Marketing a law firm is complex. Where do you profitably spend your time and money?
Out of the daily barrage of emails and phone calls, who really has the right marketing tools to get more qualified leads who become clients? It seems everyone has the answer to your marketing problem but when the rubber meets the road, they’re better at marketing themselves than your firm.
“We can boost your SEO!”
“We can make your website convert!”
“We create ads that POP!”
The problem with hiring marketing companies is that they can be good at projects but fail to consider the entire marketing mix, leaving disjointed messages across multiple platforms. This muddies your brand, confuses your prospects, and hurts your results. (Don’t get me wrong, some just suck, but that’s another article.)
To resolve this, you may have tried hiring in-house marketing in the past. It may have been a young marketer out of college or someone with social media experience. The salary is right (as low as possible) and they might know a little more than you about the current marketing landscape… especially social media. But still, the results don’t come and now you have this salary to pay.
The Answer is a Fractional CMO.
A good, full-time Chief Marketing Officer may have a salary of $200,000 or more. Add in the cost of outside vendors like website designers, ad specialists, and other creatives and the results may not be worth the salary.
With a fractional CMO, you gain the marketing and sales experience you need to improve your brand message, coordinate your various sales channels, and strategize the best use of your marketing budget to improve lead quality and drive revenue.
A knowledgeable CMO will:
- Analyze previous marketing.
- Identify and remediate any key technical website and data tracking issues.
- Identify losing campaigns to cut excess costs.
- Work with executive leadership to develop strong brand messaging.
- Determine the most efficient and cost-effective marketing strategy.
- Identify key performance indicators that matter most to the success of the business.
- Develop and implement a marketing strategy with clear performance metrics.
The end result is a more efficient advertising and marketing spend based on clear results and a consistent brand message that both customers and employees understand.
When Does a Law Firm Need a CMO?
A small or newer law firm may not require a CMO at all, even one on a fractional basis. Most initial growth efforts can be done organically but eventually, you’ll just want to focus on practicing law and running the firm rather than bootstrapping it. At that point, before you make any major advertising commitments, you may want some outside counsel.
A law firm really begins to feel the need after they grow to have multiple lawyers. The onslaught of vendors selling magic marketing miracles becomes overwhelming and there’s no time to analyze their results. And, of course, they all say, “Look how great we’re doing for you!”
But, they’re not, are they?
It’s also a risk cutting them loose because… what if they actually are bringing in clients?
That’s where a CMO makes the difference. A good CMO can see through the smoke and mirrors, and get insight into exactly what is, and is not, working for your firm. Plus, a CMO can develop new and more efficient ways to market and keep track of the results.
Of course, as we’ve established, CMO’s usually require a big salary and it’s frankly too much for most law firms under a certain size. However, a fractional CMO is both cost-effective and knowledgeable. You may not need someone in the office full-time, but having an expert managing your marketing vendors, speaking their language, and holding them to account for the results they promise is game-changing.
CMO expertise at a fraction of the cost with no traditional salary and benefit expenses is a no-brainer for the right-size firm.
What to Expect When You Hire a Fractional CMO
A fractional CMO will spend most of the first month getting to know your firm’s business; How you get clients, what paid and unpaid marketing you are currently engaged in, and the firm’s values and mission. They will also dig into the technical aspects of your marketing including current SEO results, advertising, website traffic, and email campaign results. At the end of the month, you will be presented with a simple but comprehensive picture of your current marketing strategy and results so that you can collaboratively decide on next steps.
In the subsequent months, the CMO will implement your plan, work with current vendors to achieve your desired results, and create a streamlined, results-driven marketing strategy that positions your firm as the right fit for your ideal customer.
Speak With Us Today
Wasting time and money on bad marketing is a gut punch; one that you feel every day and where the results can have long-term consequences.
If you’re tired of feeling frustrated with your marketing efforts, contact us now and we’ll set you up with a free consultation to discuss how we can change your feelings about marketing your firm.