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How to Develop a Scalable, Sustainable Digital Marketing Plan for Your Law Firm

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LaFleur Legal Marketing
LaFleur Legal Marketing

This document provides guidance on developing an effective digital marketing plan for law firms. It emphasizes that marketing is about communication and planning, not just advertising. The document recommends law firms identify their goals, target audience, key differentiators, and choose appropriate digital marketing channels. It stresses the importance of having a concrete, scalable marketing plan to guide campaign execution and achieve desired results.

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ebook / whitepaper A LaFleur Legal Marketing Guide How to Develop a Scalable, Sustainable Digital Marketing Plan for Your Law Firm
NO STREAM RISES HIGHER THAN ITS SOURCE. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Marketing,especiallydigitalmarketing,isapracticethatis,at best,under-appreciatedand,atworst,disregardedentirely.Unlike advertising,wherethegoalistotapintoourcollectivepreferences anddesiresinordertoenticeconsumers,thegoalofmarketing istopromoteawarenessofagivenbrandandprovideagreater understandingoftheproductsorservicesthatthebrandiscapable ofdelivering.It’sakeystoneofcommerce,butinordertobeeffective, itmustseemtobeintrinsicallyanonymousandalsoremain outwardlyhonest.Maintainingtheillusionofanonymityisakindof practicalmagic,andlikeallmagictricks,oncethedevicebehinditis revealed,itisnolongermagical,butmechanical. Thisconceptofanonymityoftenleadslawfirmstounderestimate thepowerofmarketing,whichcanbedevastating—especially inourmodernerawhereinformationandcommunicationare thecatalystsforgeneratingattractiveleads,achievingdesired results,andretainingclients.Withoutaconcreteunderstanding ofthefundamentalsofdigitalmarketing,constructingascalable, sustainablemarketingplanisimpossible.Andexecutinga marketingcampaignwithoutaplanislikebuildingaskyscraper withoutablueprint:adiscombobulatedmessonthebrinkof inevitablecollapse. Underestimatingthepowerofmarketing canbedevastating. STRUCTURE & STYLE
A NOTE ON ARCHITECTURE Mostpeoplethinkofarchitectsasthegeniusesbehindthe granddesignsofourcountry’sgreatbuildings.Andwhilethat interpretationaccuratelyreflectsasegmentoftheprofession, architectureisn’tjustlimitedtodesigningaestheticallystunningand pragmaticstructureslikeelaboratehomesandmajesticbuildings. Atitscore,architectureisaboutplanning;it’saboutstrategy. Inourpersonallives,wearethearchitectsofourrelationships, ourperspectives,ourideologies.Professionally,weworktodesign thetrajectoryofourcareers,whetherwebecivilengineersorcivil servants.Onamoregranularlevel,marketingisjustanotherform ofarchitecture.Althoughachievingtangibleresultsistheprimary functionofmarketing,theessentialformofmarketingisplanning. Thus,inmarketing,wearepresentedwithaninstanceofform overfunction,forresultswillnevermaterializewithoutmeticulous attentionpaidtoplanning. Despiteoverwhelmingevidencetothecontrary,manyfirms continuetooperateundertheassumptionthatmarketingisoptional –thatitisaconvenience,aluxury.Theheadsofthesefirmsinsist thatdeliveringaqualitycustomerexperienceisenough.Whileit’s truethatmanyfirmsareabletoretainclientsthroughexcellent wordofmouth,theindustryhasbecomefartoocompetitivetorely onthestatusquo.Instead,successfulfirmsmustadoptaproactive approach,providingpotentialclientswithpertinentinformationand theopportunitytoenlisttheirlegalservicesoncetheseprospective clientshaveconductedthoroughresearch—researchthatcanbe brandedandmadeeasilyaccessiblethroughsuccessfulmarketing campaigns. Simplyput,firmsthatemphasizeefficient,holisticmarketing practicesareabletogenerateidealleadsandexceedanticipated caseloadsearlyintheirannualbusinesscycle,andtheyareableto dosoyearafteryear.Conversely,firmsthatfailtobuildtheirbrand througheffectivemarketingreceiveonlyafractionoftheclients thattheywouldbecapableofretainingiftheyinstitutedstrategic marketinginitiatives. The purpose of this whitepaper is to help you think more intuitively about the opportunities that well-considered, well- placed marketing can bring to your law firm and to help you focus on meticulously creating a blueprint: your marketing plan. Before diving in, however, it’s imperative that you weigh your options and choose the marketing medium that will most benefit your firm.
With increasing regulations in the public and private sector, the demand for lawyers with a high degree of business acumen has increased dramatically. Althoughlawyersareoftenpractitionersofbusinessin additiontoexecutingthelaw,theyusuallylearnverylittle aboutmarketingbestpracticeswhileinlawschool.In manycases,thelonebusiness-relatedcoursealawstudent takeswillbeonecenteredonbookkeeping.However, withincreasing(andincreasinglycomplex)regulations inthepublicandprivatesector,thedemandforlawyers withahighdegreeofbusinessacumenhasincreased dramatically. HarvardLawSchoolisoneofthefirsttohave acknowledgedtheneedformoreenterprisinglawyers. SaysDeanMarthaMinow,“Toassistclientsorevento launchentrepreneurialventuresoftheirown,lawyers needtounderstandandusethetoolsandskillsinvolved ingrowingandrunningabusiness.”Ofcourse,before beingabletoimplementthoseskillsandtoolstoeffectively marketalawfirmanditsservices,lawyersneedtodefine whatmarketingactuallyis. AccordingtotheAmericanMarketingAssociation, marketingis,“Theactivity,setofinstitutions,andprocesses forcreating,communicating,delivering,andexchanging offeringsthathavevalueforcustomers,clients,partners, andsocietyatlarge.”Ifthatsoundslikeanamorphous collectionofintentionallyvaguekeyterms,that’sbecauseit is.Tosimplify,theessenceofmarketingiscommunication. It’saconversationmeanttoinformpotentialclientsofa firm’sexcellencewhilesimultaneouslyestablishingand increasingbrandawareness,allwhiletrackingpertinent datatocontinuallysharpentheprovider-consumer dialogueandexpanduponnewlinesofdiscussion.Of course,anydefinitionofthethingitselfisuselesswithout structure,hence,theneedforamarketingplan. CONTINUING EDUCATION
OF POTENTIAL CLIENTS USE ONLINE SEARCH TO GATHER LEGAL ADVICE. Mostmarketshaveahandfulof“TVlawyers,”several“radio lawyers,”andpossiblyevenafew“newspaperlawyers,”althoughwe areseeinglessandlessoftheseasprintmediacontinuestodecline. Thesefirmschooseamediumandspendexorbitantamountsto cornerthemarketinthatspecificarea.However,thisoutbound strategycanbecomeextremelyexpensiveandwillultimatelybe dominatedbythelargestfirmswiththewillingnesstospend.It’snot astrategyforeveryfirmbyanymeans,buteachmarketcansupport ahandfuloffirmstakingthisapproach. Digitalmarketing,ontheotherhand,providesfirmsofallsizeswith theappropriatetoolstocontrolwhoisreceivinginformation,how theyareaccessingthatinformation,andhowtheyareinteracting withit.(Infact,96%ofpotentialclientsuseonlinesearchtogather legaladvice.)Thisallowsforamoretargetedapproachbasedon clearlydefinedmarketsegmentsandtacticsthatconnectrelevant messagingwiththeproperaudience.Onceyouunderstandthe demographicmakeupofyourprimaryaudience,youcanbegin workingtowarddevelopingaholisticstrategy. Additionally,digitalmarketingprovidesmoreterritoriestotarget andpowerful,effectivetoolstotest,track,analyze,andreviseyour efforts.Notonlyisdigitalmarketingmoreefficient,interactive,and scalablethanoutboundmarketing,butinmostinstances,itisfar morecost-effective,asitallowsyoutoalteryourbudgetinrealtime accordingtoconstantlyupdatedinformation. Beforeyoucanbegintotrackyourmarketingcampaigns,however, youwillfirstneedtoimplementthem.Andbeforeyoucando that,youwillneedtocreateapractical,relatable,andreviewable marketingplanthattakesintoaccountyourfirm’smission statement,availablebudget,anddesiredobjectives.Youwillneedto setyoursightsonestablishingattainable,scalablegoalsforyourfirm. CHOOSING YOUR MEDIUM 96%
Oneofthekeystodevelopinganeffective,achievable marketingplanistofirstestablishatargetandworktoset yoursightswithindefinedparameters.Mostattorneyshave avisionofwhattheywanttheirfirmtobeknownforand howtoachievethatreputation,evenifthatvisionissolelyin theabstract. Usingthesimplestterms,thoseabstractideasneedtobeput onpaperinabrainstormingsession.Don’tworryaboutthe wording;justfocusondocumentingthekeyconcepts.Once thoseabstractideashavebeentransferredintothetangible, youcanbegintodefinecertaingoalsthatyouwouldlike yourfirmtoachieve. Asyouidentifyandtargetyourgoals,keepinmindthat yourmarketingeffortswillimpactnearlyeveryservice thatyourfirmiscapableofdeliveringandwilllikewise impactanypotentialclients.Itmightsoundsilly,butyou willneedtodeterminewhattodointheeventthatyour marketingeffortsarehighlysuccessful.It’spossiblethat yourcampaignswillgeneratemorequalityleadsthanyour firmisabletohandleeffectively.Youshouldconsiderwhat youwilldoifasubstantialincreaseinclientbasecreatesan immediateneedtoexpandyourinfrastructure. Forthesereasons,it’simportantthatyouestablishscalable, realisticgoalsthatcanbeadaptedandaugmentedatany timeinamarketingcampaign.Generatingqualityleadsin largenumberswillactuallyhurtyourfirmifyouareunable toserviceyourclientseffectively,whichwillalsodamage yourreputation. Onceyouhaveclearlydefinedandrecordedyourvisionfor thefirmandthegoalsyouhopetoachievethroughyour marketingefforts,youcanbegintodocumenttheareas inwhichyouexcel,whythoseareasareimportanttoyour targetaudience,andhowtheywillhelpyoureachyourgoals. TARGET PRACTICE EFFECTIVE MARKETING, USING THE SIMPLEST TERMS, IDENTIFIES AND TARGETS GOALS TO GENERATE QUALITY LEADS IN THE AREAS IN WHICH YOU EXCEL.
Executing a ma campaign witho like building a s without a bluep
arketing out a plan is skyscraper print: adiscombobulatedmess onthebrinkofinevitablecollapse.
IDENTIFYING YOUR PRIMARY DIFFERENTIATORS Yourpotentialclientslikelydonotknowwhatcharacteristicsthey shouldbelookingforinchoosinganappropriateattorney;this createsagreatopportunitytohelpeducateyourclientbasewhilealso tellingyourstoryandemphasizingyourfirm’spositiveattributes. Indoingso,youneedtoilluminatetopotentialclientswhatitis aboutyourfirmthatdifferentiatesitfrom(andplacesitabove) yourpeers.Thisshouldbeexpressedasiftheclientweresitting directlyacrossfromyou.Thatis,youshouldhighlighttheattributes, successes,andcapabilitiesofyourfirminaconcise,conversational tone;thisappliestowebsitecontent,blogarticles,emailcampaigns, PPCcampaigns,andbasicallyeveryelementofyouroverall marketingstrategy. Thesedifferentiatorsshouldbedeliberatelyfilteredintoyour messaging,especiallythroughoutyourblogcontent(whichisa greatplacetoseparateyourselffromyourcompetitors,asonlyabout 25%offirmsmaintainaprofessionalblogontheirwebsite).Even ifbarrulesrestrictyoufromreferringtoyourselfas“thebest,”you cansteerpotentialclientstowardreachingthatconclusionthrough comparativediscourse.Forinstance,youcantellthestoryofacase inwhichyourattentiontodetailmadethedifferencebetweena mediocreresultandanoutstandingone.Also,reviewingthesecases willhelpyouunderstandyourstrongsuitsasafirmandmoveyouin thedirectionofyouridealclient—youridealpersona. Highlight the attributes, successes, and capabilities of your firm in a concise, conversational tone.
Inadditiontooutlininggoalsandestablishingdifferentiators,your teammustalsocreateidealclientprofiles,alsoknownas“personas.” It’sprettyhardtomarkettoyouraudiencewithoutfirsttaking thetimetogettoknowwhotheyare,wheretheylive,andhow theyaccesstheInternet.Inordertocreateaccurateandeffective clientpersonas,yourfirmmustfirstunderstandyouridealclients’ circumstances,needs,anddemographicsaswellastheopportunities yourlocalregionpresents.Thisrequiresagreatdealofresearchand athoroughunderstandingofwhatthatresearchreveals. Fundamentally,creatingclientpersonasisathoughtexercise.Ithelps youandyourteamfactoroutassumptions,bias,andpreconceived notionstomakeinformeddecisionsbasedonactualdata.Creating personasinvolvesexaminingdifferentvariables,aswellasan analysisofhowthosevariablesoverlapandrelatetooneanother. Certainagegroups,ethnicities,genders,etc.,aregoingtointeract withyourmarketingmaterialsindifferentways.Forinstance,nearly 70%ofthoseseekinglegaladviceusebothasmartdeviceandaPC. Understandingyourpotentialclients’usagepatternswillhelpyouto customizeandoptimizeyourefforts,resultinginmoretrafficand betterleads. Forinstance,ifyoupracticepersonalinjurylawandyourfirmis situatedinanareawherethereisagreatdealofcommercialtrucking traffic,you’lllikelywanttoaggressivelypursueclientswhohave beeninvolvedinmotorvehicleaccidentsinvolvingcommercial truckingnegligence.Alternately,ifyouspecializeincraftingwills andmanagingestatesandliveinaregionthatisalsooccupiedbya largenumberofseniorcitizens,you’llwanttoadjustyourmarketing effortstocatertothisparticularagegroup(ortheircaretakers, dependingonthecircumstances). Whatfollowsarethreeexamplesofclientpersonasbasedontheir demographicsandtheircorrespondingneedforlegalspecialization. Thesesamplepersonasshouldprovideagreatdealofinsightinto theneedsofeachclient,whichcanhelpyoudevelopyourownclient personasandpursuehigherqualityleads. DEVELOPING PERSONAS Understanding your potential clients will help you to customize and optimize your efforts.
ShellyisaretiredteacherlivinginSpringfield,Massachusetts.She is58yearsold.Shetriestoremainactiveandoftentakeswalkswith herchocolatelab,Buddy.Duringoneoftheirmorningstrolls,they encounteredanimposingGermanshepherdwithoutaleashor ownerinsight.TheanimalbecameterritorialandattackedBuddy. Inherattempttoseparatethetwodogs,Shellywasbittenbythe Germanshepherd.Immediatelyafter,acoupledroveup,gotoutof theircar,andpulledtheGermanshepherdaway. Unfortunately,thedamagehadalreadybeendone.Shellysuffered threepuncturewoundsandalargetearinherhand.Thecouple quicklyapologized,grabbedtheirdog,andleftthescenewithout sharinganyoftheirpersonalinformation.Shellysnappedaphoto oftheirlicenseplateonhersmartphoneasthecoupledroveoff.She thencalledherhusbandtolethimknowwhathadjusthappened andpromptlywenttothehospitaltoreceivetreatmentforher injuries. SHELLY NEED: retired,age58 Anattorneythatpractices personalinjurylaw PERSONA TheinformationfromGoogleAdWordsabovetellsusthatthemostcommonindividuals searchingfor“DogBiteLawyer”inandaroundSpringfield,Massachusettsareofnoclearly definedageorgender.However,thesignificantmajorityofthesepeopleareconductingtheir searchontheirsmartphonesormobiledevices,whichhelpsustailoroursocialmediaand pay-per-clickcampaignstocapturethelargestandmosttargetedaudience. Springfield,MA DogBiteLawyer searcharea: searchterm: 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Unknown Male Desktop Mobile Tablet Female Unknown 22% Gender Device 18% 18% 15% 12% 9% 5% 43% 27% 44% 57% 13% 16%
Billisa31-year-oldentrepreneur–atrueblue-collarworker.Heis marriedandhastwochildren,buthefeelslikeworkpreventshim fromspendingenoughtimewithhisfamily.Hisprimaryoccupation isasacorrectionsofficer,butduringmuchofhisfreetime,hebuilds customfurniturethathesellsthroughhisownwebsitethathebuilt himself.Hisdreamistodesignandbuildfurnitureashissolesource ofincome.Alaypersonuninitiatedinthelaw,Billisunawareof thestepsheshouldtaketoregisterhisbusinessorthelegalpitfalls thatcouldbelyingahead.Heiswillingandabletopayforlegal assistance,buthefeelsconfidentthathecouldhandlemostofthe workonhisown.Heissearchingforresourcesthatwillhelphim getstarted,butheisopentothepossibilityofhiringtherightlawyer withwhomhecanbuildalong-termrelationship.Heisseekinga business-savvyattorneythatcansteerhimintherightdirection fromalegalperspectiveandalsodirecthimtowardotherserviceshe mayneedinthefuture. WILLIAM NEED: entrepreneur,age31 Anattorneythat practicesbusinesslaw PERSONA InthestateofColorado,thetargetaudienceforthesearchterm“BusinessLawyer”iswell- representedbymenaged18-44whoareusingmobiledevicestoconducttheirqueries.Those firmswhofailtodevelopaccuratepersonasmightfalselyassumethatmostentrepreneurs areindividualsovertheageof40whomostcommonlyusetheircomputerstoconducttheir search,whichwouldleavethemwithveryfewleadsandadecliningreturnoninvestment. Colorado BusinessLawyer searcharea: searchterm: 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Unknown Male Desktop Mobile Tablet Female Unknown 22% Gender Device 15% 20% 17% 12% 10% 5% 47% 24% 63% 15% 12% 38%
RebeccalivesinRaleigh,NorthCarolinaandhasbeenthestay-at- homemotherofthreechildrenforthelast14years.Afteryearsof “tryingtomakeitwork,”herhusbandRoberthasmovedoutofthe houseandisseekingseparationanddivorce.ThoughRebeccahas knownthatthiswasinevitable,shealwaysheldouthopethatthey wouldbeabletoworkthingsout.Rebeccahasbeenoutofwork eversincegivingbirthtoherfirstchild,andshehasveryfewjob prospects.Robertispushingforaformalizedagreementinvolving theseparationofassetsanddebts.Rebeccahasnoideaifwhat Robertisaskingforisfair.Shehasmetwithalawyer,butshewas notimpressedafterhemadeseveraloff-handcommentsaboutthe situation.Sheisnowsearchingforalawyerthatwilladvocatefor herwithunderstandingandcompassion.Thisisnotaneasytime forher,andthelastthingshewantstofeelishelplessandmore uncomfortablethanshealreadyis. REBECCA NEED: stay-at-homemom, age34 Anattorneywhoworks withfamilylawanddivorce PERSONA Whiletheredoesn’tappeartobeanydiscerniblepatternbetweenagegroupsandgender whenitcomestodivorceinRaleigh,NorthCarolina,thepreferredresearchdevicestatistics areoverwhelming.Ifyourfirmisn’toptimizedformobile(which33%oflegalsitesarenot), yourGoogleresultsaregoingtosufferduetoyournegligence,whichwillcauseyoutomiss outonapotentiallylucrativeclientbase. Raleigh,NC Divorce searcharea: searchterm: 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Unknown Male Desktop Mobile Tablet Female Unknown 18% Gender Device 15% 21% 19% 14% 9% 4% 47% 12% 43% 80% 10% 8%
THE BLUE- PRINT Onceyouhavetakenstepstoestablishyourgoals,identifyprimedifferentiators, andconstructaccuratepersonas,it’stimetobegindraftingyourmarketingplan.A marketingplanisawrittenstrategythatoutlinesacourseofactiontoachievecertain goalsindistinctareasandthroughdistinctchannels.Itspurposeistocommunicate thesegoalsandthesubsequentplanofactionthatwillfacilitatethosegoals.Whileeach individualmarketingplanwillcontainitsownuniquesetoftacticsandobjectives,they shouldalladheretothefollowingthreecharacteristics: PRACTICAL RELATABLE REVIEWABLE
PRACTICAL THE BLUEPRINT: Yourmarketingplanismorethanthe hastilyscribblednotesfromamandatory meetingorthefeedbackcompiledfrom aninnocuousemployeequestionnaire. Yourmarketingplanshouldbeacarefully constructedplanofactiondetailinga carefullyconsideredstrategyonseveral frontswithcontingencyplansinplacein caseyouhavetodeviatealongtheway.It’s notconceptual;it’spractical. Constructaplanofaction. Countoncontingencies. Ifyouareplanningonbuildinganewwebsite,thereshouldbeanoverallcontent strategyconsistingofrelevanttabsandpagesthatarerepresentedbywireframes(arough designtemplatethatprovidesavisualrepresentationoftheplacementandspacingofall forthcomingcontent).Thesewireframesshouldconveyanoutlineofyourintentionsand objectives.Only53%oflawsiteshave“organizedcontent,”whichleadstoanegativeuser experience,lowtimespentonpage,andahighbouncerate. Ifyouwillbecreatingandmaintainingapay-per-clickcampaign(PPC),you’llneedto researchyourcompetitors’adcopy,keyterms,andlandingpagesinordertoestablisha footholdfromtheoutsetoflaunchingyourcampaign.You’llalsoneedtosetaflexiblebudget thatwillallowyoutoaggressivelybidforcovetedsearchtermsandplacedisplayadsonhigh- trafficcontentsites.Keytermplacementinthelegalindustryisespeciallyexpensive,andif youaren’twillingtospendaccordingly,you’lllikelyfindyourselfspinningyourwheels. Ifyouwouldliketoengagepotentialcustomersthroughsocialmedia,youwillneedto researchwhichplatformsgarnerthemostusersforyourspecificlegalspecialty.LinkedIn isthemostcommonlyusedplatform,byfar,withabout95%ofalllawyersmaintaininga profile.Giventhismedium’sfocusonprofessionalaptitude,itisanidealresearchportalfor potentialclients. Instagramisanimmenselypopularsocialapplication,butbeingavisualmediumstructured aroundimages(ratherthandiscussions,educationalmaterials,etc.),itisfarlessusefulfor legalteamsthanFacebookorTwitter,whichcanreachlargeswathsofpotentialcustomers andeducatethemregardingtheirparticularlegalneeds.
Keepthingssimple. Keepthingscoherent. RELATABLE THE BLUEPRINT: Amarketingplanisaboutestablishingclear objectives,notmuddyingthewaterswith indecipherablejargon.Keepthingssimple. Keepthingscoherent.Toensurecohesion amongallelementsoftheteam,keep marketingelementsseparate,leteveryone knowtheirrole,andavoiddrowning thecontentinambiguous,complicated language. Theplanshouldbesegmentedintodistinctsectionsfocusedoneachuniqueaspectofthe overallstrategy.Asuccessfulplanwillensurethatalloftheseaspectsworkintandem,but forthesakeofclarityandunderstanding,theyshouldeachcomprisetheirownsection.For instance,youremailandblogdirectivesshouldremainseparate,eventhoughtheybothexist inthecontentcreationrealm.Theyaresuretooverlapatsomepoint,buttheyservedifferent objectivesandwilllikelybetailoredtodifferentaudiences. Eachmemberoftheteamshouldhaveadistinctrole.Copywriterswritethecontent, designersdesigndigitalelementstoengagetheaudienceandoptimizetheirexperience, coderscodetheinformationsothatitiseasilyscalableandprovidesinteractivefunctionality, andinformationanalyzersanalyzetherelevantdatatohelprevisetheplaninrealtime. Theworkofalltheseteammemberswillhaveagreatdealofinfluenceononeanother,and theyshouldattempttoengageinproductivedialogueconcerningthebestcourseofaction dependingontheobjective. Amarketingplanisn’tatermpaper.Thewordcountandmanhoursittakestocreate theplanareirrelevant,orrather,theymatteronlyinproportiontotheactionabilityand understandabilityoftheoverallstrategy.Thelengthwillvarydependingonthescope,andin manycaseswillcollapseunderitsownweightifitistoocomplexortooambitious. Rememberthat,aboveall,themarketingplanismeanttoincitedefinitiveaction.Confusing theissuebyturningthedocumentintoaRussiannovelthatismoreconceptualthan actionablewilldefeatthepurpose.Tohelpavoidthis,makesurethatyourfirmhasanexplicit missionstatementandthatallteammembersarefamiliarwiththisphilosophy.Ifeveryoneis onthesamepage,youwillbeabletotransformideologyintopractice,makingthemarketing planlessofanabstractconceptandmoreofaguidetosuccess.
REVIEWABLE THE BLUEPRINT: Themarketingplanisaliving,breathing documentthatwillexistinaconstantstate ofrevision.Assuch,itshouldbesubject toregularreviewinordertodetermine whichgoalshavebeenmet,whichones havenot,andtheimpactofthosesuccesses andfailures.Perhapsyou’remeetingyour goals,butitturnsoutthatthosegoalswere irrelevant.Perhapsyouaren’tmeetingyour goals,butthatisbecauseofexternalfactors notaccountedforintheoriginaldraftof theplan.Beopentothepossibilitythatyou haveoverorunderestimatedthesegoalsin theinitialdraftandthattheylikelyneedto beupdated. Amarketingplancannotbereviewedandrevisedproperlyifthegoalsandobjectivesofthe campaignarenotestablishedearlyonintheplan’screation.Defineattainablegoalsanda clearcourseofactiontoachievethemalongacarefullyconsideredtimeframe. Eachsubsectionoftheplanshouldconsistofitsownmicroobjectivesthatwillcombineto influencethemacrogoalsoftheoverallplan.Oncetheallottedtimeframeexpires,datamust beaccuratelyassessedinordertoreevaluatethemarketingplan. Peoplearepronetobasingtheirmarketingeffortsonpreconceivedassumptions,andthey oftenfailtousethedataattheirdisposal—theinfallibleinformationthatwilldirectthem towardinevitablesuccess.Theremustbesomeoneontheteamthatrecognizesthebenefitsof A/Btesting(testingatleasttwovariableswithinasinglecampaigntodetermineefficacy)and whoisadeptatdecipheringanalyticstoprovideappropriatefeedback.Listentothisperson; theyrelyonthenumbers,andthenumbersrarelylie. Defineattainablegoalsand aclearcourseofaction.
Inall,developingyourdigitalmarketingplanshouldconsistof afive-prongedapproach.First,youneedtodecidethatdigital marketingisindeedthebestrouteforyourfirm(ratherthan attemptingtooutbidthecompetitionfortelevision,radio,orprint spots).Onceyou’vemadethatdecision,it’stimetositdownwiththe properstakeholderstoestablishattainableandscalablegoalsand objectives.Withthosegoalsandobjectivesinmind,you’llneedto determineyourprimedifferentiators—whatcanyourfirmoffer potentialclientsthatmostotherfirmscannot?Next,you’llhaveto conductagreatdealofresearchtodeterminetheperfectpersona(s) foryourfirm’scapacityandareaofspecialization,includingthe demographicsandpreferreddevicesandbrowsersinyourservice region.Andfinally,whenconstructingthedigitalmarketingplan itself,bearinmindthatthedocumentshouldbepractical,relatable, andreviewable. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Onceyou’vecompletedyourmarketingplan,it’stimetomoveonto execution.Adheretotheguidelinesandobjectivesyouestablished earlyonintheprocess,butdon’tjustsitbackandenjoytheview– youhavetocontinuetorefinetheplanbasedonthedata.Thismeans thatyouwillhavetodeviatefromtacticsthatareunder-performing oremphasizecertainstrategiesthatareperformingespeciallywell. Byconsistentlyandaccuratelyanalyzingthedataatyourdisposal, youcancontinuetooptimizeeveryelementofyourcampaign. Wesaidearlierthatdevelopingyourmarketingplanisalotlike developingablueprint.However,weshouldamendthatstatement andinsteadlikenyourmarketingeffortstothatofacityplanner. Therearemyriadelementsatplayinthisprocess,andeachonewill affecttheothers;however,theyshouldoverlapinseamlessfluidity. Bytakingcomprehensivemeasurestoconstructasolidfoundation, youcancontinuetoupdateandaugmentyourmarketingefforts, resultinginreal-timeadjustments,optimalleadgeneration,and satisfiedclients,whichwillultimatelyleadtoasterlingreputation, iconicbrandawareness,andincreasedcustomerretention. Adheretothe guidelinesand objectivesyou established,but don’tjustsitback andenjoytheview —refinetheplan basedonthedata.
ABOUT LAFLEUR LEGAL MARKETING Ifyourfirmislookingfortheideal marketingpartnertohelpyouconstruct, implement,andoptimizeyourmarketing plan,wewouldlovetohearfromyou.We arealegalmarketingagencydedicated toservicingourclientswithhonesty andtransparency.Wespecializein contentstrategy,cutting-edgedesign,and marketingautomation.Ifyouwouldlike todiscussyourmarketingneedsfurther, pleasecallusat(888)222-1512orvisitour websitetolearnmoreabouthowwecan helpyourfirmexpandyourclientbaseand strengthenyourbrand. AboutAMA.(2013,July).AMA.Retrievedfromhttps://www.ama.org/AboutAMA/Pages/ Definition-of-Marketing.aspx Black,N.(2015,February3).Lawyersandsocialmediain2015[infographic].mycase. Retrievedfromhttp://www.mycase.com/blog/2015/02/lawyers-social-media-2015- infographic/ Chernev,A.(2011).TheMarketingPlanHandbook.NorthwesternUniversity:Cerebellum Press. Chernev,A.(2012).StrategicMarketingManagement.NorthwesternUniversity:Cerebellum Press. Developingamarketingplan.(n.d.).SBA.Retrievedfromhttps://www.sba.gov/content/ developing-marketing-plan Fairley,S.(2015,October1).Legalmarketingstatslawyersneedtoknow.NationalLaw Review.Retrievedfromhttp://www.natlawreview.com/article/legal-marketing-stats-lawyers- need-to-know London,R.&Pearo,R.(2015,April30).IncomingHarvardLawstudentswillbeoffered HarvardBusinessSchool’sonlinecourseonbusinessfundamentals.HarvardBusiness School.Retrievedfromhttp://www.hbs.edu/news/releases/Pages/hbs-credentials-readiness- law-school.aspx Pansini,L.(2015,February26).10surprisingstatsonlawfirmwebsites[infographic].Legal Productivity.Retrievedfromhttp://www.legalproductivity.com/legal-marketing/law-firm- websites-infographic/

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