It's not free. It's not social media, it's not video, mobile or anything like that.
It does cost money, and nearly all attorneys doing it are make at least 2 out of 3 killer mistakes that make it expensive and ineffective.
It's not the cool new thing to talk about but it works! (When done right)
What is it?
Google Adwords.
Why does it work?
Someone searching for an attorney on Google is more than likely looking to hire an attorney THAT WEEK. They are searching on Google because they need an attorney right now and are much further along in the buying process then someone that you are trying to prospect with “Interruption Advertising."
What is interruption advertising? Billboards, print ads, television ads, radio, and other forms of advertising that interrupt people with the hopes that by reaching the masses, the small few that need it now will call.
How is this different than SEO?
SEO takes way too long to get a result and don't confuse having a well ranked page with one that generates phone calls, consultation requests and ultimately new clients.
Unless you've been around a VERY long time and you have TONS of content on your site you probably won't rank for desired keywords and ones that you can rank for are probably VERY LOW TRAFFIC.
That's the danger of SEO. You could spend time and months "optimizing" your website, creating original content with the hopes that people in need of your services may find it.
There is no guarantee.
With Adwords there is. Google makes money when people click and you are at least guaranteed a targeted visitor.
And since this is Google's big money maker ads are given more preference than the "organic" listings.
Rather than create content, and blog over and over, with no promise that a potential client looking for an attorney will get it, why not create the content once and pay to advertise it?
Businesses of all sorts do this. It's called content marketing. B2B advertisers often advertise a white paper or problem solving guide because that will appeal to people looking to buy the product or service as well as warm leads who are investigating but may not have a pressing need.
Sell the sizzle not the steak.
How to attorneys totally mess up their online advertising?
For starters they don't even track their investment properly. Many who advertise regularly on Adwords do so because they can afford to be sloppy. Meaning they have enough word of mouth business and inbound business from other channels that they can afford to throw money at Google. Properly tracking Adwords or Pay Per Click is done by using the Adwords specific code, not relying on what clients tell you verbally. Never track ROI from Internet ads based on what people say because what people tell you is very inaccurate.
The next mistake is 2 fold. Boring websites and boring ads.
Most lawyers get a website to have a presence that's needed for word of mouth referrals. Word of mouth referrals are great and are definitely hot leads, but when you do a good job for a client and they refer you to a friend or loved on, that person is very very pre-sold since the referral is coming from someone they know like and trust.
Any old website with basic info will work for the purposes of having a presence so word of mouth referrals can find your firm. Alternatively lawyers spend big money on slick sites, but these things are done mostly to make the partners or people who buy the design service happy. They want to look professional, aggressive and so forth, but the person seeking out a lawyer is not concerned with that stuff.
However, one will not get good results when trying to use this kind of website to convert the cold public looking online for a lawyer. The typical lawyer home page has 24+ things the potential client can do such as click off entirely to social media profiles, watching videos, reading attorney profiles. In other words there's so much clutter it distracts the majority from taking the one main action YOU would WANT which is contacting your firm.
Many lawyers can get a leg up on their competition by properly tracking, not using boring ads, and not sending people who clicked on a paid ad to the law firm home page.
How do you not using boring ads?
One way to separate yourself from competitors is to advertising problem solving information rather than facts and figures about your law firm.
How often do we see ads like this?
Aggressive Lawyer
Millions Recovered
Free Consultation - Call Now!
THEY ARE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.
Rather than lead with chest beating ads DEMONSTRATE your knowledge by offering good free info that helps solves problems and directs people to then call your firm.
Someone hurt is not looking for an "aggressive assertive lawyer with millions of dollars recovered" but they are going online looking for help because they think they are being offered a low ball settlement amount for their injury.
Or they are scared about going bankrupt, or don't like the medical care given by the insurance company doctor.
There's a big opportunity for lawyers who get these basic concepts! If you're at all concerned with return on investment and want to open new cases at an affordable cost then you'll want to integrate these concepts into your law firm marketing.
Paid search is the best way to see if it works because Google Advertising is very measurable, and every day people go online looking for lawyers.
It's not every day that someone you're connected to be in in real life, or on a social network will ask for your help.
To get more info, read my book which is on Kindle for $3.99, you can buy it if you like. Perry Marshall the worlds most quoted authority on Google Adwords had good reviews. Or you can get it right on this page.
Or if you'd like to watch a nearly 60 minute video where I interview a client who fully uses the strategies discussed go here. He talks about how the Internet saved his firm from very expensive Yellow Page ads that cost and arm and a leg.
