When you hear of law firm marketing, do you think of cheesy commercials during daytime television shows? While that type of marketing became a kind of parody for the industry, the fact is that marketing is an absolute necessity for attorneys. Law firms need marketing to grow their client base and keep an active pipeline to prepare themselves against client loss, recession, or increased competition.
But – as often evidenced by those commercials – attorneys are not marketing professionals and may need some help creating a strategic and dynamic marketing plan. But how can an attorney identify the best marketing agency for their needs?
The marketing company you choose is your firm’s voice and must clearly articulate your message to your target demographic. Here are some essential issues to explore when deciding on the best agency to hire or when evaluating the effectiveness of your current company’s performance:
1. What is their experience level with your specific practice area?
One of the first things a prospective client will ask you is about your relevant experience. You should confidently ask the same question of any potential marketing agency. There are two nuances to this question – how much experience the agency has in digital and online marketing in general; and how much experience with law firms in particular. In 2022, online marketing is the basis of all practical and meaningful marketing efforts.
An agency must be up to date on the evolving changes in technology, algorithms, and consumer expectation. But within the legal industry, the target demographic differs from discipline to discipline – that is, a personal injury attorney and a criminal defense attorney seek different clients.
2. Do they have relationships with other law firms in your coverage area?
Online marketing is hyper-localized, and your digital agency will be working to drive your listing to the top of the algorithms and the search engine results in your service areas. After all, someone needing a car accident attorney in Tampa represents little opportunity for a Seattle lawyer.
Working with two competing law firms in the same geographic area typically means a conflict of interest. While you want your agency to have experience in your type of legal practice, be sure they don’t have a competitor as a client.
3. What is their communication style when handling marketing for a local law firm?
Communication styles vary widely, and while one person is comfortable with daily emails, another simply asks for monthly updates.
How frequently does the agency check in with you to communicate metrics and results?
Do you have the ability to ask questions in between these meetings?
How much input do they expect from you – or how much cooperation do you expect from them?
Establish these parameters upfront to avoid miscommunication. Marketing strategies are typically cumulative and build from metric to metric, month to month. Therefore, most agencies will provide feedback on progress once a month but remain open to your calls or emails at any time.
4. Who is on the marketing team? Who will be doing the work?
Some marketing agencies handle all the activities in-house, while others outsource the work to services. All of them will be accountable for the work of each of their employees or subs, but it is helpful to understand the relationships they have with the actual producers and content creators.
Even if an agency utilizes contractors and freelancers, they should have long-term relationships with these people and be confident in their work product. As a client, you should also have access to everyone from the writers to the photographers, if need be.
5. What is their success rate with traffic and conversions?
Marketing is n longer simply about catchy jingles and eye-catching ads. While those components help, a digital marketing agency should be an expert at search engine optimization, keyword ranking, building traffic, establishing a reputation, and working towards conversion rates that drive you to your sales and revenue goals.
A professional marketing company will be able to articulate how it will attract visitors and influence them to click, engage or call. Building a website that inspires conversion is not as easy as you might think – a professional firm brings together analytics, creativity, and design to build a powerful tool for your law firm.
6. Can their services be scaled or changed if your needs change?
Once your relationship is established, how easily can they switch gears and roll with your firm’s changes? Are they willing to add a new line of services, change the logo, or reassess your voice if changes come? A firm that is a partner in your growth will be willing to keep your marketing strategy and message up-to-speed with your evolving corporate culture.
7. How much emphasis is placed on mobile design and responsive marketing?
According to Google, more people search for what they need on smartphones than on desktops. Often, people even search for an attorney from the site of an incident. Many law firms still rely on websites that are not designed to appear on smaller screens, wreaking havoc on appearance and functionality.
Your digital design and marketing firm should be proficient in mobile marketing aesthetics and design as traditional desktop screens.
8. How do they track results? Will your firm have access to tracking data?
Digital marketing is useless without the ability to track everything – impressions, views, engagement, and conversion. A marketing proposal should include necessary website design or redesign, updates, blog posts, SEO optimization, social media management, link-building, and outreach.
Your law firm’s success depends on the ability to accurately track how all these different parts of the machine are performing.
Your digital marketing agency should share performance data at scheduled intervals to keep you abreast of how well your strategy is working and make any necessary changes. Any marketing agency trying to tell you that their methods are “above your head” or some sort of special magic that the average person cannot understand is likely trying to hide their failure.
Ask Us Anything
The more you understand your digital marketing company’s process, the more confidence you can feel in hiring them and staying educated about your progress.
At Aginto, we strive not only to execute effective, innovative, and comprehensive marketing strategies for our clients but also to work closely with you to ensure your success and growth – every step of the way.
When you hear of law firm marketing, do you think of cheesy commercials during daytime television shows? While that type of marketing became a kind of parody for the industry, the fact is that marketing is an absolute necessity for attorneys. Law firms need marketing to grow their client base and keep an active pipeline to prepare themselves against client loss, recession, or increased competition.
But – as often evidenced by those commercials – attorneys are not marketing professionals and may need some help creating a strategic and dynamic marketing plan. But how can an attorney identify the best marketing agency for their needs?
The marketing company you choose is your firm’s voice and must clearly articulate your message to your target demographic. Here are some essential issues to explore when deciding on the best agency to hire or when evaluating the effectiveness of your current company’s performance:
1. What is their experience level with your specific practice area?
One of the first things a prospective client will ask you is about your relevant experience. You should confidently ask the same question of any potential marketing agency. There are two nuances to this question – how much experience the agency has in digital and online marketing in general; and how much experience with law firms in particular. In 2022, online marketing is the basis of all practical and meaningful marketing efforts.
An agency must be up to date on the evolving changes in technology, algorithms, and consumer expectation. But within the legal industry, the target demographic differs from discipline to discipline – that is, a personal injury attorney and a criminal defense attorney seek different clients.
2. Do they have relationships with other law firms in your coverage area?
Online marketing is hyper-localized, and your digital agency will be working to drive your listing to the top of the algorithms and the search engine results in your service areas. After all, someone needing a car accident attorney in Tampa represents little opportunity for a Seattle lawyer.
Working with two competing law firms in the same geographic area typically means a conflict of interest. While you want your agency to have experience in your type of legal practice, be sure they don’t have a competitor as a client.
3. What is their communication style when handling marketing for a local law firm?
Communication styles vary widely, and while one person is comfortable with daily emails, another simply asks for monthly updates.
How frequently does the agency check in with you to communicate metrics and results?
Do you have the ability to ask questions in between these meetings?
How much input do they expect from you – or how much cooperation do you expect from them?
Establish these parameters upfront to avoid miscommunication. Marketing strategies are typically cumulative and build from metric to metric, month to month. Therefore, most agencies will provide feedback on progress once a month but remain open to your calls or emails at any time.
4. Who is on the marketing team? Who will be doing the work?
Some marketing agencies handle all the activities in-house, while others outsource the work to services. All of them will be accountable for the work of each of their employees or subs, but it is helpful to understand the relationships they have with the actual producers and content creators.
Even if an agency utilizes contractors and freelancers, they should have long-term relationships with these people and be confident in their work product. As a client, you should also have access to everyone from the writers to the photographers, if need be.
5. What is their success rate with traffic and conversions?
Marketing is n longer simply about catchy jingles and eye-catching ads. While those components help, a digital marketing agency should be an expert at search engine optimization, keyword ranking, building traffic, establishing a reputation, and working towards conversion rates that drive you to your sales and revenue goals.
A professional marketing company will be able to articulate how it will attract visitors and influence them to click, engage or call. Building a website that inspires conversion is not as easy as you might think – a professional firm brings together analytics, creativity, and design to build a powerful tool for your law firm.
6. Can their services be scaled or changed if your needs change?
Once your relationship is established, how easily can they switch gears and roll with your firm’s changes? Are they willing to add a new line of services, change the logo, or reassess your voice if changes come? A firm that is a partner in your growth will be willing to keep your marketing strategy and message up-to-speed with your evolving corporate culture.
7. How much emphasis is placed on mobile design and responsive marketing?
According to Google, more people search for what they need on smartphones than on desktops. Often, people even search for an attorney from the site of an incident. Many law firms still rely on websites that are not designed to appear on smaller screens, wreaking havoc on appearance and functionality.
Your digital design and marketing firm should be proficient in mobile marketing aesthetics and design as traditional desktop screens.
8. How do they track results? Will your firm have access to tracking data?
Digital marketing is useless without the ability to track everything – impressions, views, engagement, and conversion. A marketing proposal should include necessary website design or redesign, updates, blog posts, SEO optimization, social media management, link-building, and outreach.
Your law firm’s success depends on the ability to accurately track how all these different parts of the machine are performing.
Your digital marketing agency should share performance data at scheduled intervals to keep you abreast of how well your strategy is working and make any necessary changes. Any marketing agency trying to tell you that their methods are “above your head” or some sort of special magic that the average person cannot understand is likely trying to hide their failure.
Ask Us Anything
The more you understand your digital marketing company’s process, the more confidence you can feel in hiring them and staying educated about your progress.
At Aginto, we strive not only to execute effective, innovative, and comprehensive marketing strategies for our clients but also to work closely with you to ensure your success and growth – every step of the way.
Published on July 5, 2022
About the Author: Chris Williams
