A Conversation with Avvo CEO Mark Britton, Part 5 of 6: How a Lawyer Gets Hired

September 22, 2015
Daniel Decker

This is Part 5 of our interview series with Avvo CEO Mark Britton. You can view previous entries in the series here: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Most consumers are totally lost when it comes to hiring a lawyer. Not only are many consumers skeptical of lawyers even when they do understand that they need legal help, but they are often confused about whether or not they need a lawyer at all.

They don’t know what they don’t know.

That’s why the best approach to legal “marketing” is really education. Lawyers that take the time to educate potential clients (through speaking, through video, through their blog, on social media, in conversation) are in a better position to win business. Not only do they have the opportunity to answer questions and help potential clients determine whether or not they actually need a lawyer, but in the process they have the opportunity to build rapport and establish trust.

We see this dynamic taking place with our clients, and it happens on a much larger scale on Avvo’s marketplace. Mark Britton explains:

We see this play out repeatedly on our site where people think that they know what they need… and sometimes they think they don’t need a lawyer.

They have been taught by LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer or others that they can do it themselves. So they’re coming to Avvo to try to figure out how to do it themselves. They interact with these lawyers through the Q&A and they go wow, she’s pretty nice. She’s pretty knowledgeable and they pick up the phone and have a conversation that turns into a contact and ultimately a retainer for that lawyer.

You just watch people thinking they know what they’re doing, but then realizing that they’re lost. The site gives lawyers the chance to engage and educate these people, and ultimately that can turn into a retainer.

No business can market effectively without understanding their target market and how they make buying decisions. Law firms are no exception. It’s a fact that most consumers are skeptical and confused when it comes to hiring a lawyer. That’s why we believe that lawyers who focus on educating and engaging their target audience are in the best position for success. Mark Britton and his team have conclusively demonstrated that this approach works on Avvo. Lawyers who take this same “educate and engage” approach with their website, their social media presence, their email marketing, and on other marketing channels will have a leg up on the competition.

(Click here for Part Six of this series.)

The following two tabs change content below.

Daniel Decker

Daniel Decker is a co-founder and Partner at Spotlight Branding. In addition to helping lawyers stand out from the crowd, he spends his time writing, dreaming up new marketing strategies, and coming up with catchy subject lines. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys playing sports, guitar, politics, and Minnesota sports.