The things that set Social Security Disability marketing apart are also the things that set SSD lawyers apart from other lawyers. SSD is a program that “pays monthly benefits to workers who are no longer able to work due to a significant illness or impairment that is expected to last at least a year or to result in death within a year.”
The intricacies of the program and the eligibility requirements are daunting to say the least, and SSD lawyers work in this specific niche in their law practices. Therefore, these lawyers need to also apply their marketing resources within this specific niche.
Certainly your marketing campaign has the important components that any lawyer would use, but this niche has a particularly specialized marketing approach in many ways.
First and foremost, you have a very specific target audience you are trying to reach. Your current clients are the best indicator of who your future clients will be, and you must also think carefully about new clients you’d like to attract. It is crucial that a marketing firm understand your clients, their age group, their jobs, and the places they live.
All law firms need to develop a unique brand, but SSD lawyers must do so in a way that clearly communicates your expertise. The approval process is difficult, and the majority of claims are denied in the first round, so you must communicate your ability to get results.
SSD lawyers are tasked with communicating a very specific “firm personality” to their clients. Certainly you need to be competent, but you also need to be compassionate and connect with them on an emotional level. Many of your clients will have already experienced frustration and failures with the SSD process, so you must connect with them and have them remember you. And you must successfully use one of the most powerful forces in marketing—the ability to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Many lawyers feel a calling to represent people who are disabled and need benefits from the Social Security Administration. These people have serious medical problems and are unable to work; they’re often despondent at trying to navigate the rigorous SSD process.
Many SSD lawyers use what they call the “ground-air game”, but it’s not a game at all. On the ground, they make contacts within the SSD community and even volunteer their services at community events like Rotary or hospital or caregiver support groups. Many clients don’t even realize that they are eligible for SSD benefits, and that they can be greatly helped by receiving them.
The “air” game can often involve TV commercials, which are effective but expensive, so the “air game” also includes Internet and social media marketing. These are effective tools for your practice so that you can put tutorial videos, client testimonials and other material to reach your niche audience.