We are pleased to welcome Carolyn Elefant, Esq. as part of our Counsel Corner series. Carolyn is the founder of the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, which fights Big Energy before courts and utility commissions. Carolyn writes and speaks regularly on law firm ownership at MyShingle.com and has trained hundreds of lawyers on the practical use of AI to stay competitive and improve service to clients.
Traditional online lawyer marketing has changed over the past two years. Those keyword-stuffed blog posts, cookie-cutter websites, and generic email newsletters that worked five years ago are no longer effective. What’s more, the landscape has shifted dramatically. We're not just competing for human attention anymore—AI agents are increasingly involved in the client selection process. That means your marketing content needs to speak to both potential clients scrolling through their phones and the AI systems they're using to find legal help.
In short, AI isn't just changing how we practice law—it's completely rewriting the marketing playbook. And for lawyers, this is game-changing. AI-enabled legal marketing is the great equalizer. You don't need a massive marketing budget or a team of specialists. You just need to know which tools to use and how to use them strategically. Let's dive into five powerful ways you can supercharge your legal marketing efforts with AI.
1. Create Irresistible Lead Magnets That Actually Convert
Remember those boring PDF legal guides that everyone ignored? AI has completely transformed the lead magnet game. A lead magnet, in case you're new to the term, is valuable content you offer for free in exchange for someone's contact information.
With AI, you can create compelling lead magnets in minutes, not weeks. Need a comprehensive estate planning checklist for your website? Feed ChatGPT or Claude some basic information about your practice area, and watch it generate a detailed, actionable checklist that would take hours to create manually.
But AI doesn't just create text. Tools like Canva's AI features can generate professional-looking infographics to accompany your content. ChatGPT or Midjourney can create custom images that make your lead magnets visually appealing and shareable.
Want to create an eBook on "10 Things Every Small Business Owner Should Know About Employment Law"? AI can help you outline it, write compelling sections, suggest relevant case studies, and even help you design the cover. The result? Professional-quality content that positions you as an expert and captures qualified leads.
Plus, you can create multiple versions tailored to different audience segments. AI makes it easy to adapt your core message for different practice areas, client types, or geographic regions without starting from scratch each time.
2. Go Multimedia Without Breaking the Bank (Or Your Sanity)
Legal marketing used to be all about the written word, but clients today want variety. They're listening to podcasts during their commute, watching explainer videos on YouTube, and scrolling through Instagram Reels during lunch breaks. The good news: AI makes multimedia content creation surprisingly accessible.
Google's NotebookLM is one example. Upload your latest blog post about contract law or even a relevant court decision, and it will generate a natural-sounding podcast discussion between two AI hosts. Your clients can literally listen to your expertise while walking their dog or stuck in traffic.
Upload your latest blog post about contract law or even a relevant court decision, and it will generate a natural-sounding podcast discussion between two AI hosts. Your clients can literally listen to your expertise while walking their dog or stuck in traffic.
If you're more comfortable with the written word, tools like ElevenLabs can clone your voice to narrate your content. Write your thoughts on recent legal developments, paste the text into the platform, and voilà—you've got a professional-sounding audio piece featuring your actual voice, without the awkwardness of recording.
Video content might seem daunting, but AI editing tools are making it incredibly simple. Record a one-hour-long webinar on family law basics, and text-based editing platforms can automatically slice it into 15 short, engaging clips perfect for social media. Each clip can focus on a specific question or topic, giving you weeks of content from a single recording session.
Camera shy? No problem. Platforms like HeyGen let you create AI avatars that can deliver your content. Just be transparent about using AI—clients appreciate honesty, and it actually adds to your tech-savvy reputation. Imagine having an avatar explain basic legal concepts while you focus on higher-value client work.
3. Dominate AI Search Results (Because Google Isn't the Only Game in Town)
Here's a wake-up call: Your potential clients aren't just Googling "family law attorney near me" anymore. They're asking ChatGPT, "I need help with my divorce—who should I contact?" or telling Gemini, "Find me an estate planning lawyer in Denver who specializes in blended families."
Your potential clients aren't just Googling "family law attorney near me" anymore. They're asking ChatGPT, "I need help with my divorce—who should I contact?"
Even if you're buried on page seven of Google search results, you can still rank highly on AI platforms. Here's how to make it happen:
First, optimize your content for conversational queries. Instead of targeting "personal injury law," create content that answers specific questions like "What should I do immediately after a car accident?" AI systems love comprehensive, helpful answers to real questions people ask.
Second, establish your expertise through consistent, authoritative content. AI platforms favor sources that demonstrate deep knowledge and reliability. Regular blog posts, case studies, and thought leadership pieces help establish your credibility in AI training data.
Third, ensure your online presence is comprehensive and consistent. AI systems pull information from multiple sources, so make sure your website, social media profiles, and directory listings all tell the same story about your expertise and location. The more consistent signals you send, the more likely AI systems are to recommend you.
4. Turn AI Into Your Personal Referral Relationship Manager
Personal referrals remain the gold standard for legal marketing, but maintaining referral relationships takes time—time you might not have when you're juggling cases, court appearances, and client meetings. AI can help you stay connected without the manual effort.
Use AI to identify valuable content for your referral sources. If you know a financial advisor who refers estate planning clients, AI can scan recent developments in tax law and suggest relevant articles to share, complete with a personalized note explaining why it's relevant to their clients.
AI-powered research tools can help you stay on top of your referral network's achievements. Feed a list of referral source names into a deep research platform, and it can alert you to recent accomplishments, awards, or news mentions. AI can then draft congratulatory messages that feel personal and timely.
You can also use AI to analyze your referral patterns and identify opportunities for strengthening relationships. Which referral sources send you the most valuable clients? Which ones have you not heard from in a while? AI can help you prioritize your relationship-building efforts for maximum impact.
5. Build Your Business Plan With AI-Powered Research
Growing your practice requires strategic thinking, but who has time for comprehensive market research and business planning? AI-powered research tools can help you develop sophisticated business strategies without hiring expensive consultants.
Deep research platforms can analyze your local legal market, identify underserved niches, and even predict demand for different practice areas based on demographic trends and economic factors. Want to expand into elder law? AI can research your area's aging population, identify key referral sources, and suggest marketing strategies that have worked in similar markets.
Deep research platforms can analyze your local legal market, identify underserved niches, and even predict demand for different practice areas based on demographic trends and economic factors.
AI can also help you create realistic implementation schedules. Once you've identified growth opportunities, AI can break down your goals into actionable steps, suggest timelines, and even help you anticipate potential obstacles. It's like having a business consultant available 24/7.
The research capabilities are particularly powerful for competitive analysis. AI can analyze other firms' marketing strategies, identify gaps in the market, and suggest positioning strategies that differentiate your practice.
The Future Is Now (And It's Pretty Exciting)
The legal profession has always been slow to embrace change, but AI-enabled marketing isn't some distant future concept—it's happening right now. Solo practitioners and small firms who embrace these tools today will have a significant advantage over those who wait.
Your future clients are already using AI to find legal help. The question isn't whether AI will transform legal marketing but whether you'll be leading the charge or playing catch-up.
Interested in diving deeper into marketing with AI? Come hear me speak at AffiniPay’s Kaleidoscope event in September on this very topic.
About the author
Carolyn Elefant, Esq.