Mini Poster Postcard
Posted in Prints on 06/26/2010 09:36 pm by admin |
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Go Local Go Deep
As well as a successful web presence you need to concentrate on promoting your practice in the local area. A good solid local client base can be the difference between success and failure of a practice.
People prefer to deal face-to-face if they can, I have found this especially true with conveyancing and employment matters, and once you have done them a good job they will recommend you to the friends and family. A referral is always more compelling if someone is told to go and see the solicitors on the local high street rather than contact some faceless firm at the other end of the country.
So what can be done to maximise and capitalise on the potential that lies on your doorstep?
Your shopwindow
The days of having a brass plate on your door and waiting for the locals to come gratefully to you for help and advice are long gone my friends. While your website is your shop-indow to the outside world don't neglect things closer to home
If you are a shop-front high street solicitor you are competing for the attention of every other tradesman and shopkeeper on the road. Have a look around; how does your place look compared to the rest, no doubt all the other windows will be full of adverts and indicators as to what goes on inside. Why? because it works.
Have photographs of your staff in the window setting out what they can do; you become identifiable, you become a person and not some great god up in your ivory tower.
We have those wire hanger things that you see in estate agents with notices and mini-posters that we change as and when we think it needs doing.
What's in your reception, copies of ‘heat' magazine from 6 months ago and a few country life – have one of those sticky sided photo-albums to hold press cuttings and testimonials, put out leaflets advertising your services and your practice, the generic law society ones will do at a squeeze but they haven't really go onboard on the ‘pick-me-up now' front have they.
Have a bowl of boiled sweets – may seem pointless but why do you think they have chocolates in hotel rooms; to give a feeling of enjoyment while you are there.
Sponsor a local event/sports team
You may not be able to afford to sponsor Man U. but you may be surprised at what you can afford Gartons sponsor the Wortley's women football team and at £400.00 for the season we get the sponsored kit, banners at all home games and our details on their website and in their annual report. As well as the week-in-week out exposure we also picked up a lot of local press. Always helps to be seen as part of the local community.
Postcards in shop windows
Not an obvious place to advertise your legal services but a laminate A3 in the local shop windows won't break the bank and will be seen by any number of shoppers on a daily basis. Don't go into great detail; just let people know where you and are and what you can do for them.
Also check-out your local supermarkets to see if they have sponsored notice-boards with leaflet and card dispensers.
Evening Surgery
Have a weekly after-hours surgery; not everyone can make it to see you during the day and would welcome the chance to drop in on their way home. Send out fliers to get it of the ground and advertise it in your window, other shop windows and on your website. Don't just say ‘legal surgery'; make it target specific – ‘Come and speak to our lawyers and get your free advice on ………' . Make them a cup of tea; potential clients will stick around longer if they get a decent brew while they are waiting
PR
Your local press and radio are always short of good stories so get in touch and let them know; the advent of online local newspapers means that they are able to carry a lot more news. This means that you are more likely to have your piece published but it will be up against a lot of other articles so it needs to stand out with compelling copy but remember, you need to have a story and an angle any story that is obviously a sales puff will be binned.
In the same vein as sponsoring local sports events, get involved in a local charity or carry out some ‘corporate responsibility' is there a stretch of canal-bank that needs clearing, a local conversation group that would welcome the chance to piggyback some publicity on your endeavour.
Press Advertising
You may not always be able to get free press coverage for your charitable endeavours so do local press advertising (see my previous piece on press advertising that is on the facebook page).
Local Networking Groups
I mentioned these in my piece on free marketing but worth mentioning again; go out and press the flesh, make contacts with local traders and let them be part of your sales team, take plenty of cards and pick up as many cards as you can.
A comprehensive approach to local marketing can reap rewards that won't cost you the earth so go local, go deep.
About the Author
LegalMarketingUK are Mike Massen of Gartons Solicitors and Kevin Lycett of CDS, Leeds. and advice the Legal sector in the UK, their expertise enables lawyers develop their own in-house marketing strategies so when it comes to building and developing their practice they are self-reliant. Solicitors are invited to join them at www.facebook.com/legalmarketinguk for tips and discussions on marketing their legal practices.