Your law firm can create a Google AdWords campaign and begin advertising for certain keywords in certain areas. Growth is becoming more difficult to achieve. Each one of these will make a great blog article. Finally, it’s important to track the results of your marketing plan. Managing a PPC campaign is time-intensive and meticulous, especially when it comes to the nuts-and-bolts of evaluating Impressions, Cos-Per-Click, Click-Through-Rate and Cost-Per-Acquisition. The Law Firm Strategic Plan – How to improve growth & profits per partner. One tool we recommend to help stay top-of-mind is Contactually, a helpful CRM. Entrepreneur Quiz: Do You Have What it Takes to Succeed? These opportunity costs could kill growth for your firm. A blog on your website will serve as the bedrock of your content marketing strategy. Is that Facebook ad you’re paying for actually getting any leads? So, turn on your webcam, hit record and start talking. Bplans is owned and operated by Palo Alto Software, Inc., as a free resource to help entrepreneurs start and run better businesses. Will you outsource some or all of it? To increase the ability to serve public interest organizations each year. A law firm is wise to start slow, publicize success and grow from there. Details. Web site designers and SEO companies are a dime a dozen… and all of them have probably got a law firm or two in their client list. Both vary in effectiveness based on your practice area and location, and both come with their upsides and caveats. When developing your law firm marketing plan, start with Why. Additionally, it provides structure for your firm’s strategic planning process. We spoke with principal consultant Dr Grant Robertson, UGM Consulting to get his advice on creating a strategic plan. So also a larger law firm can look for a smaller law firm that has huge potentials to acquire or to form strategic marketing alliance with. The existence and consistent execution of your marketing plan matters more than the format. Planning or executing a marketing plan for a business law firm in Idaho is much different than for a personal injury law firm in Manhattan. People who know, like, and trust you are likely to refer their friends or colleagues your way when there is a need for the services you provide. It takes endurance and commitment. Strategic planning keeps you focused on both the short-term and long-term goals of your law firm. Executive summary . Strategic Planning for Law Firms features real-life case studies from a range of firms varying from mid-sized practices to large boutique and global firms, including Clarke Hill, Bryan Cave and Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox. And–you can see how each aspect relates to another. Remember: it doesn’t have to be perfect. This is a great way to keep the content coming every week. Blogs are easy to write and publish and instantly available to the world on the Internet. Represents the company in strategic meetings; Helps increase sales and growth for the company; Accountant. A carefully crafted strategic plan provides your law firm with a roadmap to follow no matter what challenges or new situations arise and sets up your firm for greater success. You’ll use the other components of your law firm marketing plan, such as your blogs and your videos (which we’ll talk about next) to push through your email marketing engine and keep your clients, prospects and followers close, and keep your firm top-of-mind. Mission – Your long-term planning, goals and financial targets. And worse yet: it may turn you off of marketing altogether as a means to grow your business. Social marketing may also have a place in your law firm marketing plan. Conversely, if you practice in a very niche space and plan to invest an appropriate amount in marketing, you can set the bar higher. For a law firm, the goal of an SEO initiative is for your web pages, blog posts, and your web site in general to show up at or near the top of a relevant search. The act of SEO is an ongoing process. Unlike SEO, PPC is the “short game,” and something that can start yielding a return on your marketing dollar almost immediately. Your law firm’s online presence begins with your website. One size does not fit all. For example, if a business needs to downsize or is currently experiencing organizational changes, and another company is preparing to expand, these changes … So, how do you know which of these components (or others) should be in your law firm’s marketing plan? File Format. When we talk about Drip Marketing, we’re talking about a specific kind of Email Marketing. We recommend creating a simple monthly newsletter for your law firm. To generate new clients and increase caseload by X% annually. It may sound obvious or unnecessary, but you should clearly define the purpose of your law firm marketing plan. Content marketing and Search Engine Optimization are intrinsically related. ... For example, if you decide to start a talent search to fill specific position, or if you have assigned several partners members to work further on specific … Test Your Idea First, How to Come up with Hundreds of Business Ideas. Want More Legal Technology and Law Practice Management Tips? You can be taking on new clients tomorrow. Announcements: Big cases you’ve won, new attorneys that have joined your team or any other newsworthy announcements. It will take some critical thinking and just a little bit of your time. of the law firm business model, how law firm leaders respond to business challenges, and the current state of law firm strategic planning and how that landscape is perceived to be changing. Email marketing, sometimes called drip marketing or lead nurturing is another staple of a law firm marketing plan. You should track how many leads you generate, and how many new clients you generate. And you don’t have to pay each time someone clicks on a link to your website when you show up in an organic google search, unlike PPC, which we’ll cover next. File Format. While many firms focus on expanding their network to increase the potential pool of referrals, staying top-of-mind with people already in your network should not be overlooked. The data were collected via email invitations to a Web-based survey conducted between July 18, 2012, and August 14, 2012. The answer for many law firms is: both. Olmstead figures that probably three-quarters of large firms have strategic plans, while mid-sized firms in the 50-attorney range are closer to 50-50, with the likelihood shrinking to 15 percent or less of firms with 10 attorneys and fewer. If you practice in a highly competitive market (in terms of practice area and geography), and are working with a modest marketing and advertising budget, your expectations and metrics should reflect that. Others for 50% depending on the marketing activities (i.e. The challenge posed by SEO optimization is completely different to the day-to-day problems that law professionals deal with, so it requires an entirely different mindset. You can use our Sample Marketing Plan as a template–or create your own. Bplans is owned and operated by Palo Alto Software, Inc., as a free resource to help entrepreneurs start and run better businesses. Then, you must constantly test and improve upon each ad and landing page (a process called A/B testing). This is the part where client-specific … At its most basic, a marketing plan defines what you plan to do to market and grow your law firm and how you plan to do it. This month’s content: Blogs and other content published this month. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a law firm. It's fast and easy, with LivePlan. While not necessarily a complete list, below is a “menu” of marketing initiatives that serve law firms very well in achieving their goals for marketing and growth. A Call to Action: Don’t forget: compel your audience to call your firm if they have questions or need assistance. We encourage you to use what you learn here to develop a marketing plan for your firm. The Key … WLF is a limited liability company founded and lead by Richard Bloom. To be able to offer each year some legal services at a subsidized rate. Details. If you plan to source blogs from multiple people in your firm (which–again–is a great idea), who will manage the content schedule and make sure content is published on time? Law firms participate in a maturing market. Think about what kinds of questions clients and prospective clients ask when they call you. When crafting the Why part of your law firm marketing plan, define the purposes of your marketing plan, which may include (for example): To establish Collins & Whitmore as an authority on the practice of Family Law in California. Strategic Planning For Law Firms By Steven Treharne of Mogers The first hurdle to overcome is to accept that lawyers sometimes find it difficult to deal with ... For example, what happens if the economy is dire for the next 5 years with no growth; what happens if the new entrants flood the market place with cheap ... as a reality check against what can be achieved. What Factors Should You Consider When Comparing Franchise Opportunities? File Format. While there’s not necessarily a right or wrong way to display and represent “bad”, “good,” and “great” numbers for generating new leads for your firm, what we’ve found helpful is to define “stoplight” metrics that define what you consider bad, good and great. PDF; ... Law Firm Marketing Plan Proposal. The rapid growth of law firms in the past decade has created some new and unique management difficulties. In your law firm strategy, decide which KPIs are best to track for your firm. United States7500 Flying Cloud DriveSuite 640Eden Prairie, MN 55344, CanadaUnit 5254649 Macleod Tr SWCalgary T2G 0A6 AB. These tactical components are the how of your marketing plan. The cornerstone of any web-based law firm marketing campaign should be content. Who will write blogs each week? Should You Start a Business? Copyright © 2020 Uptime Systems, LLC. When it comes to SEO vs. PPC: Which should be included in your law firm marketing plan? Legal Judiciary Strategic Plan Example. It may sound hard, but you’d be surprised. To establish Collins & Whitmore as the clear go-to for Mother’s Rights in New York. The purpose of each initiative and activity. You must define search terms, create ads and create landing pages that people who click on your ads will be taken to. Email Marketing is pretty broad, and can include doing things like sending newsletters and stuff. Get the Bplans newsletter: Expert business tips and advice delivered weekly. lexisnexis.com. By and large, Social Marketing can be thought of as an “enhancer” to the other components of your overarching law firm marketing plan. File Format. You need a thought-out strategy for not only what marketing actions your law firm will engage in, but how you’ll do them, who will do them, when they’ll be done–and how you’ll measure the success (or lack thereof) of your time and money. (This is how Google makes 90% of its revenue.). Advertisers, such as law firms, are paying to appear there, and must pay a small fee each time someone clicks on that ad. Our strategic plan template includes everything you need to define your law firm’s strategic plan, ranging from the long-term, big picture elements to the quarterly and day-to-day components. You need to be able to see, in a single place, every lead that has come in, and where they came from. Drip emails are a series of emails sent in a particular order over time that are sent specifically to people who take a certain action (e.g. It should be a concise, cohesive document of a page or two that clearly outlines the goals, practices and tactics of your marketing plan. Details. How many new leads (prospective clients) would you like each month? Start planning. So, using our previous example, you may be able to create a AdWords ad, or paid search result, to show up when someone performs a Google search for “bankruptcy lawyer Illinois.” Each click could cost you between $3 to $300, depending on the practice area and location. can help. But, consistently generating new sources of referrals takes time and effort. PDF; Size: 469 KB. That said, the plan must remain ambitious. If you’re inspired to get to writing your own marketing plan (and we hope you are! We’re law firm marketing experts. Before you go ahead with writing a law firm business plan, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on what you want from your practice first. Your marketing plan doesn’t need to be a 30-page document. Get in touch with our team to plan a marketing strategy for your law firm. If you’ve ever done a google search and noticed that the first few results are prefixed with the subtle word: ‘Ad’: These are sponsored results. LinkedIn is significantly more expensive, at $6.50. I’ll have to consider using drip marketing to get starting. Or putting together your email newsletter. Conversion rates vary wildly between firms and practice areas. It’s important to define the goalposts with lead (and client) generation so you have a way of knowing if your marketing plan is succeeding or needs more work. Get a Free Law Firm Marketing Strategy Consultation. These templates will act as guides for evaluating the business, identifying the development and growth opportunities and devising the strategic plan. In your written marketing plan (and in our sample marketing plan), you should have a place, or a checkbox for Operationalized. For example, it’s effective for business law, which tends to be more of an ongoing, relationship-based practice, versus personal injury, which of course is only necessary for a short amount of time after an incident. Start your own law firm business plan. You want to, starting right now, begin building a database of email addresses. by Chris Catapano, CFA, CPA | Law Firm Strategy. It’s great advice that I will pass on to my clients in the legal industry. We exist to attract and maintain customers and to support the public interest community. But starting here is starting backwards: When developing your law firm marketing plan, start with why and what. For most law firms, referrals are the primary marketing activity and source of new business. So, as part of an actionable, measurable law firm marketing plan, let’s define it. A good law firm marketing agency can help you set proper benchmarks. Plus, a strategic plan can be simple. In many cases it’s a good idea to bring in an expert. To establish Collins & Whitmore as the clear go-to for Mother’s Rights in New York. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Data from the Legal Trends Report. To develop a client list that includes at least 20 companies, each with revenues of over $3 million. 8 Alternative Funding Options for Small Businesses, 3 Steps to Figure Out How Much Money You Need to Start a Business, See more articles in Funding a Business ». If your law firm marketing plan is made up of multiple components (and it probably should be), you may find it challenging to consistently execute on it, week after week. Price Bailey act for around 150 law firms and legal professionals; we have seen dramatic change in the sector and witnessed examples of great success, failure and treading water. You can fill in the blanks, using this article as a legend–or write your own borrowing the most applicable pieces for your law firm. Legal Strategic Planning in Law Firms Example. How To Transition From Corporate To Consultant and Win Your First Client, 8 Construction Industry Digital Marketing Trends to Leverage in 2020, See more articles in Starting a Business », How to Implement a Referral Program That Grows Sales, How to Leverage UX Best Practices to Increase Sales Conversions, How to Use Webinars to Sell Your Products and Services, See more articles in Managing a Business ». It contains more than 150 questions divided into several sections. For many law firms it make sense to hire a legal marketing agency to build, monitor and manage their PPC campaigns. Make sure your marketing agency can help you craft a marketing plan that works in your market. From the moment you begin executing on an SEO campaign it can take 6 months before you start seeing results. To generate “Marketing Leads,” or followers: your website audience and readers of your content (who may become clients later). PDF; Size: 645 KB. Have they been receiving your newsletter for months before finally calling? SEO, as another example, is especially sensitive to consistency. Saying that you’ll start writing blogs is only useful it actually happens, of course. And it may very well make sense to add to it. Video marketing can range from expensive, high-production testimonials from your clients… to simple, low-cost talks you give in front of your webcam. What quantity, in a month, would you consider “good,” or a success? Which article was the one that compelled them to finally pick up the phone? Get in the habit of publishing a newsletter every month, and keeping your followers informed. How is the execution: How exactly you’ll execute on your law firm marketing plan on a regular basis. Business owners often look for strategic plan examples. The “downside,” if you can call it that, of PPC advertising is that it costs money, every click. Details. Law Department Strategic Planning Example. Tied firm level plans to practice group level plans C. Tracked/reported on performance against goals, objectives or other milestones D. Linked implementation success/responsibility to partner compensation E. Engaged a consultant to assist with aspects of … lawsociety.org.sg. ), you should link each blog to the Profile/Bio page for that attorney, so your readers can learn more about your team and their expertise. To establish Collins & Whitmore as an authority on the practice of Family Law in California. PDF; Size: 10 MB. The purpose of one law firm’s marketing endeavors are not necessarily the same as another’s. So, create a recurring calendar appointment in your Outlook, or a recurring to-do in your Practice Management software to write and publish that blog every week. The emergence of “virtual” law firms is now a reality. “Establish your firm as a thought leader in your practice area,” isn’t really quantifiable (though critically important), so we’ll leave it where it is in the Why section. Sample Applications Communication Guidelines for Providers Accredited Provider Framework List of Accredited Providers of Professionalism Content ... 2019-2023 Strategic Plan Annual Report Annual General Meeting Governance Practices and Policies Legislation & Rules Show or hide this menu section. By making sure all the key stakeholders at your firm feel a sense of urgency and accountability towards creating a law firm strategic plan, you are more likely to arrive at a well-thought out plan within your desired timeframe. ... For example, the current average cost-per-click (CPC) for the law industry on Facebook is $1.32. It’s more important that you, over time, track and calculate conversion than you necessarily define a perfect conversion rate goal right away. Your prospective clients will come in primarily by calling you or via a Contact Us form on your website. Law Firm Strategic Planning in a One Day Planning Retreat. Again, a video with content that is helpful to your audience will do wonders for credibility and lead generation, and substance is far more important than production or polish. ... many lawyers will agree that they struggle when it comes to developing and implementing a strategic plan for their law firms.