Advertising of law firms in Poland is a rather controversial and unclear issue. According to the Code of Ethics for Lawyers, any form of promotion here is illegal. Does this mean that when you run a law firm on the Polish market (e.g. a law firm or a notary’s office), your hands are completely tied in terms of brand promotion?

Not necessarily!

As a Polish marketing agency we have already successfully built marketing strategies for many law firms operating on the Polish market. Here is a complete guide on how to legally advertise a law firm in Poland and what to pay attention to.

Table of contents:

  1. Website
  2. Blog
  3. Articles for the press
  4. Newsletter
  5. Social media

Website

A website is our business card on the web. However, when we take a look at most Polish law firm websites, we see that they serve only to present their services and price list. This is not enough to stand out from the crowd. Although a robust and visually interesting website is obviously not a form of advertising as such, it can easily be turned into a brand strength, attracting more clients. And most importantly, attracting them completely free and completely legally. You should be aware, however, that in the case of the legal industry, things are not that simple.

Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) algorithm is the main pillar by which the search engine evaluates the quality of websites. So you need to ensure that your website and article writers are expert. In the legal industry (and other industries whose activities affect people’s health and safety), there is also Google’s “Your Money or Your Life” classification. Google is thus trying to protect users from erroneous, potentially dangerous advice. And as a result, it is even more thorough in checking how reliable a law firm’s website is. So what should you look out for?

  • Safety – SSL certificate and privacy policy are an absolute must.
  • Footnote with description of author – the owner of the site and the authors of the entries must be clearly identified on the site.
  • Visual consistency and simplicity – for years there has been a trend in Poland for simple, clear pages and this is not without reason. A coherent and simple design with the most important information highlighted allows you to quickly scroll through the site and find only what interests you.
  • Links to trusted sources.
  • Fast page loading.
  • No 404 errors and correct configuration of 301 redirects.
  • Credible comments (if articles appear on the site).
  • Mobility – every website should be easy to use on a smartphone or tablet.

Google Business Card

A well-configured business card on Google My Company will make your website appear high up in the search results. It also gives your potential customers easier access to relevant information about your business (a customer doesn’t have to go to your website to find out your office hours or get a phone number). What shouldn’t you forget about when creating a Google My Business card so that both people and the algorithm like it?

  • Completion of all basic data about the company.
  • Label your main category and subcategories (check what categories your biggest competitors have).
  • Designation of location and areas served.
  • Company description (key words must be included).
  • Regularly adding posts (i.e. photo or video, short description and call to action).
  • Reviews and comments (always ask customers to give you a short Google review and be sure to respond to it).

Blog

Just like having a website – it is not in itself advertising by its definition. However, filling a website with extensive expert articles (which will be optimised for relevant key phrases) is an effective way to promote a law firm in the long term.

First – such articles add credibility to the law firm. They show that specialists who know their stuff work there.

Secondly – a good article, which comprehensively describes a specific issue, affects the position of the website in Google search. However, you need to know that RODO (Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data) is in force in Poland, so there is an absolute ban on revealing the identity of customers.

Texts should be written in simple language so that anyone who is not familiar with the law can understand it. So we recommend cooperation with a Polish copywriter, editor, or simply a Polish marketing agency that will plan a strategy for running a company blog for you from scratch.

Press articles

The ban on advertising for law firms in Poland is not incompatible with appearing as an expert in the media. The simplest example of this could be guests writing articles for the press or providing expert commentary to online media. These may include news websites, reliable blogs or online magazines, as well as trade media. A big advantage of such “advertising” activities (although in this case they are rather PR activities) is reaching only people who are really interested in a given issue.

Newsletter

In Poland, a systematic newsletter is one of the most underestimated ways of building relationships with clients. This is a pity – in the legal industry, the relationship is key to gaining trust. According to the Code of Ethics of Lawyers, running a legal newsletter in Poland is perfectly legal. One must bear in mind, however, that subscription to the mailing list must be entirely voluntary. Robust rules and regulations, information on data processing, use of cookies and RODO are not an add-on but an obligation. Furthermore, the content of the newsletter itself must not violate professional secrecy and professional ethics (including fair competition).

Social media

In Poland, there is a common belief that running a social media channel by a law firm is treading on thin ice. It is true that advertising on Facebook or Instagram is not legal, but adding posts and having a company account is. Facebook is a phenomenal platform for sharing knowledge (by recycling content you can synthesise blog articles and add them to your posts), interacting with your audience (e.g. through Q&A sessions), building relationships (e.g. by showing the daily life of your firm) or creating the image of an expert (e.g. by commenting on current issues in Poland and the world from a lawyer’s perspective). In the case of the legal industry, it is worth being not only on Facebook, but also on LinkedIn. This is where most business communication takes place and where your potential clients will probably be most active.

Do you provide legal services in Poland and need a comprehensive and legal promotion strategy? As a Polish marketing agency in London, we have already worked with a number of law firms and are up to date with changes in Polish law. So if you are looking for an agency that can guide your promotional activities and help you build a solid strategy, do not hesitate to contact us