The Pros and Cons of Demand Generation for Law Firms

If you follow our blog, then you know demand generation is a big deal for law firms. In our recent post, we covered some of the most common questions around demand generation marketing. However, there’s more to learn for even the most experienced legal marketing team. In this blog, we’re discussing the pros and cons of several common demand generation strategies. We’ll provide a brief overview of what you need to know about the various tactics commonly used in demand generation marketing. Without further ado, let’s dive in! 

Social Media Marketing

One of the most effective forms of demand generation, social media allows you to reach a large audience in real time and fairly easily. It’s also relatively inexpensive, depending on the campaigns you run and the tools you use. It’s a really smart option for small businesses that need to do more with less. However, it is a crowded space, and can be difficult to build a following when you’re just starting out. 

• Pros: Inexpensive; builds brand awareness; reaches audience in real-time; great for small firms
• Cons: Hard to stand out, crowded space; your competitors are also present

Related: How Lawyers Can Use Social Media to Build Their Brand & Grow Their Practice

Email Marketing

Email is still considered a great way to get in front of a client or potential one. It’s a very effective tactic as part of a larger lead nurturing strategy, and in some cases lead nurturing can be difficult without email. Similar to social media, it can be inexpensive, but this also depends on the tools you use and the campaigns you run. Emails have to be informative and shareable; boring or bland emails will be considered spam and quickly deleted. That means a lot of the effectiveness comes down to what you push out via email. 

• Pros: Inexpensive; offers personalized content opportunities; provides trackable data; available to any attorney or firm; helps with lead scoring or nurturing programs
• Cons: Can be overused; low-quality emails are viewed as spam; crowded space

Webinars

Online presentations or webinars can be an ideal way to generate leads. They allow you to showcase your expertise and knowledge, which is critical for thought leadership, while also allowing you to capture lead information. You can build them out as part of larger programs or as a standalone event. Experts within your firm can contribute to the presentation and promote them in order to gain credibility and build their personal brand. That being said, they can be time-consuming to plan and execute, and you are susceptible to IT issues once in a while. You’ll also need to invest in the right software to conduct, record, and share events successfully. 

• Pros: Great for thought leadership; simple lead capture; increased engagement; provides key data; builds credibility; involves SMEs
• Cons: Can be time-consuming to plan; software investment; IT struggles (rare, but does happen)

PR Campaigns

Generating more buzz for your business is usually a good thing (when it’s for the right reasons). Doing so will help expand brand awareness, build credibility, and drive traffic to your website. The more that people look for you online, the better. However, many firms fall into the trap of creating PR campaigns when they don’t have anything real to promote. Potential clients see through this. Make sure to focus your PR efforts only on newsworthy, interesting campaigns that position your firm well. Note that the cost of PR campaigns varies wildly based on which tactics are involved, whether or not you’re using an external firm, etc. 

• Pros: Can be inexpensive; great for brand recognition
• Cons: Can be expensive; means less in a crowded space; can be difficult to execute; seen as irrelevant if not newsworthy

Videos and Podcasts

A crucial part of legal marketing is highlighting expertise and experience. This thought leadership is more important for lawyers than most professionals. Video and podcast are powerful channels for sharing that knowledge and building credibility. Both of these channels are also highly engaging and more likely to lead to real interaction. You can also use these elements to build a community that you can build relationships with. It’s important to note that for these platforms to succeed, they need to be properly promoted – which ties in with other marketing channels like social media. 

• Pros: Interactive and engaging; community building; more likely to be shared; thought leadership
• Cons: Requires equipment/software; room for IT issues; time-consuming for SME

Blogging

 Blogs are at the core of a successful content marketing strategy. Similar to video and podcast, blogs allow you to showcase your expertise and share real insights into how you work with clients. Plus, blogs are great for driving traffic to your website or other desired pages, and they can help boost SEO significantly. A blog with well-researched keyword placement can boost your rankings and make your website more visible. Additionally, blogging helps to build relationships and let people feel like they are getting to know your staff, which is important when people end up choosing an attorney. 

Related: SEO for Law Firm Websites

• Pros: Typically free; boosts SEO; drives web traffic; thought leadership; internal linking; promotion without being salesy; can be scheduled in advance
• Cons: Requires time to plan and write

Takeaway: 

Demand generation is a great way to generate new leads and nurture the ones that you have. All of the channels listed have a place in a robust demand generation strategy, and you can plan your best programs and campaigns using a mix. Keep in mind the pros and cons of each, and note whether any of the cons would be a deal-breaker. If you need help planning an effective digital marketing strategy, our team can help. Our staff is made up of marketing experts who specialize in the legal industry and know how to build a digital roadmap for your most important lead generation goals.