It is essential for attorneys to promote their practice in the digital space to beat the competition and attract new clients. Many owners are hiring law firm marketing experts to handle their promotional campaigns. It is a good tactic as a professional approach will always be better than a trial and error method. However, marketing has also become specialized and each industry requires a different strategy. Digital promotions require aligning the promotional strategy to the unique requirements as well as the character of an industry. If you are planning to hire an expert for online marketing for law firms professionals, then you must go through the questions discussed here. Posing these queries to marketers will help you gauge their suitability for handling your project.

1. Do The Marketers Have The Experience Of Handling Law Firm Campaigns?

The first question that must be asked to prospective marketers is whether they have handled campaigns for law firms or not. Someone who has worked with lawyers in the past will be aware of the potential hurdles in executing the project. Professionals who have vast experience in handling legal marketing will know the short-term and long-range strategies that will need to be applied. They will also know the time-frame within which you can expect to see positive results.

2. Have They Worked With A Lawyer In Your Practice Area?

It will be good to hire a marketer who handles attorney website marketing projects. However, it will be even better if you can get someone with experience of serving professionals in your specific practice area. Such a person will be aware of the unique challenges that can arise during a campaign for your firm. Their experience will come in handy in avoiding potential pitfalls in running the project. They will also know the appropriate workflow for executing your promotional program.

3. Do The Professionals Understand Your Target Audience?

This is one of the most important questions on this list which will help you measure the abilities of a professional. The best marketing strategies are not only about communicating a brand’s plus points. They involve presenting the brand as the best possible solution for specific pain points being faced by the target audience. Marketers who have insightful knowledge of your potential client base will be better positioned for devising strategies to target your audience. Anyone who knows the demographic details, educational background, income levels, career, and life goals besides general likes and dislikes of your prospective clients will be a better choice than any other professional.

4. Do They Know About Your Competitors?

Another query to pose while hiring law firm marketing experts is how well they know your rivals. Competitor research is an essential part of building a promotional plan. It helps identify the strategies that top performers are using. There is always a possibility that tactics that have worked for them will also be successful for you. An insight into the competition will also give you ideas about how to distinguish yourself from them. Smart marketers highlight any distinctive characteristics like your professional background, expertise or a facility that only your firm is offering.

5. Are They Aware Of Ethical Issues In Law Firm Marketing?

Online marketing for lawyers is not a straightforward job. There are ethical issues involved which complicate things. Ask professionals about whether they are aware of the importance of avoiding ethical issues in promoting legal practice or not. Most jurisdictions do not even allow attorneys to claim to be experts or specialists in a specific field. There are strict penalties on activities which can be classified as intending to mislead the audience. A seemingly harmless advert which mentions “attorneys” in the copy can land you in trouble if you run a single-lawyer firm. It is important that you hire an agency which knows about all these potential problems.

6. What Is The Actual Team That Will Manage Your Project? 

Once you got a significant idea of the capabilities of an agency, it is time to ask how it will handle your account. Enquire about who will be responsible for managing the campaign of your firm. It will also be pertinent to know the exact composition of the team that will work on your project. Knowing about the experience and the expertise of the people who will be running your campaign is important. You must have confidence in the ability of the team to maintain a smooth working relationship with them in the future.

7. How Will They Track The Campaign And Measure Results?

It is vital to know how the campaign will be tracked and the results measures. Most professionals will provide you with quantifiable goals like n number of leads in x number of days or a certain percentage of increase in website traffic within a certain time period. Know about the key performance indicators that the agency will use. Moreover, ask for a sample of a client report to check whether they present the output in an easily understandable manner or not.  

8. How Do They Manage Client Communication?

Even when you outsource work to another agency, online promotions remains a collaborative effort between you and the marketing team. Ask the company how does it manage client communication. Most professional agencies use project management platforms and other tools so that clients can easily view vital data or get in touch during emergencies. This also means that the marketing team is spending valuable time on running the campaign rather than doing mundane project management tasks.

Conclusion  

These are some key queries which you must ask while hiring law firm marketing experts. Their replies to the questions will help you get a good measure of their expertise, experience, and professionalism.