Explore the world of legal marketing through a series of cautionary tales – the "Swings and Misses" that some law firms have encountered. These stories shed light on common pitfalls and misconceptions that even the most well-educated attorneys can stumble into. Here we share these marketing mishaps and discover the lessons they hold for all legal professionals.
The Know It All – A law firm wanted to do billboard advertising but were unhappy regarding the pricing that their agency provided (after much research). The law firm felt they could do better and get a better price, so, the firm went out and secured their own billboards for less money. In their minds – “we saved money.” What they didn't know is that they secured an unlit billboard therefore, during major drive times, their billboard would not be seen for most of the duration of their contract. The moral of this story is that while you worked hard for that law degree this doesn’t mean that you are the smartest person in the room on every subject. You hired an agency for a reason…and that reason is experience and knowledge that you don’t have. Trust the marketing agency, vendors, or teams you are working with. They really do look out for your best interest and want to see you succeed.
No Measurable Goals – A law firm distributed four different Postcard Mailers over a 12-month period to a very large audience base. They failed to set measurable goals to see if the campaign was effective or if improvements should be made. Had the law firm done so they would have easily improved or ended the campaign after three months instead of spending an excessive amount of money on an unsuccessful marketing campaign that generated little to no leads. In any marketing activity, you should establish goals, even if one of the goals is to “learn”, but understanding and tracking response rates and conversion rates will help you to improve your marketing and drive greater ROI.
Drinking the Kool-Aid – A law firm was ready to spend $3000 to $4000 a month (under a long-term contract) after an upfront set-up cost of $40,000 for an SEO company to come in and improve website traffic. The firm believed everything the sales rep told them - reasonable costs and quick and easy return on investment. That ended up not being the case. Anytime anything sounds too good to be true often is too good to be true. While you should trust your vendor, do some research on potential vendors thoroughly before committing. As it relates to website performance, remember that generally, this is the most competitive marketing tactic for law firms, and it is not so easy to get a coveted first page organic performance!
Grasping at Straws – A law firm wanted to obtain increased intake and clients. They were desperate and would try any marketing method available to them. Unfortunately, they had no strategy, no planning, no budgeting, and no oversight. They just hoped that one of their random efforts would help them. They spent some time and a lot of money on failed campaigns with little or no impact on their intake. Stop wasting time and money on marketing tactics that don’t deliver results. Track performance and make sure that your marketing efforts all work together.
Not What You Expected – A law firm established a mass torts marketing campaign to obtain clients who used and were injured by a defective drug. The law firm used several marketing techniques (print, website, digital, public relations, etc.). The calls came pouring in, inundating the receptionist and the staff. So, was the campaign successful? Not really. The law firm had to cover the cost of their marketing efforts, but now they also have to pay a lot of overtime to process all the inquiries and potential clients. A key problem was that they didn’t have clear parameters for qualifying a client and communicating that in their marketing. Another problem was that they didn't plan for what happens after the campaign. The law firm didn't know what a drain it would be on the front desk and the entire staff. They lacked a process for handling calls. Frustration ran high, not to mention that most of the calls they received were just asking questions and were not qualified clients. When you run campaigns, you must have a plan for "what happens next."
We invite you to share your own "Swing and a Miss" stories with us, anonymously, via our contact form. Together, we can learn from these experiences and continue to grow and succeed in the world of legal marketing.
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