We have heard time and time again that referrals are often the best source of leads for law firms. But now that everything has moved online, people are starting to trust comments and reviews as much as they would face-to-face recommendations.
Gathering and managing these reviews can seem overwhelming, but by constantly soliciting reviews and responding to both positive and negative comments about your firm online, you can establish your firm’s expertise and professionalism. Several websites house reviews of lawyers and law firms including Yelp, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and more. You should check these sites regularly to ensure that you see and address reviews of your firm.
Here are a few tips to consistently gather and manage reviews on these sites and proactively add to your number of positive reviews.
Reach Out to Former Clients
The first and easiest way to get new reviews for your firm’s services is to reach out to former clients. You can target these individuals by adding their emails to a mailing list and creating an email campaign or by reaching out to them individually. If you have not asked any former clients for a review, the email marketing campaign can help you reach out to all of your contacts at the same time. You can then continue to reach out to former clients individually when necessary so that you do not continue to send the request to the same group of people. Try implementing a protocol to ask for a review every time you close a case file.
Contact Trusted Colleagues
You should also reach out to trusted colleagues and partners who could recommend you and your services online. These recommendations are visible to a variety of prospective clients who may be searching for your services. You can help these individuals by returning the favor and recommending them as well.
Respectfully Respond to Negative Reviews
Don’t wait until you have a bad review to start adding positive comments. By proactively managing your reviews and recommendations online, your firm shows prospective clients how much you care. When a bad review appears, respond promptly and with kindness. You should address the issue, apologize when necessary and describe a way that the firm can use their feedback moving forward.
84% of people say that they trust online reviews as much as a referral from someone they know.
If you are not keeping up with your online reviews, our team can help.
CONTACT US for help maintaining and improving your law firm’s online reputation today.
