Lawyer email marketing best practices to grow your law practice

Building a thriving law practice hinges on strong client connections. But when handling so many clients and prospects, how do you connect with each one on a personal level? The answer is email marketing. 

For lawyers, email marketing can be a targeted and cost-effective way to stay connected to current clients, attract new clients, and keep them engaged. This is especially true for smaller law firms with limited resources.

The right email marketing campaigns transform you from an intimidating legal service provider into someone clients know they can turn to when the going gets tough. 

This guide covers everything you need to know about email marketing for lawyers. It also includes 13 best practices for conducting influential campaigns that drive your law firm forward.

Importance of email marketing for lawyers

Email marketing to lawyers is what a gavel is to a courtroom—a powerful tool for communication and influence. It is an excellent way to build relationships, establish your expertise, generate leads, and grow your business in the legal industry.

Email allows you to send targeted messages to the people who matter most—those who might need your legal services. You can segment your email list based on practice area, past interactions, or even location, ensuring your messages are relevant and informative.

Beyond attracting new clients, email marketing is also effective for nurturing relationships with existing ones. Regularly sending informative content or updates on relevant legal developments positions you as a trusted advisor and keeps your firm at the forefront of clients’ minds. This means repeat business and referrals down the line.

Plus, email marketing for law firms can potentially deliver a significant return on investment (ROI). For some context, email marketing has an ROI of $38 for every dollar spent. It’s also easy to track your results and see what resonates with your audience so you can refine your approach and maximize your ROI.

13 email marketing practices for lawyers

Ready to blast emails to your clientele? Check out these law firm email marketing best practices first.

1. Use a naming convention for subject lines

First impressions matter and that goes double for email subject lines. A naming convention means establishing a standardized format or structure for your subject lines.

One approach is always to include key elements that provide context and relevance to the email content. 

For example, you might start with a descriptor indicating the type of email, such as “Newsletter,” “Legal Update,” or “Event Invitation.” It will help recipients quickly discern the purpose of the email and decide whether it’s worth opening. 

Here are five examples:

• Legal Update: Recent Changes in Employment Law
• Event Invitation: Networking Mixer for Legal Professionals
• Newsletter: Key Insights Into Intellectual Property Law
• Client Alert: Important Tax Law Amendments
• Webinar Invitation: Navigating GDPR Compliance

Next, add specific details or keywords related to the email content. This could include the topic or focus of the email, the target audience or segment it’s intended for, or any urgent or time-sensitive information. 

You may also want to include your law firm’s name or branding elements in the subject line. This improves recognition when doing email marketing for a law firm.

2. Schedule your emails

Lawyers juggle a million things at once. Between cases, deadlines, and client meetings, who has the time to write and send emails? 

However, if you plan to schedule your emails well in advance, you can write your messages when inspiration strikes—even at 2 am—and schedule them to send at a more convenient time. 

Take time to map out your content calendar to identify key dates, events, and milestones relevant to your audience and practice area. These could include a major legal conference, legislative updates, or seasonal trends.

When you have a clear roadmap, you can set up an automated email workflow that sends a series of emails based on triggers (which can be a specific time or action, such as when a client books a meeting with you). We’ll talk more about automation later in this post.

If your audience spans multiple regions or jurisdictions, be mindful of scheduling your emails to accommodate varying time zones. Ensure that everyone receives your emails at a time that’s convenient for them, regardless of their geographical location.

3. Maintain confidentiality

Lawyers are trusted with sensitive information, and that trust extends to email marketing. Avoid including any information that could be considered confidential in your emails.

You could maintain confidentiality by following these tips: 

• Before sending out an email marketing campaign to clients or prospects, obtain their consent and clearly communicate the purpose of the communication. 
• Client names, case specifics, and other private information should never be included in marketing emails. If you think a specific case is worth sharing with your readers, anonymize all information related to it.
• If a client unsubscribes from your marketing list, respect their decision. Don’t try to sneak marketing emails into their regular communication channels.
• When sending attachments containing confidential information or passwords, use encryption to safeguard the content from interception or unauthorized access. Provide recipients with decryption instructions if necessary. 

At this point, it’s also important to choose the right email marketing service provider with strong security features to protect client data. For example, the GetResponse email marketing solution uses a dedicated network that’s monitored 24/7. Additionally, the network is locked down with firewalls to ensure the safety of your data and that of your customers.

Moreover, our solution makes including consent fields in your email signup forms easy. This helps you build an email list and email campaigns that comply with different regulations, including GDPR. 

Speaking of email lists…

4. Maintain a clean email list

Building and maintaining a clean email list is essential for your law firm’s marketing efforts to produce maximum returns. 

Direct website visitors and online audiences to custom landing pages and encourage them to opt-in to your email list through clear calls to action.

To enhance your list-building efforts, offer valuable incentives such as free resources or consultations in exchange for email addresses. 

The Disparti Law Group uses this technique. And check out how clever that CTA is.

Source

You can also implement pop-up forms on your website that highlight the benefits of subscribing. Your newsletter subscription opt-in pop-up should clearly explain what’s in it for those who subscribe, i.e., the latest news, updates, and special offers. 

Regularly clean your list clean it by removing inactive or irrelevant contacts to ensure high deliverability and engagem as your list growsent rates. 

You also want to segment your list, which is crucial for ensuring you send the right emails to the right people. 

You can create separate segments for potential clients and current clients. You can also create segments based on the services the clients need or their geographic location.

Mushfiq Sarker, CEO of LaGrande Marketing, also shared the importance of segmenting your email list. He mentioned:

Segmenting email lists to different buckets can significantly increase your open rate. We have worked with 100+ law firm clients. We always prioritize segmenting the email list based on different entry points. For example, we mainly do segmentation based on practice areas, past interactions, case types, and even based on city. This way, we can send highly targeted email campaigns. In fact, we’ve seen an average increase of 29% in open rates when using segmented campaigns compared to the generic list campaigns. This also means we are now creating more newsletter content for various target segments. For example, instead of generic titles like ‘New Legal Updates,’ we use more specific subject lines like New Developments in [Practice Area] Law,’ ‘[Case Type] Success Story: How We Won [Outcome],’ ‘X Tips for Winning Your [Case Type] Case,’ ‘Your Guide to [Practice Area] Law in [State],’ or ‘More Information on [Previous Interaction Service]’.

5. Leverage email automation

Over 90% of modern marketers say marketing automation has been somewhat successful (66%) or very successful (25%) in helping them achieve their goals. 

Email automation software like GetResponse, allows you to send automated messages to your subscribers based on specific triggers or criteria. This helps you save time and eliminates the need for micromanaging email marketing, allowing you to focus on what you do best—fighting legal battles. 

And since the emails are based on specific triggers, your automated campaigns also end up being personalized to each recipient.

Here are some ways you can automate emails:

• Welcome new clients warmly: Set up an automated email series to welcome new clients and introduce them to your firm’s processes, essential information, next steps, your latest blog post, and contact details. You can set this series to get triggered whenever someone subscribes to your mailing list.
• Nurture leads with valuable content: After your welcome sequence ends, set up another series that provides potential clients with informative content relevant to their specific legal needs.
• Send automated greetings: Schedule automated birthday greetings or anniversary emails for existing clients. These small touches foster positive relationships and demonstrate your appreciation for their business.
• Use engagement boosters: Automate reminder emails for upcoming appointments, deadlines, or follow-up consultations to improve client engagement.
• Use AI to write emails: Writing impactful emails takes time. If you’re going through writer’s block, use GetResponse’s AI email writer to get that first draft down.
• Automate email design: Designing emails can take even more time than writing them. Our platform offers 200 professionally designed templates for various campaign goals that can eliminate the time you spend tinkering with the design. 

If you need more flexibility, the tool has a drag-and-drop email creator with two million free stock images and GIFs to help you create beautiful email designs in minutes.

Note that email automation can often harm personalized communication. But there are ways to keep emails personalized, even if you’re sending them at scale. 

Our recommendation is to use email software that supports dynamic email content. You can read more about using dynamic content in email marketing here.

6. Provide value in your emails

With inboxes flooded daily, how do ensuresure your emails get opened and read? The answer is simple: your email marketing campaign should provide value. 

Here’s how to write email content your target audience will genuinely want to read and find helpful:

• Answer their burning questions: Think about the questions that frequently pop up on your social media channels or during consultations. Address those questions directly in your emails.
• Share bite-sized knowledge: Educational videos are a great way to deliver legal info in a clear and engaging way.
• Keep them informed: Is there a recent change in the law that affects your audience? Share that information in your emails.
• Show them past successes: Case studies and testimonials build trust. Feature them in your emails to help potential clients make informed decisions.
• Invite them to exclusive events: Webinars and events are a great way to connect with potential clients. Promote them in your emails, especially if they cater to people who enjoy networking.

Also, make sure your emails feature a clean, mobile-responsive design so mobile users—which will form the vast majority of your readers—can benefit from the value you provide.

7. Monitor your email frequency

You should strike the right balance between maintaining constant contact with your prospective clients and overwhelming them with notifications.

In other words, be mindful of your sending frequency. While it’s tempting to send emails frequently to ensure your firm stays top-of-mind, flooding your audience’s inbox with daily messages is likely to backfire. 

According to our data, once-weekly newsletters have the highest open and click-through rates.

You may also want to give your recipients options for managing their email preferences. Let them choose the frequency and type of emails they receive, as well as the topics they’re interested in. 

8. Engage your recipients with visuals

Visuals are important for building a memorable brand identity. Here are the visual elements to focus on when designing your emails:

• Logo: Adding a logo to your marketing emails is a great way to cultivate brand recall. 
• Fonts: Choose one or two fonts and stick to them for all emails. Ensure your fonts are easy to read on computers and mobile phones.
• Photography: It’s a good idea to include relevant photographs in your em is a good ideaails. These can be lifestyle photos, brand shots, or pictures from important events. Just stay clear of overused stock photos, as they don’t reflect your brand and may come across as “low effort”.
• Colors: Just like with fonts, choose two to three colors and stick to them for all emails. If you’re confused about which colors to choose, go with the ones in your logo.

Here’s an example:

Source

See how the email follows a limited color palette, includes an image, and uses simple, easy-to-read fonts.

9. Be legally compliant 

Legal trouble is the last thing you need. Complying with the law keeps your firm’s reputation spotless and shows you pay attention to detail.

Existing laws such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM regulate email marketing to protect people’s privacy and prevent inboxes from overflowing with unwanted messages. 

A few tips to ensure legal compliance as you create an email marketing strategy include:

• Obtain consent before sending emails. Implement a clear opt-in process to ensure subscribers knowingly and willingly join your list.
• Include a prominent link in every email that provides your recipients with an easy way to manage their preferences and unsubscribe.
• Be transparent and honest in your content. Accurately identify the sender, provide a valid physical address, and avoid deceptive subject lines.

Also, remember that compliance requirements may vary by jurisdiction, so it’s essential to stay informed about any relevant laws or regulations that apply to yo is essentialur region. 

10. Test your emails before sending

Testing your emails before sending them ensures that your communications are accurate and error-free and that you project the utmost professionalism to your recipients.

It helps you catch any typos or grammatical errors that may have slipped through the cracks. Even the most eagle-eyed proofreader can miss a typo now and then, so running your emails through a thorough testing process minimizes the risk of embarrassing mistakes.

Plus, what looks perfectly fine on your desktop computer may appear wonky on a mobile device or in certain email apps. Testing ensures that your email displays correctly across different devices and email clients. 

Another important aspect of testing is checking the functionality of any links or buttons in your email. Nothing frustrates recipients more than clicking on a link only to be greeted by an error page or dead end. 

11. Use secure email services

Cybersecurity threats are real, and a standard email isn’t always secure. Imagine if a cyber snooper intercepted a client’s private legal matters. Not only could it breach their trust in you, but it could also spell big trouble for your practice. 

To avoid this, choose an email service with:

• SSL/TLS encryption
• Data privacy compliance certifications
• Two-factor authentication and data loss prevention features 

Legal regulations like HIPAA and GDPR require you to take every precaution to safeguard sensitive information during online marketing, and using a secure email service is a major step in staying compliant. 

Secure email marketing services have strong encryption protocols that scramble your emails and make them unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient.

12. Streamline efficiency with technology

Embracing the right technological tools empowers you to streamline various aspects of your email marketing campaigns. 

For instance, you can use email marketing platforms like GetResponse to automate repetitive tasks such as scheduling campaigns, sending follow-up emails, and segmenting your audience. This frees you to focus on crafting compelling content and strategizing targeted campaigns.

You can also use pre-designed email templates for common communication needs, such as appointment confirmations and case updates.

Finally, it might be a good idea to integrate your email marketing platform with your CRM system to create a centralized location for managing client data and communication history.

13. Monitor your email campaigns

Sending out emails is just the first step. To ensure your efforts are paying off, you need to track key email marketing metrics and KPIs to see how your messages perform. 

GetResponse comes with built-in analytics that makes the task super easy. Here’s what you should be monitoring:

• Open rate: This tells you how many people opened your email. A low open rate mean your subject line needs work or you need to send emails at the right time.
• Click-through rate: This shows how many people clicked on a link in your email. Use it to assess if people are clicking through to your website or downloading the resources you offer via emails.
• Conversion rate: Did people take the action you wanted them to take after opening your email? Conversion rates tell you how effective your emails are at achieving your goals.
• Unsubscribe rate: It’s natural for some people to unsubscribe over time. The average unsubscribe rate is 0.15%, and a rate that’s way above this might mean your content isn’t that interesting or that you’re emailing people too often.
• Bounce rate: This signifies emails that couldn’t be delivered, usually due to an incorrect or spam email address. The average bounce rate is 0.51%, and a number significantly higher than this means it’s time to clean up your email list.

GetResponse also offers email marketing A/B testing. This lets you try out different subject lines, email layouts, or calls to action and see which ones improve your metrics.

In closing

Email marketing (and digital marketing in general) is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency and a commitment to providing valuable content are key to building trust and attracting new clients.

To make sure you run the entire marathon, you need an email marketing platform that brings all essential features under one roof and makes email marketing for lawyers accessible. These include email triggers, list cleaning, list segmentation, campaign automation, and metric tracking, to name a few.

Our email marketing software can help you stick to email marketing best practices and streamline your workflow. Try it out for free today!