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Digital Marketing

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You have your marketing budget and campaigns. Everything seems to be laid out and you are looking forward to a successful business. However, things don’t end up the way you anticipated. Why? You missed one last aspect to keep an eye on and those are your law firm marketing KPIs.

As they say, your first time is almost always going to be a failure. Your marketing campaigns? No matter how much you planned them, there is a strong possibility that they don’t go as expected.

So, what should you do? Should you just sit it out and wait for things to settle?

Do that and you are looking at a business that is going down a spiral staircase. It won’t just fall, it will plummet.

Instead, you should put in the effort to make sure that you learn from your mistakes. When things don’t go according to plan, learn, build, and grow from it. As long as a mistake is only done once, they are a learning opportunity and a part of the business process.

The question now is, how do you know that one aspect of your law firm marketing needs improvement?

It doesn’t necessarily mean that it is failing, you already know what to do. When do you say that it is the content? How do you know that it is the marketing mediums?

Three letters: KPI.

KPI stands for key performance indicator. These are measurable values that will tell you whether or not your campaign is doing the work that it should.

There is more than one KPI. For your law firm, know what are the most vital so you can concentrate your energy on them.

The Most Basic Law Firm Marketing KPIs: Organic Traffic

The first and most basic KPI is organic traffic. These are the number of visits your website gains through search engine, more specifically Google, searches.

It’s basic logic, if people don’t visit your site, then they have no way of knowing about your service. In turn, you don’t create leads nor clients. In short, your business will fail.

What you want is to grow your organic traffic. There is only one thing to remember: the more, the better.

There is nothing wrong with strong organic traffic. The only time you should be worried is when there isn’t enough of them.

If you are doing your marketing campaigns right, such as SEO and creating quality content, it is easy for your website to pop up on the first page of search engine results. The faster you get seen; the more people tend to click on your site.

With that said, if your organic traffic is below your expectation and cannot sustain your law firm, it is time to work on a lot of things.

Lead Generation

It is important to keep track of organic traffic because it shows how easily you get seen. However, traffic is not everything. Not every visitor matters. Some are just there for a short read while others stay longer because they are genuinely curious of your service.

What you want is the latter. You want people who have the potential to seek your services. They may not be completely sold just yet, but at least the only thing left for you to do is to convince them.

So, how do you make your marketing campaigns so effective that it allows you to generate leads?

The answer is not so simple, but long story short, it is all about targeted content. There are articles that are searched by every average citizen, then there are ones that are more inclined to people who are actually in the market for a lawyer.

Organic traffic is great, but if only a small fraction of it translates to actual leads, that is enough to say that there is room for improvement. It can be that you should rethink the types of content you are creating, or making your website more intuitive and engaging that those who are actually in the market for a lawyer are easily hooked into your offers.

At the end of the day, what you want the most are leads, but the question is, when do you say a visitor is a lead?

  • Check how long they stay on your website. Longer stays mean they are engaging with your content.
  • If they give you their email addresses.
  • When they make the effort to send a message, inquire, or comment.

Crucial Law Firm Marketing KPIs: Conversion to Clients

This KPI is not too far off from the previous one. When you have narrowed down your visitors to leads, it is time to narrow down your leads to clients.

Among your generated leads, not all are going to be clients. Some are not going to be convinced and then there are ones who found a better choice. Your goal is to make sure to convert as much leads as you can to actual clients.

Just like visitors, leads are only as good if they become actual paying customers.

If the number of clients is only a fraction of your leads, then you are surely doing something wrong. Leads are already people who are in the market for your service and they have put the effort to reach out to you. Technically, the only work left to do is convincing them.

With that said, it should already be a given that almost all leads convert to clients. If that isn’t the case for you, you might want to rethink all your marketing content. Are they convincing enough? Is it easy for clients to finalize their deal with you? And so many more.

A key point to remember, even the slightest inconvenience can push away a lead. So, respond fast and engage faster.

Sales Per Client

If you already have a client, the question is, how much does one spend on your law firm? Do they seek the top-of-the-line services or are they there just for introductory legal counsel?

Take a look at what marketing campaigns bring certain types of people. For example, if most who found your law firm through social media only seek legal counsel, maybe it’s time to decrease your marketing budget for it.

Your sales dictate how sustainable a law firm marketing strategy is. You can’t keep on investing hugely on one, only to bring in clients that only settle for the base price. What you end up with is a revenue that is barely even enough to suffice marketing expenses.

The point of knowing sales per client is to make your marketing campaigns more effective. For every dollar spent, how much more do you get in return?

Cost of Acquisition is One of the Strong Law Firm Marketing KPIs

Sales per client dictates how much money you get from them. Cost of acquisition is how much money you spend for each of them.

To know this, you take all your marketing expenses and the number of clients you gained in a certain time frame. Divide all your costs with the total number of clients and you get the value you are looking for.

Why is this important? You might be spending too much, on average, per client without you even knowing it.

The goal is to keep the cost of acquisition as little as possible, but if that is not the case, there may be one reason for it. You are investing on the wrong marketing strategies. So, you end up spending a lot for small returns.

What you want is to rethink your campaigns. Which among all brings the most clients and out of all of them, which is the most expensive?

On average, if your acquisition cost is more than 33% of your sales per client, it is imperative to make necessary changes.

In Conclusion

There are a lot of KPIs you can track in the business world, all the more when it comes to law firms. However, this list talks about the most important out of all of them. As long as you master every single one by heart, you can come up with the right conclusions that will allow you to further improve your marketing.

As mentioned, this is already a shortened list, and by no means does this look anywhere near short. It would be understandable if it will take you time to get used to tracking KPIs. However, if you need assistance or simply don’t have the time to start from the ground up, you can always seek the help of the best digital marketing agencies. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

If there is one thing that people can’t get enough of, it’s videos. Video marketing for lawyers makes technical and complex topics easy to understand for the average person.

So, it’s not a question of whether or not video marketing is something for you, but rather, how to properly implement it?

Your video can be informative and helpful. However, it can also be tedious and hard to follow. So, you need to know what a great video marketing for lawyers entails.

When Video Marketing for Lawyer, Use Common Available Platforms

Don’t put your videos on YouTube alone. Instead, get involved in the trendiest platforms. Take for example, TikTok.

The great thing about it is that your videos can be easily suggested to a crowd. When that happens, the platform is doing the marketing for you. Therefore, you don’t have to do much of the legwork and everything is easier.

Another thing that makes TikTok great is that it has its own video format. You don’t get to upload videos that are extensively long, so you need to make ones specifically for the platform. The benefit of it is that there is an already available market ready to consume that kind of content. So, you no longer have to do your fair share of trial-and-error just to understand what people are most susceptible to.

Take for example Michelle Murphy. She is the owner of Wilson Murphy Law and is present on TikTok. She creates short and brief video content on the platform regarding different legal matters. Her videos easily garner 200,000 views.

Focus on Evergreen Topics for Your Video Marketing for Lawyers

There are topics that are going to be timeless. Regardless when it is viewed, the information on the video is still going to be useful and relevant. That’s what evergreen topics are.

There is nothing wrong with time-dependent topics, but if you are still starting out, evergreen topics are what’s going to get you seen all over the internet. It makes sure that at any point, there will be people searching, viewing, and sharing your content.

Don’t have any idea of any evergreen topics? Take a look at these:

  1. What to do after a car accident.
  2. When to tell if something is workplace harassment.
  3. How to handle insurance disputes.
  4. What to do when your neighbor is a disturbance.
  5. The legal process of changing your name.

And so many more. There are a lot of legal advice that you can give that are going to be helpful at any point.

Keep Them Short and Concise

It is easy to get a little carried away when talking about things that you are knowledgeable about. That’s why set a time limit when creating your videos. At most, two minutes is enough, especially that they get the most engagement.

It can be hard to stick to, but it can be achievable if you follow these tips.

1.      Plan Out Your Video Marketing for Lawyers

Never spontaneously create a video. It is guaranteed to come out incoherent, incomplete, and confusing. If there is one thing you are doing, it is making it difficult for your viewers to get the advice that they came looking for.

Instead, begin with creating a script. Outline what you are going to talk about and the key points that you intend to mention. Also, point out the examples and references you are going to make and stick to them.

2.      Stick to the Application

When you are planning out your explanation, it is best to stick with real world applications and examples. Go with a little formal definition, but the rest should be something that is understandable to the average person.

In most cases, the technical aspects are going to be hard to follow for someone inexperienced. However, substitute it with scenarios that are easy to imagine and interpret, and it’s a whole new different story.

If you simplify your explanation with the use of examples, you don’t have to explain deeply on every aspect of the law.

3.      Target Specific Topics

Try narrowing down topics in your video marketing for lawyers so you can create a more targeted video. For example, instead of talking about insurance laws, make it about car insurance during an accident.

A more specific topic lets you talk about one thing at a time which makes it easier to understand for your viewers.

Also, remember that people, in most cases, are looking for specific advice. So, creating targeted videos makes it easier to search and creates its own market.

How about when a topic needs you to talk about other laws? Try dwelling on them briefly and then point to a video that will explain it even more. Through this, you create more content for your law firm marketing that are each easier to understand and more appealing to an audience.

Measure Your Results

Even after you upload your videos, video marketing for lawyers isn’t over. You need to keep an eye on their performance.

Are your videos performing well? You need to keep asking yourself this, otherwise, you will never know if you are doing something wrong.

The chance of your first uploads to be performing poorly is very likely. Though, it is not something to be disappointed about. You never get to immediately understand your marketing no matter how much you anticipate things.

Instead, the only thing you can do is constantly adapt based on the performance you are seeing. If it is consumed poorly, maybe you need to share it more, improve video quality, or create better content. You need to keep on doing so until you find the sweet spot that will get you the spotlight you deserve.

Should You Start Learning How to Create Video-Marketing for Law Firm?

Most lawyers tend to settle with the bare minimum when doing their marketing. It is all about articles, print ads, and flashy banners. However, they forget that videos are one of the few things that stands out the most.

Legal counsel is something that is constantly pursued by a huge market. They don’t necessarily need a lawyer, but receiving tips and advice can help them a long way.

Take advantage of this by providing them the help that they need. What better way to do that than through videos? It is one way to secure their trust and loyalty to your firm that when the time that they are in need of a lawyer, it is your firm that first comes to mind.

Are you thinking that video marketing for lawyers is difficult? Based on all the tips and guidelines that you’ve read; it is without a doubt that it does need some time to get used to. If you don’t have the time for it, you can always seek the assistance of the best digital marketing agency. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

If you think you know how to market a restaurant or business, don’t think that it will be the same with a law firm. So, it begs the question, why marketing a law firm is a challenge?

The answer is not so simple. There are quite a number of things that makes it hard to completely understand the industry.

So, what are they?

1.     Everybody is a Potential Client

Take for example a restaurant. The owner knows what kind of services and aesthetic he provides, so he knows the target market, allowing him to curate specific marketing content. In law firm marketing, you don’t have that luxury.

Everybody needs a lawyer. It can be a kid or a senior citizen. Therefore, you really don’t have a specific target market. Instead, all of them can be potential clients.

Having a wide market should be good, right? It does translate to more clients, but it does mean that it is harder to choose which marketing strategies to implement.

The older generations are more susceptible to traditional marketing. However, youngers ones are more likely going to find your law firm on the internet. So, which among all the various marketing strategies should you implement if your target market is as vague as it can get?

That is the challenge, deciding on where your budget should go. Do you expect that more younger generations are going to need your service? Or is it going to be the older group? You never really know and there is no way of knowing. You just hope that your marketing strategies hits the largest potential market.

2.     Law Firm Marketing is Persuasion, not Attraction

People don’t get a lawyer because they want to, but because they need to. So, your marketing is not about attracting attention, but rather persuading that you are the best amonth the competition.

The challenge is that you really never know what people want to hear. What do you add on to your marketing campaigns to prove that you are the best choice?

There is no single answer for that question. Instead, different people have different priorities and concerns. Therefore, it is impossible to curate a single marketing campaign that will hit every potential client.

When that is the situation, your budget can take a huge hit and you are left budgeting and allocating resources on the law firm marketing strategy you think fit the most. However, you really never know if they are actually the best approach.

3.     Huge Market in Theory, Small in Numbers is Why Marketing a Law Firm is a Challenge

Restaurant and hotel owners have the capacity to market internationally. For law firms, the same cannot be said. No person would hire a lawyer from a different city because it is tedious and uneconomical on their side.

So, despite the potentially huge market composed of different ages and genders, the total number of people are actually quite small. To add to it, it is mostly individuals located nearby and within the city.

It is more difficult to find marketing mediums that targets nearby people. You can resolve to using traditional marketing approaches like printed mediums, but that is costly and ineffective.

If you opt for the common approach which is online marketing, it can be hard to target the right people. You might be spending too much effort only for individuals in different cities and countries to see your ads and campaigns.

4.     Budget is Always Limited

When you have a small number of clients, that translates to lesser income. In turn, the less money the firm brings in, the less budget that goes to marketing.

Law firm budget is always a huge question when marketing a law firm. How much should one spend to make an impact, but without costing the firm too much?

Finding the right amount is the hardest. On average, law firms spend 6% of their gross revenue on marketing. However, depending on the cost of your services and the total number of clients you have, you are going to be forced to go higher.

Law firms spend between 2% to 12% of their gross revenue on marketing. Going more than that can start to compromise the entire business. So, the challenge is to find a way to fit a small budget on different marketing strategies that will have the most results.

5.     Proving Potential is Difficult

Other types of businesses have something to sell. So, they have something to show and interest their market. Law firms, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury. You can only promise your client of the performance you can deliver.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to prove potential. You can use client testimonials, but that only serves you if you do have clients that give off their juicy statements. Even if you do, not all potential clients are susceptible to that kind of marketing. One way or the other, they will be skeptical.

As a result, it is a constant challenge to create marketing campaigns that will be effective in proving your performance.

Law Firm Marketing is a Challenge, but Not Impossible

There are many things that could go wrong with marketing a law firm. As a matter of fact, you have to be prepared in a number of situations and be able to provide immediate solutions. However, despite the challenges, it isn’t technically impossible.

Law firm marketing doesn’t mean that you have to close your eyes and hope for the best. Instead, with the right strategies and campaign repurposing, you will eventually find the success you are looking for. The first step to that is knowing and understanding the challenges you are going to face.

If you think this is something too risky for you to approach alone, you can always seek the assistance of the best digital marketing agency. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

At some point, you might have asked why you need to do marketing for legal firms. It is an added operational expense, why would you go through all that effort? Is it even worth it?

Most people don’t see the importance of marketing. That might be attributed to the fact that concrete results don’t easily happen overnight. Regardless, it is the wrong type of thinking and you should stop it.

Marketing plays a huge role in the success of your business. You might not see it directly, but it hugely impacts it one way or the other. The results can be instantaneous, when you’re lucky, or it can be a little delayed.

If you are wondering how marketing impact law firm, keep on reading and prepare to be baffled.

People don’t buy a product or service they don’t know. Unless they see how it works and the consistency of positive reactions from users, they are not bound to make an investment. Can you blame them?

The reputation of a brand is what drives a lot of people to make a purchase. If it has made a name for itself, then it should be worth the investment. And that is what marketing does.

2.     Drives Up Website Traffic

Where do people go if they want to know about your law firm? Nowhere else but your website. However, they can’t make a visit if they don’t know that it exists.

Law Firm Marketing efforts like SEO is what puts your website on the front page of search engine results. Don’t forget that nobody goes to the second page. So, being on the first is what gets you clicked and visited.

As a result, you get more visitors which means more leads and potential clients.

Not every website visitor is a client. It is the hard truth that even if you are already in front of them, you don’t immediately become a choice. They might not have been completely convinced and that is something that marketing gives a solution to.

Sometimes, your audience just needs a little persuasion. You need to impose the idea that you are what they need.

What you do is make it readily accessible for them to interact with you. Modern marketing approaches such as social media and website chat feature among many others makes it easier to have a conversation.

The more engagement you have, the stronger people will lean towards your law firm. As a result, you increase the chances of a visitor to become an actual paying client.

4.     Helps Learn the Market

Marketing has always been telling people of your service. They get to listen while you speak. However, did you know that you are also the listener in marketing?

Modern marketing strategies involves analytics. If you are using Google Ads, it has that. Facebook and other social media marketing campaigns? Even those have the option to monitor and track your progress.

You get to know what marketing approaches work and needs improvement. At the same time, the numbers also tell you one thing; what your target market wants.

To put this into perspective, if you have two campaigns, one concentrates on divorce services and the other is for workplace disputes. If one gets lesser engagement than the other, what does that tell you? You have more clients for one over the other.

The more you understand what your market needs, the easier it is for you to target your future marketing campaigns. It also tells you on what services you should be leaning more on.

A law firm marketing strategy is one way to get people hooked to your brand. Use email marketing to keep them updated and tell them what they are missing. Implement strong content marketing strategies to make it hard for them not to go over to your blog and learn.

If there is one thing that this does, it keeps them on the other end of the line. So, when the time comes that they are going to need another lawyer, why do they have to go look for someone else when you are always one email away?

Why would your past clients trust other law firms when they have always been coming back to your blogs for information and advice?

6.     Grows Your Fanbase

When you create great content and consistently update your social media pages, what do you think happens? You create people who are genuinely interested with your engagement. They may not be in need of a lawyer, but they can get conversations going.

One useful post getting shared by your avid fans and it sets off a series of domino effects. Before long, your law firm has reached far and wide. With the right content, it can bring in more people who want to check out what other types of content you have created.

The great thing about having a fanbase is that they act as cost-free marketing personnel. They share your posts and content. So, it gets you seen even more without you having to spend even a single penny.

The biggest effect of marketing is that it increases the value of your law firm. Remember, when you were starting out, how much did you charge for your services?

Chances are, you made sure to settle for the bare minimum to make it appealing. There aren’t many who are aware for your law firm, so it is crucial to make it at as attractive as possible.

When you have more clients and become the number one choice for anyone who is searching for a lawyer, you get the chance to increase your prices. You are now a business that is more sought out. So, you can make your prices more competitive without risking going out of business. No matter the price, you are still going to end up with paying clients.

With seven key points of consideration, is marketing really a big deal for law firms? You don’t even have to ask, the answer is already in front of you.

Everything that your law firm needs to succeed is brought by marketing. Whether it may be bringing in more visitors to converting them to real clients, everything is done by marketing.

So, it really isn’t a question of if you should do marketing, but rather, when and how to market a law firm.

If you are not sure how to get started, what you need is the assistance of the best digital marketing agency. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

Every lawyer is asking it, how to market a law firm? It’s not unexpected. You are experts in the field of legal counsel, not marketing. However, that doesn’t excuse you of your ignorance.

So, if you are one who is in need of marketing your law firm, it is time to start learning how. Keep in mind though, it is not something you can read overnight. Instead, it is a constant effort that involves practice and risk.

Yes, it can get intimidating. Even scary for some. That’s why most people don’t get to reach the farther parts of the road, but instead stop midway. Some even don’t start at all. They just gamble that they would be fine without marketing. However, that’s never the case.

This article makes sure you don’t have to get lost and frustrated. It will break down everything in simple easy to understand steps and tips. So, you don’t end up finding yourself giving up and putting your entire law firm in jeopardy.

1.     First Step on How to Market a Law Firm is Building Your Brand

The very first step in every law firm marketing approach is making sure that there is something worth marketing. You can’t market your law firm if it doesn’t have any value. Do you have a website? Does it look and function as best as it could be? How about your credentials, photos, and everything else?

Before anything else, you need to make sure that you make your law firm marketable. For example, invest on a web developer for a great website. You can then start marketing one aspect of your entire law firm.

It is no easy task to create a brand. Generally, it is a vague practice. There are a lot of things to create and grow such as:

  • Social media pages
  • Google review and other rating websites
  • Your specialization
  • Written content
  • Credentials
  • Visual content (personal photos, website graphics, logo)

You can never perfect everything. It is important to keep that in mind. Instead, you just need to start, at least you have something to market.

Differentiate Brand from Image

A brand is what you manifest. It isn’t just about how you show yourself, but what you are committed to as well. If your brand is about being a tough lawyer, then you should manifest that in the services you provide.

Image, on the other hand, is simply concentrating on how you appeal yourself to your market. You simply care about how you look and how to introduce your services.

What’s more important, brand or image? While the former is harder since it requires staying true to what you market, it is also more effective. It will bring in repeat clients as opposed to the latter.

2.     How to Market a Law Firm: Show Credibility and Authority

If there is one thing that your clients are interested in the most, it is how credible your services are. Remember that you provide legal counsel. A client cannot leave you anytime when they are not satisfied. That would jeopardize their case.

As a result, they want to ensure that you are what they need. Choosing the right lawyer is very crucial so you must make sure that none of their questions are left unanswered.

What you want to do is make your credentials readily accessible. Since that is what your potential clients are always looking for, don’t make it difficult and serve it on a silver platter.

Put everything on the landing page, the very first thing your visitors are going to see. Include the following.

  • Where you graduated
  • Work experience (include everything, even internship)
  • Specialization
  • Major cases won
  • Client Testimonials

Every single one will support your credibility as a lawyer fit for the needs of your potential clients. Even those who checked your website randomly will start to seriously consider your services. That’s how strong proving credibility on first impression is on your law firm marketing strategy.

3.     How to Market a Law Firm? Work on Your SEO!

Everybody is on the internet, making it all the more important to invest on it. One thing you will want to keep your eyes on is SEO.

SEO is no walk in the park. To say the least, it is difficult. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing and prior strategies that were categorized as spam have been taken down. It is always a constant pursuit of knowing what affects search engine results.

However, if you do it right, it can be the most rewarding thing. Remember, the more you get seen, the more visitors you get. And visitors translate to potential clients.

The importance of SEO is highlighted by what people generally want today. According to a survey, 97% get their answers from Google instead of the yellow pages. So, if you lag behind search engine result rankings, you are losing a huge potential market.

4.     Paid Ads Bring You a Long Way

Again, everything is on the internet, making it more logical to move all marketing strategies on it. That includes paid ads.

While it is commonly believed that traditional paid ads are no longer effective, online ones are quite different. You just have to know the type of paid ads you are getting into.

Your Top Choice: Google Ads

What makes Google advertisements great is that they don’t necessarily show it to people unsolicited. Instead, if someone searches for something and it is related to what you have to offer, you come out on top of the results. You don’t end up being an obstructive ad unlike traditional advertisements.

Another great thing to look at is how Google allows you to track and monitor your performance. You are not left blind asking how you are doing. Instead, you get to see it all, literally everything, from number of clicks to engagements.

With all the data, you get a better understanding on how to market a law firm. Is it time to pull the plug? What should you improve on? How should you implement your next campaign?

Facebook and Instagram Ads for Targeted Audiences

As a law firm, your clients are going to be people within the area. You can’t expect those who are from a different city to reach out to you. This gives you an idea on where you should be concentrating your efforts on.

Put in more efforts on online marketing that engages people who are more likely going to be your clients. One that would allow it is Facebook and Instagram is no different.

You get the opportunity to choose how far your ads are going to reach. You can limit it to people within your city. So, you only end up paying for ads that gets seen by those who can potentially become your clients.

5.     Follow up with Newsletters and Email Marketing

Not everybody who is scouring the internet is in the market for a lawyer. They could be just looking for one in advance just in case. So, they didn’t go over your credentials thoroughly and then moved on.

That’s one potential client lost. You don’t’ want any more of that because when you put them together, you’d be surprised how many there are. It’s definitely a huge revenue lost.

However, they are not a lost cause. Instead, they just need a little more persuasion. You do that by connecting personally with them by reaching out through their emails.

You get their contacts through limited offers on your website. When you do, you send them newsletters and enact email marketing strategies. You show them what’s new and all that you are doing that they are missing.

With every email they read, that brings their favor closer to you. You gradually earn their trust and interest. Before long, your contact number is in their phones in preparation for the day that they will need you. That can be sooner or later, but you know you’ve earned yourself some clients.

6.     Grow Blogs and Articles

Never underestimate the power of blogs and articles. If anything, you should give it a lot of attention. As a matter of fact, more people would rather learn about a brand through an article where their questions are answered, instead of a real ad. Specifically, 70% of them.

What does that mean? Content marketing is a crucial aspect in online marketing and skipping it is a huge potential market lost.

In the world of law, there are a lot of things you can talk about. Create articles about tips on legal counsel, the different types of charges, and so on.

There are a lot of people looking for answers and you being the one giving that to them, turns you as their first pick for a law firm. That is one great way on how to market a law firm.

7.     Referral Marketing Campaigns

Somebody knows somebody who needs a lawyer. It has always been like that. The question is, how do you make sure that an acquaintance points at you when they know somebody who needs a lawyer?

What you do is you reward the person who recommended you. It can be through a discount or a freebie, anything that is small but will get their attention.

There are different ways to implement a referral marketing campaign. You can have people send in a case they know and it will be you who will market yourself to them.

Another would be partnering with a different lawyer who specializes in a completely different field. When they receive an inquiry that is more fit to you, they will pass on the client. In turn, you will do the same for them.

When you have a lot of people marketing for you, it is much easier to put your name and services out there. The best part is that it doesn’t come with a regular marketing bill. You only have to spend when you actually get a client and that really isn’t much of an expense by then.

How to Conduct Marketing for a Law Firm is Difficult

If you’ve gone through every point in this article, then you might have thought to yourself that it sure is a lot to remember. It is not something you can internalize in just one go.

All of these are still concepts, you still need to put them into practice. Those can be a whole new different story with accompanying challenges.

So, without a doubt, how to market a law firm is exhausting. However, it is one crucial part of your business that is rewarding when you are able to stick to it to the end. As they say, it is only the beginning that’s difficult.

In the event that you don’t have the time for all of these, you can still opt for an easier choice. Approach the best digital marketing agency and get them to either assist or do everything for you. If you are sure that it is what’s best for you, contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

How are your marketing campaigns going? If not too well, maybe it is it time to get back to the drawing board with your law firm marketing strategy.

If you think a strategy is not important, that is where you are wrong. It is crucial and you should always have one no matter the situation of your business.

Even if your law firm is at the top, slowing down on your marketing strategies can pull it down. When you are at the bottom, the right marketing strategy can make all the difference.

Need we say more? It is time to create the law firm marketing strategy that is right for you. To do that, keep in mind all the tips you are going to read in this article.

Everything is Going Online

You need not be told this, but everyone is on the internet. Printed and physical ads are no longer as effective as they were before. Everybody is looking at the internet for answers and influences for their decisions.

It has been like that for quite a while now. The question is, why?

The answer is not as complicated as you seem. People like to have control over their decisions. They do not like to get fed unnecessary information. Instead, they want to search and find out things by themselves, and the internet allows for that.

As a matter of fact, 97% of people now go to Google for answers instead of heading to the yellow pages. Factor in the 70% that would rather get their questions answered via articles than knowing about your business through ads, you are looking at a community that is dependent on quality online resources.

The answer is before your eyes; it is time to get on the internet. We’re not just talking about social media pages and a website, but rather, invest extensively on it.

Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy Should Invest on Content Marketing and SEO

These two words may come as foreign to you, especially if you have no marketing background. However, they should be the corner stones for your law firm marketing strategy.

Online marketing doesn’t mean you have to pay YouTube, Google, and the likes to get your ads shown. If you really want to be effective, content marketing is one of the ways you should go.

As mentioned earlier, people don’t want to be fed with too much unsolicited ideas. Instead, they want to find answers for themselves. That is how people think now and you should cater to that need.

You can create articles, videos, blogs, and everything else that is helpful content. It can be giving advice, steps on how to deal with legal disputes, and many more. In the world of legal counsel, there are a lot of things people are asking.

Now, is content marketing enough? Is creating and publishing your content enough? Unfortunately, no. They are only as good as how many times they are found and read. In an online community that has tens of thousands of content contributors, it is a really competitive market.

This is where SEO gets in the picture. The goal of SEO is to make sure that when people search for answers, yours come up as on top of the list. If you are on the first page of Google’s results, you are likely going to be clicked and read.

For someone like you who is in law, you might have no idea how any of this works. So, the next step is to know how you can make your content SEO friendly.

How to Make Your Content SEO Friendly for Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy

SEO is not as easy as it seems. One of the greatest challenges is the rate search engines update their ranking algorithms. Tips that may have served effective a year ago, may no longer be true today. However, generally, there are consistent concepts to keep in mind.

1.     Do Your Keyword Research

Look for the most commonly searched words in search engines and create content around them. When you create content that is likely going to be searched, the more visitors you are going to have.

Even if your content answers a common inquiry, if it doesn’t hold the words that people commonly search for, it is not going to come out as a result. In turn, it makes it hard to find which means lesser visits.

2.     Give Your Title Attention

What stands out the most with your content is the title. Your audience gets an idea of what it contains and whether or not it’s what they need. So, a catchy one can set the difference between getting read or not.

However, it also plays a role in search engine algorithms to give your content the ranking it deserves. So, keep in mind these SEO title practices.

  • Put target keyword at the beginning
  • Keep titles less than 60 characters
  • Use words related to the content

3.     Use Small Paragraphs

Google evaluates the value of the content you make. Longer and wordier paragraphs are ranked less compared to shorter sentences and smaller paragraph sizes. So, stir away from wordiness and practice getting straight to the point.

No man is an island. The same concept applies to content. No article can stand on its own.

You need to put in a few links here and there. Relevant ones. It helps search engines associate your content with the ones you are linking to, giving it a better understanding on what it’s all about.

The better Google understands what type of content you have, the easier for it to categorize it and make it a top result for certain keywords and searches.

How to Make a Law Firm Marketing Plan

So, you now know where to put your money and effort at: online and content marketing. The question now is, how do you make a plan to make sure those mediums are used effectively?

Despite the effectiveness of online and content marketing, if you don’t approach it systematically, it won’t bring in great results. Instead, you need a marketing strategy in order to target the right market and bring in quality leads.

Don’t just do marketing when you feel like it. Create one that is known to be effective and give your money’s worth.

1.     Identify Your Target Clients

The first part to every marketing strategy is knowing who your target market is.

  • What kind of lawyer are you and what do you specialize in?
  • How are your potential clients likely going to reach you?
  • What are their age range?
  • What common questions will they be bringing in?

Having the answers to all those questions can result in one thing; creating an effective marketing approach. If you know your target audience, it is easier to level with them and talk to them in a way that would make them more comfortable and susceptible to acquire your service.

2.     Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy Should Have Specific Goals

Marketing is not just about getting the name of your law firm out there. You need to have much more specific goals. How many more leads do you intend to generate at the end of the quarter? How much more revenue growth do you want to make? And many more.

The purpose of setting goals is to know when to start and end. Unless you have goals, you will keep on randomly enacting marketing campaigns. Without any specific structure, you never know whether you are being effective or not.

Therefore, your goals should be ambitious but at the same time, achievable. It will keep you stay on track and treat your marketing as a pursuit, instead of a side task. And at this point, you should already know that marketing is never a side task.

3.     Know Your Budget

Like it or not, marketing is an operational expense. You cannot do it for free because you need essential resources and manpower. So, you need to set a law firm budget and stick to that.

It would be easier if you can have all the money you can use. However, in the real world, it isn’t like that. Spend too much and you might be losing money instead of making any. Invest too little and you might be looking at ineffective campaigns

You need to spend just enough. According to a survey, the average budget that law firms allot for marketing is 7%. That can be the sweet spot for you, but if it isn’t, you can go higher or lower, depending on your situation. The general consensus for marketing budget is around 2% to 12%.

It is important to know your budget beforehand. You can’t come up with your strategies if you don’t know how much you can spend. You will be constantly questioning whether you can afford one thing or should you just spend on another much cheaper approach.

4.     Outline Needed Resources and Manpower

You now know your target audience and budget, so what’s next? It is time to come up with everything you need to implement your marketing strategy.

If you are planning to enact strong content marketing approaches, you are going to need writers. Need a great website? Hire a web developer and IT expert. How about the marketing experts? Get them too.

When you are doing marketing, you also need key tools. You need SEO software, analytics, and many more that will make everything easier and more effective. None of which are going to be free.

Outlining the needed resources and manpower helps you come up with your fixed costs. This will then give you the available budget you have left for other things.

Also, knowing the manpower and skillset you will be acquiring, you have a better understanding of the resources at your disposal. You can then make the best out of them given the conditions surrounding you. For example, your IT expert that was hired to build a website? You can use him to make graphic material for your marketing campaigns as well.

5.     Track Results

Tracking your marketing campaign performance is not part of creating a plan, but it does make it more effective. With the help of analytics, you can better optimize your strategies.

The first time is always the worst. No matter how much planning goes into marketing, it is not going to perform at its best. It can have great results, but never the best. And that is considering that it doesn’t fail, which is still a very possible outcome.

The point is, there will always be room for improvement. So, while tracking may be the end step for a marketing campaign, it can also be the starting point for your next one.

Having an understanding of the things that went wrong will pave the way for a much better and more effective marketing campaign. It also makes sure that you start allocating your budget on the things that actually matter.

Is Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy Ready?

Is anybody ever ready? The problem with marketing is that it is always based on how the market reacts. You can anticipate things that could go wrong, but you cannot have oversight of everything.

Does this mean that you are bound to fail? No. It only dictates that you should set your expectations.

Marketing is a constant trial-and-error effort. You can only decrease your chances of failure, not guarantee the chances of success. And the tips and steps mentioned here helps you do just that.

However, we do understand that not everybody has the time and effort to do all of these. Business itself is not easy, so marketing is an additional burden that can be hard to juggle. Chances are, you want to outsource the responsibility to reliable and competent people who know what they are doing.

If so, you need the assistance of the best digital marketing agencies. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

More and more companies are making the shift to subscription-based products. It is no shock since it has a lot of benefits, from counteracting piracy to the ability to provide frequent updates for the benefit of the clients. However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. One aspect that has significantly gotten more difficult is SaaS marketing.

SaaS Marketing vs Other Types of Marketing

SaaS marketing is not like any other type of marketing approaches. So, if you think you are good with business, you might want to reconsider when it comes to SaaS. You will be greeted by a variety of challenges.

1.     No Physical Product, No Assurance

When you are selling an actual product, it is easier to provide assurance to your client with what they are getting. So, when it comes to SaaS in which everything is in the cloud, it gets a little difficult.

You need to convince them that they are going to receive what they are paying for. That it is not going to change down the road and that it will consistently function as it is intended.

2.     It’s a Monthly Subscription

Between paying a one-time price and a monthly subscription, most people would rather prefer the former. At least they only have to make one purchase and it is finished. Having a monthly subscription, on the other hand, gives clients something to think of.

Additionally, a monthly subscription raises the question of economical viability for some, especially if they intend to use a service long-term. So, the challenge is to prove to them that a monthly subscription is better over a one-time purchase.

3.     SaaS Marketing: You’re Selling a Service, Not a Product

From the name itself, you are no longer selling software as a product, but as a service. You are no longer providing a one-time product, but something that you constantly provide down the road. What that means is that your clients are constantly reaching out to you. So, they need the assurance that your SaaS is not just great, but your brand as well that you will be able to keep quality assistance down the road.  

In short, you shouldn’t just be selling the service itself, but the reliability and trustworthiness of your company as well.

How to Do SaaS Marketing

The new challenges you face with SaaS marketing shouldn’t hold back your success. While they may be difficult to overcome, it isn’t impossible. You just need to be creative and efficient. If you have no idea where to begin, here are some ideas to get you started.

1.     Don’t Hold Back on Free Trials

One of the greatest hurdles you have to overcome is gaining the trust of your client. You don’t have an actual product they can check or the assurance that it is not bound to change for the worse, so the least you can do is get them comfortable with your service.

How do you do that? The answer is simple, allow them to have some time with it. The more they use it, the more comfortable they get. Before long, their doubts are drowned by the performance satisfaction they are getting.

2.     Focus on the Benefits

When talking about the cloud, there is only thing that crowds the minds of your clients, it is the disadvantages of the technology. They will be constantly asking about what happens if there is no internet or when your server is down. They will never look at the good side of things, so make them realize about that end.

Skip the technical aspects of what the cloud is and how great it is. Instead, focus on the benefits. What having a cloud-based service mean compared to a one-time purchase and how much better it can improve their business.

Talk about the constant updates that will continuously improve their experience down the road. Mention how the service will change alongside ongoing demands and trends. When talking about the benefits, there surely are a lot, so make sure to drown out the concerns of your clients to secure SaaS sales.

3.     Emphasize on Cost Efficiency on Your SaaS Marketing

In reality, a subscription-based service is neither better nor worse than a one-time purchase. It all boils down on the needs of the client. If they intend to use it long-term, then there is the potential of having to spend more. On the other hand, subscriptions allow clients to pay only for what they need. Therefore, providing them with better financial flexibility.

4.     Remind Them It’s Not a Long-term Commitment

If your client is hesitant about making the leap, remind them that it isn’t a long-term commitment. They have the option to pay for a month or two and eventually leave when it doesn’t live to their expectations. In the end, they only end up spending a small sum of money which is only a small risk on their end.

5.      Get Feedback and Act

Selling is a service is a constant pursuit and effort. When someone has made the subscription, there is a high chance that they will stay by your side, but it is not a guarantee. They still have the opportunity to get up and leave when they are no longer happy. So, the challenge here is finding ways to keeping your clients subscribed to your SaaS.

What you want to do is get their feedback. If there is one thing that makes clients feel involved is that their opinions are asked and considered. In addition, when they get to see the improvements they want, it assures them of a brand that will consistently provide for their needs.

Never doubt feedbacks and response. It is a core principle in inbound marketing which emphasizes how effective it can be in all forms of marketing approaches.

Important SaaS Marketing Metrics to Review

Don’t just keep on fueling your marketing efforts. Also keep an eye on key metrics to determine the success and progress of your marketing. Here are what you should regular review to know what marketing approaches to continue, improve, and halt.

1.     Customer Attrition

How long did a customer do business with you before they left? If it starts to become a trend that at an average of 5 months clients tend to leave your SaaS, then it is telling of a much bigger picture. This is what is called customer attrition, the period that it takes before a customer leaves.

It is one of the more important key metrics to pay attention to since a subscriber should have the tendency to stick to your service. Therefore, it is much easier to keep a client than it is to acquire new ones.

2.     Customer Lifetime Value

How much did a customer spend throughout their entire stay with your company? The answer is your customer lifetime value. It is important to determine the average amount of money a client spends on your business since it will give an estimate on how much you should be spending on acquiring customers.

3.     Customer Acquisition Cost

It is how much you spend to acquire a new client. For example, if you spent $500 on marketing approaches and gained 2 new customers, your customer acquisition cost is $250.

It is important to put into perspective how much you are spending per new customer. Otherwise, you might end up spending more on marketing than you are actually earning.

4.     CAC-to-LTV Ratio

Lastly, you are going to want to compare the money you spent acquiring a customer and the average money they contributed to your company during their stay. The bigger the margin, the more revenue you gained from them.

Is SaaS Marketing Really Difficult?

While there may be more challenges that you have to face and overcome with SaaS marketing, it really isn’t all that more difficult. As long as you perform the right approaches and provide solutions customer concerns, it can be just like any kind of marketing.

However, that doesn’t mean it is completely easy. You still have to have a plan, implement your solutions, and then monitor key metrics. As a business owner, it will still take up a chunk of your schedule. If you really want to take the easy route to success, what you need is the assistance of the best digital marketing agency. Contact us today to get a free strategy consultation.

Every business needs to have email marketing. It plays a crucial role in converting leads into customers. So, it is not a question of whether or not should you start implementing it, but rather, how should you? While it may be an important aspect, you shouldn’t implement it just for the sake of it. It should be approached systematically that best fits your business. In certain cases, the best approach might even be to outsource email marketing.

How Difficult Can Email Marketing Be?

You know what email means and marketing pertains to. Does that mean you know what email marketing entails?

The hard reality about email marketing is that it is not simple. While its name suggests what it ultimately does, it is more complicated than it seems. This is where most businesses fail. They try to implement the approach on their own, believing that it is something they possess.  

Email marketing is more than just sending emails. It is a strategic approach in order to effectively convert leads to customers. One small mistake and you can end up pushing a potential customer away. In that regard, it requires skill and expertise in different fields.

1.     Copy Writing

Do you think you can write? Whether it’s a yes or no, you can’t defeat the expertise of someone who has extensively practiced the skill. Copy writing isn’t just about typing text, it is communicating with the subconscious of your customer. It is knowing what they want and imparting their needs in an emotional level. That’s what makes a sale.

2.     Graphic Design

When you have your written content, the next hurdle is your graphic content. All text and no graphics make for a boring email. As a matter of fact, the right design elements can point to the overall goal of your email, making it intuitive.

Graphic design is a technical skill. It is not something you can learn overnight. Along with it, you need to have a mind of a creative to formulate appealing designs.

3.     HTML Coding

Today’s email marketing is not just about presenting information, it is also about making it interactive. Modern email features allow for clickable text and other interactive elements. You can’t have that without any knowledge of coding.

4.     Data Administration

Another important thing to remember is that you are not just creating emails, you are targeting them. No matter how great they are, if they do not feed into the right demographic, they will fail.

Modern email marketing services collect and track information about a contact. You need to understand what those information entails, like what they are in the market for. This will allow you to curate an email that a contact is going to be more susceptible to.

5.     Analyzing Performance Metrics

No matter how perfect you think you analyzed your contacts, things usually don’t go according to plan. What you thought would be the perfect email would end up not getting opened or clicked. That’s what makes analyzing the performance of your campaign important. You get to see what you are doing wrong and where should you be concentrating on.

Not everybody has the skill to analyze performance metrics. For the average person, most likely including you, these are just going to look like random numbers. Effective analysis comes from people with extensive experience doing it.

When to Outsource Email Marketing?

There are two ways to do email marketing. Either you hire your own team of graphic artists and marketing experts or you outsource the work you need. The question is, when to do one over the other?

What Does an Inhouse Email Marketing Mean?

Hiring your own email marketing team has its own benefits. You have a group of dedicated workers that are awaiting your command. So, they are always there when you need them. They provide flexibility and an inexhaustive amount of work hours.

However, is a private email marketing team really all good? Before you jump into this option, try to consider the possible drawbacks. It might not be the best one for you when you look at the bigger picture.

1.      They Cost A Lot More Than to Outsource Email Marketing

When you hire your own team, it also means that you have to completely pay for their salaries. It doesn’t matter if you only need a graphic artist seldomly, you need to provide them with the right monthly compensation. When you account all the team members, you are looking at a hefty monthly expense.

2.      It Requires Constant Management

Your team reports to nobody else but you. While you may think that it is great to have full control, it really isn’t. You need to constantly keep an eye on them and guide them through what you want. When that happens, you can end up spending more time on your email marketing campaign than on decisions important to your business.

3.      It Gets Limiting Sometimes

When you have a team that is working only on your business, at some point, their expertise gets narrowed down. What they know how to do becomes limited to what they do on a daily. That can lead to stagnation of progress as your team no longer looks at business aspects from a different perspective.

Looking at the drawbacks, if you think that this isn’t for you, then you might want to outsource email marketing campaigns.

Shift to Outsourcing When You are Experiencing These Problems

If you are one who already has an in-house team, outsourcing can still be a viable choice throughout any point of your journey. The question is, when is it time to make the shift?

1.      You Want to Improve Performance

Do you think your campaigns can do more? In most cases, they could. The reason you feel that your progress is plateauing is because you have the same people doing the same thing. If you want to improve your performance, you need a team that can think outside the box.

Outsourcing your email marketing means that you are delegating it to a group that is doing the same work for other businesses. As a result, they have a wide grasp of different industries, allowing them to come up with new solutions and approaches. Their constant exposure makes them see what’s new in the world and apply those to your campaigns.

2.      Time is No Longer Enough

After a while of doing your business, you are bound to see growth. Sometimes its slow, and there are cases when it is exponential. Regardless, the responsibilities become more and heavier. As this happens, you are going to need to have more time for more important business aspects. That leaves you with no time to manage your own email marketing team.

What do you do? You outsource outsource email marketing so that what is left to do is tell them what you want to happen. It is the agency who does everything else. They are experts and one thing they know how to do is get leads and customers with their email marketing campaigns without your nonstop guidance.

3.      Budget is in Question

Email marketing is difficult only at the start. It is when everything is made, from the copy written material to graphic design. After that, the work gets lesser, which means most of your team will have nothing to do yet you pay them with the full salary. If you are running a big business, the operating expense can be overlooked. However, if you are still starting out, it can get a little too much.

When you outsource email marketing, you get the opportunity to pay for only the things you need done. If you don’t need a specific service anymore such as graphic design, you get to pay much less.

4.      You Want to See the Bigger Picture

When you make decisions, you base it off what you know. Sometimes you forget that there is a different perspective. When you can’t look at other opportunities, you can’t expand the capabilities of your business. As a result, you need other people to give you advice. People who have a lot of knowledge about business and marketing.

Who else to ask but people who are in the industry and continuously practicing their profession? When you outsource email marketing, you get advice from professionals who specialize in IT outsourcing services. Your hired team is not just going to say yes all the time. You are given a much bigger picture about the market, the new generation, and everything else you may have no idea about.

Outsource When It is Needed

It has been a pattern among business owners to want to do everything by themselves. That couldn’t be any falser. You can’t manifest all the skills that there is. Most of the time, you need to get the right people to do the job. Whether you are starting out or in the middle of your campaigns, to outsource email marketing is both a viable and economical choice.

Traditional marketing has been around for quite a while. So much that most of it is already obsolete. It no longer coincides with what people want and how they want to be treated. To put it simply, it is not the best marketing strategy out there.

Every year, new marketing strategies and mediums are sprouting out. A decade ago, online marketing made big news and years after, social media marketing followed. It’s one after another, but despite the variety of options available, most people still stick with traditional marketing.

If you are wondering why traditional marketing doesn’t seem to hit the grave, the answer is simple, it’s culture. How many times have you heard about investing in traditional marketing strategies just because it is the standard?

Apparently, people find it hard to stir away from the traditional because they think it is a must. It has always been there, therefore, it should be there. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Statistics has shown that 86% of people skip TV adverts, 44% ignore direct mail marketing, and 91% unsubscribe to company email subscriptions.

So, if that’s what is happening, what should be your top marketing strategy approach? The answer is content. Content marketing is providing useful content to your consumers to stimulate interest and attention to your overall brand.

The question is, why is this the best, especially if you are a small business?

Content Speaks Volumes

Traditional marketing invokes feeding your customers with information they didn’t ask for. For example, TV ads, radio ads, and even those ads on Youtube that you cannot skip. People didn’t look for them and therefore, have no interest. What happens is that you are investing on trying to have people look at something which they are likely going to ignore.

Don’t think that is entirely true? You will be amazed with the statistics. In 2015 alone, an estimated 200 million people used ad blockers. Five years after, that number has reached to 615 million devices. That’s more than triple. Year after year, more people are trying to evade obstructive paid traditional marketing strategies.

As a matter of fact, 11% of the global internet population right now are blocking ads. So, while you are investing your money and doing your best, people are doing all that they can to have none of it.

So, how does all of that stack up against content marketing?

Content marketing entails creating and providing useful content. It is not just talking about your brand. It is also about curating articles that are objectively helpful that will be sought out regardless if a person is in need of your product or service.

In content marketing, you don’t reach out to your consumers. Instead, people look to you for answers and they potentially become leads.

What Do the Numbers Suggest?

You might be skeptical. You might be asking how much better is content marketing against traditional marketing? In the end, is it really the better choice?

The answers to your questions are simple. The difference between the two is so big that no matter what compromise you do with traditional marketing, content marketing will still reign victorious. So, how huge is the gap?

Statistics show that content impacts the decisions of consumers greatly. 53% say that offering free content on a topic that they are interested in is effective in getting them interested on the brand. 82% of consumers find a brand more enticing and trustworthy after reading custom content they have curated.

It is not just about how content influences the decision of customers, it is also what people general prefer. In a survey, 70% of people say that learning a company through an article is more preferable, if not better, than any kind of advertisement.

So Many Great Things, But How About the Cost?

There are so many great things about content marketing, so does it come with a cost? That’s the great thing, despite how much significantly better it is, you don’t necessarily have to pay more. As a matter of fact, content marketing significantly costs less.

The cheaper price can be attributed to the fact that you don’t have to subscribe to paid ads. Implementing content marketing is all about curating articles, blogs, and videos on your website. The only thing you have to pay on a regular is to keep your website running. That is why your expenses take a significant nose dive.

However, you also have the flexibility to invest a little more if you want to. Google ads, for example, might be paid ads but they only come up when someone is already searching for it. You just make sure that your content comes out first out of all the rest.

Can you put a number on how much cheaper content marketing is? Definitely. According to a survey, on average, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing. For the cheaper price, it is more effective in generating leads at 3 times more per dollar spent.

Are You Alone in This?

You might not have heard about content marketing from your friends, family, or even business associates, but it is definitely out there. As a matter of fact, 73% of brands have been reported to have hired someone to manage their content marketing strategy.

As content marketing proves to be the better alternative, that percentage just keeps on increasing. It is showing no sign of going down and for good reasons.

Have you heard about a company called Groove? It is a software startup and pivoted their marketing on content. Guess what happened? Through guest posting and other similar approaches, the audience reach of the company easily went over 1 million.

Is Content Marketing Really King for Small Businesses?

The biggest challenge among small businesses is operating costs. Most are still starting out and cannot shell out too much on keeping the business afloat. On average, 25% of budget goes to marketing and that significantly puts small businesses on a tight spot. Decreasing marketing expenses by more than half can bring a business quite far.

Another point to look at is the need for a fast return on investment. In order to make this happen, your business needs to find a market and an avid audience. With content marketing being three times more effective, it helps in reaching that target faster.

If you are still not sold, remember that 88% of consumers search online to seek information. A huge population do not depend on traditional marketing, but instead on their capacity to search. Just by curating custom content, you are opening yourself to a huge audience effortlessly.

We do understand that content marketing is not a walk in the park. There are things you need to learn and you got to do it fast. If you don’t have the time and resources, you need not worry, there is always help on its way. What you need is the assistance of the best online marketing agency. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.

Social media marketing is not self-promotion. Social media marketing is all about telling your story and making a connection. Before you go off thinking you don’t have time for this and you just need to make a sale, you need to think twice and continue reading to learn why simply promoting your product online is not enough.

Adidas’ viral social media campaign capitalizes on community engagement by urging them to create shareable content.

Your job is not done the moment you create your Facebook page or Instagram account. Effective social media marketing is all about building an engaged community of users and providing value. Here’s why you should be investing in your social media strategy to reap its benefits in the long term.

1. Social media marketing builds brand awareness

Whatever platform you focus on (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), the key to success is consistency. You need to keep showing up every single day. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t see the followers growing. Instead, keep an eye on other important metrics like post impressions or engagement.

A strategy is important because social media marketing, in the long term, build brand awareness. It establishes your brand and imprints it on the minds of digital consumers.

The key to receiving the most engagement? Give the most value.

With the right team and strategy, you can churn out engaging and valuable content consistently. Remember to keep an 80-20 ratio when it comes to providing value vs self-promotion. Nobody wants to be sold off every single time. A lot of accounts already do that. Stand out from the crowd.

Eye-popping content and colors will help you stand out in the feeds of your followers

Take a look at this brand that sells hair coloring products. They provide consistent content inline with their brand. It is all about color and hair. You aren’t going to find anything else that is beyond their product and aesthetic. As a result, it leaves an imprint on the minds of consumers and aligns their brand name to what they are selling. So, the next time you hear overtonecolor, you know it is going to be about hair and color.

2. You can go viral (seriously)

Consistency beats everything. With the right social media marketing strategy, you can go viral overnight. But mind you, it will take a lot of time.

Planning a viral social media marketing campaign takes months. You either hit big or you land on a mention on the press. Either way, your team just had fun and you get the publicity you deserve.

If there is something people do on social media, that is talking. They post, share, and make comments. As a result, it is fairly easy for one topic to have widespread publicity. Before you know it, one thing can become viral. If it is your brand that generates conversations, you get attention and ultimately, a market for what you are selling.

Anything can turn into a conversation. A marketing ad that is intriguing, a song that captivates the hearts of many, or being congratulated or recognized by a celebrity. With the right opportunity, you can put your name out there. An opportunity that you can’t find anywhere else.

To emphasize on this point, take a look at the page of Humans of New York. You might have heard of it and its other variations. There is a high chance that the only reason you know them is through friends sharing their content. Why is that? They create something that is worth sharing. One story can resonate around a community, create conversations, and ultimately become viral.

3. When you have a strategy, you measure results and you improve

Let’s get more technical. You want to know if you are penetrating the right type of market. Are your marketing strategies working? Are you making an impact with all that you are doing? If there is one thing you don’t want, that is spending on something for nothing.

Gone are the days of television and radio marketing where you don’t have a way of quantifying impact. In social media marketing, you get to have that opportunity. You are able to track the reach of your social media pages, especially paid ads. If you know how many new visitors and the consistency of your page’s activity, you are able to understand what you are doing right and wrong. Therefore, you are only spending on things that actually matter and that exponentially plummets you to success.

4. You show your exceptional customer service and build loyal customers

Business is a two-way communication. You sell while they ask. Social media allows this to happen conveniently and it is a big deal. When your customers are able to reach out easily to a brand, it creates more trust. The more questions you answer and the better service you deliver, you create a more loyal customer.

While new customers are great, repeat ones are better. They are more susceptible to your products. When they need something, your brand becomes the first choice and the only choice in some cases. To say the least, you guarantee yourself that you will have customers.

Respond to all social media feedback, questions and comments | 6 Key Elements of Using Social Media for Customer Service

Look at how JetBlue turned an angry customer into an opportunity. They addressed a concern and provided comfort. While the passenger may have had a bad experience, being heard and given attention gives them a sense of value. This makes up for the shortcoming and could even get this customer to come back for more.

5. Algorithms change so you need to keep track and adapt…fast

Social media marketing didn’t happen overnight. It was developed through the years as demand grew stronger. Now, we can see where all that development went to. It created a medium that is completely catered to marketing. What this means is that you can find a lot of tools and features in social media marketing.

For example, paid ads have the option to narrow down to whom they get to appear. You want it only to those within range of your location? No problem. There are flexible payment options to ensure that you only pay what benefits you the most. Not only that, you can find software and services for scheduling and managing posts to keep your pages active with the least amount of supervision.

To say the least, everything you need to do is simplified and made more effective with social media marketing. As a result, it is the most fool-proof and cost-efficient way to market your product and service. Whether your business has long been in the market or you are still starting, this is a benefit you are always going to want.

The Buffer dashboard

Have you heard about Buffer? It is a social media management tool that will make your marketing campaign a lot easier. You don’t have to manual post on every social media account you have. Use Buffer and make one post that goes out to every page you handle, regardless of what platform it is (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). If that isn’t enough, you have the opportunity to have data and analytics.

What is the Future of Social Media Marketing?

If you are one of those people that are skeptical of the future of social media marketing, don’t worry, you are not alone. It is a logical concern to ask where all of this is going. Is it already too late? Will this all blow over in the near future? Will all your investments be short-lived?

You don’t have to worry though since there is a strong guarantee that social media marketing is the marketing of the future. So, it is not bound to disappear anytime soon. A strong indication is the growing population of internet and social media users. Every year, there is always an increase in that number.

As access to internet connection also increases, the more people find it more convenient to get into social media. Faster base internet speeds and more accessible wireless data connections are strong contributing factors.

That is enough to suggest that there is no sign of social media marketing rejection. If anything, everything is pointing to acceptance and further adoption.

What if your site’s traffic dropped tomorrow…where would that leave you?

Social media marketing is a long game. There are metrics and KPIs to keep track of that do not necessarily include only revenue. You can run ads to lure your customers to buy, but you can also build a consistent long-term strategy that will bring you organic sales.

Algorithms change, even your SEO rankings can drop zero anytime. But the community and connection you build with your audience is something you control with your own hands. Isn’t that a good enough reason to start investing in your social media marketing today?

If you’re looking for the best digital marketing agency to help you do just that, contact us today for a free strategy consultation. We are happy to help out small businesses and individuals.