7 Key Considerations in Building a Successful Law Firm MarTech Stack

The growth of the marketing technology (MarTech) industry continues to explode, with thousands of marketing software vendors providing a wide-range of tools to support today’s modern marketer. From email and social media automation to analytics and personalization, MarTech enables law firm marketers to achieve more in less time. However, the abundance of solutions available today is leaving many marketers overwhelmed, and the decisions around what to use are becoming more difficult to make. If you’re just starting your search for the right solutions, remember that a lean stack you’re able to use every day is better than a ton of tools your team can’t fully adopt. Here are seven tips to consider when investing in – and building – your law firm’s MarTech stack:

7 Considerations to Keep in Mind Before Making a Marketing Technology Investment:

1. Identify key needs.

The operative word there is “key”. It’s easy for ambitious law firms to quickly get excited about all of the features and functionality offered by the tools on the market. It’s important that you have previously written down what your goals are, and the most pressing needs that will be addressed with technology additions. Map these needs to specific features so that you can be sure when you make a decision, you’re not swayed by impressive features that won’t actually help you with your critical objectives. 

2. Gain buy-in across teams.

Any department that will come into contact with the new technology should be on board. You’d be surprised how often this doesn’t happen, leading to a lack of insight from actual users as well as discontented team members. Eliminating data silos altogether probably isn’t possible, but if you increase communication and integration between marketing and other functions from the beginning, you’re likely to see better results. 

3. Look for compatibility.

Chances are, whatever technology you implement won’t be the first one. You need to ensure that new platforms are compatible with other programs within your law firm’s MarTech stack that you plan to continue to use. To make sure new software “plays well with others”, ask potential vendors for a list of programs that their tools work in conjunction with, as well as examples of tools that are simply incompatible. It’s also smart to ask what skillset or previous experience users need to have to make the most of their product. 

4. Understand regulations and compliance.

The ways in which data is used and shared is always evolving, so it’s important to understand those elements. It’s essential that whatever data is collected for marketing purposes should be easily gathered, partitioned, and, if requested by a user, expunged. The easier a tool can manage and segregate data, the better. 

5. Research vendors.

Before sitting down with any actual companies, do some research within your industry. Ask colleagues at other firms what software they are using, or post in online industry groups such as on LinkedIn. Make sure you have an understanding of not only the basics of the tools, but also the companies who provide them and how they operate. Only then should you move on to creating a short list. 

6. Create a rollout plan.

There is no way that your new technology will be successful if you don’t have a well-thought-out plan for implementation and adoption. Make sure staff understands well in advance when the rollout will occur and that no one feels out of the loop. Some vendors provide training or access to a support team, so you should ensure you have time scheduled and coordinated among your team. You should also have a plan for replacing any tools that you will no longer be using. 

7. Understand how you’ll audit performance.

Before you commit to the dollars required for a new technology tool, document your plan for measuring performance. Is it fulfilling the needs that you documented earlier in the process? Is it saving time or resources, or increasing efficiencies? And how do you know? Who is responsible for tracking these items and monitoring the numbers? It’s important to understand from the get-go how performance will be audited, when, and by whom. 

Takeaway

As exciting as MarTech can be, and as enamored as you can become at the prospect of a powerful new toy, you have a duty to thoroughly vet both the need and the solutions prior to committing your law firm’s time and dollars to adoption. By using these 7 tactics, you should have a good jump on selecting MarTech solutions that will make the most difference to your law firm’s bottom line.

If you’re intimidated by the process, keep in mind that we help law firms to select and implement marketing technology tools, to ensure that their unique needs and goals are being met. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.