Let’s face it: marketing in the legal world isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Between regulatory compliance, sceptical lawyers and niche clientele, it can feel like you’re constantly pitching uphill. But no matter how uphill it gets, there’s one thing that should always be guiding your strategy: ROI – Return on Investment – argues Andy Cullwick, director of marketing at First4Lawyers.
In legal services, every pound or client counts. Billable hours are sacred, and law firm partners want proof that your marketing efforts are doing more than just looking pretty in a pitch deck. That’s where ROI comes in. Measuring it well isn’t just a performance metric – it’s your golden ticket to strategic respect, budget justification, and long-term success.
So why is tracking ROI so important? And how can legal marketers do it better?
The ROI wake-up call
Legal marketing has come a long way from glossy brochures and networking lunches. Digital has taken over: SEO, paid ads, webinars, social media, email nurturing – the whole shebang. But with this smorgasbord of tactics comes a pressing question: what’s actually working?
Measuring ROI tells you which campaigns bring in qualified leads, convert to consultations, and ultimately turn into clients. Without tracking, you’re flying blind, throwing money at platforms and tactics based on gut instinct or what your competitors are doing.
In a profession obsessed with evidence, wouldn’t it be ironic if the marketing team didn’t have any?
It’s not just about money – it’s about time
In legal services, time is more than money – it’s everything. Tracking ROI isn’t just about whether your £10,000 ad campaign brought in £50,000 in new business. It’s also about how much time your team spent getting there.
Did that webinar take 60 hours to organise and generate just three mediocre leads? That’s a poor ROI, even if the cost was low. Meanwhile, a simple client email campaign that took two hours and led to three new retainer agreements? Now that’s a win.
Effective ROI measurement helps you prioritise high-impact activities and eliminate time drains – making your team more efficient and your outcomes stronger.
Proving your worth
Let’s be real: law firms often see marketing as a necessary evil – useful in theory but suspect in practice. When budgets tighten, marketing is often first on the chopping block.
But if you’re armed with cold, hard ROI numbers, you can defend your strategy with confidence. You’re not just “building the brand” – you’re bringing in measurable value.
Think of ROI as your shield in the boardroom. You’re not asking for more budget – you’re making a business case.
Not all ROI is created equal
Here’s where things get tricky: ROI in legal marketing isn’t always immediate, and it’s rarely straightforward. A prospective client might attend a seminar in March, follow your LinkedIn posts for six months, then finally reach out after reading a case study or clicking on a PPC advert.
How do you measure that ROI?
The answer: build a framework that goes beyond basic attribution. Use CRM data, track touchpoints across channels, and measure both short- and long-term value. It’s more complex, yes – but in the legal world, complexity is nothing new.
The tools of the trade
If Excel spreadsheets are still your go-to ROI tracker, it might be time for an upgrade.
Don’t get me wrong – I still love a good Excel spreadsheet but there are plenty of legal marketing tools that help track and attribute ROI more effectively: HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Analytics 4, and legal-specific CRMs like Clio Grow or social listening tools can show how your thought leadership is landing.
Choose tools that integrate with your systems, and don’t be afraid to automate what you can. Your future self (and your budget holder) will thank you.
ROI culture: Getting the whole team on board
ROI isn’t just a marketing metric – it should be a mindset across your firm. That means aligning your team, fee earners, and leadership on what success looks like. Set shared goals, define your key performance indicators (KPIs), and review them regularly.
One great tactic? Tie marketing results back to practice groups. If your commercial litigation team sees a bump in qualified leads after a whitepaper series, *show them*. When lawyers see the link between marketing and billable work, buy-in becomes much easier.
Final thoughts: Data is power – use it wisely
Tracking ROI in legal marketing isn’t just a trend – it’s essential. It empowers you to make smarter decisions, prove your impact, and focus on what actually drives growth.
Remember: if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And if you can’t manage it, don’t be surprised when the budget – and the credit – goes somewhere else.
Be the marketer who doesn’t just show up with ideas, but with results.
Andy Cullwick has worked in marketing for more than 25 years, the last decade of which has been working for First4Lawyers. The UK’s largest independent legal marketing collective, which matches potential claimants with specialist lawyers and is seven-time winner at the Personal Injury Awards, is based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.