Believe it or not, we’re already three months into 2021. What are your goals for this year? What strategies, processes, and tools can you put in place now to stand out and expand your practice in the months to come?

Now is an ideal time to reflect on your long-term growth strategy, as well as your opportunities to do even better for the people you serve.

Here are a few creative and cost-effective ideas for improving how you communicate with clients, deliver legal services, and continue growing your practice this year:

1. Record videos.

Video-sharing platforms such as YouTube are more popular than ever—and not just because they let us watch the dance scene from Kid ‘n Play’s House Party whenever we want. More and more people are using videos to connect with audiences and build online communities. If you haven’t tried it for yourself yet, you have a powerful opportunity to reach and create value for clients and prospects.

Videos lend a face and voice to your practice. At a time when most organizations have few moments to connect with their clients in-person, vlogging can fill the gap and bridge the distance. Just a 5-minute video every week or so humanizes your practice and keeps people engaged.

Plus, video content tends to significantly boost website reach. It’s a key ingredient in any successful online presence, supporting search engine optimization, social media, and other digital marketing efforts. It can speed up your content production, too, as videos can easily be converted into different media such as blog posts and podcasts.

You could even make your videos into products or services unto themselves. Why not record a short course on a basic legal topic, for instance, and offer the video for a small fee?

2. Create experiences at a distance.

Extraordinary businesses stand out for the experiences they create. That hasn’t changed as the world has moved online. In fact, practices of all kinds, sizes, and regions have successfully transitioned to offering fully virtual or semi-virtual services without losing what makes them special.

Whether you’re able to serve your clients online or not, consider the virtual experiences you can create. Beyond merely having a website or managing transactions online, think about how you can add personal touches and imbue your unique values in the process. How your online presence looks and feels matters. When you serve people primarily from a distance, your website is analogous to your lobby or office experience.

Are there opportunities to personalize that experience? The more you’re able to tailor your approach—e.g. by using clients’ names in prebuilt forms, or personalizing newsletters for certain readers based on their interests—the more your clients and prospects will feel comforted and cared for.

Like videos, experiences have a bit of money-making potential of their own. You could present a live virtual webinar or training session, or hold a mini-conference, for which you charge for admission, for example.

3. Use chat.

Chat is the fastest and most effective way to connect with clients online. It helps website visitors find the information they need, gathers useful information for your business, and initiates client service and sales conversations.

If you do business online, chat is essential. In our virtual-first world, it’s no longer a nice-to-have but a necessary component of any online experience. It’s the equivalent of a friendly, capable front desk receptionist greeting people as they walk into your business’s physical location.

There are myriad ways attorneys can use chat:

• qualify new leads
• connect visitors to the right members of your team
• answer FAQs
• offer real-time support for any website issues
• make online transactions seamless

Ruby has the live chat services you need to build your business and create unforgettable experiences for your clients in 2021. Our live chat is powered by friendly, professional, US-based agents. Attorneys of all kinds trust Ruby to deliver an above-and-beyond, personalized client experience, every time.

We train each of our specialists to deliver tailored responses based on your instructions, your clients’ needs, and your business goals. They spring into action within 60 seconds of receiving a chat request, using the information you provide to support your clients. Think of us as an extension of your team, except we’re available 24/7/365 at a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee.