking to connect with a local lawyer.
Beyond the program intake form, it is important to consider how leads are processed based on additional factors. For example, how do you convert leads to customers in the best way is they are not ready to engage immediately? Nurture them along the way (e.g., conduct follow-up phone calls and/or provide follow-up emails (yes, automated emails can be a part of your digital marketing strategy too). Based on the information you collect in the lead form and throughout the relationship, you can personalize the communications. This is crucial to making clients feel or become engaged. You are able to demonstrate that you have actively listened and understood their needs. This nurtures their trust in your legal aid services.
Legal aid is particularly necessary in instances of domestic violence. Some of the greatest fears that women face while in abusive situations are fears of losing their children when an abuser falsely accuses her of being unfit or a danger to the child or children. Family court can be a nightmare for those who are facing unrepresented parties. Using the CRM software and other automated systems to manage incoming communications for a child custody dispute can help to maintain order, for example. There is no telling how many false allegations of endangerment have been made because the victims of domestic abuse don’t understand how to access those resources, such as legal aid.
There are a multitude of ways in which CRM and other sales tools can improve legal aid services (not just those for domestic abuse). There are also ways to improve SEO and other digital marketing efforts, such as better linking to legal aid resources. Ranking first on legal aid topics is a start but it can be improved when your digital marketing focuses on local keywords. In South Carolina, you might use South Carolina legal aid, Florence legal aid and/or legal aid Florence SC. This ensures that your potential lead also gets local help. Florentines look for local solutions.
SEO that is targeted, such as for legal aid in Florence, SC, includes keyword-rich information i.e., content that they want to read or that answers their questions. Data analytics is also important to understand what their interests are and how they learn. Does the opportunity for interaction appeal to them? Do they want to watch a video? How are legal aid services in Florence, SC, like South Carolina Free Legal Answers, performing in response to a need. Are your efforts being met with success and how do you quantify this.
Of course, you want to leave potential leads with a way to connect with you for questions, feedback, and updates on legal aid opportunities that they may be interested in. Email marketing is also automated. Make sure that your potential leads feel empowered to opt-in or out, as desired, but make it easy for them to remain connected.
