Are Law Firm newsletters still effective? If so, should I sent them out?
Newsletters, whether print or digital, allow you to communicate directly with your prospects and or customers in a personalized way. Newsletters can help you build your brand, generate leads, and stay in touch with your target audience and/or referral partners.
Newsletters are a great way to share new information about your firm – awards and recognitions, new staff, recent case wins, client testimonials, industry news, tips, or changes in laws and legislation that may impact your readership. It is also a great way to repurpose existing content – practice areas information, blogs, articles, photos, advertisements, videos, etc. Remember thought, that the articles that are in your newsletter MUST be interesting to the target audience. Like any other piece of media, it has to be interesting to read.
Digital Newsletters
Pros – Digital newsletters are affordable and take less time and effort compared to print or other online options. There are many tools to choose from that allow you to create and send your own newsletters and they provide you with ways to track and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. You can link content in digital newsletters to other marketing assets (website, social media pages, etc.). You can get your message in front of a lot of people quickly assuming you have a strong email list.
The question isn't whether a newsletter can be an effective part of your marketing strategy. It can: especially if you have build and maintained a strong list of potential referrers, past clients, or potential future customers. The question is what the pros and cons of printed newsletters versus digital newsletters are.
Cons – Unless you already have the email addresses and received permission to email information, you are relying upon people subscribing to your newsletter, which is typically a prolonged process. Assuming you do have an effective list, the biggest con is that most people are inundated with emails and open rates of email is often below 10%. Even worse, your email could get marked as spam or people may unsubscribe. Your email may not be delivered (bounces), not read (unopened, ignored or deleted), or may not reach the right audience.
Printed Newsletters
Pros – Printed newsletters have a longer shelf life compared to digital newsletters – they hang around, get saved for the content, get shared with friends, and even get re-read. Printed newsletters also have a higher response rate and a better chance of getting read because they complete with fewer messages in your post box versus your inbox. People still like getting mail in the mailbox and most people still like a printed physical format. You can include more information in a printed newsletter. Newsletters come in various sizes and formats. You can print extra newsletters and have them at your reception desk or handout to new prospects or clients.
Cons - Printed newsletters are costly with printing costs, mailing and mail prep costs, photo and graphic costs, and you may need to hire a designer to do the layout and design work. Compared to digital, printed newsletters lack immediacy and accessibility. Keeping your mailing lists current takes effort as people move with great frequency (ex. housing crisis and pandemic) versus someone changing their email address.
Distributing digital or printed newsletter can vary. Digital can be sent out as needed, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Printed newsletters are often sent out monthly or quarterly. Understanding your marketing strategy and budget, along with understanding your audience and their needs, will help dictate how often to distribute.
At the end of the day, whether you choose to send out printed or digital newsletters, you still need to build and grown your contact list.
Before embarking on newsletters make sure to review your State’s Advertising and Ethics rules regarding name collection, usage, and the posting of content. It is also imperative that you comply with the CAN-SPAM Act.
