Legal Marketing in 2018:
Everything Old is New Again

There was a time, not so long ago, when being “innovative” and on the “cutting edge” simply meant having a web site. Really! Then, if you were an early adopter (of which few law firms are), it meant dipping your toe into social media and later, implementing a full throttled social media initiative on Linkedin and Facebook and Twitter.

All of these platforms were (and still are) quite amazing as they level the playing field in terms of allowing even the smallest of organizations to get the word out and tout their wares. Moreover, unlike the print and broadcast media where one competed in a world of advertising “clutter” at what was often enormous expense, the new media was relatively “cheap” and gave marketers an opportunity to “reach out” to prospects versus waiting for prospects to go searching for them.

Flash forward to today and my, how things are changing. Today, law firms worry that their site is not on the first page of Google, that their click-through rate is dropping, that they are not getting enough “likes” on Facebook or connections on LinkedIn. Readership of their blog is down and the competition to get noticed online is getting more intense.

What’s a well-meaning, sharp, objective-driven law practice to do?

Well, the answer may lie in turning to old friends for help. With newspaper and magazine readership and hence, advertising down, the opportunity to stand out in a crowd is greater than ever. The existence of so many highly targeted cable networks means the ability to attract new business can be had more cost efficiently. Publishers, eager for advertising are more willing to “throw in” article opportunities – especially as their own staffs shrink.

Yes, one can run a webinar rather easily and cost effectively, but you still have to cut through competitive messages online, and seminars are still the best means for getting prospective clients to meet you face to face. News… real news, is still of interest to the media, making the old reliable press release still a viable means for getting information out there. And for generating awareness and goodwill, what beats becoming involved in a meaningful cause and/or sponsoring a worthwhile event?

So, in planning how your practice is going to attract new business this year, by all means, update your web site, post on your blog and social media, improve your click-through rate, etc. But, if you are looking to truly innovate, consider being a “new” kind of early adopter – one that re-examines past alternatives in light of the present.

 

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