The Secret to Civil Litigation Marketing by an FCMO

Good marketing is the foundation for attracting clients and staying competitive with all the other civil litigation lawyers in your city and state. Civil litigation marketing focuses on strategies to help law firms connect with clients who need specific services — it’s a must. However, much like learning the law, managing marketing efforts well can be time-consuming and complex.

That’s where civil litigation marketing by an FCMO comes in. A Fractional CMO (FCMO) serves as a part-time Chief Marketing Officer, providing expert marketing leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. 

By focusing on personalized strategies like SEO, content creation, and referral maximization, FCMOs deliver results at a fraction of the cost. By collaborating with your fractional law firm CMO, you can organize your efforts, maximize ROI, and uncover the secret to success in civil litigation marketing. Our Fractional CMO shares tips and proven strategies to help you achieve your firm’s growth goals in this article.

Advantages of an FCMO for Law Firms

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive hired on a part-time basis to help organizations that need their marketing experience. This role gives law firms expert leadership in areas such as market strategy, branding, and team management.

You can get the knowledge of a senior executive without a full-time commitment or a high price tag. With adjustable hours, an FCMO supplies flexibility and scalability, tailoring services to match your needs and budget. This makes them a cost-effective option for small and medium-sized businesses (like law firms) looking to maximize their marketing potential. 

Your FCMO evaluates your current marketing strategies before creating a new plan. The plan would include tactics such as:

• Email marketing
• Organic search
• Branding
• PR
• Content marketing

KPIs are set up to optimize campaigns and responsible resource allocation guarantees that this plan unfolds in a budget-friendly manner.

The primary goal of a fractional CMO is to set the stage for ongoing success. An FCMO implements data-driven strategies and marketing leadership long after their work is done.

For law firms aiming to stay competitive, outsourcing to a fractional CMO for professional services offers a practical solution.

How To Market Yourself as a Lawyer

So, how do you get your name out there? Marketing yourself in a way that pays off can be complex. Your fractional law firm CMO helps you creatively and knowledgeably weave through necessary regulatory guidelines set by your state’s Bar Association. 

Working specifically with law firms, your FCMO will devise marketing, branding, and client acquisition plans to bolster your market presence. They can market you by advertising your firm and its specific cause: civil litigation. Civil litigation marketing by an FCMO strategy focuses on building credibility with your target audience while improving your brand.

There are plenty of ways to reach your target clientele; these start with proper SEO procedures, a good content strategy, and lots of networking. Our FCMO suggests starting with these steps so you can modify your marketing tactics from the ground up. 

Here are some of the ways you can market yourself as a lawyer:

Claim Your Listings

Begin by claiming your listings. Listings are all of your key online platforms and directories. These listings help improve your firm’s visibility and credibility, which is a must when marketing yourself as a lawyer. 

Having your listings in order makes it easier for potential clients to find and contact you. Plus, an FCMO can connect your website to high-domain-authority online directories, which boosts your search rankings.

Your listings should include the firm’s name, address, phone number, website, services offered, and client reviews. Some law firm listings include local business directories like Google Business Profile, legal-specific directories like FindLaw, social media profiles (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram), and review sites such as Lawyer.com. 

Respond to Reviews

Since your work revolves around the public, you contact your clients by responding to reviews. While accepting positive reviews is easy, replying to negative reviews about your firm is a different story. Positive reviews build trust, while negative reviews,  if handled professionally, demonstrate accountability and dedication to client satisfaction.

Taking responsibility for negative comments can boost your online reputation, but don’t start a back-and-forth dialogue. Rather, try to resolve the issue with the client offline. 

By showing empathy and responsiveness, you can show happy and unhappy clients that your firm cares about their issues and, by extension, their cases. Remember that negative reviews can cost your business positive public perception and revenue.

Client reviews impact SEO; a flood of negative reviews can tank your SERP ranking, whereas positive reviews rank higher in local search results. Be sure to keep track of your public comments and let an FCMO help re-route your public presence if negative reviews are harming your firm.

Write Content With SEO in Mind

Considering public perception, it’s not just outreach and visibility that get your firm’s name out there. High-ranking, high-authority SEO content is essential for getting people to notice your firm.

Civil litigation marketing by an FCMO gives great insights into the world of SEO. SEO is necessary for all website and content creation, especially if you want your firm to be seen.

Write blog posts, guides, and FAQs that address client pain points. Position yourself as an authority in your practice area. For example, a blog titled “What To Do After a Car Accident” could attract potential clients seeking legal representation after being in an automobile accident. 

To be seen on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) you need Search Engine Optimized content. Use relevant keywords, such as “personal injury lawyer SEO” placed naturally and strategically in your titles, subheadings, and body text. 

Keyword research is critical to content creation, and it's a core task for an FCMO who specializes in setting up an SEO strategy. However, don’t keyword stuff; Google won’t pick them up when indexing and crawling the web.

Overall, long-form, authoritative content that answers client questions and gets more eyes on your website is valuable.

Optimize Your Website for SEO

A well-optimized website is key to ranking higher in search results and improving user experience. 

Here is how injury law firms increase SEO rankings by optimizing websites for SEO:

• Improve Site Speed

To improve your website’s ranking and visibility on SERPs, start with on-site SEO optimizations that ramp up webpage loading speeds. Users tend to leave sites that take longer than three seconds to load. 

For example, an FCMO could improve speed by compressing images, reducing unnecessary scripts, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to increase SEO rankings.

• Keyword Research

To improve rankings, find the appropriate keywords for your law firm. Brainstorm general keywords related to civil litigation using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer. Research competitors and look at their target keywords. Use local keywords to improve local SEO and have your website positioned to receive new clients.

• Optimize for Mobile

Next, create a mobile-friendly website and improve its speed to bring in more potential customers. A positive user experience leads to more clicks, longer time spent on the site, and an increased chance of converting visitors into clients. 

• Backlink Strategy

Finally, develop high-quality backlinks to improve your domain rankings and complete your Google Business Profile (GBP) to increase your presence on Google. You can build backlinks by partnering with legal directories and industry blogs for relevant mentions. For your GBP, keep details accurate and update posts, photos, and client reviews regularly to boost visibility.

Develop a Content Strategy

Take a look at our content marketing for personal injury law firms by our Fractional CMO to see how to tailor content to your audience’s needs. Start by understanding user intent. Civil litigation marketing by an FCMO’s content strategies are focused on user intent. 

User intent is why someone searches the Internet for a topic.

Users or clients have the intent to look for the information they hope to find. Consider what questions or problems potential clients are trying to solve and how your firm can help them.

With the help of an FCMO, they can focus your keywords in your content to channel user intent directly to your website.

For instance, a personal injury firm might focus on topics like “how to file a claim after a car accident.” Your content should align with your firm’s branding and reinforce trust and credibility.

When your marketing aligns with your services, your audience will find you. Create a wide variety of high-quality content, such as:

• Blog articles
• Newsletters
• Landing pages
• Case studies
• Videos
• And more

Good content builds your firm’s authority and strengthens your brand.

Refresh Content Regularly

Refreshing your website’s content keeps it relevant and optimized for search engines. Our FCMO explains that updating existing content on a website or platform is the way most high-authority websites continue generating traffic. 

To keep climbing the SERPs, you need to revise outdated information, add new content, and add visuals like infographics. On the Development site, fix or change old links and ensure no page on your website returns 404 errors. Fixing these issues improves user experience (UX) and keeps search engines ranking your site favorably.

• Improve UX

Improving UX, especially with old blog posts that did well in the past, can boost your views on those pages. Beyond updates, you can enhance your content with elements like videos and improve readability by breaking up long paragraphs with headings and pictures. 

• Run a content audit

The best way to find which pages need a refresh is by conducting a content audit. Content audits help you analyze your existing content to figure out what needs updating and how well current pages perform.

• Optimize, Optimize, Optimize

Part of a content refresh includes optimizing content pages. For example, check your keywords, meta descriptions, and title tags. An informed update can improve your search engine ranking. 

• Repurpose older content (when possible)

Additionally, repurposing old content saves you time and money. It’s easier to edit a piece of existing content than to start from scratch and publish new content. A content refresh doesn’t just maintain your site; it boosts its value for visitors and search engines, driving long-term results.

Maximize Referrals

Referrals are a great way to grow your client base. Here are five ways to maximize referrals:

1. Start by contacting previous clients who had a positive experience with your firm.

2. Encourage satisfied clients to refer your services to friends, family, or colleagues. To make this easier, give them a clear way to refer others, such as a link to your website or a referral program that offers incentives like discount services.

3. Professional networks are also useful sources of referrals. Reach out to other lawyers to recommend cases for a portion of your payout in successful cases. Also, build relationships with other attorneys, especially those in complementary practice areas.

4. Consider adding a dedicated referral submissions page to your website to collect any referrals sent your way. This page can include a simple form where other attorneys or professionals can easily submit client referrals. Be sure to add fields for important details like client names, their case type, and contact information.

5. Then, there are email campaigns, which are excellent tools for fostering referral relationships. Our FCMO advises sending personalized emails to past clients and professional contacts.

Remind them of your services and invite them to refer others. Include clear calls to action like “Know someone who needs legal help? Send them our way!”. Consistent communication keeps your firm top of mind and helps expand your network.

Attend Networking Events Near You

In-person connections are as important as virtual ones. Attending networking events has many benefits for law firms. In-person interaction allows you to establish meaningful relationships with other professionals. 

Events like legal conferences, bar association meetings, and industry seminars give opportunities to connect with potential referral sources (including other attorneys and local business leaders). To leave a lasting impression, bring business cards, prepare a brief introduction about your practice, and actively converse with your peers.

Networking strategies for lawyers can turn professional connections into leads. By staying informed about industry trends while remaining visible in your community, you can strengthen your network, open doors for collaboration, and find new clients.

Sponsor Charitable Functions and Volunteer as a Firm

Community involvement builds goodwill and, once again, increases firm visibility. Participating in community-focused events can portray your firm as empathetic and interested in the people you want to work with.

Your firm could sponsor local events or organize pro-bono days to show your investment in making a positive impact. For example, you might sponsor a youth sports team or a nonprofit’s annual gala to gain exposure while supporting a worthy cause.

Volunteering as a firm can also strengthen your reputation. Pro-bono days, such as offering free legal advice or participating in local clean-up projects, highlight your commitment to serving the community. These efforts will reflect your firm’s values and offer assurance, bringing in clients who value community-oriented organizations. 

Make Use of EEAT

EEAT, or Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness is a framework Google uses to assess the quality of website content.

Following EEAT helps boost your website’s SEO and makes your civil litigation law firm a credible source of information. Google (partly) determines your content’s quality and reliability, which can directly affect your spot on SERPs. 

• Demonstrate expertise and showcase your legal knowledge by publishing in-depth, well-researched posts that answer common questions. Use real-life case studies or detailed guides to highlight your skills.

• Add attorney bios to your website for authoritativeness, detailing qualifications, certifications, and years of experience. Also, feature any industry affiliations or awards to reinforce your authority. (These bios can link back to the blogs mentioned in the bullet point above.)
• Secure backlinks from reputable websites like legal directories or respected publications. 
• Make technical improvements. Check that your site is secure (use HTTPS), mobile-friendly, and error-free.

These methods maintain user confidence, improve SEO, and position your firm as a leader in civil litigation.

Try Out QR Codes 

QR codes are a creative and versatile way to market your law firm. They supply potential clients with instant access to your digital resources, making connecting easier. 

Use QR codes on fliers, business cards, or promotional items like tote bags or stickers handed out at community events. But what are the stats on QR code users?

It’s estimated that since 2022, the number of QR code users has increased to 83.4 million since the pandemic and is set to rise to 99.5 million in 2025. That means more than 16.1 million people will likely use QR codes more. 

You can link QR codes to various resources, such as your contact page, success, or a limited-time promotion. Incorporating QR codes into your strategy adds a modern touch to your marketing efforts.

Combine Social Media, Email, and On-Site Content

A cohesive marketing strategy connects social media, email campaigns, and on-site content to earn potential clients’ trust and promote your brand. These channels should work together to communicate your message out there and attract clients. 

Create on-site content, share it on social media to drive traffic back to your site, and use email campaigns to complement your hard work. Consistent messaging across platforms can help a personal injury firm build brand awareness, keeping your audience's attention while positioning your firm as an authority. This encourages action, meaning clients are likely to reach out to you if your brand identity is clear and strong.

Be Mindful of Regulations

Legal marketing comes with strict regulations that must be followed to avoid ethical violations or legal consequences. Avoid making absolute guarantees in your advertising, such as, “We guarantee a win,” as this can easily mislead potential clients and breach industry standards.

These regulations also apply to email marketing. Campaigns must comply with laws like the CAN-SPAM Act, which requires features like opt-out options and accurate subject lines. 

Missteps in compliance could damage your firm’s reputation or result in penalties. That’s why your FCMO is there to help you navigate these regulations and keep marketing materials compliant. 

Get the Most of Civil Litigation Marketing With an FCMO

Civil litigation marketing by an FCMO hire can help your firm reach more potential clients and keep current ones. Knowing how to market yourself and do the work to showcase your abilities goes a long way in earning public favor and a new client base. 

Entrust your marketing goals to your Fractional CMO, who has the expertise, strategy, and adaptability needed to get the most out of civil litigation marketing. From SEO to referrals and content creation, an FCMO delivers scalable, tailored answers that align with your goals.

Set up a time to consult with Digital Authority Partners today to start your FCMO-created marketing plan.