You run a law firm in Nairobi. Your clients come from the city's business life: companies in Upper Hill and Westlands, investors setting up regional headquarters, SMEs facing a commercial dispute or a debt recovery problem, families dealing with land or succession matters, Kenyans abroad who need someone trustworthy at home. Until now, almost everything came through reputation and referrals. You are considering a budget for online visibility and want to know how much to plan, and what to measure it against.
This guide helps you set that budget the way you would approach any investment in the firm: start from what it needs to bring in, then compare it with the alternatives.
Why a law firm needs a dedicated budget
Nobody looks for a lawyer for fun. They have a problem: an unpaid invoice, a partner dispute, a company to incorporate, a lease to negotiate, an estate to settle. They want someone competent, quickly. More and more of them start with a search, or ask an AI assistant, before calling anyone.
If your firm does not appear, it is not on the shortlist. And for a law firm, one lost matter can be significant: a company that hands you its disputes often brings several files and a long relationship. Our guide on what invisibility costs a law firm sets out that missed revenue in detail.
Your visibility must of course respect your professional body's rules on publicity. This is not about soliciting anyone; it is about being found by people already looking for advice, and giving them clear information about your practice areas.
The budgets available, plan by plan
With Traffic Engine, the budget has two parts: a one-time setup of $1,650 (the $750 Visibility Audit is fully credited against it if you start within 30 days), then a monthly plan over 12 months.
| Plan | Per month | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Presence | $1,200 | Steady baseline visibility for a firm that wants to be found in its core practice areas. |
| Momentum | $2,100 | The growth seat and most common choice, for a firm building its commercial client base. |
| Flood | $3,850 | The intensive seat, for a firm covering several practice areas that wants a strong presence. |
| Momentum Exclusive | $4,250 | Sector locked: no other firm in your vertical served during the commitment. |
| Flood Exclusive | $6,450 | Maximum intensity with the sector locked. |
Over the first year, setup included, Presence comes to $16,050, Momentum to $26,850 and Flood to $47,850. Those are the figures to set against what the firm can earn.
A useful way to read the table: Presence keeps a focused firm visible on the matters it handles most, Momentum is built for a firm that wants its commercial practice to grow, and Flood suits a full-service firm whose partners each lead a distinct area. The right plan is the one your intake capacity and growth targets justify, not the biggest one you can afford.
Comparing with a marketing hire
Some firms consider hiring someone to handle digital marketing. Before you do, make the comparison honestly.
- The real cost of a hire. You know better than anyone what a staff member costs in Nairobi once benefits, training, supervision and the risk of turnover are counted.
- The skills required. Making a firm visible takes specific expertise and tools. One person, often junior, rarely covers it all.
- Measurement. An employee produces activity; a commitment that is published and measured every week tells you what that activity achieves.
For many firms, a monthly plan amounts to outsourcing the function to a specialised team, at a cost known in advance and without the management overhead.
Comparing with advertising
Paid social and search ads look simpler: a budget, a campaign, impressions. For a law firm they have three limits. They can run up against professional conduct rules on solicitation. They reach people who were not looking for a lawyer. And they stop the moment you stop paying. Lasting visibility puts your firm in front of people already searching for advice, and what is built stays. Our guide paid social or lasting visibility compares the two approaches.
How to set your budget
- Start from the value of a client. Work out what a typical commercial client brings in fees over a year, then see how many new clients cover the first-year figure. The calculator on the offer page does this with your own numbers.
- Respect your capacity. Do not pick an intensive plan if the firm cannot take on more matters.
- Watch the competition. If rival firms are moving, exclusivity can be worth more than its price, but it is only available while the sector is empty.
Before signing with anyone, our guide on choosing a visibility partner as a law firm gives you the checklist.
What your budget buys with Traffic Engine
Traffic Engine is Kolonell's service for making your firm show up when someone searches for a lawyer in Nairobi in your practice areas, on Google and in AI assistant answers. Your budget buys a measured outcome: a dated report every week, results in your own Search Console, a measured review at three months, and a guarantee that what your plan includes goes live on schedule, or the next month is free. Seats are capped at 3 per sector and area. See the offer and check which legal seats are open in Nairobi.
If you want a clear picture first, the audit is the natural entry point: it shows where you stand and which plan fits your ambitions.