Marketing for law firms, within the rules

Our partnership plans for law firms start at $4,500 + GST a month on Starter. That buys 28 hours a month of research, writing, design and reporting. Firms that publish more move to Standard (35 hours, $5,500 + GST a month) or Advanced (45 hours, $7,500 + GST a month). If a single press release from $1,000 + GST will do the job, we'll tell you before we quote.

Treat it like a matter: gather the facts, agree the position, then act. The facts are your intake records, search data and referrer list. The position is a wording guide and a short plan naming the practice areas to grow. The action is a monthly rhythm of content, LinkedIn, email and search work, reviewed with the partners at each meeting.

Start with the clients you already have, and find out where each new matter in recent months came from. The answer often shows one strong channel to build on and one gap to fix. Then fix the basics: a Google Business Profile, a page for each practice area and a simple way to capture enquiries. Content and email come after that.

A firm's advertising must not be false, misleading, deceptive or offensive, under rule 36 of the Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules. The same rule stops a lawyer calling themselves a specialist unless a law society has accredited them. Personal injury advertising is further restricted in New South Wales and Queensland. We write within these limits, and the firm signs off every piece.

The trend that matters most is AI search. Google now answers many questions with AI Overviews, so firms need clear, quotable answers on their own site. Short videos of lawyers explaining common questions build trust before the first call. In law marketing, Google reviews also carry weight, as long as the firm's replies don't discuss a client's matter.

LinkedIn suits firms whose clients and referrers are businesses, such as commercial, property, employment and estate practices that rely on accountants and planners. Partners post short, practical notes on law changes or common questions, and the firm page shares the longer guides. It builds slowly, so we plan a steady rhythm and draft the posts so partners only need to review them.

Set up two lists, clients and referrers, and only add people who've agreed to hear from you, as the Spam Act 2003 requires. Each email names the firm and carries an unsubscribe link. We build the template in a platform such as Campaign Monitor, write a plain-English update each quarter, and report opens and enquiries back to the partners.

Begin with data the firm already holds: intake records, enquiry sources, Google Search Console terms and the reviews clients leave. Then look at the firms you compete with in each practice area. When a decision is big enough, such as a new office, Dr. Damian Collins runs workshops or focus groups to test the message before money is spent.

Ask who does the work, whether they've marketed a law firm before, how they handle the conduct rules and whether there's a lock-in contract. Some legal marketing firms only work with lawyers, while a digital marketing agency for law firms like ours also brings TV, print and PR. Our answers: one account manager, past legal work for Maloney Anderson, a wording guide and no lock-in contracts.