“Yo soy un abogado.”
Do you know what this sentence means? If any portion of your potential client base speaks Spanish, you should!
There is no question that globalization and immigration are changing the cultural landscape of the U.S.. With these changes, there is likely an increase in Spanish speakers within your law firm’s market. And based on Pew Research Center data, you can expect that the number of Spanish-speaking potential clients in your area will only continue to grow.
Do not make the costly mistake of ignoring this portion of your market. There are many ways to develop a relationship with and sign more clients from the Latino and Hispanic communities in your area.
Three sure-fire strategies are:
- Show off your legal expertise on local platforms
Advertise on a local Spanish radio channel (in Spanish). Shoot a television commercial (in Spanish). Include Spanish language in your billboard, newspaper and magazine advertising. Additionally, to build trust with a wider audience, you could mention that you will represent individuals regardless of their immigration status. - Participate in the community
Many cultural groups organize street fairs, fundraisers and other events to help foster communication and goodwill in their communities. Help them out! Sponsor a lunch or a fair and take part in it. Initiate conversations and be genuinely interested in their lives. The more interaction you can provide between potential clients and your law firm, the better. - Let the Internet help you
In this day and age, it is unrealistic to expect a potential client NOT to search for more information about an attorney before hiring one. Data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau Mexico states that mobile phone usage is growing among Latinos in the United States at a rate four times higher than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Take advantage of this fact by having a mobile-friendly website with relevant information about you and your firm.
If a large portion of your market speaks Spanish, hopefully you have a Spanish website or at least a few substantive pages of content on your English website. You should also consider implementing Spanish live chat on your website. If you don’t have live chat yet, read about four of the top benefits live chat provides to law firms.
Also, a study done by Nielson in April 2012 revealed that Hispanic adults are 7% more likely than the average adult in the US to have one or more social networking profiles. So, don’t ignore your marketing efforts on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook!
To see an example of Spanish content on a law firm website see Washington state personal injury lawyer, Mariano Morales’ website.
Communication is key
The above advice does not pertain to only the Spanish-speaking groups in your city. The same knowledge can be applied to other cultural subsets that may live in your area. The most important thing is to emphasize your outstanding service to all members of the community and provide a means of open communication.
If you have not done so already, take the first step in this marketing initiative. Try one of the three strategies listed above. If you find you don’t have time, reach out to a marketing consultant or ad agency.
If a Spanish speaker asks for an attorney, you could say, “I am a lawyer.” Or, you might tell them, “Yo soy un abogado.”
To find out more, contact our Marketing Team by emailing marketing@consultwebs.com or calling (877) 278-5677.
