Most attorneys still focus on referrals from other lawyers, or other business professionals. They acquire those by attending legal organization events or business networking groups, as they build a professional network over time.
The problem is that that’s all that most attorneys will do to market their practices.
You’ll find no argument here that referrals work to generate law firm business; but, those attorney and business referrals are decreasing, while referrals from specific communities and family referrals are growing. This was the case before the pandemic (just in case you were wondering), and this divide has likely increased since the pandemic hit – as people were stuck at home, and retrenched back into their local communities to a greater extent than at any other time in the last 100 years.
What does this mean for law firms?
Well, first off, it’s better to diversify your marketing efforts (including beyond referrals) anyway – but, yeah: the more types of referrals you can get, the better.
And, it also means that law firms should more aggressively engage in community-based marketing activities. That could mean sponsoring a little league team. Or, being a room parent at your kids’ school. Or, joining a local committee.
There’s lots of opportunity to get more involved in your local community in a personal way; and, as it turns out, it’s also a great way to build revenue in your law firm.