To uphold the highest standards of professional practice, it is crucial for a law firm to effectively manage its reputation. This ensures that the firm is perceived as a credible and reliable source of information by the public. 

However, maintaining a positive public image can be a challenging task, particularly in today’s internet-driven society, where a single negative or inaccurate review can have a significant impact on a firm’s online presence. To connect with potential clients and effectively handle specific cases, it is essential to have a well-crafted attorney reputation management strategy in place.

Why Reputation Is Essential For Success

A company’s reputation is a critical aspect that determines its market position. It is a culmination of overall impressions formed by previous interactions with the company and expectations for its future endeavors. Simply put, a company’s reputation is determined by how its past customers perceive their experience with it and their predictions for its future performance.

A good reputation is an intangible asset that can provide a significant advantage in the market. Businesses that are seen as dependable, transparent, and accountable can differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Prospective customers also value a company’s good reputation, as it conveys reliability and sincerity. This can lead to higher prices and the ability to attract and retain highly qualified and loyal talent.

Upholding a solid reputation can also:

• Draw attention to a company’s strengths.
• Create a favorable public image.
• Fend off criticism from clients or competitors.
• Cement the company as the go-to provider of a given service. 

Strategies for Improving Credibility

Brand Audits

To evaluate a law firm’s online assets, you can make a list of the following and examine each one individually:

• Company websites
• Blogs
• Social media accounts (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
• 3rd-party profiles (i.e. directories, review sites, and industry-specific platforms)

It’s also important to examine the Google search results for the firm and associated search terms. This will give you an idea of what comes up when people search for the firm, and if there are any undesirable or off-brand results. Additionally, you should check for controllable excess news stories and insufficient resources. It’s worth noting that positive stories are fine, but unfortunate occurrences can quickly become criticized, which can negatively impact the law firm’s online reputation.

In order to evaluate the online assets, you can:

• Check the quality of the content, design, and usability of the website.
• Check the regularity and relevance of the blog posts.
• Check the engagement and reach of social media accounts
• Check the reviews, ratings, and accuracy of the information provided on 3rd-party sites.
• Check the search engine ranking and the visibility of the website on search results.
• Check the online news related to the firm and its reputation.

By evaluating all these online assets, you can have a clear picture of how the firm is perceived online and what steps you need to take to improve it.

Budget for SEO

Online reputation management requires SEO, but the approach differs. Typically, SEO focuses on positioning multiple pages on the same website for a variety of search phrases. However, when it comes to online reputation management, SEO focuses on indexing multiple sites for a few brand-specific searches. This allows a business to replace negative search results with positive and manageable content.

To optimize online reputation management through SEO, it’s important to:

• Optimize as many pages as possible for brand-related terms as part of a customized SEO campaign.
• Publish insightful content for the website’s authority pages and review sections.
• Obtain positive brand references through online PR, conferences, endorsements, and influencer marketing.
• Stay visible on important social media networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Create backlinks to the relevant page that the business wants to position on Google’s first page.
• Establish and optimize relevant third-party accounts on sites such as Yelp, Trustpilot, Google My Business, and other business profiles with content control.

Rely on Testimonials

Positive comments can take up important space in Google’s search results and affect users’ decisions. Consider: 

• Emailing clients and encouraging them to post feedback.
• Facilitating their experience by giving them clear directions on where and how to submit a review.
• Rewarding them with discounts or other exclusive deals in exchange for a review.
• Addressing all reviews, favorable and unfavorable, to show them that their input matters.

Monitoring Your Law Firm’s Mentions 

Tracking brand mentions online is an essential strategy for managing a legal firm’s digital reputation. By setting up alerts for the firm’s name and associated phrases, legal firms can be notified when their brand gets mentioned on any online platform, including social media, blogs, discussion boards, and videos. This allows them to stay informed about what people are saying about the firm and its services, monitor competitors and industry trends, and identify potential reputation issues in a timely manner.

Responding quickly to both positive and negative mentions can help a legal firm address potential issues, engage with its audience and build stronger relationships, and identify opportunities for positive PR and brand promotion. It’s important to create a protocol for responding to mentions to ensure a consistent and effective approach. 

Positive mentions can be appreciated and thanked, while negative ones can be addressed by providing an explanation and a solution. The more promptly the firm can spot and dismiss the harsh sentiments, the better. Besides, most people are ready to overlook honest errors as long as a business makes an honest attempt to make things right.

Building Trust via Social Media Platforms

It is important to constantly consider and concentrate on establishing trust with social media clients and audiences. To do this, a legal firm can:

• Constantly consider and focus on understanding the needs and concerns of existing and potential customers
• Publish high-quality content that addresses these concerns, adds value, and sparks engagement
• Use videos as a medium to introduce the company, educate the audience about the brand, its principles, and offerings, and showcase the causes and beliefs the firm is passionate about
• Encourage clients to post about their interactions with the company on social media to provide customer feedback.

How to Respond Positively and Quickly To Feedback

Begin by thanking the customers for taking the time to leave a review. Applaud them on their continued support of the company. Always mention the client’s name in the reply to demonstrate sincere appreciation for their input. Besides, guarantee effective communication and answer as soon as possible to let reviewers know the company values their feedback and is responsive. 

For positive feedback, be brief; keep in mind that the reviewer does not demand a detailed response. When responding to negative reviews, be forthright about the raised issues or worries of the reviewer. Try to remain optimistic nonetheless, motivate the reviewer to return, and outline any future plans for dealing with those issues.

Take Control of Your Legal Firm’s Online Reputation

A law firm’s reputation is essential for success and is determined by how its past customers perceive their experience and their predictions for its future performance. To improve a business’s reputation online, a brand audit and budget for SEO can be helpful measures to take.

However, managing the law firm’s reputation can still be a challenging task, which is why it may be necessary to seek help from an agency like Cross Country Creative. We provide a wide range of services designed to enhance your law firm’s online presence, including Law Firm Web Design, SEO, Google Local Services Ads, Social Media Marketing, Legal Content Creation, Reputation Management, TV and Media Buys, Billboards, and Law Firm Consulting. Contact us or call 866-568-3536 today to learn more about how we can help you boost your firm’s digital credibility!