When it comes to promotion and increasing revenue, name recognition, or branding, of a law firm is one of the most valuable roles of marketing. The Internet provides a new way for law firms to gain name recognition. Many attorney marketing programs offer potential branding benefits, but some programs clearly provide more benefits than others. A number of factors need to be considered when evaluating the potential branding benefits of different programs.
• Prominence of the Website: As with any marketing campaign, the more people who see the firm’s name, the more effective the program will be. When evaluating a program’s potential, consider such factors as the google rank, placement on other search engines, and relevant search terms. The goal is to get the firm’s name before as many relevant people as possible. Programs that offer placement on multiple prominent sites offer a cost effective way to achieve name recognition.
• Competition on the site: Many firms do not consider competition carefully when marketing on a prominent legal marketing site. Their presumption is that the more prominent the site, the more people will see the firm’s name. However, many sites that receive millions of visitors also have many pages of attorney names, which means any branding benefits are lost because the firm’s name is lost among all the competition.
• Disclosure of the firm’s name: Many law firm’s fail to consider the downside of programs like matching services that hide the firm’s name until a consumer has submitted an inquiry or provided certain basic information. Many visitors to a site never go through that process so they never see the firm’s name.
• Quality of firm profile: Branding is most effective when the firm’s name placement is supported by information that helps the name stand out. Many marketing programs provide a “firm profile” with detailed information, such as large verdicts or settlements, and ratings or verification of the firm’s credentials, which may make the firm’s name more prominent.
• Multiple placements: Since the goal is to get the firm’s name in front of as many consumers as possible, programs that offer multiple placements provide better value. Many attorney marketing programs permit placement in multiple cities, counties, topics, or website pages. Generally, the more pages on which the firm’s name appears, the more effective the branding benefits, so programs that offer numerous placements can be a significant value.
The Internet has become so pervasive that law firms must include Internet based strategies in their name recognition efforts. By using the Internet effectively, a law firm has the ability to reach a far broader audience than it can with traditional branding and marketing tools.
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