Lawyer-to-Lawyer Marketing: Are Direct Mailers Worth It?
Among the most important ways that attorneys get new clients is through referrals from other attorneys. Having a solid base of referrals ensures a fairly steady stream of business, and it doesn't hurt to know other lawyers, either.
Of course, the operative question is, "How do I get in touch with attorneys?" There are a lot of ways, but today, we'll discuss direct mailers. Are direct mailers worth it?
Pro: Highly Focused
Unlike billboards or even Internet ads, you can focus direct mail marketing on a very specific audience, which increases the chance of a response. If you want to target only personal injury lawyers in the greater Chicago area, then you can do it.
Con: Straight to the Trash
The standard statistic for direct mail is that 44 percent of it goes straight to the trash, unopened. (This is why direct mailers have to disguise it as something important, just so people will open the envelope.) And only one or two percent of recipients actually respond to a direct mail offer.
Pro: It's Whatever You Want It to Be
If all you're doing is sending out a mailer saying, "Hey, I'm John Smith, and I'm a personal injury attorney. Consider me in your referrals," you don't need a whole envelope. You can get the job done with a large postcard, which will turn out better because it doesn't have to be opened to be read. Your face and contact information can be easily plastered on an attorney's wall somewhere, in case he or she needs you.
Con: It's Expensive
Well, relatively speaking. It's definitely more expensive than email marketing, but then again, email marketing is so much easier to ignore and filter out than paper mail. Also, paper mail entails the cost of real-world materials like printing and paper, while email basically costs nothing in resources. Still, compared to other "analog" methods, it's not that pricey per record, if you're smart about it.
Conclusion?
If you're highly focused and know what you're doing, direct-mail marketing to get in contact with other lawyers can be a viable way to get your name out in the local attorney community. The experts caution, though, that it's not something that's easy to do yourself, unless you want to front the time required to look up local attorneys and assemble a mailing list.
Or, better yet, contact FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing to help you determine if direct mail marketing is for you. Even better, they'll handle all the logistics, so you can worry about your own job.
Related Resources:
- 50 Ways to Market Your Practice (ABA Journal)
- Marketing to the Bar (Attorney at Work)
- 5 Reasons Why Newsletters Should Be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 7 Legal Marketing Trends Every Lawyer Should Know (FindLaw's Strategist)