Email Marketing
for Law Firms

While everyone’s chasing the latest marketing fad, email continues to deliver superior results. The evidence shows us it works on both the long and the short of it – 60% brand building, 40% activation.

The Long and Short of Email Marketing

First, let’s understand a fundamental truth: 80% of clients only change law firms every five years. That means if you’re only doing short-term activation emails, you’re missing the bigger picture. Here’s how it actually works:

60% Brand Building Emails

• Building mental availability
• Establishing expertise
• Creating emotional connections
  The data shows emotional campaigns outperform everything else. That’s not my opinion – that’s what the numbers tell us.

40% Activation Emails

• Direct response
• Immediate opportunities
• Current client communications

Setting Proper Objectives

Most law firms have no idea what proper email marketing objectives look like. Look at this:

Bad objective: “Increase engagement with our newsletter”
Good objective: “Increase consideration among corporate clients from 15% to 25% by December 2024”

See the difference? One is measurable, time-bound, and actually matters.

Segmentation That Actually Works

Stop sending the same email to everyone. The data shows us that proper segmentation drives results:

• Current clients (nurture and cross-sell)
• Past clients (reactivation)
• Prospects (brand building)
• Referral sources (relationship maintenance)

Content That Delivers Results

Here’s where most law firms completely mess up. They send boring, technical updates that no one reads. The evidence shows emotional campaigns outperform rational ones by a factor of 2 to 1.

What Actually Works:

1. Clear, compelling subject lines (test everything)
2. Emotional storytelling (cases, outcomes, impact)
3. Consistent branding (stop changing everything every quarter)
4. Proper measurement (not just open rates)

The Measurement Truth

If you’re only measuring open rates and click-throughs, you’re missing the point. Here’s what actually matters:

• Brand metrics
• Consideration levels
• Client acquisition costs
• Revenue impact

Implementation That Works

1. Start with proper objectives
2. Build your segments
3. Create compelling content
4. Test everything
5. Measure what matters

You’re not just sending emails – you’re building a brand. The data shows us that firms who understand this outperform those who don’t.

Look, we’re living in what I call a golden age of effectiveness in email marketing. The data is crystal clear on what works – and what’s just expensive nonsense. We’ve just given you ten years of effectiveness research condensed into actionable insights for your law firm’s email marketing.

The firms that win aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets – they’re the ones who understand these fundamental principles and execute them properly. This isn’t theory – it’s effectiveness in action.

Remember: When you find something that works, keep running it. The data shows us that 4 out of 5 new campaigns perform worse than established ones.