The marketing landscape keeps up with the current fast-paced world, prompting diverse and rapid changes. Add to that the unique challenges marketing faces in the legal industry.
There are still plenty of restrictions regarding what you can say and do, the competition is stiff, and marketing legal services is a little bit harder than marketing activewear.
Yet, despite all these challenges, law firms point back to marketing as one of the factors driving positive outcomes. In case you're wondering what's happening currently in the legal marketing industry, we have your back.
We've only selected the best stuff, so let's dive in.
New Laws on Data Privacy and Security Bring Back the Basics
As consumers get savvier about how their data is being collected and used, notably how it's monetized, the demands grow deeper for transparency and protection. New laws will make ad targeting more difficult in the US and affect how marketers work.
90% of consumers said that under new privacy laws they would select not to sell their information. An effect of new regulation could be that every firm that takes the threat of non-compliance penalties seriously might have to add prominent opt-out links to the homepage.
These protections might get everyone back to targeted outreach and quality over quantity.
Lead Form Extensions Will Help Convert More Mobile Searchers
A recently announced ad extension can capture leads and make Google Ads more powerful. This new lead form extension will allow the collection of contact information from users from within the ad.
Currently, advertising on mobile can be hard because of small screens, slow connections, and the audience's short attention. In the past, Google has tried to allow users ways to convert without visiting a mobile site by introducing call extensions and call-only ads or message extensions.
To make the most of this new mobile ad extension, law firms can add it to their accounts and then adjust their mobile bids.
Relationships With Trusted Sources Continue to Be Important
The line between marketing, advertising and public relations continues to blur as law firms are trying to have an impact. Therefore, relationships with trusted sources continue to be important in legal marketing. This may be editors at niche publications, bloggers, influencers on social media channels, or others.
For instance, the ability to effectively pitch influencers on social networks is currently a valued skill. These relationships can help law firms get direct access to a specific target audience with a voice that they trust.
Law firms can find influencers by looking for people who reach their target demographic. Facebook made it easier to partner up with influencers when it introduced its Brand Collabs Manager tool back in 2018 and now Instagram is also testing it.
Instagram Use Increases
Instagram grew steadily between 2017 and 2018 among Americans from ages 12 to 34. From a marketing standpoint, the firm/user experience on Instagram is much more enjoyable compared to the constant changes to Facebook's display algorithm for News Feed. These changes made it increasingly difficult to try to gain organic reach for a firm's posts.
The social network will continue to grow this year. According to Social Media Today, Instagram's shoppable eCommerce option is beginning to show real opportunities. You can take advantage of this trend and see if Insta Ads are a good fit for your firm.
Podcast Interviews Can Offer Increased Exposure
Right now, podcasts are very popular. They seem to be the only medium available that has true dialogue and are a relief from the current media outlets. So, for law firms seeking increased exposure, they can be a complementary marketing medium.
The best strategy would be to find the most popular podcasts among your target audience and look for opportunities to intersect. These are platforms where you can advertise and offer yourself up as an interviewee. On a podcast, you can get the benefit of speaking to a large audience in a very direct manner. Also, through the promotion of the podcast episode, you can enjoy the added perk of backlinks to your website.
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