2013 Predictions for Lawyer Marketing & Advertising

These predictions are based on my own experience in the New England market with primarily smaller law firms. Google Alerts and other research such as Pew Trends and Searchenglineland.com have also played a role.

1. Mobile search for criminal, divorce/family and criminal related attorneys will approach 50%.
2. Reputation management will become a key initiative for small law firms
3. Large law firms will focus their efforts on education-based marketing using information, social media and email as key tools.
4. Metropolitan-based law practices will find that 70-80% of all new referrals will be internet related
5. Rural-based law practices will continue to migrate from yellow pages and local newspaper advertising.
6. Yellow pages advertising will continue with its inexorable decline as references will drop another 20% to an all-time low.
7. Business and corporate based law practices will focus on "reversing the funnel" whereby existing client contacts will become the primary vehicle for generating new referrals.
8. IPTV (internet protocal televison) will attain critical penetration as more television manufacturers incorporate internet access directly into televisions.
9. Localized, best lawyer review sites will pop-up.
10. Sponsored (PPC) costs will soar for competitive keywords on Google and Yahoo/Bing.

Mark your calendars for 12/21/13 and let me know how I've done. Or weigh in now with your own predictions or comments relating to my list.

Joe Marotta, New England Lawyer Marketing
www.newenglandlawyermkt.com