Internet Marketing

There is no one size fits all approach to advertising on TV. There are many factors that go into creating a strategic advertising plan for each law firm in each market. Things like demographics, budget, competition, product, etc., all help determine how an effective campaign is built for a law firm. With that being said, there are still two common schools of thought when it comes to planning a media campaign: the targeted approach vs. the shotgun approach.

Target Shooting – You Want a Specific Case

The targeted approach is better for advertisers that are looking for a very specific type of case or have a limited budget and thus want to focus on attracting a certain type of case. Target shooting requires the firm to specifically identify what type of case they would like to attract and then creative is produced to attract the type of case the law firm desires. Once the creative is produced, the media buy is centered on that particular creative and specific programs and/or networks are selected that have high viewership with the client the law firm is looking to attract. For example, motorcycle campaigns are very targeted campaigns that focus on trying to bring in cases involving motorcycle accidents. Specific creative is produced and media is placed on networks and programs where motorcycle riders are most likely to be watching.

Shotgun Approach – You Handle a Variety of Cases

Where the shotgun approach is different is that a firm using the shotgun approach is targeting a variety of cases specifically related to PI, or domestic law or criminal law, etc. The shotgun approach is more likely to be used by firms that have a larger budget and have the ability to refer cases out if the law firm can’t handle certain kinds of cases. The shotgun approach is likely to be more expensive since the firm is looking to try and take in as many cases as possible and target as many people as possible. As such, the creative messages for a shotgun approach could be more general and cover broad areas of a firm’s practice. Law firms using the shotgun approach need to be disciplined during intake and truly understand which cases will benefit the firm the most. An extensive referral network would also be beneficial for law firms employing the shotgun approach, as many cases will likely come through the door that the firm can’t handle.

What Approach is Your Law Firm Using?

Is your law firm using a targeted campaign when it should be taking a more broad approach to the marketplace? Or, is your firm struggling to make noise in the market with a shotgun approach and you’re beginning to think a targeted approach might make more sense? Either way, it is important to know where your firm stands and use an approach that will be most efficient for
your business. Does your firm need help with identifying the most effective approach your firm can take with its advertising budget? If so, contact Network Affiliates today for an audit of your current marketing efforts.

Having an in-house marketing manager for your law firm in addition to retaining an ad agency seems redundant, doesn’t it? After all, isn’t a marketing manager’s job to handle all aspects of your law firm’s marketing? So, wouldn’t it be duplicative to pay an ad agency for the work your marketing manager is supposed to do? However, in practice, a marketing manager really can’t do everything a full service ad agency can do. But your marketing manager can really help your law firm’s marketing perform well by working closely with your agency.

Who Keeps Track of Your Law Firm’s Advertising?

Did you have a tough time answering that question? If so, your firm could use a marketing manager. Your marketing manager should always know what tactics are implemented and how those tactics perform. By keeping better track of your firm’s advertising, you will be better equipped to talk with your agency and develop more specific strategies to improve your marketing efforts.

Better Understanding = Better Creativity

Where a marketing manager really pays off is in relaying a better understanding of your firm to your advertising agency. The more an agency knows about your firm and your practice, the more educated they are to develop marketing strategies that fit your firm and your market. While advertising agencies are able to do competitive research and understand the media landscape, it can be challenging to take the pulse of a client and understand a firm’s personality. Ad agencies can also have a difficult time understanding what a firm’s goals and objectives are and whether those goals and objectives are being met without a point person.

Relationships are Key

At the end of the day, relationships are paramount for the success of any business venture. Without a symbiotic relationship with your advertising agency, your law firm’s marketing could suffer. Marketing managers help aid the information sharing that goes on between your firm and your ad agency and can help come up with ideas and tactics for your firm’s marketing campaign. Marketing managers are especially important in law firms where the partners don’t have time to keep track of their own marketing efforts. If no one in your firm is keeping track of your marketing, then how do you measure success? For ideas on how your firm can better track its marketing efforts, contact Network Affiliates today.

Google+ is a social media site built by Google. It is an effort to stay competitive with the likes of Facebook. Google's stated mission is to organize the world's information and make it quickly available to everyone. Google+ boasts a user base of over 90 million. The site is adding approximately 600,000 new users every day. And if this trend continues, Google+ could total 400 million members by the end of 2012. There are several ways businesses can potentially benefit from a Google+ presence.

What is a Google+ Business Profile?

Google+ has made it possible for companies to claim a profile within their platform, similar to a Facebook business page. Those that follow the company’s business profile will get updates and media posted by the company. They will be able to engage directly with the brand, similar to other social media sites.

#1 search engine

Google is in the business of aggregating information. Google+ profiles are already starting to show up for certain search terms, particularly in personalized searches (results one sees when you’re signed into a Google account). And Google+ results will likely become more prevalent in the months and years ahead. As the popularity and usage of Google+ grows, we might even witness a Google+ business profile being served up for search terms even before your Facebook fan page.

You can claim your profile

This gives attorneys an opportunity to create a single profile page based upon various areas of practice. You can establish distinct profiles for Actos, PI and SSD all within one single location. Google+ influences search results to a limited extent currently, but that influence will become more prevalent as more and more people allow Google to serve up "personalized results". So there is no reason for you not to claim these spaces.

So what exactly is a QR code? Quick Response codes are two-dimensional bar codes originally designed for logistics in the car manufacturing and distribution industry. They have since become a popular marketing tool, helping bring print and other “static” mediums to life and make digital mediums more engaging. The process of reading a QR Code is simple; the user downloads an app that allows them to scan the QR Code. The QR Code is then scanned sending the user to a website, display of contact information, or a video. The popularity of QR codes has substantially grown in the US over the past couple years. So what does this all mean for your law firm?

The Advantages of being an Early Adapter

Trying new things can go one of two ways. It either becomes successful and you know it works, or it fails and you refine the process in how you use it. In being an early adopter, you become part of the progressive crowd who is adapting to the evolution of consumers and the market place.

It’s Trackable and Measurable!

The nice thing about Digital is the opportunity to test, measure your success and adjust accordingly. There are several sites that will supply you with analytics (i.e. number of users whom scanned) such as http://buzz.qreatebuzz.com. You can create separate campaigns, change URL’s to current campaigns and track how many people scanned the code.

It’s Free

I have heard several firms tell me their current clients do not know about this technology, and aren’t sophisticated enough to use QR codes. Assumptions are always dangerous when it comes to Marketing. The technology is free, so why not use it and test it. If nothing else, you spark your client’s curiosity and they figure out how to use it.

This technology is new, trackable and free, and can be used for testing response to marketing messages, promotional offers, etc. Scan the QR Code in this email to see how this technology works. If you don't have a QR Code application on your smartphone, go to market and download one of several QR Code apps that are available. Contact Network Affiliates today to learn more about how new technology can help grow your firm.