Download annual marketing trends update

ANNUAL
MARKETING
TRENDS
UPDATE
MID-YEAR MARKETING TRENDS FOR
LAW FIRMS: ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
Presented By:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SEO FOR THE USER VS. THE SEARCH ENGINE
5
SEO LOCAL TIPS – HOW TO RANK FOR X IN Y
5
MEASURING AND TRACKING RESULTS
7
How Law Firm Marketing Will Be Tracked
7
Measuring Social Media Data
8
HOW LAW FIRMS CAN MEASURE THEIR
SOCIAL MEDIA RESULTS 8
LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
8
VIDEO CREATION
10
CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT LINKS
11
BEING SOCIAL
12
Keys To Social Media Success
12
Facebook Groups
13
Social Media Advertising
14
Facebook Advertising
14
MAXIMIZING ONLINE REVIEWS
Online Review Statistics To Take Note Of
15
15
LAW FIRM WEB DESIGN
16
CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
17
Email Marketing
18
SPEEDY MOBILE USERS
19
OFFERING YOUR CLIENTS WHAT THEY NEED
20
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A
t the start of each year, everyone is looking to
plan for – and incorporate – the latest marketing
trends. We help law firms who are searching for ways
to increase their ROI quickly, and stay ahead of these
trends to ensure long-term success. (Hence, our
2016 law firm trends report, ahem.)
But we are now over halfway through 2016, and things change and
evolve in the digital marketing world on pretty much a daily basis. New
technologies for website development, new algorithm updates from
Google, the emergence of new modes and methods of search, and
even user expectations.
But not all of it is actually useful and
relevant for growing your firm.
For example, a month ago, we were trying out Blab, a unique video
conferencing platform, to discuss the latest changes in SEO. We
thought that it – and tools like it – might prove useful for some of
our clients. Altogether, it was interesting and we gained some useful
insights.
But now many companies – and, more importantly, users – are
discovering Facebook Live, Periscope and Huzza, which fulfill a pretty
similar market need; and, especially in the case of Facebook Live, have
a lot more brand recognition. This very well could mean that Blab might
never be a big part of our marketing efforts.
That’s because some platforms just turn out to be fads, eventually
swallowed up (or bought) by larger businesses in the space. The same
can be said for some emerging strategies that are hot and promising
for a time or are soon replaced. (By the way, not saying Blab is a fad –
only time will tell – the point is that things are constantly changing as
new technologies emerge and the market evolves.)
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So – clearly – one big trends report a
year just won’t suffice.
Therefore, here you have it, our mid-year, updated report with the
latest trends and updates for the digital marketing space for law firms
in 2016.
Not only did we compile information from a handful of our key
strategists, but we reached out to other leaders in the digital marketing
space for their thoughts on emerging new trends for 2016 and,
naturally, 2017.
After all, why wait another 6 months when there are new and useful
things happening now that could tilt the scale in your favor?
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SEO FOR THE USER VS. THE SEARCH ENGINE
In June of this year, there was another Google ‘Panda’ update, which
always has to do with high-quality vs. low-quality algorithm changes.
The main takeaway from it was that “thin” – i.e. low word count –
content will have an even harder time ranking.
“Cornerstone” pages (think your homepage, about page, etc.) in
particular need to have at least 1,000 words of content – though 1,500+
is ideal. The same can be said when looking at your law firm’s blog. If
the website has a homepage, two main pages and a contact page, all
with 1,500+ words, that’s great. But if there are tens or even hundreds
of blog posts with less than 500 words, then the overall average
content length is diluted. On the other hand, if blogs average around
750-1,000 words you should be fine.
“We all need to rethink what SEO really is about in 2016 - and
going forward. Yes, it’s search engine optimization, but SEO
is increasingly more about the user and less about the Search
Engine. You ​need​ to have a mobile website, content that’s written
for users and not Search Engines, and content that answers
questions. Google’s algorithms are constantly being worked on,
but UX (User Experience) will always come first. Forget about
what Google wants and focus on what your user needs. Also –
Local. Local. Local.”
Jarod Spiewak, Lead SEO Strategist
SEO LOCAL TIPS – HOW TO RANK FOR X IN Y
• Onsite content (title tags, headers, etc.) need to make clear what
area you service (state, city, county, etc).
• You must use a consistent NAP (Name Address Phone). This
includes info and format. If your website says X address Suite
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#301, then so should everything else you put your address on. If
your phone number is (555) 555-5555, then that’s your number.
Not 5555555555, 555-555-5555, 555-5555555, (555)5555555,
(555)555-5555 etc. Attention to detail is vital.
• If you’re targeting multiple cities then we highly recommend
having what we call “city pages.” These city pages can also have
additional practice area pages siloed beneath them (e.g. /Dallas/
personal-injury /Houston/personal-injury), giving you a greater
chance of ranking for X area in X city, even if it isn’t where your
office is located.
• Must have a Google My Business page that is verified, accurate,
and kept up to date. Generate 5 reviews to allow users to see a
star rating. Keep generating reviews, because that’s what users
are looking for.
• Make sure all of your directories link to your website and don’t
neglect to mention the area(s) you service in the info. This
includes Avvo, Justia, and Findlaw.
• Your address on your website should have Schema so bots know
that it’s an address.
• It’s very important to verify your Yelp listing. Users who review
you on Yelp can add you if you’re not already there by your own
volition, and if a user leaves a negative review you won’t be able
to respond to that review until after you verify that you’re the
business owner. Also, voice search apps such as Siri and Cortana
favor Yelp, and try to display it as often as possible.
• Social media bio/about sections should mention the serviced
area(s).
• Local citations are an important part of ranking locally. Make sure
NAP is consistent and include serviced area(s).
• Having a backlink profile which shows geo-targeted anchor text
will also help local SEO. Just not too much (though it’s hard to
give an exact percent, since it’s based on total links).
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MEASURING AND TRACKING RESULTS
We’ve seen a plethora of law firms try different marketing and SEO
strategies without actually tracking and paying attention to what’s
working, what needs re-worked and what needs scrapped. If you’re on
this boat, 2016 is the time to jump ship.
HOW LAW FIRM MARKETING WILL BE TRACKED
Google Analytics
Using Google Analytics to track the most important aspects of a
law firm website is very useful for understanding your website’s
traffic. Key details like most visited pages, traffic sources, devices
used, demographic insights and much much more will be paid close
attention to.
Call Tracking
A software like CallRail, which tracks calls, records them, and provides
analytics, is an invaluable tool for law firms. There are also available
metrics for PPC, SEO, and offline ad campaigns, giving you greater
ability to determine the overall success of campaigns and what needs
to be tweaked.
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MEASURING SOCIAL MEDIA DATA
70% of companies are still not collecting data from social media
channels. That means that 70% of the businesses that are posting to
social media, spending time and resources, have no idea of the success
of particular campaigns or posts. What is the point of using social
media platforms if you don’t know what’s working well for you?
HOW LAW FIRMS CAN MEASURE THEIR
SOCIAL MEDIA RESULTS
Luckily, social media platforms have improved and focused a lot of
effort into creating better analytics for marketers – after all, it’s how
they make their money!
• Using Facebook Insights gives marketers important information
like demographics, when their audience is online, and what
posts have the highest engagement. Law firms can use this
information to improve marketing campaigns, engagement and
overall effectiveness of their social media use.
• Twitter also offers some key insights into your posts and
audience. You can see your top tweets, followers, monthly
impressions, and even profile visits.
LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
Live streaming has taken the world by storm. The first live streaming
platform, Meerkat, has stepped aside for other platforms, including
Periscope, Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
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Why do attorneys need to keep live streaming on their list of possible
marketing strategies? Brand awareness, connecting with potential
clients and building a community.
“Live video (a.k.a. live streaming / social video), has become
a major component of our marketing strategy, and for good
reason. In my six years with Experts.com, no other tool has
been as successful for building brand awareness and brand
affinity. It has helped us to promote our Members (expert
witnesses) and helped lawyers to discover our service. It is
a tool all law firms should consider and test. I have strongly
encouraged several attorney-friends to incorporate it in
their marketing strategy. Normally, I encourage attorneys
and experts to follow Mitch Jackson, Esq. to see how they can
use live video effectively. Other lawyers are using live video
successfully as well. Here are a few: Nicole Abboud, Esq.,
Gerry Oginski, Esq. (uses live video and recorded video), and
Tamsen Horton, Esq.”
Nick Rishwain, JD, Vice President of Client
Relations & Development
www.Experts.com
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VIDEO CREATION
Just like live video streaming has been enormously popular,
people will watch more videos in general – more than ever. Video
consumption will continue to explode this year, with Cisco predicting
that it will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic by 2017.
There is a huge opportunity for law firms to create relevant, high
quality video content and use the likes of YouTube, Facebook and
Instagram to get it out there. Not only can you use videos in social
media marketing, but also in other marketing efforts, such as email
newsletters. Videos integrated into emails can lead to a 200-300%
increase in click through rate.
Keep in mind the specific platform you are posting videos to. When
posting videos to YouTube, make sure that you’re using proper
keywords and SEO for the videos – it matters there, too.
Facebook works best when videos are uploaded natively as opposed to
posting a link and driving traffic back to YouTube.
Short, attention-grabbing videos are best suited for Instagram and
Twitter.
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Videos are no longer about creating a picture-perfect scene, but
about including valuable information that either educates and/
or entertains your audience. Using only your phone and a simple
editing program will suffice.
CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT LINKS
There are many unexperienced SEO companies who still believe that
quantity is better than quality. But buying hundred of links is useless if
they don’t have any value.
How to Create High-Quality Links for Your Law Firm:
• Offer a scholarship based on an essay contest. This is an
interesting and different way to connect with the community and
have a positive effect on a few deserving students – and pick up
some link juice, to boot! Make sure to choose a theme that fits
your firm best and then approach local colleges and universities
with a press release and with social media. These allow you to
accomplish two goals at once: to be a positive force in your local
community, and to get some valuable, authoritative links back to
your website, including news outlet links and .edu links.
• Choose a local community cause and sponsor it. Sponsoring or
running charity events allows you to connect with others, grow
your reputation and get those tough local links. Be sure to pick
a cause that is meaningful to you, and be sure to get the entire
office involved, whether you are running a 5K, throwing a benefit,
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or collecting toys for needy kids. Working with local non-profits
not only helps build and grow the community where you live, it
also helps both your online and offline marketing efforts.
BEING SOCIAL
Social media can be a little bit daunting with the multitude of options
available to your law firm. But the main platforms for attorneys
continue to be Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. What’s more important
is being consistent and providing some interest for your audience.
KEYS TO SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS
• Be consistent with your social media marketing.
• Provide value to your audience.
• Educate and/or entertain your audience with interesting posts
and videos, value-packed blog posts and behind-the-scenes
images.
“Lawyers and law firms can no longer afford to ignore or
push aside social media. As more and more clients turn to
the internet to research their next attorney and to gather
information about their particular issues, lawyers must
meet prospective clients where they are. By having a strong
presence on social media and offering value-packed posts
on a particular practice area, legal professionals can build
relationships with prospective clients and establish a
rapport before the client even picks up a phone to call for an
appointment. You can imagine how powerful a tool that is!”
Nicole Abboud, Millennial Speaker & Consultant, Attorney
www.nicoleabboud.com
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• Although Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will continue to be the
most important social media outlets for businesses, don’t be
afraid to think outside the box. For example, some have been
finding success with newer platforms like Instagram, Periscope
and even Snapchat. These sites offer different ways to market
your legal services and many of your competitors aren’t utilizing
them yet.
FACEBOOK GROUPS
One valuable resource on social media are Facebook groups. Many
business professionals have used LinkedIn groups, but Facebook
groups tend to be a bit more active.
Join a Facebook group that aligns with either your specific law firm, or
a locally based business group. This is basically an online networking
opportunity, and oftentimes, an online mastermind. Collaborate on
projects, get input or ask questions to gain valuable insights and
information.
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SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
Traditional advertising with newspaper, television and billboards
has evolved and been adapted to online advertising, including social
media ads.
Hubspot reported that companies increased their social media
marketing spend from $17.7 billion in 2014 to $23.6 billion in 2015, a
33.5% jump.
FACEBOOK ADVERTISING
Setting up ads on Facebook can have a lot of added value for your law
firm; to reach a larger audience, to make sure more of your followers
are actually viewing your posts, to target the right people to view your
law firm. Adding a Facebook Pixel to your website can start the process
for creating a custom audience to target warm leads.
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“FACEBOOK IS TAKING OVER. Seriously they are. Media, not
just social media, has undergone a drastic shift.
This year so far, Facebook ad revenue is at +63% and New York
Times ad revenue is at -12%.
Facebook ads are BOOMING, and the trend doesn’t show any
signs of stopping. With advanced targeting and a wide array
of ad options, more and more marketers and businesses are
turning to Facebook to run their ads.
Facebook has also shown itself to be a leader in the world of
live video and video content. More and more businesses are
turning to video as their main source of content. Facebook
Live has proven itself to be the easiest way for people to view
live content and cemented itself to be the number one source
of live video for businesses and consumers alike. For users who
primarily use Twitter, Periscope is the go-to for accessing (and
producing) live video. Regardless of the platform, live video is
growing and is on the fast track to becoming the number one
source of video content.”
Anthony Gaut, Social Media Manager
MAXIMIZING ONLINE REVIEWS
Collecting positive online reviews is incredibly important, since reading
reviews is one of the most popular ways that people find and evaluate
law firms. However, having a few ‘ok’ reviews is not going to cut it. You
need to have high-quality reviews, and lots of them. Ask your clients to
provide them if they are happy with your service, and also make sure
to promote the great reviews (think branded postcards, adding to your
website, sharing on social media, etc.)
ONLINE REVIEW STATISTICS TO TAKE NOTE OF:
• 40% of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three
reviews vs. 29% in 2014
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• 92% of consumers now read online reviews vs. 88% in 2014
• 43% of consumers search a business by reviews at least one
time per month vs. 38% in 2014
Online reviews are not only a way to find ideal clients, but they are also
a place where current customers might be reading up on you and your
services.
When focusing on gaining more online reviews, make sure to include
these top review sites:
• AVVO
• Google
• Facebook
• Yelp
You need to not only be aware of the quantity of the online reviews you
obtain, but the frequency and how recent the reviews are. 44% say a
review must be written within one month to be relevant.
LAW FIRM WEB DESIGN
We all know that your website is the hub of your online activity, and a
place where your clients can gain useful information about your law
firm and what sets you apart. More importantly nowadays is the ease of
use of your website.
User experience design (UXD or UED) is the process of enhancing
customer satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of
use and pleasure provided in the interaction between the customer and
the product. Basically, it’s great to have a website, but unless it is user
friendly and easy to navigate, you still have work to do.
How do you understand the usability of your website?
• Use Google Analytics to check bounce rate, mobile usage and
how long people have spent viewing specific pages.
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• Run A/B tests via a platform such as Hotjar or Adwords (the
latter requiring a PPC ad through Google).
• Get feedback from real users, especially past and current clients.
CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
It is no longer good enough to just be ‘good enough’. You need to not
only be knowledgeable but also go above and beyond to provide your
clients with an exceptional experience.
“Clients judge you on what they’re able to judge you on: how
you treat them, how you respond to them, how you run the
customer-facing parts of your office. They’re not necessarily
qualified to determine what a good outcome is in a particular
case, but they sure as heck can tell whether you treated them
like a human being whose business is valued.”
Micah Solomon, customer service consultant and author.
www.micahsolomon.com
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EMAIL MARKETING
One of the most effective ways to create and foster a strong client
relationship is through email marketing. There are a variety of different
software options to use, but regardless of the platform, this consistent
form of communication allows you to connect with clients and
potential clients and further your relationship.
“Email marketing is the most cost effective way to stay in
communication with clients and prospects to ensure that they
call you the next time a legal need arises.
If an attorney is spending any money at all on marketing and
advertising but doesn’t have a simple, systematic process for
communicating with those clients, they are certainly missing
out on revenue opportunities.”
Michael J Kowal, President, Email Simply
www.EmailSimply.com
CREATING A CLOSER COMMUNITY
WITH NEW PLATFORMS
While Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the most common social
media platforms for attorneys, we all know how quickly online
marketing changes and new digital trends emerge.
People want to work with someone who they know, like and trust.
What better way to do that than to use social media to ‘humanize’
your law firm, and allow people to get to know you? Now, this is often
done through face-to-face meetings, but with new (and not-so-new)
platforms emerging like Snapchat, Facebook Live and Periscope, this
can be achieved (or at least begun) online.
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You might be thinking ‘Why would I use Snapchat for my business’?
Snapchat predominantly attracts younger users, with the majority
of Snapchat users under 34, so it only makes sense to use if your
target audience is within this user demographic. You might also be
wondering. ‘What would I share on Snapchat’? Some examples to get
you going include quick tips, behind-the-scenes, Ask Me Anything
sessions or employee introductions.
In addition, Instagram just introduced their new Stories feature,
which has many of the same characteristics as Snapchat, but on the
Instagram platform, which means you can use your current audience
on Instagram to speak to in a more behind-the-scenes way. Many
users have noticed an increase in engagement on their regular posts,
because you can use the Stories feature to bring attention to your other
regular posts.
SPEEDY MOBILE USERS
Making sure that your website is optimised for mobile is not a new
trend, but the speed in which information needs to be available is
changing.
Over 87% of internet users now own a smartphone, and they use them
for everything. Some people are even using their phone altogether,
eschewing entirely a desktop or laptop.
Mobile users are also extremely goal-oriented and expect their
information quickly and displayed in an easy-to-navigate fashion.
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OFFERING YOUR CLIENTS WHAT THEY NEED
Once a potential client lands on your website, they are hopefully
converting – meaning they are completing a contact form or booking
a free consultation. But unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
Remarketing, which is the targeting of specific prospects across
multiple platforms, is being used more to target prospects that have
already shown an interest in your services.
With remarketing, prospects can be targeted by their email address,
phone number and mobile device IDs, and it’s being used more and
more to find potential clients and offer them other services that they
might not even know you offer.
Facebook Custom Audiences and Twitter Tailored Audiences are similar
options to remarketing. Remarketing is an efficient and cost-effective
way of keeping warm leads in your sales funnel, versus starting from
scratch with new, cold leads each time you market.
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GET IN TOUCH WITH BLACK FIN
If you have a question, if you want to learn more about one of the
above trends, or if you need help with your attorney marketing plan,
we are here to help. Reach out to our team today to find out about the
immediate steps that you can take today to boost your website traffic,
improve your SEO, rev up your offline marketing, and ultimately grow
your law firm.
What are your thoughts? What trends do you see
currently? Anything working especially well for you? We
would love to hear from you. Contact us today.
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