This is Part 4 of a 4-part series. Click here to read Part 1 which discusses websites, click here for Part 2 which discusses Paid Advertising, click here for Part 3 which discusses Social Media.
We’ve outlined and provided tips on many different aspects of Digital Marketing; and there are a lot of other tips, tricks, and best practices available on those topics as well. There is, however, one aspect of digital media marketing that is oft overlooked. Technical Prowess. No, that doesn’t mean you need to learn how to write a software program. But being familiar with the tools available to market your firm, as well as the tools that can help you run your firm, are a key component to digital marketing. If you don't take the time to learn the ins and outs of the technology you are using, it is easy to get frustrated and give up. Keep your sanity in check by taking the time to learn.
If you are going to properly implement a digital marketing campaign you need to be able to use the tools required to do so. Sure you’ve heard the terms “traffic” and “engagement” before – but do you know what they mean? How they relate to your campaigns? It’s a hard pill to swallow, but you need to set aside time each week to learn the tools you will be using.
Google Analytics provides a training and support center with videos, articles, and a forum to help you better utilize their tool.
Twitter Flight School is a free resource to help you become an expert on using Twitter for your firm.
WordPress has a support site, forums, Happiness Engineers, and WordCamps to help even the most casual user build a better site.
From GoDaddy to Facebook to Google AdWords: no matter the platform there are free resources out there to help you become more comfortable using the tool to market your firm. It is crucial you invest the time to learn the tools to see a return on your digital marketing campaigns.
I am sure you are thinking “what does legal technology have to do with my online marketing efforts?” Well, quite a bit actually. One, your use of legal technology is something you can market to your prospective clients. If you have access to and frequently use an eDiscovery tool, that’s something you should mention. Your law practice management software can help you track the return on investment on aspects of your campaigns.
Does your practice management software allow calendaring, a client portal, easy bill pay, or other client facing features? Become proficient in their use, and explain on your site why your use of these tools helps you better serve your clients. Check out Georgia Attorney David Brauns' site for an example of how to market your use of legal technology.
This one probably seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. The technology you use in your office for everyday tasks needs to be up-to-date as well.
Nobody has easy access to a fax machine any more – if you tell a prospect to fax you something rather than email it, most are going to move on to someone whose business practices match the 21st century.
How do you get large documents to your clients, partners, vendors, etc? If you are mailing things that are too large for email, you are losing precious time on something that could be collaborated on instantaneously. Invest in a subscription with Box.com, Dropbox, or even utilize the free version of Google Drive.
Is your operating system recent? Clients will get frustrated if you can’t view the document they sent you because you’re utilizing Microsoft XP still.
If you are a Mac user, do you have a subscription to Office 365 so you can easily collaborate with clients, partners, and vendors who are Windows users?
Knowing what you need to do isn’t very helpful if you don’t know how to do it. That is why technology prowess is so vital to effectively executing a digital marketing strategy. It may seem as though the time it takes to read a blog post, article, or support page or watch an instructional video has no ROI. But that time translates into easier and more efficient use of your marketing tools, and therefore easier implementation of your marketing strategies.
We shared a lot of information in our 4-part series and still only really scratched the surface of digital marketing. Subscribe to the blog below to be notified when new posts about marketing your firm, legal technology, eDiscovery, and more are posted. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and connect with us on LinkedIn.