Who Are You, Really?: Marketing for Different Types of Law Firms

When you talk about your law firm, you probably talk about the cases you handle or the clients you work with. However, when a marketing company talks about law firms, they talk about business models – not practice areas. At MeanPug, we classify law firms by their structure and services, among other traits. 

A firm’s type and size largely dictate its marketing strategy and budget requirements. A national firm focusing on toxic torts needs a different marketing plan than what you would create for a criminal defense firm looking to open another office out of town. So while practice areas do matter, they’re only one piece of the pie. 

The characteristics we use to define a law firm’s type, and then strategize accordingly, include:

How to Define Your Law Firm

Along with reviews and ratings, web users look at bio pages, firm personas, and photos to choose the right lawyer for their case. When you are developing your online brand, you need to be able to sell your story. Let’s start with your people. 

Firm Size

Every firm, from small practices to mass tort firms, comes with its perks and pitfalls, and some of them share the same kinds of problems. This is good for marketing agencies like MeanPug because we learn some of the more common pain points among firms and can adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. 

Developing a Marketing Strategy Based on Scope

Keeping your firm’s size in mind, you also need to decide what services you want to advertise. For example, if you’re a personal injury firm, do you want to target motor vehicle accidents? Dog bites? Will you only take cases where the victims suffered extreme injuries?

If you offer multiple services, then you need to think about how your practices intersect. For example, a family law firm that wants to also offer estate services may find themselves fielding leads from non-clients. Another firm that practices both personal injury and criminal defense needs to decide whether it wants to advertise drunk driving cases as a civil or defense service.

And keep in mind that there is always the possibility that even if you can successfully target both, it may turn potential clients off. 

Be Careful What You Wish For

The law firm that says “we’ll take anything” often means they will end up with anything. If we could offer just one piece of advice, it would be this: think long and hard about your practice areas. Which one keeps the lights on, and which one are you passionate about?

Certain areas of practice are more competitive than others. Personal injury, family law, criminal defense, estate planning – you’re far more likely to see online competitors in these areas than you are if you practice, say, patent law. And some places are more competitive than others – there are 9 lawyers for every 1000 residents in New York; meanwhile, in South Carolina, there are only 2 lawyers for every 1000 residents. 

We point this out because you need to be prepared when creating your budget. Marketing a personal injury law firm in the Bronx is very different, say, from marketing one in Des Moines. We can help you tailor your strategy based on your practice and location.

Marketing Based on Geographic Reach

Local marketing is, for many firms, the foundation on which they build. Because here’s the industry’s worst-kept secret: no one starts as a national brand – at least, not online. Everyone starts small(ish) and works their way up, but the path you take may vary based on:

• The competition in your area
• Where your physical office is
• The type of law you practice

Consider this: if you are a personal injury attorney looking to branch out from Los Angeles, the single best thing you can do is hyperfocus on building your brand in Los Angeles first. As you grow, if your next goal is to conquer the state of California, then you need to be prepared for the related marketing costs.

That type of campaign is more than just building a nice website and updating your GBP. You’re going to need billboards, paid ads, strategic sponsorships, and maybe even TV or radio ads to get the kind of reach you’re looking for. A group of attorneys getting into business together may have a larger referral network than a sole practitioner, which could allow them to dedicate more money to marketing, you’re going to need deep pockets if you’re on your own and you want to go big right out of the gate. 

Marketing Based on Billing Structure

How you bill is an important part of your marketing strategy, and not just because of all the potential clients who are looking for free consultations. Your billing structure can affect the design and content of your website, as well as the ads we run for you. It’s all part of your brand and persona, and how you advertise it matters.

Here is how we recommend marketing your firm based on the appropriate billing structure:

You Work on Contingency

These types of firms typically handle cases related to personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security Disability. A common selling point is their contingency fee structure, often highlighted in slogans like “no fee guarantee” and “if we don’t win, you don’t pay.” To make legal help more accessible, most firms also offer free initial consultations.

Additionally, some practice areas may specify whether their fees are capped, providing clients with more transparency about potential costs.

You Work on Retainer

Retainer-based billing is commonly used by family law, probate, and criminal defense firms, though some business litigation and employment firms may also offer contracted retainers. Higher-end clients may expect a higher retainer rate, while some firms provide sliding scale options based on the type of work or the attorney handling the case. Initial consultations may be free, depending on the firm’s preference. Work is typically billed by the hour, with rates that can vary based on the nature of the case or the attorney’s level of experience.

If you work on retainer, your marketing should scream “We’ve got your back, whenever you need us.” Clients love knowing they have a legal professional on speed dial, so play to their peace of mind. Position your firm as the trusted advisor who’s always in their corner, whether for ongoing legal battles or quick, expert guidance.

Make it clear that with a retainer, they’re not just hiring an attorney—they’re securing a go-to problem solver.

You Charge a Flat Rate 

This billing model is typically tied to a specific type of service rather than a particular type of firm. It is especially useful for transactional law firms aiming to generate consistent revenue for specific services, or for smaller firms looking to boost client referrals.

If you offer flat-rate pricing, shout it from the rooftops! Clients love knowing exactly what they’re paying upfront, so lean into the transparency. No mystery fees, no unexpected invoices—just straight-up, predictable pricing.

Market your services as a stress-free legal option, ideal for people who want top-tier help without the “how much is this gonna cost me?” panic. Bonus points if you add easy-to-understand pricing breakdowns because nothing builds trust like keeping it real.

You Offer a Subscription

This model is commonly used by business, employment, intellectual property, and patent law firms but can be offered by firms of any size. It often serves as a cost-effective alternative to in-house counsel, allowing companies to select the recurring legal services they need while having clear visibility into rates for additional work. Services are typically offered à la carte, giving businesses flexibility in managing their legal needs.

A subscription-based legal service is the Netflix of law. Businesses get the support they need, when they need it, without the commitment of a full-time attorney. Highlight the flexibility, cost savings, and VIP treatment that you offer in your subscription model.

Offer tiered plans, let clients mix and match their services, and make it easier for them to get the nuanced help they need. Your key message: why pay for a lawyer full-time when you can get the same kind of expertise on demand?

Marketing Based on Strategy

There are countless ways to build a practice. Many firms offer a combination of strategies based on their goals and potential client pool. Let’s take a look at a few possible strategies.

Marketing Law Firms

Marketing law firms, also called referral firms (or, by the more derogatory name “mills,”), are common amongst firms that practice torts and are paid on contingency. These firms are most common in the mass tort, mass arbitration, and personal injury practice areas and are characterized by the following traits:

• They refer out a large volume of their docket. They often use strategies to send their best cases to trial lawyers.
• They are excellent at marketing – or at least better than their competitors.
• They rarely take cases to trial.
• They focus most of their attention on marketing and intake services.
• They spend enormous amounts of money on advertising.

The strength of a marketing law firm is that, if they are good marketers, they can grow very quickly. However, their weaknesses include:

• They are typically very high risk. They have large marketing budgets, and there is always the risk of litigation firms taking longer than expected to settle cases.
• They rely on referral partners paying out on referrals. Contract disputes between firms could be catastrophic for marketing law firms.
• They often have to settle faster than their competitors to pay the bills associated with client acquisition and marketing, which can lead to lower settlement amounts.
• Their margins can be compressed when private equity funds or national firms integrate (their CAC will increase).

Trial Lawyers

Trial lawyers tend to take on a small docket of cases that will all be litigated, and most if not all of those cases will go to trial. These firms often spend very little money on marketing or advertising. Their strengths include:

• Tiny marketing budgets
• Low risk (they get to cherry-pick the cases they feel comfortable investing the time and expert resources on.)
• Higher margins than marketing law firms or integrated law firms (due to their zero or low marketing budgets)

However, they: 

• Cannot easily increase the size of their docket
• Rely on the flow of cases from their referral partners (which are often marketing law firms)

Some of their best marketing channels include referrals and awards, but serious awards only. 

Full-Service Law Firms

Full-service law firms practice multiple litigation areas and have large diversified business units. Their strengths include:

• Diversification against tort reforms
• An even distribution of cash flow (transactional in the immediate term and contingent for bigger revenues later on)
• Potentially higher DA / authoritative websites on Google

Their weaknesses include:

• Marketing a concise message for all types of clients is close to impossible on one brand/website.
• Lawyer retention. Lawyers often churn if they feel that their department is neglected.

Transactional Firms

White shoe firms, transactional firms, and insurance defense firms typically fall into a different categorization all their own because these firms are mostly defined by their size. Large firms typically acquire the largest enterprise contracts, and so they usually service companies that fall into industries like insurance, oil and gas, technology, and financial institutions, among others. You can count Global 200, NLJ 500, and AM Law 200 among these types of law firms.

Solo Practitioners

There are over 45,000 solo practitioner law firms in the U.S., and almost every law firm in existence has started as a solo practitioner. Deciding to hang your own shingle can be scary, but there are some positives to it, including controlling all the decisions made by the firm.

Running a solo firm has its challenges—like juggling a tight budget and handling a heavy workload by yourself. You have to balance practicing law with growing your business at the same time, which isn’t easy. But if you put in the effort and build your firm the way you want, the payoff can and will be 100% worth it.

Sub-Case-Type / Niche Specialists

Picking a niche and winning in that area is often the best strategy for lawyers looking to start a firm, rather than defining themselves as a more generalized “personal injury law firm.” Some sub-case-type firms include:

Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers

Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyers

Victims Compensation Fund Claims Lawyers

Some of their strengths include brand differentiation, high conversion rates, and a more streamlined operations process, while some of their weaknesses are a limited client pool, “skill atrophy” (practicing one area of law for so long that it becomes harder to branch out), and “pigeonholing” (being so well known for practicing in one area of law that potential clients don’t realize you practice in other areas as well).

Integrated Law Firms

Integrated law firms handle several types of legal matters under one roof. Of course, this type of practice also comes with its unique brand of strengths and weaknesses. 

Strengths of such a practice include:

• The opportunity to cross-sell different services (e.g. a personal injury client may also need assistance with a real estate matter)
• The ability to share resources with different teams, improving overhead and strengthening what the firm can offer to its clients
• Improved client retention due to clients knowing they can always come back to the same firm with a different case

Weaknesses, however, can include:

• Higher operating costs due to requiring more resources and staff to support the firm
• Brand confusion for clients who aren’t sure exactly what types of law the firm handles
• Having a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation wherein potential clients believe the firm knows many practices but with no particular specialties

National Practices

We debated making “National Practices” its own category because so few firms fall into this category, but it is still important to recognize them. National practices include firms like Morgan and Morgan, Baker McKenzie, and Hogan Lovells. Strengths of national practices can include:

• Their economies of scale (separate marketing department, call center, expert services, software, hardware)
• Larger Data Sets
• Faster experimentation timelines

Their weaknesses can include:

• Brand dilution
• A lack of understanding of geographic locations
• A lack of authenticity in the local market

If You Need Help Building Your Law Firm’s Brand, Let’s Chat

At MeanPug, we don’t just dabble in legal marketing—we’ve got it down to a science. We know exactly how to craft a strategy that fits your firm’s needs, scales with your growth, and, most importantly, stays within your budget.

Ready to kick things into gear? Let’s talk.