Online marketing for lawyers, specifically Adwords, be it in the shape of Google, Facebook, Linkedin, Yahoo, Bing etc impose serious risks for new players. In fact, some firms we know of have literally burnt their year’s marketing budget in just 3 months by thinking that Adwords would deliver qualified clients and lots of them. The key word here is “qualified.”
We know that all clients are not made equal. There are those that your firm likes working with for a variety of reasons and those of which your firm would prefer not to work with. The role of any smart marketing strategy is not to fill the lead generation funnel with clients your firm doesn’t want, but rather with clients it does want. Hence, why the term “qualified” is so important and sadly, at least 80% of law firms don’t get it and blow their money consistently month after month.
Invariably, it is the case that law firms suffer from 3 main sins in this regard:
1. Do not know who their “perfect” client is;
2. Adopt a “everything for someone, and something for everyone” methodology to their marketing;
3. With marketing messages, apply a one size fits all approach.
In the case of Adwords, it follows that a majority of firms instigate and manage the campaigns themselves. Because invariably they do not partner with a marketing company that specialises in law firm marketing, they do not deploy any targeted web pages that seek to engage, qualify and convert the clients that the firm wants. For example, a firm specialising in estate litigation will typically run a Adwords campaign, with the usual, “untested,” “Estate Litigation Lawyers, we have 345 years experience” with either a link to their website or a “Call Now.”
It’s a huge mistake, not to mention costly if you’re paying in the vicinity of $10 – $20 per click.
Why? Because, there is no strategy underpinning it.
This is how it should work in the case of the firm wanting qualified leads relating to Estate Litigation!
What we’re doing here is firstly, speaking to a potential client’s problem, then offering compelling reasons to go to the next step, then most importantly, taking this potential client to a landing page (not your website’s homepage) for further qualification, then conversion to the next stage of your lead acquisition funnel.
Importantly, your landing page is one dimensional and speaks to the client’s problem. In this case, we would set out the “5 Critical Things” in a sentence each (as a teaser), then in a paragraph explain why it’s important they know these things before booking an appointment. If they meet the criteria set out, then you ask them to Download your Guide, or Book a Free Consultation, or Chat Now etc.
In effect, what we have done here is flipped the funnel. Instead of running the generic, “we are great,” adwords campaign, and hoping for the best (usually inundation of tyre-kickers) you are speaking to the potential client’s problem and you are then, starting the “perfect client” qualification process, down into your lead funnel for further analysis.
