THE CONSUMMATE LAW FIRM MARKETING PLAN DOESN’T WORK

Law firm marketing isn’t that much different than marketing any other kind of service business. Professional marketers who work in various industries see trends across different businesses giving them the edge over those marketers who only focus on one industry. They can easily connect the dots and create out-of-the-box solutions, driving increase in clients and reductions in operating expenses.

Newspaper, Radio, Popular magazines, TV and Yellow Pages are the traditional marketing plan for most law firms. If every firm is using the same playbook how are any of them different than the rest? Remember, it’s about perception at this stage of the consideration phase for potential clients.

First off, it is very difficult to measure traditional marketing, if not impossible. In a time where ROI has become a main priority, marketing managers at law firms better be able to justify why the firms marketing budget is being spent in specific media channels and show how those dollars are performing.

Traditional advertising is one of the least effective forms of law firm marketing. Most lawyers equate marketing with advertising. TV spots, radio and newspaper advertising are used to cast a wide net of awareness. But who is being made aware? How are you tracking that small percentage of leads? The truth is, you’re not. Marketing is or at least should be about strategy, whereas advertising is more about owned media and one way communications.

Here are a few reasons why traditional advertising does not work for law firms:

1. It does nothing to move a potential lead through the sales cycle.
2. Frequent advertising is very costly. A law firm marketing message must penetrate the mind of a prospect at least nine times before that prospect becomes a customer. That was the good news. The bad news is that for every three times you expose your prospect to your messaging, it gets missed or ignored two of those times. Basically, you’ve got to put the word out there a total of 27 times in order to make those nine impressions.
3. Most ads are often poorly written or not segmented properly, missing the opportunity to fulfill a particular service that is being sought out by a potential client.

Advertising has such a short shelf live in the minds of consumers nowadays. Especially in a hyper-connected world. Amplifying the great services your law firm provides is one way to set your firm apart from the rest. In a world where everyone is saying the same thing, it makes it that much easier to stand out from the crowd.

Targeting potential clients to your specific services is an intelligent way to educating and increasing leads. For example; creating a Paid Search campaign and having it supported by Organic Search as well as creating landing pages specific to potential clients that have suffered injuries in a car accident is a great way to capture those who are actively seeking a firm to represent them. You may also use shorter TV spots that mention that service, to help support your online efforts, optimizing your overall marketing mix.

I see a lot of room for improvement and creativity for law firm marketing. Taking dollars out of traditional advertising and applying it to more measurable and effective media channels such as online will help to reduce a law firms expenses and increase their conversions. A Customer Relationship Management solution will help to maintain the firms’ current database of clients as well as track the referrals made by existing clients, helping to reduce, yet again, operating expenses.

www.publikmonarch.com

1707 Post Oak Blvd
suite #103, Houston, TX 77056

http://www.google.com/maps/place?cid=10737504709338792537&q=publik+monarch&fb=1&gl=us&hq=publik+monarch&hnear=Houston,+TX

Online Lead Generation Fails Dealerships And Car Buyers

Online lead generation was supposed to dramatically change the way car shoppers buy and lease cars and also provide dealerships with better tools to target their audience.

Present day, dealerships and car buyers know this is far from reality.

The lead generation system is supposed to provide dealerships with quality leads.

For the car buyer; they are supposed to get what they sought out...a bottom-line price quote not having to submit personal information to a third party.

By now dealerships know that 83% of car buyers begin their research online.

Why are car buyers doing research?

They want to gain the advantage over the sales person.

Car buyers are dreading walking into a dealership and facing a sales person. It's their number 1 frustration when car shopping.

Today's online lead generation process only magnifies that problem because the very thing that customers are looking to avoid, or to at least gain an advantage over—the salesperson—not only still has the advantage but also now has their personal contact information and can pursue them at home.

Under this current model, neither the dealership nor the car buyer win.

The car buyer has a poor user experience and the dealership loses a lead and is out the money they spent for that unqualified lead.

With dealers spending between $18 - $24 per lead and conversion rates between a dismal 1% - 3%, dealers need to undoubtedly find a new method of lead generation.

The only ones that win are the automotive-lead generation websites. There are more than 50 companies providing automotive lead generation. They buy the clicks and sell them to aggregators, such as Dealix, Autobytel.com, and AutoUSA.com. The aggregators then sell those leads to as many of the 39,708 new car franchised dealers nationwide as they can.

Beyond that, the lead generation method and the consumer experience are not aligned.

The purpose of lead generation is to provide dealerships with qualified buyers and as always more leads.

Car buyers are looking to conduct research, remain anonymous, and get a price (not MSRP).

Less than 40% of dealerships provide a price quote in the first email response to a car buyer.

Their focus is on getting car buyers in the showroom. This tug of war adds to consumers' distrust of dealerships..

Fixing the current lead generation problem will take a little effort on the dealerships part and a new lead generation model from online marketers.

The solution has always been under our noses. Give the user what she/he is looking for and everyone wins.

The Internet is successful because users can get the information they need, quickly and for the most part, for free.

Yes, we at Publik Monarch have the solution. Contact us to discuss: 832.209.2171

or email sseverino@publikmonarch.com

Publik Monarch

1707 Post Oak Blvd #103

Houston, TX 77056

Consumers Confused By TV Commercials

It may be the last thing a marketer wants to hear. After a company spends time and money to promote a product or service via an expensive TV ad campaign, consumers are confused. They don’t understand what product or service the ad is selling. This consumer confusion is on the increase according to a recent Harris Interactive poll.

Here’s a general summary of what consumers have to say on the topic of TV ads:

• Often find them confusing: 21%
• Find them confusing sometimes: 55%
• Never find them confusing: 14%
• Do not watch TV ads: 11%

Researchers founds some association between confusion and age. For example, consumers in the 35-44 year old age group have the lowest very or somewhat often confusion rate: 13%. Older consumers (age 55+) have the highest rate at 28%. Although the survey did not specifically address the issue, one has to wonder if some of the confusion is linked to new technology products or services that are adopted at higher rates by younger consumers but baffle older consumers. The related TV ad campaigns may be equally baffling.

There is almost no difference between confusion rates and education levels. The numbers of people who find TV ads very or somewhat confusing by education level are as follows:

• High school graduate or less: 20%
• Some college education: 22%
• College graduate or higher: 19%

Harris Interactive analysts note “a commercial’s main focus needs to be selling a product or service. If consumers watching these commercials are unsure of that main focus, the marketers are doing something wrong.” As a media format, TV reaches 89% of consumers who say they watch the ads. Marketers cannot afford to confuse potential purchasers and further erode their customer base. They must walk a fine line between entertainment and education in their TV ad efforts.
[Source: Three-Quarters of Americans Have Found a TV Commercial Confusing. Harris Interactive.com. 24 Sept. 2010. Web. 4 Oct. 2010]

** Just another example of how most traditional advertising agencies still operate as if they were in the 80's. Ruled by creative and "big ideas" rather then focusing on research and intelligence. Business today cannot afford to play dice with their advertising budgets. Justifying marketing budgets with setting up key performance indicators (KPI) and strong ROI is the world we live in now.

http://www.publikmonarch.com/

We deliver big ad agency sized solutions to small businesses.

CRM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

With so many Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions out there, choosing which one that best fits your company can be a daunting task.

So where does one begin? Begin by asking yourself these questions:

• Do I really need a CRM tool?
• What type of CRM solution best fits my business needs?
• What are the best solutions available?
• How do I evaluate CRM solutions?
• Is this CRM solution affordable and how quickly can I see a return on investment?

If you need some further convincing, do some research on industry benchmarks and how CRM solutions contribute to your company goals.

Here are some examples of recent benchmark studies (retail):

• Revenue increase of up to 41% per sales cycle
• Decreased sales cycle of over 24%
• Lead conversion rates of 300%
• Customer retention rates of 27%
• Decreased sales and marketing costs of 23%
• Improved profit margins of 2%

CRM is no longer an option for most businesses. It is becoming a necessity. Managing your consumer profiles, and their purchase habits are just a small part of the picture. Knowing how to translate that data into actionable business decisions is the key to using CRM solutions effectively.

Think about how you can:

• Maintain dialog with your consumer
• Reward them for their loyalty
• Cross sell and up sell them
• Keep them informed of the latest news and events

There are many ways to add value to your consumers lives and increase your bottom-line at the same time. Get started accessing your business needs.

Stewart Severino

http://www.publikmonarch.com

1707 Post Oak Blvd
suite #103, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 594-9643

SURVIVING THE BIG AD AGENCY PRICE TAG

If you are a small business you spend less than $400,000 a year on marketing/advertising services, you should not be trying to use a large, full-service advertising agency. Those agencies cannot afford to service you properly. What does this mean for your business?

Your ad dollars will not all go to advertising. Much of it will be consumed by the agencies overhead like account managers and project managers billing time. On the other side of the coin, effective marketing is not something that should be left to amateurs like newbie marketers. Too much is at stake.

This is the dilemma facing most Small Business people today. They, more than the big companies, need the extra professionalism and advice available from the major ad agencies. However, what the Small Business operator's money often buys is simply the "prestige" of a big name. Small fish get eaten alive in the big agency pond.

If you want someone to write marketing plans, submit numerous ad layouts, develop strategy, conduct market research, and take you out to lunch as well, any agency will be only too happy to oblige.

There is a solution. The trick lies in assessing the services your business really needs. Identify what your goals and objectives are, and the pain points you are having. Whether its under-serving your consumers or not reaching the right audience, you can focus on marketing solutions that are a good fit for your business without spending a lot of money and using up much of your time in meetings.

If you have the time and are willing to do some research, you can find consultants that specialize in different marketing tactics.

What can make finding the right fit a bit daunting is the fact that there are many different marketing services out there that can help you, but they all seem to be fragmented. Only specializing in one marketing tactic.

For example, you see tons of Paid search companies as well as email marketing companies, and now social media companies. I know it feels like a bit much to be managing multiple relationships and trying to run a business while keeping costs low. You probably even thought about hiring a marketing wiz kid but now you have to incur the overhead of an additional employee and possible health benefits, along with an above average salary for descent talent. Also, keep in mind he cannot do it all himself. Your new employee will have to hire a vendor or two or three to implement your much needed marketing services.

Your true solution comes in the form of a company whose founders have come from the agency world, worked with big brands and have figured out how to give your business the proprietary knowledge and effective solutions, held by large agencies, at a fraction of what it would cost you to hire an agency or even an employee for that matter.

By focusing in on what your business needs are, Publik Monarch provides affordable solutions as well as added value such as reduced operating expenses, increased bottom-line, increased loyalty and retention and customer satisfaction.

Stewart Severino

http://www.publikmonarch.com

1707 Post Oak Blvd
suite #103, Houston, TX 77056

(713) 594-9643

SMALL BUSINESSES TO DECREASE USE OF BANNER ADS, TV SPOTS AND RADIO IN 2010

If the current trends in the marketplace is any indication, small business owners will plan a number of budget cuts to traditional media formats going into 2011.

At the moment half of small businesses, 56.6% of those with fewer than 11 staff members and 48.2% of those with between 11 and 100 staff members, will not use online banner advertising in 2010. The VerticalResponse marketing report also indicates that small business owners are relying less on media formats such as TV and radio. Nearly 80% of survey respondents say they do not plan to use TV next year and 72.7% do not plan to use radio advertising.

As small business operators take actions similar to those employed by larger firms, the shift from traditional to newer forms of marketing will result in some cost savings for small marketers. For example, social media and email campaigns can cost significantly less than TV and radio. However, paid, integrated search engine marketing can be expensive, especially if the campaigns are not carefully targeted. Marketers who efficiently deploy and manage search engine campaigns stand to gain market share and improve profitability in 2010.

Publik Monarch
http://www.publikmonarch.com

1707 Post Oak Blvd
suite #103, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 594-9643

Ad agencies - Looking out for your business or theirs?

As Cannes film festival sits upon us, I am reminded of the hype and pep talks at agency meetings given by the agency owners on the importance of winning a Golden Lion.

At first, you get caught up in the moment but after returning to your desk, the reality of helping your clients achieve their goals comes into play.

Often times Account Directors or leaders with the clients best interests at heart have to battle with the the creative leaders of the agency. You see, more often then not, agency principals and their creative teams focus on what 'creative' campaign will win them an award and get them some visibility as opposed to, "lets do what's best for the client and focus on their objectives".

Take a look around your agency. I am sure their are plenty of folks frustrated with the amount of focus the agency owners are giving toward winning awards.

The agency model is slowly imploding in onto itself. I know not all ad agencies treat their clients like this but this seems to be the prevailing trend. Just ask folks who are in the industry.

Ad agencies need to be more selfless, not just for their clients well being but also for their survival.

Integrated Marketing - All talk?

As I skim through my daily feeds, Twitter filters, gmail alerts and other aggregated data sources I become overwhelmingly frustrated at the amount of chatter I see from the marketing leaders in our industry.

This includes agency owners and executive level management. So much buzz around providing clients with integrated marketing campaigns or "360 degree" campaigns, as they call it. The buzz is centered around an idea. The idea is to effectively reach clients' target market using every marketing channel (TV, Print, Online, OOH, radio, mobile, etc).
The problem with this is, its all talk. A sales pitch, if you will. Agencies trying to get the client to sign-off on more projects than is necessary. There is nothing wrong with trying to make extra money where you can but make sure your recommendation makes good business sense. The client needs to understand WHY you are recommending a specific approach tied to multiple channels. Don't just throw digital in there just because its cool or because your digital business unit has been in the red for the last year. The client needs to see how you are going to help achieve their goal, identify the appropriate target, find out how to appropriately reach s/he (online, TV, etc), and the tactics you will be using. Yes, there is more detail around the approach I just mentioned but I wanted to summarize for the sake of this posting.

Marketing aside, the other major problem marketers run into is the actual integration process. The operations. Unbeknownst to the client, most marketers do not have a solid internal process that manages how marketing channels will function when it comes time to execute. This means individual business units like, direct marketing, creative, digital, research, etc, will mostly likely trip over each other when a creative brief is given, resulting in an overage of billable hours and employees that are frustrated with management and also over worked.

What are clients to do? My recommendation is to ask your agency or vendor upfront, what their internal process is for channel integration. Ask for a copy of the actual process flow. Chances are they will not have one to you immediately and will turn one around to you by the end-of-week.
Godspeed!

Interactive talent - Integrated Marketing

As I sift through job postings and aggregate all the requirements listed by companies it becomes apparent that many companies need help in identifying what it is they need from an Interactive leader. Yes, you see the common required skill sets regarding online media, strategic planning, etc but what I find lacking is the vision for finding a leader who is truly business minded and integrated in other channels of marketing.

No longer can you pick a Interactive leader solely based on his/her digital experience. Typically, Interactive agencies work in silos with no real business analytics to back up their strategy. Finding someone who understands strategy, web analytics, social media, mobile, UX, lead generation, SEM ,persona studies, CRM, ecommerce, brand awareness, and someone who has been in a agency environment with top clients can be a daunting task depending on the market you are in. Not to mention finding someone who has the INTEGRATED and business experience it takes to plan and execute a fully integrated 360 degree initiative. What about the other extras? Does s/he author a blog? Publish industry content? Influence the online community? Can this person roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty into web analytics and segmentation?
For the most part, in this role, you tend to see a sales-type person. Not that there is anything wrong with sales (our business IS sales) but you need someone who can walk-the-walk. Not just talk a good game. Your business depends on it.
The operations side of this is for another chapter but I believe I have raised some awareness for the would-be hiring companies out there.
God speed!

Stewart Severino
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