Law Firm Marketing 101

picFrom Business Development to Marketing Technology

2018 is already shaping up to be a game changer for legal marketers.  With the extraordinary reach of digital advertising and the unparalleled availability of data, legal marketers can fine-tune advertising campaigns to get attorneys the most significant return on their investment.  The only problem is that most attorneys do not understand effective marketing and often see it as an unnecessary expense.  As any firm who has seen success through marketing efforts can tell you, this cannot be further from the truth.  The key is understanding what legal marketers are trying to achieve and how you, as an attorney, can be an effective marketer for yourself and your firm.

 

By the end of this article, you should feel empowered to have a real conversation with your marketing company or department.  With a firm grasp of legal marketing basics, you will be able to see the importance of supplying feedback to your marketers so that they can put your dollars to their best use.  Ultimately, this article will show you that effective marketing is invaluable.

 

Start with a plan

The legal industry is more competitive than it has ever been.  If you do not have a marketing strategy, you need one today.  A law firm marketing plan should be all-encompassing and depending on your practice will likely include multiple platforms.  If you haven’t narrowed your practice, consider your niche and your overall brand.  Knowing your niche will help you target your ideal audience and spend your marketing budget wisely.  Remember, legal marketing is more than selling your firm.  Your plan should include a detailed budget, campaign layout and goals for each effort.

 

Business Development

Business development is a hot topic that gets thrown around by industry moguls, but few understand how it plays into legal marketing.  Before you get started on your legal marketing plan, you need to make sure that your law firm is focused on growth.  These ideas should be discussed by the essential members of your firm and should be solidified in writing.  Decide plans for attending conferences, building relationships inside and outside of the firm and how to nurture these ideas into realities.

 

Marketing Platforms

For decades legal advertising was relatively black-and-white.  Most referrals came by word-of-mouth.  Radio and television commercials were reserved for large law firms with seemingly infinite budgets.  Today, the playing field is a bit more level.  Legal marketing can be applied across multiple platforms.  Your law firm marketing plan should include a digital campaign, social media, television and radio advertisements, email communications and print marketing.   Targeted advertising and the ability to market correctly to your ideal client has made it more affordable for small law firms and solo practitioners.  Metrics play a crucial role in targeting your advertising and getting the biggest return on your investment.  The more information you can provide to your marketing team the better they will be able to analyze which campaigns are working and which need improvement.

 

With the advent of smart TVs, metrics are no longer reserved for digital and social media campaigns.  Even television ads can generate feedback on what consumers are watching and how they are responding to specific ads.  This feedback will help you tailor your campaign to target your ideal client.  As with internet advertising, you can use television advertisements to see which campaign viewers are calling from and the time of day that they are most likely to be engaged.

 

Marketing Technology

This new frontier of legal marketing is made possible by technology introduced in the last decade.  The analytics available on the internet and through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is truly a breakthrough for legal marketers.  This technology not only allows marketing executives to see how specific campaigns are doing but also allows law firms to stay connected to potential and current clients.  Marketing technology will enable you to capitalize on your marketing dollars.   Tracking information from your leads and your conversion rate will result in more signed clients.  Without this technology, you may be wasting time and money on your marketing efforts.

 

This brief introduction to law firm marketing is truly only the beginning.  As an attorney, understanding the why behind the marketing will help you become a helpful asset to your firm’s growth.  The more that you can do to assist your marketing team, whether it’s by providing data, focusing on business development, or generating networking opportunities.

 

 

Learn more about effective marketing tools from Amicus Media Group.  We are a legal marketing company dedicated to helping you grow your firm and acquire quality cases at less risk.  Contact us today for a free consultation.

 

 

This blog post does not contain legal or financial advice. Author and publisher disclaim any and all warranties, liabilities, losses, costs, claims, demands, suits, or actions of any type or nature whatsoever, arising from or any way related to this blog, the use of this blog, and/or any claim that a particular technique or device described in this blog.