In today’s digital age, the need for law firms to understand and succeed with digital marketing is ever-growing. As more and more law firms enter the legal space, competition is becoming increasingly tough – to stand out, you need to make a noise. But there’s no use in shouting – no one likes a racket – instead, you need to differentiate your law firm using innovative marketing strategies that demand attention from your target audience. For this very reason, an increasing number of law firms are outsourcing their marketing to the people that know exactly how to deliver results every time: marketing agencies.
The benefits of working with a marketing agency for your law firm
Before we get bogged down with the specifics of choosing the right marketing agency for your law firm, let’s first define exactly why you should consider working with one. Firstly (and arguably most obviously), you have the benefit of experience. When you work with a marketing agency, you’re partnering up with a team of marketing specialists who have a broad range of skills and (more often than not) years of industry experience under their belt. They’ll be red hot on the latest trends and know all the ins and outs of running a successful campaign. Other notable benefits include:
- Offer a fresh perspective and innovative ideas
- Free up time and resources internally
- Manage and optimise your campaigns
- Save costs (from additional salaries to extra software subscriptions)
- Achieve quantifiable results
- Unlock greater scalability and flexibility
Five questions your law firm should consider before working with a marketing agency
#1 What does your marketing agency specialise in?
When choosing which marketing agency will best suit your law firm, you’ll want to consider both the industries and services they specialise in. And whilst this isn’t a must, by partnering with a marketing agency that knows the ins and outs of the legal sector, you’ll have the benefit of leveraging their industry expertise within your marketing efforts.
Equally, if you are looking for help with a specific area of your marketing, let’s say SEO (search engine optimisation), you’ll likely want to partner with an agency that specialises in this and can provide you with evidence to support their claims (aka case studies). Whilst many agencies can do everything, they can’t be the best at everything – as the old saying goes, ‘You can’t be all things to all people.’
#2 What process does your agency follow?
Before signing your law firm up to work with a marketing agency, you need to feel confident that their strategy will work for you. Understanding how they work, including typical timelines, the processes they follow and how you fit into all of this, will help to reassure you that they can stick to deadlines and will meet your needs. It will also allow you to gauge whether their working style fits with your law firm, for example, their level and method of communication throughout the project, how involved you will be in the process and more.
At this stage, it’s also an idea to ask how and who you’ll be working with on their team. Your law firm will likely be working very closely with your marketing agency, so think of it as gaining a few extra part-time colleagues – and we all know how important it is to get along with your teammates!
#3 How will your marketing agency measure success for my law firm?
If a marketing firm is forthcoming with their results and reporting process, it’s always a good sign. A great marketing agency will be able to detail how they will measure success for your law firm, linking back to your specific needs. They should be able to give a timeline, define the metrics they will use to monitor your results and talk you through their reporting process, including how and when they will update you.
At this stage, it’s important to remember that marketing can be a long road to success. However, if your goals are likely to take longer to achieve, it’s important to address how success will be measured along this journey. After all, the very best marketing strategies should be constantly reviewed and updated accordingly to produce optimal results.
#4 Do you have examples of law firms you have worked with previously?
This is a great opportunity to take a deeper look at a marketing agency’s experience handling clients within the legal sector. Not only will you get an insight into who they’ve worked with, but if a marketing agency is experienced within your sector, they should be more than willing to share detailed case studies which will evidence the projects they’ve carried out and the results they’ve delivered for law firms like yours.
But don’t be put off if they don’t have any relevant legal case studies, if they can highlight relevance from other projects, for example, clients operating within the professional services industry or a campaign they’ve worked on with similar goals to yours, take note. Industry knowledge can be gained, so it’s by no means a dealbreaker. If they have the technical expertise and marketing know-how you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to ask them how they will brush up on their understanding of the legal industry.
#5 What are your terms and policies?
As a law firm, you will understand the importance of reading the small print before signing a contract. Naturally, before you commit to working with a marketing agency, you’ll want to understand the contract options they offer and ensure their policies work for you.
Whilst you are very unlikely to see any notable results within your first couple of months (unless of course, you go down the paid advertising route), what your agency can do is set expectations. They should define the key deliverables you can expect to receive each month and when you should expect them. It’s not unreasonable to know what you’re paying for and it helps to avoid any nasty surprises or additional costs further down the road.
Ultimately, to get the most out of your partnership with a marketing agency, you need to ask yourself what you are looking to achieve and what that looks like from a strategic point of view. If you want to discuss your marketing options, get in touch to organise a free consultation and discover how Boss Digital can help your law firm succeed with digital marketing.
