What Does Reputation Management Entail for Attorneys and Law Firms?

It’s no secret that reputation is an important part of any attorney’s toolkit. A poor reputation could result in losing clients or never getting them to begin with, whereas a good reputation generally results in positive reviews and helpful referrals to retain and gain new clients. There are a few areas of attorney marketing it’s important for lawyers to pay attention to in regard to their reputation, and a few simple fixes to apply when an attorney’s or law firm’s reputation needs improvement.

Areas of reputation management for attorneys and law firms may include the following:

• Social Media: An attorney’s or law firm’s social media presence may play a big part in their reputation. With so many people spending so much time on social media, clients will likely expect an attorney to be present and professional on one or two social media platforms. When an attorney’s social media profile contains just one or two scattered or irrelevant posts, this could actually hurt their reputation. To make sure a social media account is boosting instead of harming your reputation, it’s a good idea to scan through your personal account and remove any embarrassing or inappropriate content a potential client might be turned off by. It’s also important to come up with a schedule for your professional page, deciding when new content will be uploaded, as well as what genre of content you intend to stick to.
• Website: An attorney’s website says a lot about their practice. A website that runs slowly, appears out-of-date, and/or is not optimized for mobile devices may hurt your reputation, and send potential clients looking elsewhere for a law firm that offers a better first impression. A quick comparison of your website with other successful competitors can often give you an idea of whether or not your website might be doing more harm than good to your professional reputation.
• Reviews: Positive and negative reviews have a lot of power over an attorney’s reputation. Knowing how to correctly address both positive and negative reviews can do wonders for an attorney’s or law firm’s reputation. While it may be tempting to delete negative reviews, responding kindly with sympathy for their frustration and a willingness to work toward an acceptable solution actually shows other clients that you are both humble and cooperative, rather than petty or disengaged. Responding to positive reviews with warmth and appreciation is a good way to show other clients that you are both personable and invested in your clients’ happiness.
• Follow-up: Failing to respond to any inquiries, emails, phone calls, or personal communications in a timely and professional manner can seriously damage an attorney’s reputation. It’s a good idea to set aside a certain period of time each day dedicated to calling back that person you promised to get in contact with, or replying in detail to an email from a past or current client. When attorneys take too long to respond or do not respond thoroughly to a past, current, or potential client’s communications, this can make them seem cold, unavailable, and uncaring, creating a negative reputation that may be difficult to overcome.

To learn more about reputation management for attorneys and law firms, reach out to a legal marketing expert.