Buying Leads and Generating Them Yourself

Traditionally, leads often come from a variety of different sources. Most firms have at least a few advertising and marketing channels that help introduce more people to their services. For example, you might already generate leads from some of the following:

• In-person word of mouth

• In-person events

• News and broadcast media

• Print and traditional advertising

• Search engines

• Social media

• Online reviews

• Professional association directories

• Business directories

• Referral partnerships with other firms

One thing that all of these channels have in common is that you do not have control over the precise number of leads you get over a certain period of time. You simply put out a message (or develop a reputation) and expect that people will pay attention.

You can think of these practices collectively as generating your own leads for your business. Each method has distinct benefits, such as control over potential-client experience, low cost, or high visibility. However, as we mentioned above, they all lack predictability.

Since you already generate your own leads during the course of doing business, and since you might undertake advertising and marketing efforts, it really isn't a question of paid leads versus in-house leads. For most law firms, the question is more how purchased leads can help stabilize the rate at which your client base is growing.

Where Lead Generation Fits In

If you look at it in the context of your entire business development plan, lead generation often becomes just one part of the way you draw new business into your firm. The importance of it in your overall strategy is up to you.

In fact, you need lead generation services precisely because they are one of the only sources of incoming business over which you have almost complete control. You may not be able to choose the exact individuals that you want to contact your firm, but you can choose many other aspects:

• The number of leads that you receive

• The general schedule for your leads

• The areas of practice regarding which people contact you

• The general demographics of the potential clients

With that in mind, there are some obvious applications for lead generation services. Almost all of them complement other marketing and advertising, but some stand alone. Here are some examples:

• Generating your first leads for a brand new legal practice.

• Getting more leads during temporary or seasonal lulls in business.

• Medium-term use of lead generation services while pursuing an organic SEO strategy.

• Hedge strategy to normalize ROI/reduce risk in your advertising spend.

• Replacing leads from the slowdown of in-person events due to COVID-19.

Some of these strategies only work with specific types of services. Since you want to be as versatile and efficient as possible, especially with this type of business development strategy, let's look at what you should look for in a lead generation agency.

Choosing a Lead Generation Agency

Obviously, we are of the opinion that you should choose Legal Locator as your lead generation agency. Our goal is to provide leads that are:

• Prequalified

• Filtered to your precise specifications

• Delivered in real time

• Exclusive to your firm

We also offer a month-to-month contractual system, have the backing of our nationwide lawyer marketing firm, and assume any risk of our lead generation practices. These attributes are all important to the development of your business, and you should look for them in other agencies even if you do not choose us.

The base requirement for the profitability of buying leads is for those leads to be of good quality. That's why you should look for fresh, filtered, and prequalified (as in demonstrating real intent to engage legal services) leads.

The next most important thing is flexibility. If you want to be able to generate more leads seasonally, get on-demand leads, or pursue a medium-term strategy, you do not want to be locked into annual contracts — no matter how appealing introductory offers or sales might seem.

Finally, you want an experienced team that knows how to reduce risk from generating legal leads. Legal marketing and advertising are highly regulated, and regulations might differ from one jurisdiction to the next. Having an experienced partner gives you the peace of mind you need to confidently process each new incoming opportunity.

Consider Legal Locator for Your Lead Generation

You should consider a lead generation service to accelerate the growth of your firm or to make that growth more predictable. If you do decide to buy leads, please consider Legal Locator.

We are a national-scale lead generation agency that can offer the customization, quantity, and quality of leads that you need to plan your future success. Please call us today or reach out through our website to schedule a personal consultation.