I think one of the big trends in law firm Internet marketing is offering content that differentiates itself from the competition. So many big and small law firms are online now, and they are trying to brand themselves in different ways. So what’s the takeaway for 2017? If you’re a law firm, you have to figure out how to draw attention in a unique way. One of the firms I work with is heavily into community outreach through charity programs and educational sponsorships, so they put out the word on social media platforms and press releases as much as possible to generate goodwill while also branding their firm as one that cares about the community.

I also think that “going personal” will continue to be a trend in 2017 law firm marketing. What do I mean? Law firms have a sort of staid and buttoned-up reputation, and that can build a wall between them and consumers. So you’ll see more firms creating content that gives consumers insight into who their lawyers are as human beings. What do they do in their spare time? How are they active in their community? What brings them satisfaction?

And there’s so many interesting ways to present this kind of personalized content: video interviews, written biographies and even live chat sessions in which consumers can interact with a lawyer from a firm for a specific period of time. Consumers crave a way to connect with the firms that they do business with, and responding to that need can boost a firm’s clientele.