Last week’s article Marketing survey results is essential reading for any law firm that is serious about growing the size and quality of its client base.
Why? Although almost 90% of respondents say they understand the value of marketing in growing their businesses, almost a third don’t seem to do any pro-active marketing at all. And that’s a perfect opportunity for you to outplay a large chunk of your competition.
Why are these firms not giving marketing the priority it deserves? Almost 80% of them say they do plan to increase their marketing efforts within the next two years, but one wonders how many of them will actually get around to doing so.
Perhaps the key to this rather surprising lack of prioritisation lies in the answers given by non-marketing firms to Survey question 10 –
- 39% think “it’s too expensive”
- 32% “don’t have the time”
- 10% don’t believe it benefits their firms
- 1 firm thinks it’s unprofessional.
Don’t fall for any of those old myths!
Myth 1: “It’s too expensive”
No it isn’t. Effective marketing needn’t cost a fortune, and the reality is that the most expensive thing you can do is to not market your firm at all.
Luckily, most of the basics can be effectively free if you do them properly. The only thing you really need to spend a bit on is creating a quality website. It’s an absolute essential in 2018 considering that the first thing almost all potential clients will do before even contacting you is to check you out online. What does it say about you if you don’t have a web presence? Are you hiding something or have you just let the Internet Age pass you by? Don’t skimp on quality here but equally watch out for the sharks and shop around before you accept a quote (we’ve seen some horrendous over-charging!).
Have a look at our flowchart guide on how to get going quickly, easily and effectively, in our GhostMarketer series article ”Shoestring marketing”
Myth 2: “It takes a lot of time”
Not true at all; with a bit of clever planning and some outsourcing you can put the basics in place without sacrificing swathes of billable time and without burning the midnight oil. For example “”Client newsletters” shares some thoughts on using a client newsletter as a highly-effective and core marketing tool with minimal time and effort.
Myth 3: “It won’t benefit my firm”
Won’t it? Read ”Six reasons to market your firm” and bear in mind that what we said in 2015 about increasingly aggressive competition is even truer in 2018. The fact is that there’s only a limited pool of clients out there, and you give your competitors a free gift if you sit quietly in the shadows while they dredge through your fishing grounds.
Myth 4: “It’s unprofessional”
We’re really relieved to see that only one firm ticked this box! Long gone are the Dinosaur Days of lawyers and Law Societies treating “advertising” and “marketing” as swear words. In the 21st century, they are instead essential cogs in the wheel of business success, and whether or not your marketing efforts are seen as “professional” is 100% up to you. Follow Law Society rules, make sure you always give your clients and potential clients’ value and benefit in all your marketing, and only your non-marketing competitors are going to be looked at sideways.
A really surprising response: Are you using GhostMarketer yet?
A really surprising result from the survey was that fully 82% of GhostConvey clients who responded don’t use their free GhostMarketer platform, with 39% of the non-users saying they don’t know how to use GhostMarketer and a further 41% not even knowing what it is.
In a nutshell, GhostMarketer is a powerful marketing platform that comes free with your GhostConvey package. Have a look at our GhostMarketer series of articles below for more and contact us (or your GhostConvey support) for assistance in setting it up.
Articles in the GhostMarketer series by LawDotNews –
Article 1: Are you using GhostMarketer yet?
Article 2: Six reasons to market your firm
Article 3: Shoestring marketing
Article 4: Targeted Marketing: choosing tools
Article 5: GhostMarketer - Getting started
Article 6: Client newsletters
Article 7: Branding: The basics
Article 8: Marketing mistakes
Article 9: The proof of the pudding
© LawDotNews
Jack Crook, Director at DotNews, is well known to law firms as the author of LawDotNews since 2005. Jack’s legal qualifications (LLB Lond and LLB Rhod) are supplemented by many years of practical experience in law, in marketing his own firm, and in helping other small and medium sized professional firms to prosper by using simple, low-cost, effective marketing strategies.
Contact us on 086 110 5904 (or email info@dotnews.co.za) for more on the GhostMarketer platform and other LawDotNews services.
Leave a comment: