Law firms rely heavily on digital marketing to fuel their growth. That doesn’t mean that their plans are always successful, though. Sometimes, despite the most thoughtful planning and diligent execution, your law firm marketing strategy won’t produce the results you want. There are plenty of reasons for this, and it’s essential to understand where things are getting derailed. By understanding the common areas where things go wrong, you can sidestep the pitfalls and create a digital marketing strategy that boosts awareness for your law firm and positions you properly in your sector.
10 Things That Can Go Wrong With Your Law Firm’s Digital Marketing Strategy
Your website, , and can all contribute to your digital marketing success. The proper use of all of these tools will enhance your marketing strategy and enable you to accomplish your goals. However, aside from making adjustments within these specific areas, it’s important to consider these 8 things that commonly go wrong when it comes to marketing strategy.
1. There’s no strategy in place at all.
If you don’t have a strategy in place, or are unable to articulate it, then your firm is relying on luck. Many law firms are willing to invest in tactics, but without an overarching strategy to guide those tactics.
Law firms need an overarching strategy such as a structured document that provides a clear framework for reaching their target audience, including details on planned activity and the relevant methods of communication. Included should also be business goals and a plan to measure success.
2. Focusing on tactics instead of strategies.
As we just mentioned, many firms choose to implement tactics rather than an integrated marketing strategy. Well-executed tactics can produce positive results, but relying on such tactics is not smart for the long-term. For example, if you decide to invest in , you may put a plan together or outsource those activities. But without a thoughtful approach to developing content tied to business goals, your efforts are not likely to lead to increased traffic or brand awareness. A systemized approach will help marketers to create repeatable programs and measure outcomes.
3. Executing the same strategy that your competition is.
There are certainly things about your law firm that set you apart. It’s important to make sure these unique selling propositions are at the center of your strategy. Doing the same things as your competition will not help set you apart, no matter how well executed. Rather, look for gaps and opportunities where your competition is not.
4. Not focusing on the needs of your clients.
Firms need to take the approach of strengthening their relationships with clients, not just marketing to them. It’s important to focus on the experience of your clients and position marketing from there. Always look to provide value to your clients and prospective clients.
5. Marketing strategy isn’t aligned with corporate objectives.
Research shows that firms who align marketing with business development experience better results. Marketing and business development should collaborate across several areas and both departments should work with firm leadership to understand larger objectives.
6. Poor targeting.
Is your marketing getting to the right people? Even if you have great messaging, if you’re not reaching the people who are most receptive, you’re unlikely to be happy with your results. It’s often a good strategy to narrow targeting rather than broaden it.
We understand that many law firms have multiple target audiences, which is why developing is extremely important. Personas will guide your targeting strategies and help you to determine what kind of content you should be creating for your target audience.
7. You assume social media is the same across the board.
Law firms should not be posting identical messages to each social media network. Different channels have different audiences, peak times, and character limits. And each one is built for a different style of writing. See: .
8. No calls-to-action.
When it comes to digital marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in simply creating social media videos or blog content without a thought as to how it will help you drive leads and new business. The same thing happens on websites. It’s amazing how many law firms we see without clear, obvious calls-to-action. Remember, if you want people to perform an action, you have to ask them.
9. You expect immediate results.
Successful marketing requires both time and money. It also takes time to understand what’s working and what’s not.
We often tell clients that it takes 6-12 months for marketing to generate results. Yes, you will see some leading indicators of success along the way, but it takes time to really get the momentum you’re after in marketing.
10. Failing to test, adjust and optimize.
Having a strategy in place is important, but it needs to be flexible. Adapting your strategy and tactics based on testing and results will improve your results over time. This is why measurement is so important. Think of your strategy as a guide, but then use data along the way to optimize programs.
You need to so you can decide what to tweak throughout the year.
Digital marketing in today’s world is increasingly complex, and without a proactive and thoughtful strategy to guide your efforts, your tactics are less likely to be successful. Hopefully this blog post has given your law firm an idea of digital marketing strategy problems to look out for, but it’s by no means comprehensive. If you don’t currently have a comprehensive strategy, you may want to work with an to get started. A new year is the perfect time to develop a strategy that builds credibility and generates leads.
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