Stumbled across the Thumbtack platform, but not sure how it fits into your law firm's legal marketing strategy? Want to join thousands of Thumbtack lawyers to increase your visibility to potential clients?
If you answered "Yes!" to any of the above questions, this guide's for you. Below, we discuss everything from acquiring Thumbtack professional reviews to setting up your profile. By the end, you will know precisely how to leverage this platform for business growth.
Thumbtack Marketing for Lawyers: How It Works for Attorneys
Before we dive into subtopics like acquiring Thumbtack reviews, let's briefly look at this online marketplace and how it works.
Thumbtack for lawyers can best be described as an online directory that is designed to connect consumers with valuable services. It is different from dedicated lawyer directories in that other types of service providers can also advertise their services on the platform.
The fact that Thumbtack contains multiple lawyer directories should not discourage you from using the platform. Instead, this should further incentivize you to do so because a large number of people use it weekly. Put simply: it is a great resource that can be used for lead generation for attorneys.
When you navigate to Thumbtack, you can create a free account for your law firm. You will be prompted to provide information about your firm, including your practice areas, years of experience, location, etc.
Clients who make their way to Thumbtack's directories will be prompted to answer some questions regarding their needed services. If they select the legal directory, the platform will direct them to a questionnaire designed to determine what specific legal issue they need assistance with.
Finding Customers
Now that you understand the basics of Thumbtack marketing for lawyers let's focus on more important topics, like finding clients.
To maximize your law firm's visibility on Thumbtack, you must put plenty of details on your profile. This work will help prospective customers better understand the scope of your legal expertise and practice area.
From there, we suggest downloading the platform's mobile app and enabling notifications. This setup keeps you updated with any inquiries or contact requests you may receive while away from your computer.
Thumbtack marketing for lawyers allows visitors to find your law firm, and you can proactively reach out to those seeking an attorney. Do this by setting preferences regarding the type of work you do and the location you serve. After setting custom preferences, you can browse listings of requested projects.
If you find a project that catches your eye, you can reach out to the client by paying a fee. The fee schedule is established based on several factors, which we will discuss in greater detail below.
When proactively communicating with clients, make sure that you set yourself apart from other lawyers. You can do this by offering a free consultation. Alternatively, you can answer questions they may have posed in their requested project posting and encourage them to contact your law firm to discuss their plight further.
Measuring the Competition
The legal industry is highly competitive. It's no surprise, especially considering there are approximately 1.33 million attorneys in the United States. That's roughly one attorney for every 248 people.
With that in mind, you must use Thumbtack to connect with clients and scope out other Thumbtack lawyers in your area. Take the time to review the profiles of attorneys who practice law in your same field. An analysis will help show what you are against and provide inspiration for making your listing stand out.
Practice Areas Represented on Thumbtack
There is a multitude of different types of Thumbtack lawyers, including:
- Personal injury lawyers
- Family law attorneys
- Medical malpractice firms
- Bankruptcy law firms
- Divorce attorneys
In addition to the above practice types, in-house legal pros advertise on Thumbtack. You can even use Thumbtack marketing for lawyers if you are a chief legal officer or legal chief operating officer. Paralegals can create listings on Thumbtack too.
Thumbtack Pricing for Lawyers
While we would love to give you specific Thumbtack pricing information, this online marketplace doesn't charge a flat fee. Instead, fees vary based on several factors, including your practice area, the region you advertise in, and your interactions.
For instance, the fee for personal injury lawyers in the crowded Los Angeles, California market will likely be higher than the rates for a personal injury firm in rural Alabama. While the family law sector is highly competitive, far more attorneys will compete for clients in LA than in Alabama.
That said, per-lead pricing usually ranges from as little as $10 to as much as $150 or more in top markets. Also, specific interactions, such as Thumbtack's Instant Match, cost more.
Instant Match is an automated feature that will connect you with potential customers in real time, meaning you have an immediate opportunity to interact with them and acquire new business.
The good news is that Thumbtack provides you with transparent rates as soon as you complete your profile and bid on project requests. You can choose which jobs to bid on, which means you have total control over your Thumbtack marketing budget.
If a job does not appeal to you, falls outside your scope of expertise, or is out of your market, don't bid on it.
Thumbtack for Lawyers: Getting Started With Legal Marketing
Even if you are new to Thumbtack marketing for lawyers, navigating the platform is all too easy. It has a user-friendly interface, many features, and mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.
As soon as your profile is live, you can use the platform to connect with consumers seeking an experienced lawyer. Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Begin the Search
Consumers can search for attorneys in their area when using the platform, reach out to law firms that appear in the results, and start requesting consultations/quotes.
Alternatively, they can pose questions or create "projects" that legal professionals can view by conducting their own searches. This type of searching is how you can get proactive about growing your legal business.
From your dashboard, open the search menu and specify the projects you are interested in. Thumbtack has an entire search system dedicated to law firms, so finding prospective customers is a breeze. When conducting your search, you must include your practice area and location to ensure the results tab includes relevant listings.
Step 2: Use Filters
As an attorney on Thumbtack, filters are your greatest ally. The more filters you apply, the narrower and more focused your search results will be. This setup will help you zero in on the best job opportunities for legal professionals. Once you have found a few job listings that appeal to you, you can connect with the posters and invite them to hire you as their lawyer.
Step 3: Give More Details
Remember, you must pay pre-determined fees when connecting with potential customers. If you want to make the most of this interaction, craft a message to draw the recipient's interest. A great option is to offer a free consultation and invite them to contact you (via your website) to set up an appointment.
Thumbtack Lawyers Marketing: Pros
Thumbtack is popular among law firms for the many different benefits it offers. Most notably, Thumbtack is a great way of bolstering your website traffic volume. It can supplement lawyer SEO marketing tactics, and law firm paid advertising campaigns on search engines like Google.
Additionally, creating a Thumbtack account is totally free for law firms. Sure, you will have to pay a fee for certain connections, but some customers will contact your firm directly after viewing your Thumbtack profile. In these instances, you will be generating leads at no cost.
Those prospects who choose to contact you through Thumbtack can also send messages and book appointments, assuming you have enabled this feature. We strongly recommend doing so, as you want to make it as easy as possible for customers to access your services.
Another advantage of Thumbtack for lawyers is that previous customers can leave online reviews. Your profile will become more visible on this online marketplace as you accumulate positive client reviews.
You must build momentum on the platform to reap all these benefits. While it may take several months, this work is a worthy investment of time and resources. Thumbtack marketing can provide a steady stream of high-quality leads when used properly.
Thumbtack Lawyers Marketing: Cons
The biggest drawback to Thumbtack marketing is that it does not have flat fees. The specific fee schedule will fluctuate based on many different factors. While the platform is always transparent about its billing practices, you will not know precisely how much a bid will cost until Thumbtack's algorithm determines how many contractors are competing for the project.
Another potential downside to Thumbtack is the sheer volume of attorneys active on the platform. The fact that Thumbtack accounts are free to create is probably quite appealing to you. However, thousands of other lawyers across the nation share this sentiment and have created their own free accounts.
Fortunately, you can overcome these perceived cons to make Thumbtack marketing a valuable part of your law firm's digital marketing strategies. When using Thumbtack, we suggest closely monitoring your budget and being very selective about which projects you bid for. This approach will increase your success rate when reaching out to clients.
Additionally, explore ways to make your profile stand out from the sea of options. To boost your reputation, you could list the law school you attended, reveal when you passed your bar exam to demonstrate how long you have been a licensed attorney, and otherwise communicate your relevant experience.
Final Thoughts on Thumbtack for Lawyers: Is It Worth It?
Yes, Thumbtack marketing for lawyers is worth it and a valuable asset to acquire new clients and grow your business. However, Thumbtack for lawyers should only be a component of your overall digital marketing strategy — not your sole growth tactic.
If you want help leveraging Thumbtack marketing for lawyers and other brand-building strategies, then you need a professional law firm digital marketing company like Grow Law Firm.
With us in your corner, you can make every marketing and paid advertising dollar count and move closer to your business goals. Contact us today to learn more about our complete solutions, including lawyer SEO services, pay-per-click marketing, and website design for your law firm.
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