TOLL FREE: 877.462.5184
Blog Search
Please enter a search phrase:
Categories
Blog Archive
- May 2012 (2)
- April 2012 (3)
- March 2012 (4)
- February 2012 (3)
- January 2012 (4)
- December 2011 (3)
- November 2011 (1)
- October 2011 (3)
- September 2011 (2)
- August 2011 (2)
TV Advertising
Is There Still An Opportunity For My Law Firm To Advertise On TV Even If I Have A Limited Budget?
Wed, 04/18/2012 - 15:04 — admin
No. Sorry. Better luck next time. That would be a short blog, wouldn’t it? Of course there are opportunities for your firm to advertise on TV even though you have a minimal budget. The key to working with a minimal budget is maximizing your investment by not spreading it too thin. While your firm may not be able to compete with the top spenders in the market on a limited budget, you can still enjoy success on TV by using strategic tactics that help you own share in the market.
Focus on One Station
One way of getting the most out of your limited advertising spend is to try and dominate one station in your market. Big spenders have the luxury of being able to spend lots of money on many stations so they can reach as many people as possible in their market. A firm with a minimal budget could advertise on a demographically targeted station and try and be prevalent on that station. Focusing on one station can maximize the amount of times people see your ad while maintaining a lower overall spend. While your firm may be missing people who watch programs on other stations, you can find a way to secure a decent share of voice in the TV market.
Focus on Programs
Similarly, your firm can also try and dominate certain programs that your target audience watches. Selecting a targeted demo and reaching them frequently via specific shows, helps to give the impression of market dominance within those programs. Some firms that spend a lot of money on advertising many practice areas to many different people have lots of calls to sort through that oftentimes don’t make sense for the firms. By selecting specific programs to advertise on, your firm can focus its message and media dollars to try and maximize your investment.
Focus = Clarity
Smaller budgets force you to focus your media spend on areas that generate results. Tracking those results is paramount to the success of limited spend. By advertising with a minimal budget, your firm will learn how to live lean and how to employ clever marketing tactics to drive your law firm’s business. Does your firm have a limited budget and not know how to most efficiently spend your advertising dollars? If so, contact Network Affiliates today to see how we can help you!
What is the Most Influential Advertising Medium?
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 12:28 — admin
As legal marketers, this may be a loaded question. Even the most die-hard traditional media proponents would probably say the Internet is the most influential advertising medium. At first blush, the question made me think that the Internet could be the answer as well. But, we’d be wrong. TV is still the most influential advertising medium according to a recent poll by Deloitte (hat tip, Six Pixels of Separation). According to this poll, 86% of those surveyed said TV advertising affects their buying decisions the most. Following in second place were magazines at 50% and online at 47%. What does this mean for your law firm?
It means that while the world has changed technologically, your thinking for your advertising shouldn’t. TV is still going to be your law firm’s #1 lead generator in terms of advertising. While having a strong online strategy is clearly very important, most of your time and energy for your law firm’s advertising should still be devoted to developing a strong strategy for your TV presence. And your TV advertising and online initiatives should work in tandem to create a more powerful overarching marketing message.
But this also begs the question, is the online medium really meant for advertising? I would argue it isn’t. Your law firm’s online strategy should not be advertising focused. The power of online marketing is the fact that the consumer ultimately has the strongest voice. This is the opposite of advertising. The real power of online marketing is being able to harness the voices of your clients and use them to promote your brand for you. It is the difference between earned (online) and paid (TV) media. Earned media is more influential from a marketing perspective because people trust the opinions of their peers compared to an advertisement 8 to 1.
So this brings us to the issue with the most influential advertising medium. The key word is advertising. Advertising is only a portion of your overall marketing. TV is the most influential advertising medium. But, that does not mean that TV is the most influential marketing medium. Your law firm will probably see greater benefit from positive word of mouth over the Internet versus running more TV spots. So, while your most influential marketing medium may be the Internet, your advertising online is not going to be as influential as your TV advertising.
So when thinking about your law firm’s marketing, make sure to distinguish between advertising and marketing. Advertising is a discipline under the marketing umbrella. Marketing is the process of acquiring and managing clients. When you make this distinction, you can begin to understand what activities are most effective for your advertising versus your marketing. TV is still the king in terms of advertising. The Internet, while not the most influential in terms of advertising, can be an incredibly influential marketing platform. And having both your TV and Internet marketing working together can help increase your overall business significantly. Keep these distinctions in mind when discussing your law firm’s marketing. Contact Network Affiliates if your law firm needs help with its advertising and marketing.
What is an Alternate Delivery System for TV? How can they help your law firm grow?
Thu, 03/17/2011 - 13:50 — admin
Most people know that there are two primary methods for watching TV: over the air local channels and cable. But these two TV viewing methods cover only roughly 70% of the population. The other 30% or so watch TV through alternate delivery systems (ADS). What is ADS? The most popular ADS is satellite TV. Satellite penetration is as high as 40% in some parts of the country, which trumps cable in some areas. Previously, your law firm advertisements couldn’t appear on ADS as they did not place local advertisements. This is changing due to a joint effort from several telcos and ADS providers.
What does this mean for your firm? This means that your firm now has access to an untapped area of your marketplace. Your law firm has been missing out on as much as 30-40% of your local population because of local advertising restrictions on ADS. With this new marketplace now available to your firm, this provides a great opportunity to be one of the few voices on local satellite or ADS television. In fact, your competition could be late to act in advertising on ADS. This provides your firm with a greater share of voice in your market and will allow your firm to separate itself from the competition. Less competition on the air means viewers will be seeing more of your firm and less of your competition. It is a great way to have your law firm stand out from the crowd and dominate a nascent medium.
This means that if your law firm is first on ADS in your market, it could mean significant business growth for your law firm. Think about it. Your law firm will be extending its reach to 30-40% of the population that has not heard about your law firm. If your law firm becomes the go to firm for those people, you could see a substantial increase in your intake. Advertising on ADS is just as much about building business as much as it is about branding. Being everywhere should be one of the goals of your firm’s marketing approach. By advertising on ADS, your firm will be able to truly reach nearly everyone in your marketplace, giving your firm a stronger brand. A stronger brand will result in more cases and will also help your firm acquire more referral cases as well.
If your firm is already advertising on TV, placing your spots on ADS could be a great way to help increase your share of voice, build your law firm’s brand and acquire new cases. ADS is one of a few forms of mass media that has been unavailable to local advertisers. Now that satellite TV is a viable advertising medium for your firm, don’t hesitate to get your ads on the air. Contact Network Affiliates today if your firm is interested in exploring your advertising options on ADS.
The Power of Knowing Your Competitors' Media Buy
Tue, 01/11/2011 - 22:23 — Clay Frickey
No lawyer operates in a vacuum. This is especially true with lawyers advertising on television. There are more attorneys advertising on TV than ever before. As such, your firm’s message becomes diluted due to the presence of other law firms advertising during the same commercial break as your firm. While this new trend certainly makes your creative messaging even more important, it is also means that you need to know what your competitors are running on TV in order to have a better idea of what your firm should be running and where.
Without knowing what your competitors are running on TV, how can your firm create a differentiating message? Operating in a vacuum does not work. Your law firm can ill afford to ignore the competition and place TV commercials and just hope for the best. Spending your money on media in a smart way can be the key to your marketing campaign’s success. Have your media buyers place ads where your attorneys have the opportunity to be the only lawyers seen during a commercial break. Breaking away from the clutter can help create an impact in your marketplace and help your marketing message be more memorable.
What is not memorable is running an ad that is similar to that of another attorney’s in your marketplace. Many lawyers fall into the trap of wanting to run the same TV creative as their competitors. This is flawed thinking. Having a different message and approach than your competitors is what differentiates your law firm from another. So, when clients approach us and ask for the same creative as one of their competitors, our response is always an emphatic, “No.” Being a copycat firm will not allow your firm to flourish and acquire the clients it needs to grow. Your law firm can only grow through picking a point of differentiation just like in any other business or industry. Failing to do so will make your firm just like all of the others and will commoditize your law firm. Needless to say, becoming a commodity is not desirable. As such, your firm needs to know what your competitors are doing in order to avoid being lumped into the same category as the other law firms in your marketplace.
To know what the other firms are running in your market, you need access to media buying tools that can tell you what spots are running, when they are aired and how much each company is spending. Tools like Kantar Media can share that information with you and also allow you to view your competitors’ commercials online. There are some limitations to these systems, however. Spending data may not be entirely accurate. Spending data are estimates based off ok Kantar Media’s methodologies, so spending information should be taken with a grain of salt. But, this data will give a great idea of where you stand in comparison to your competition and will be an invaluable tool when strategizing your creative and your media buy.
When is the last time you checked to see what your competitors are running on TV? Have you ever checked to see what your competitors are running on TV? Not knowing what the competitive landscape is like in your marketplace would be folly. Make sure you know where your firm stands in your marketplace by knowing what your competitors are running on TV, on what stations and at what time. If you are looking to have a better understanding of what the competition is doing in your market, contact Network Affiliates today.
Give More Than Your Firm Takes This Holiday Season
Mon, 12/06/2010 - 08:00 — Clay Frickey
The holiday season is busy for everyone. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa, nearly everyone is celebrating something in the last six weeks of the year. This also means many people are traveling and are in holiday shopping mode and are tuned out during the last portion of the year. As a law firm, the last thing you want to do is be insensitive to this and take more than you give. Here are some ideas on how your firm can still stay in front of your clients but in a way that shows your firm’s dedication to your community.
Staying in touch with your clients is incredibly important this time of year. But instead of bombarding your database with marketing messages, send your current and past clients a special holiday message. Send your clients a card from your law firm telling them to be safe. Have your lawyers sign the card personally. Sending a card this time of year shows that your firm cares about its clients personally as opposed to just seeing them as another number or another case. Having your lawyers sign each card is also a nice personal touch that can go a long way. This form of CRM is very cheap and the message is very strong and can only help your law firm.
If your firm doesn’t want to send cards to its clients, your firm can certainly try using public service announcements during the holiday season. Your firm could produce a custom TV commercial PSA with your lawyers delivering a message about driving safely this holiday season. Or, your lawyers could simply say, “Happy Holidays,” during the ad and not even mention your legal services. Delivering this kind of message is branding your firm as a contributor to the community. This positions your law firm as a caring member of the community and instantly builds trust and credibility with prospective clients.
This time of year is also a fantastic time to give back to your community. So, if your firm is involved with any charity work, post links to that charity on your social media pages and your law firm’s website. Try and get other people involved in causes you support. This can only benefit those causes and the people who benefit directly from those causes. The by-product of this is that you feel good about yourself and others see your firm participating in these activities, thus trusting your firm and seeing your firm in a better light. It’s a win-win all around and can only make your community and this world a better place.
So during the holidays, put down the sales cap for a minute and approach the holidays like you would anyone else. Advertise with a higher purpose. Contribute to your community and give back to charities. This time of year is about things that are more important than a law firm. It’s about giving back and being thankful for everything that we have. Make sure your firm is doing the same and gives back to the community that helps to support you.
Replacing Television with Internet Video? Not Yet.
Mon, 11/29/2010 - 22:28 — Clay Frickey
Now that so many movies and TV shows can be found online and devices are available which will allow you to watch internet programming on your television, viewers are eager to take advantage of the flexibility and affordability of internet video over traditional broadcast, cable, and satellite TV. That can be a frightening prospect for advertisers.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, few viewers are taking advantage of the opportunity, and many of those who do make the switch go back to TV after discovering that internet video does not give them everything they want and are used to having.
People are not willing to give up what they are used to having. Even though your potential clients may be trying out new technology and moving forward, they are more likely to add internet options to their television than to switch outright. We like new things, but not when it means sacrificing what we are already enjoying.
Television advertising is still your most powerful marketing tool. TV viewers are adding to and enriching their entertainment with the internet, but replacing TV as their primary source. You need to follow suit. To stay ahead of your competitors, you must maintain your television presence, and supplement and enrich your exposure with your internet presence.
It is highly likely that in the years to come there will be a transition to internet video from the types of TV we are accustomed to today. It is, however, a slow transition. While you want to stay ahead of the game, you do not want to be so far ahead that you leave your target audience in the dust.
To learn more about television advertising for attorneys, and how to effectively combine that with a strong internet presence, please contact the legal marketing experts at Network Affiliates today.
Using the Three Screens to Create a More Powerful Marketing Campaign
Tue, 10/26/2010 - 07:00 — Clay Frickey
Have you heard marketing types refer to the three screens? The three screens are your TV screen, computer screen and mobile phone screen. Marketers talk about the three screens in reference to needing advertising messages that translate to all three screens. This is due to the growth in consumption of video online and the increasing numbers of smart phones on the market. While the movement towards a three-screen approach is new to legal marketers, the thinking behind having a consistent message across these different platforms is not. This three-screen thinking will also require your firm to build a presence on the other two screens (computer and mobile) that integrates with your TV advertising.
To integrate your TV advertising and your law firm's website is fairly simple at first. Your TV commercials should already feature your web address. When users get your law firm’s website, people should instantly be able to recognize it. Your law firm’s website should match the branding of your TV commercials. Your TV commercials and any PSAs you have done should also be on the website. Featuring your commercials and PSAs on your website provides a direct tie in to your TV campaigns. All of the content on your website should also be easily sharable on social networks. This means placing share buttons that tie into the major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). This makes your content easier for people to talk about and generate word of mouth about your firm on the Internet. Being a part of this conversation and having pages on the major social networks already mentioned will further help your firm amplify its messages on the Internet. While none if this is news, all of these steps will integrate your TV and Internet campaigns, which leaves one last area to address: mobile.
Getting your mobile marketing on the same page as your TV and Internet campaigns is something new for lawyers. One great way to market via mobile is to sign up for a service that allows your firm to use a texting short code and keyword. These services will also handle replying to these texts immediately and organize your database of opt-in mobile users. From this platform, you can also push messages out at your leisure. So, let’s say you are getting ready to send out an e-mail about a new mass tort you are investigating. You can also send a text out to your opt-in database through these texting platforms. This is a great way to reach your clients in a way that will be read. Over 90% of texts are read, which dwarfs the read rate of e-mails. Your firm should also have a mobile website which allows your website to be displayed properly on mobile devices. Without a mobile website, mobile users may not be able to easily navigate your site on their mobile device. This could cost you leads and cases. And seeing how mobile websites are very affordable (less than $5k for a typical mobile site), it would be foolish not to have a mobile website.
The importance of having a marketing platform tailored for three screens is simple: it allows your firm to be wherever your clients are. The power of the three screens is that it allows your client to get in touch with you however they please. Now, instead of just having a phone number and a contact form on your website you have a mobile short code and a mobile website with a contact form as well. You just doubled the number of ways someone can get in touch with your firm. Are you interested in taking a three-screen approach to your legal marketing? If so, contact Network Affiliates today.
Branding: Are You Consistent?
Tue, 10/19/2010 - 07:00 — Clay Frickey
If your brand is pieced together from various ideas and law firm marketing efforts over the years it may not be solid and consistent, and that means it is ineffective. Everything you say and do, every representation of your firm, is part of your brand. We can review all of the aspects of your branding to help you bring it all together for a strong brand that is authentic and right for your law firm.
Your law firm website, blog posts, social media activity, and the way every member of your staff conducts themselves with clients and when representing your law firm in any way, are just some of the things to consider when evaluating your brand. We can help you identify any weaknesses. If you feel the need to hold something back from us, it probably shouldn’t be out there for your clients and potential clients to see.
If you have been exploring different types of marketing, you may have a very scattered image right now. All of your marketing must be consistent with your branding. When people go to your office based on some type of advertising, they should have the experience they expect. When people visit your website after viewing one of your television ads, they should know they are in the right place. For that matter, if they do not write down your web address when they see the ad but have to look you up, that should be easy to do. They should know who they are looking for and feel confident that they have found you.
If your ads pass your firm off as caring and compassionate of personal injury victims, and your receptionist is cold and curt, you have just lost ground. If you claim to be an expert in a certain area of personal injury and anyone in your firm is unaware of your expertise, you are going to look dishonest. Your entire staff need not be experts on the subject. Different attorneys within your firm may have different areas of specialty. But, everyone should know who does what, and what you are advertising.
Even with the right branding and when you send all the right messages, you will still get a few calls from people who have needs you cannot or do not want to address. Make sure you are prepared to refer these prospects to someone who can help.
To learn more about branding, please contact Network Affiliates today.
Recap of South Beach Convention
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 07:00 — Clay Frickey
From October 1st – 3rd, Network Affiliates hosted a convention in lovely South Beach, FL at the Ritz Carlton. The focus of this convention was mainly on emerging media and its affect on traditional media.
The first speaker was Frank Palumbo from Nielsen who presented on the three screens: TV, PC and mobile. The point of the presentation was to show that TV is still the dominant force in the media world, but video on the Internet and mobile devices are certainly emerging forces. Internet and mobile video viewing have increased overall video consumption as opposed to taking viewers away from TV. Frank also spoke at length about how Nielsen collects its data and selects candidates in order to best represent every demographic possible in their ratings surveys. All in all, it was a very informative presentation that really showed where we are heading in terms of our media consumption and how all three screens have a place in the consumer’s life.
The next presentation dealt with mobile marketing and was presented by Joel Morrow of Mobile Fusion, Network Affiliates’ mobile partner. Joel spoke about how mobile marketing can be used by a lawyer to help generate cases and give potential clients another way of contacting the firm. Joel went on to explain how mobile technology works and the rules and regulations for texting clients. Another portion of Joel’s presentation touched on how smart phones will outnumber regular phones by next year and how mobile websites are just as important as having a texting platform when trying to reach potential clients. Joel made a compelling case that mobile is an attractive medium for law firms and could help lawyers reach clients that they historically have had trouble reaching.
The final presentation on Friday was give by Network employees Justin Holderness and myself (Clay Frickey) about social media and reputation management for law firms. Justin spoke at length about the best practices for Facebook and Twitter and how to acquire more fans and followers on these social networks. Justin also showed how to schedule publishing content on these networks and what type of content to put on these social networks. I spoke about reputation management, how to manage your reputation online and why it’s important to be active in these social spaces. The key is to listen, respond and engage in a timely and professional manner on social media outlets. Social media also ties together a firm’s marketing efforts and gives law firms another way to communicate with its clients and potential clients. These social networks are here to stay and knowing what is being said about your firm and how to respond is more important than ever. We received great feedback and interaction from the audience and enjoyed the enthusiasm the topic elicited.
On Saturday, Network Affiliates released its new creative concepts for 2010. The new Network creative covers a wide variety of topics and has many different, easily customizable commercials for use by lawyers. The new commercial concepts appeal to every demographic and have components for personal injury, worker’s compensation and social security. There was also new creative produced to promote Network Affiliates’ new mobile marketing campaign. The ads were warmly received and add to an already impressive library of over 1200 television commercials.
Last and certainly not least were the roundtable discussions that brought a close to the convention. The conversation was lively as always and provided actionable ideas to take back to everyone’s firms and implement right away.
All in all, the convention in South Beach was a huge success and we from Network Affiliates would like to thank everyone that attended and the Ritz Carlton for being great hosts. Our next convention will be in March 2011 in Las Vegas and we are looking forward to it as always.
You Should Use Testimonials in Your Law Firm Advertising to Increase Your Profits
Tue, 10/05/2010 - 19:45 — Clay Frickey
When you are looking for a new restaurant to eat at or for a movie to go see, who is the first person you ask? Usually, it is a friend who has similar taste. Similarly, when people are looking for a lawyer, they usually ask a friend or family first. Most people won’t spend their money on something solely based off an advertisement. So it is bad to assume people will choose your law firm solely based off of your basic TV advertising. That is unless you are using testimonials in your advertising.
Testimonials are a powerful way to build word of mouth right into your advertising. Most people are skeptical of advertising brands. This is especially true when it comes to lawyers or any high involvement purchase. So letting your clients tell their own story about your firm leaves a powerful impression and essentially builds a referral right into your TV ad. Trying to convince consumers that you are the greatest litigator and you will make sure your client gets what they deserve in 30 seconds is nearly impossible. Letting one of your clients say that for you is far more effective.
Testimonials in legal ads also show how your firm has helped solve a real life problem. This creates a feeling of empathy from the person viewing the commercial and leaves nothing to the imagination. This is especially true if they have been involved in an accident that is similar to the one being portrayed on TV. Being able to have someone retell their true story is much more powerful than trying to create a relatable story. Having the person on camera retell their story also puts the commercial in a more human voice. Since your clients likely aren’t actors, they will be more real to the average viewer and will seem much more genuine. That’s because they are the telling the story of their life as opposed to an actor trying to bring life to something that didn’t happen to them.
Beyond presenting real life situations, these testimonials show that your firm is not just about getting people money. These testimonials will show how your firm is more concerned with helping people get back on their feet. Helping restore a person’s quality of life or delivering justice to a devastated family is often times more important to people than money. People who have been through situations like the one portrayed in your testimonial ads will understand that. And they will be more likely to trust a firm who isn’t just about dollars and cents with their case.
Do your clients have a story to tell? Do you have questions about creating a testimonial campaign for your firm? Contact Network Affiliates today and we will answer any questions you may have about testimonials.
Creative Services
Branding is crucial in today's marketplace.
What have you been doing to brand your law firm?
|
|
Media Services
With the most comprehensive media buying system for legal advertising, our team of dedicated buyers place over $20 million in legal advertising media - more than anyone else in the world.
Emerging Media
As technology finds its way to more and more potential clients, the demand for immediate access to information skyrockets and the need to provide that information becomes harder to ignore.
Mobile websites ... text messaging ... social media
FOLLOW US ON