The Found Gen

Marketing That Works.

blog

by

Sales v. Advertising v. Marketing: What’s The Difference?

Here’s the thing, sales and advertising are not the same things. While they both share the same parent (which is marketing, by the way) and share a similar goal for business growth, they are fundamentally different.

We can tell that a little crash course is needed here, so we’ll begin. Many smaller companies see advertising as a way to support the selling portion of the business. The advertising can help inform potential customers about the company’s products and varied services. Sales, however, seeks to close the deal with those customers and get them to commit.  Starting to see the difference?

Here are few more ways that these two differ.

The One Vs. The Many

Did you know that sales are more personal than advertising? From phone conversations to in-person, there is no way around customer interaction. Those in sales have direct access to customers, allowing for a more personalized experience and allowing them to interact with the product. Advertising, on the other hand, is non-personal in nature. It involves one-way communication and focuses on reaching many people at the same time. There are also many mediums advertising can use, including billboards, television, the Internet, radio, etc.

Push vs. Pull

Why do companies use sales and marketing? To put it simply, you need both to succeed in your business. However, the function is where the difference lies. Let’s frame it with an example, shall we? Sales reps go out and push the company’s product. Wholesalers then run with the baton and push the product on retailers, and retailers on the consumers. Advertising, however, pulls products through different distribution channels to deliver a brand’s unique message to consumers. In turn, the consumers desire the product and apply pressure for it. 

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities.

Sales introduce the key benefits and features of any product during events and presentations. They may even compare their product and its features to competitors with similar products. What is the objective? It always remains the same: close the sale. Advertising has a different goal. It is designed to follow the AIDA principle (attention, interest, desire, and action). Advertisers may use catchy headlines or noises to attract attention from potential clients. They also dabble in the art of writing and produce compelling copy to keep the consumer’s interest. Advertisers may then have the consumer picture herself using the product to create desire.

Frequency

Last but not least is frequency. Sales is usually more infrequent than advertising and cannot hold the sustainable message like a good advertisement. While sales reps may see a customer one or two times (depending on the need for the product), an advertisement has a lasting reach and impact.

And with that, the game of sales vs. advertisement is done. If you have further questions on how to increase either in your business, shoot us an email and see how we can help.

by

How to Build a Content Strategy for Commercial Real Estate

Content marketing is not for the faint of heart. Content marketing for commercial real estate is even harder. Like the industry itself, it can be a high-level, high-stakes game that is sometimes hard to predict. While people outside of the industry might think of it as the same as residential real estate, those within the industry know that it is an entirely different beast.

The good news is that we’re here to iron out the kinks in your marketing strategy and level the playing field so that you can start seeing some dividends.

Produce Professional-Quality Content

Your content is a direct reflection of you and your brand. It is often the first bit of substance that a client receives from you, and believe us, they take it all in. The good, bad, and the ugly, they will notice it all. So, don’t get sloppy. Everything you put out should be free of grammar errors (especially massive, content-skewing ones), and the storytelling should be beyond the ordinary. If you find that this is just not your strong suit, hire professionals that can do the work for you. Not only will you gain some of your much-needed time back, but polished work will help your brand appear more professional.

Optimize for Local Traffic

Creating exceptional content is and forever will always be the goal (as you just read); however, it has to connect to your local base. If it doesn’t, you’ll be marketing to the wrong crowds, wasting time, and not seeing any level of growth.

Learn about the cities and neighborhoods you want to market to and write to those areas. They will be the ones that will support your business and show the most interest. Also, consider asking your content writers or sourced marketing team to also do some research at the local level and write to region-specific topics.

Make It Bite-Size

Want to know the truth about clients in the commercial real estate space? Ok, we’ll put it in a few words for you. They like it bite-sized. Everything information-wise has to be bite-sized for them to even care. Your typical client is most likely very busy already reading through countless reports, so make your content digestible and an enjoyable read (as much as possible). You can achieve this by including things like:

  • Subheadings
  • Bold text
  • Bullet points
  • Infographics

See how bite-sized information really can be loaded but informational?! Let us know how we can help you hit your marketing dream to make the sales that matter.

by

3 Core Things All Architecture Firms Should Be Doing This Year for Marketing

Seeing beyond what’s there is your job. Testing the limits of what’s possible is in your blood. Strategy is your rulebook, you my friend, are an architect.

That’s why it would only make sense that you would want to take the reins and build a stronger marketing foundation for your architecture firm. Whether the goal is more clients or just better clients, there are strategies to get you to the top of your marketing game.

You’ve just been enrolled in architecture marketing 101, and you’re about to pass the class if you read on as we drop some knowledge.

Lesson 1: Know What’s Going on in Your Marketing

Question: How would you know if any of your marketing strategies thus far have worked or even given you the slightest inch towards seeing the kind of results you desire without the data?

Where is your traffic coming from?

What is the most effective way to connect with your clientele?

Why does it seem like people aren’t reaching out?

All of these questions are important and contribute to real organic growth.

Can you draw your latest masterpiece in the dark? Probably not (and if so, you’re someone that is beyond us mortal humans). Nothing you do should be left in the dark, especially when it comes to marketing. We’re not saying that you need to strictly measure KPI’s and hire a huge marketing company that charges more than you make in a year to track numbers, but we are saying that a healthy interest in how your firm is doing and how things are performing is okay.

Think tactics with proven statistical data behind it. Start with things that have been proven to work time-and-time again and pay attention to any changes in growth that you see.

Lesson 2: Who is Your Audience?

For your marketing strategy to work, you need a specific POA when it comes to who you’re trying to target. Without that, you could be throwing darts out into the atmosphere with no real target.

Seth Godin summarizes this idea well:

“When you seek to engage with everyone, you rarely delight anyone. And if you’re not the irreplaceable, essential, one-of-a-kind changemaker, you never get a chance to engage with the market.

“The solution is simple but counterintuitive: Stake out the smallest market you can imagine. The smallest market that can sustain you, the smallest market you can adequately serve. This goes against everything you learned in capitalism school, but in fact, it’s the simplest way to matter. “

This, in a nutshell, is the foundation of modern-day marketing. You aren’t seeking to speak to everyone, just the select few that you determine are your true audience.

Sit down and actually think about who you’re trying to reach, why you want to reach them, what they might be looking for, and where they live in relation to your services. Just starting here can make a world of difference as your charting out your marketing strategy.

Lesson 3: Establish an Email List

Why do people see hiring an architect as a luxury, you might ask? Because it isn’t something that the average person seeks out every day. In fact, the select few people who need an architect rarely ever need one more than once in their entire lifetime. So, what does that mean for you? The people who are looking are more than vital for your business; they are essential for you making your mark.

The ideal client doesn’t just haphazardly pick an architect right away. They often lurk in the shadows, learning all they can learn about your work and capabilities before committing. Leaving the “close the deal” mentality to realtors will be your best friend because you already know that it works a bit differently in your work line. It takes patience and an abundance of information for a potential client to become an onboard client. 

It is much more pertinent to build a relationship with your client than you think. And a way to do this is through email marketing. Email marketing can keep potential clients in the loop with the latest information, the latest trends, your most recent work, and anything else you choose to share with them. This may seem tedious at first, but the dividends have been proven.  Nothing beats email for reaching your core.

We’ve got the skills, experience, and expertise to help bring your business to the next level. Contact us today to amplify your efforts and let the people come to you!

by

Why Avvo Isn’t Worth Its Salt as far as Marketing Law Firms

If you’ve been in the market for ways to grow your online presence and scale your marketing prowess, you might have heard of a certain overnight wonder taking lawyers by storm. Avvo is the name of the lawyer directory deemed by some as one of the best directories for law firms to date. So, what is it actually good for? Search engine ranking. Which just so happens to be an uber-important factor to the success of most law firms!

While Avvo has quickly grown in popularity, because who doesn’t want to improve their overall rankings, there are certain drawbacks that you should consider.

What Is AVVO?

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? It is one of the biggest websites in the world and has been seen as the mecca for housing lawyer information for potential clients. 

Does a person have a question that requires astute legal advice? Turn to Avvo.

Is a potential client looking for a good lawyer to help them through an “entanglement?” Turn to Avvo.

Looking to solve all of life’s problems? Turn to…well, it might not work in that instance, but you get the point. 

From posting questions to building relationships, clients have you at their digital fingertips, and you have them at yours. 

That might entice you to go out and sign up right away, but did you know that more than 95% of lawyers in the US already have an Avvo profile? Avvo pulls all of the information on public record to set you up with an account. So those things that might not be as flattering (such as disciplinary action) are out there for your potential clients to see. Can you take it off of the service? The only way to appeal the content is to join Avvo. When controlling your online presence is of the utmost importance, this can be a troubling discovery about the beloved service.  

But wait, there’s more!

It All Begins with Google 

It is no secret that Google is usually the first place people go when looking for legal advice. So, that means that your potential clients are looking for the best information and lawyers in their area right on Google. That is why it only makes sense that Google rankings have reached king status in the marketing area. Who wouldn’t want more clients pouring in? That is where Avvo comes in. This simple and easy online directory not only helps clients find you easier, but it also is supposed to help you achieve a higher ranking and more visibility. So, what’s the problem? The links from Avvo to your website are often tagged with a “no follow” attribute. 

That means that the directory requests search engines, like Google, not to follow their link back to your website. Are you starting to see the issue here? 

The result is that links funneled through Avvo may not make it to Google’s radar in the first place, which single-handily crushes the main reason to use the service.  

Is AVVO Worth It?

While the service can help you gain a few leads here and there, the quality of the leads is often in question and the process of the service (which, of course, is based on a continuous subscription for full use). So, the question remains, is it truly worth it for a lawyer looking for real and tangible business growth? 

The short answer? No, not really. Or at least, not as much as you may be led to believe.

When you’re looking for proven marketing that helps firms grow and attract clients, you need to go with proven methods (sounds cliche, but really, there’s no way around it).

You’ve worked hard to get to where you’re at, and it should be showcased professionally and with your control every step of the way. Give us a ring so that we can help you achieve real, tangible results. Leave the marketing to us.

by

Growing Your Law Practice? Marketing Strategies You Can’t Go Without

You do great work. You know your stuff. You have the best dang law practice in the region. Now it’s time to let the people know.

You need to bring awareness to your firm. You need a killer marketing strategy focused on your specific field and area of expertise.

Here are 3 strategies you MUST include in your marketing plan.

Content marketing

One of the most cost-effective (and overall effective) strategies for marketing is through content. Content is king and as a law firm you can leverage your knowledge and expertise to draw in leads. The idea is simple: find the things your clients need to know that are in your wheelhouse and give them what they want. In practice it takes a lot of research, client intel and a deep dive into keyword phrases, but if you’ve done your due diligence, content marketing will give you the best ROI year after year.

Content marketing can look different for every business. You need to know your brand and really know your clients to identify which type of content will work best for your law firm. Blogs are a no-brainer for pretty much every law firm. Beyond that you could think FAQs, case studies, how-to videos, newsletters and more.

SEO campaign

We have some opinions about SEO. Namely, that repeating the same keywords a hundred times is NOT an effective marketing strategy. Content is the only lasting and effective way to boost your rankings on Google, so that’s one of the key reasons we push content so hard. But with a solid SEO campaign, through the use of valuable content, you can boost your search results rankings.

You NEED to get on that first page of Google. 75% of people never go past the first page results. With an effective SEO campaign you can use targeted keywords, great titles and meta-descriptions, optimized images and more to bring traffic to your site, build your authority and raise your rankings.

And yet, this is why it’s so important to re-evaluate what that first page is for your firm – and where you should be ranking higher. All too often, people want to rank top on “Law Firm + City” but *news flash* people are not using the Google search bar like that anymore. They are savvier – and asking big, bold, direct, and pinpointed questions. THOSE are the pages you want to rank on.

Great website optimized for mobile

Of all the investments you make in your business, put a great website at the top of the list. People don’t have patience for clunky websites with poor navigation that look like they came straight out of the 90s. Build a website that takes your users’ experience into account. Meaning, make it easy to navigate, easy to find what they’re looking and easy to contact you directly.

And if you haven’t optimized your site for mobile, you’re potentially losing half of your leads. Many people are searching from their phones and if a website isn’t optimized for mobile, they’ll get frustrated and move on. Make mobile-first optimization a top priority for your marketing and business strategy.

Ready to start your campaign and see some serious ROI?

We’re ready to put on page 1 and bring your law practice to the next level. Let’s talk!

by

Why Blogging is So Dang Important for Law Firms

You’re a busy legal professional. You’ve got clients to manage, court appearances, research and research and research. Who has time to blog?

Well, you might not want to hear this, but you need to make the time. Blogs are number one for driving traffic to your site, establishing trust and authority,  and landing leads. However, if you don’t want to make the time, there are some great options (ahem, like us) for outsourcing all your marketing needs

You’re just not going to escape the need for blogs in your law firm. They’re just that important.

One of the great things is that you probably already have a massive amount of content just sitting in your legal documents, your client emails and in-house communications that can readily be turned into blogs. So, look at the bright side. All that finger strain and knowledge poured out can fuel future blogs and a strategic marketing campaign.

Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty. We can push you to blog all day, but you need to know why it’s so important for your law firm. Here’s why…

Trust and authority

In the legal field, your clients need to know that they can count on your knowledge, skills and expertise. You can talk up your practice all you want but the proof is in the pudding. Think of it from your client’s perspective. If they came to your website and just saw you tooting your own horn with no content to back it up, they wouldn’t establish the kind of trust they need to reach out to you. Show them that you’re an expert, that you understand your legal field inside and out and that you understand their needs. Share stories that they can relate to – and how you would solve or approach the issue at hand. This can provide a level of solace to a potential client that makes converting that lead and done deal. Yes, you can accomplish all this and more through blogs.

Not only are trust and authority important to your clients, but they’re important to Google’s crawlers as well. SEO is about way more than regurgitating keywords. Google actually has algorithms to examine your authority and credibility. Write great blogs with relevant and informative content and boost your SEO. Speaking of SEO…

SEO

Hands down the best way to get yourself on the first page of search engines is through content. And for most law firms blogging is the best form of content to accomplish this. 96% of people are using search engines to find attorneys. 75% of people never look past the first page. Writing blogs that target the key questions that your potential clients are searching for will put you on their radar and drive all that traffic home.

Foster relationships, expand your reach

Consumers just don’t want to be “sold” anymore. They are savvier than ever and know when they’re getting a sales pitch. These days the best way to attract clients and build a brand is through relationships. You build relationships through content. This means providing content that speaks to your audience’s needs and wants, that meets them where they are and answers the questions that are on their minds. Do this and you foster relationships. Relationships lead to trusting and satisfied clients.

A cost-effective marketing strategy

The bottom line is always heavy on the mind of any business owner. Your law firm is no different. One of the best things about blogging is that it’s extremely cost-effective compared to other forms of marketing and offers one of the best ROIs of any marketing strategy. Valuable blogs also pay for themselves year after year. If you wrote about a particularly sticky issue that your clients are needing help on, you could see return traffic to this blog for months and years, helping you rank on search engines and building your authority.

Feed the content machine

With an effective content marketing strategy, it’s imperative to look at the big picture. Blogs are great, of course, you’ll never hear otherwise from us. But without an overarching campaign and strategy, you won’t utilize your blogs to their full effectiveness. Blogs can (and should) work in tandem with social media, newsletters, video content and any other piece of your overall marketing plan.

Are we blog-biased? Of course! But for good reason. Blogs are one of the best forms of content to drive quality traffic to your site, establish authority, and easily convert leads, not to mention they’re so dang cost-effective.

Bottom line. You need to blog. Hope we made that clear. Now, let’s talk content marketing strategy to give your blogs the best shot.