According to HMRC, during April to July 2023, Inheritance tax receipts hit £2.6 billion. This is £237 million, or 10%, higher than the same period last tax year.
Tax freezes, soaring inflation and years of house price increases have pushed more families than ever over the inheritance tax threshold. The demand for estate planning support is therefore increasing, but how do you reach these families to support them? How do you find new clients?
Generating new business often requires a combination of approaches and a consistent amount of effort. But some ways are easier (and more fun) than others. We’ve listed 8 different lead generation ideas below to help get you inspired:
1. Create a solid digital footprint
Add keywords to your website, preferably in the main headings on your web pages to help Google categorise your website appropriately. For example, a good keyword would be ‘Wills, Trusts and Estate Solicitors.’ If you have the budget, consult a Search Engine Optimisation specialist, or ask your website developer for some advice on where to start.
A Google business profile can help you appear in local search results more effectively too. Here’s some instructions on how to set one up.
Here’s what the local business results look like for reference; you should recognise them:
Make sure you’re registered on trusted referral sites and include a link to your website if you can. For example, the National Will Register has a search function that helps users find local Wills or probate Solicitors. Spend some time researching what registers are available and reach out to the ones you’d like to appear on.
2. Get social on social media
Create social media profiles for your business and post useful and regular content on them. Utilise relevant hashtags and join relevant groups.
If you’re not sure what hashtags to use, look at your competitors posts or use the search functionality available. Find the more popular posts and look at the hashtags they’re using – but make sure they’re relevant to you.
Get involved in the conversation by answering questions in forums or create unique content that builds trust with the reader.
3. Create content
Content can take many forms – blog posts, videos, guides, white papers, webinars, podcasts, quizzes and more. It’s worth thinking about your audience and what format they would probably prefer. It’s also worth finding out where your audience consumes content, it might be possible to advertise or share your content there.
The content you create should be of value to your audience too. It should include helpful advice, responses to market trends or changes, original research, or interesting approaches to problems your clients are facing.
If you’re not sure what to create content about, think about the common questions your clients ask you and talk about that.
Offer to write posts for media outlets, reputable blogs, or local newsletters too or offer to be interviewed for local press. You might be surprised at the opportunities out there! Especially if they’re talking about the subject that you’re an expert in and can comment on.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way to keep your audience engaged with your brand. Oftentimes, companies will use the content they’ve created to collect email addresses, or they may encourage people to sign up to their newsletter on their website or via their social media.
You can also use your client relationship management software and email software to create automated reminders or interesting nurture email programmes to remind clients about updating their Wills. The emails could utilise quizzes, checklists, anniversaries, or birthdays to help remind clients about updating their estate plan.
5. Create a referral offer
Formalising a referral scheme can help encourage your clients to recommend you to their friend. Especially if it means rewards are in place for both referrer and referee.
If you work for a large law firm, referral schemes can also work across different departments. Sometimes, running cross departmental promotional campaigns can help drum up more business than cold outreach can – as clients already have a trusting relationship with you.
6. Utilise online Advertising tools
Google Pay Per Click Advertising (Google Adwords) and advertising on social media can be a great way to reach new audiences online. If you’re starting out, try to be specific about your target audience and use specific keywords too. Start small and build your campaign out over time as you monitor what works. Advertising online can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to start small and watch what works closely.
If you’re advertising a piece of content on social media, it’s worth testing a few different pieces or formats out. This will help you narrow down on what content works well and where.
If you’re utilising Google Adwords, it’s worth building landing pages that are relevant to your keywords. Don’t just point the adverts at your website’s homepage.
7. Harness your community
Networking is a great way to build relationships and generate new business. Form partnerships with local businesses or organisations that cater to similar client demographics. Cross-promotion can expand your reach.
You could also participate in community events, fairs, or workshops to connect with your community and introduce them to your services. Or attend industry events, seminars, and conferences to network with potential clients and other professionals.
If you have the resources to do so, you could host educational workshops and seminars on estate planning topics. These events not only showcase your expertise but also provide opportunities to connect with potential clients.
8. Utilise tools built to help with the lead generation process
Arken.legal offers a few tools that can help generate new business and make the new client engagement process more efficient.
Arken’s Online Wills software – is a tool that enables your clients to complete their simple Wills online with optional levels of service set by yourselves. From self service to a supervised offering, you can set how you manage the clients that use it.
Arken’s Intestacy Lead Generator – is an interactive and intelligent quiz that produces a bespoke report about what would happen should the user die without a Will in place. You can use it in email campaigns, through social media channels, on landing pages, in blogs and more! It produces good quality leads with detail around the potential client’s situation.
Arken’s Digital Fact Find – this intelligent software helps you capture your clients information and all the key details you need to put those all important documents together. What’s more, it integrates with Arken’s Will writing software, so you don’t have to enter the data manually.
For a demo or more information on these tools, visit the website arken.legal.