Measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of marketing efforts is crucial for law firms to assess the effectiveness of their strategies and allocate resources wisely. However, tracking ROI in the legal industry can pose unique challenges due to the complex nature of legal services and the long sales cycle. At Legal Consulting Pro, we understand the importance of implementing effective methods to measure marketing ROI and optimize marketing strategies.
In this blog, we’ll explore ten effective methods that law firms can use to measure marketing ROI. From tracking website analytics and lead generation metrics to calculating client acquisition costs and assessing client lifetime value, each method offers valuable insights into the performance and impact of marketing initiatives.
Additionally, we’ll discuss the role of paralegal services in supporting marketing efforts within law firms. Paralegals can contribute to marketing ROI measurement by assisting with data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that marketing efforts are accurately tracked and evaluated.
Join us as we delve into these effective methods and provide insights on how law firms can measure marketing ROI to make informed decisions, maximize marketing effectiveness, and drive business growth. By leveraging these methods alongside paralegal services, law firms can gain a comprehensive understanding of their marketing performance and make strategic adjustments to achieve their goals.
Strategize and Partner for Effective ROI
The first step is to ensure they have a good strategic marketing strategy with effective channels to accompany the plan. The plan will identify the target market and the channels that market uses daily or most often. If you are a law firm that capitalizes on getting drivers out of traffic tickets, then you need to partner with organizations that enforce tickets, utilize billboards where drivers drive by, take advantage of partnerships with vehicle authorities, and send out mailings, etc. Once you have the plan, ROI is determined by the plan and easily reached. Law firms or their marketers may need to research industry trends in ROI metrics for that medium. Some ROI is not always immediate income within a timeframe, especially if no realistic timeframe was established in the marketing plan, or if the buying behaviors of their target legal client are more on a delayed, when-needed basis, i.e., ‘When I get a ticket, I know to call X law firm because I saw their advertisement.’ In my opinion, the ideal marketing campaign for law firms should involve email campaigns to capture future clients and update them with legal winning cases, ethical advice, etc. Many law firms do not capitalize on email marketing. Let’s stay focused; if law firms need a marketing strategy that works, then they need to consult and partner with marketing firms just as they want their clients to consult with them for legal matters.
Kennette Burgess, CEO, Strategic Marketing Consultant, Designer, FOCUS MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
Track Conversions with Analytics Tools
Tracking ROI from marketing efforts starts with tracking conversions. Setting up systems so that you can attribute new client phone calls and contact forms to their source channel (i.e., Google organic, Google PPC, Facebook, etc.) is essential. Utilizing free tools such as Google Analytics allows for law firms to gain these insights quite easily.
Going one step further, you can implement paid third-party call tracking tools such as CallRail and WhatConverts. These tools further allow for the attribution of phone calls to specific marketing activities, highlighting which ads, keywords, or campaigns are driving new client consultations. Furthermore, these paid call tracking tools can be used to track traditional media marketing campaigns as well, such as billboards, mailers, and TV commercials.
From there, you simply need to account for the lead and lead source in a CRM (client relationship management) system. With these two elements in place, you can then start to track your exact (not a guess or an estimate) ROI from any marketing channel.
This then enables law firms to smartly invest in marketing channels that yield the highest return, ensuring sustained growth and profitability for their legal practice.
Chris Rossi, Legal Marketing Consultant, Attorney Sluice
Gauge ROI Using CRM Software
I recommend using CRM software to precisely gauge the ROI of legal marketing activities. If your firm employs CRM software, you can now monitor each lead from their initial contact with your firm until their decision to hire (or not hire) your services.
A CRM isn’t just a valuable database for handling existing leads and their information in one place; it also enhances the client intake process, making it more effective and personalized. This is achieved by using tailored intake forms, electronic signatures, and automating certain tasks to gain new clients. Automating activities like email follow-ups and data entry saves time. You can assess which clients and cases contribute most to your success by utilizing advanced data reporting, pinpointing the most beneficial marketing efforts for your firm. Additionally, it’s crucial to evaluate the quality of leads; identifying which advertising efforts result in high-quality leads and which result in less desirable ones.
Patrick Beltran, Marketing Director, Ardoz Digital
Leverage Marketing Automation
From my background as a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer and my deep dive into digital innovation, I’ve seen the impact of well-strategized marketing efforts for various sectors, including law firms. One effective way law firms can measure ROI from their marketing activities is by leveraging marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. These platforms are invaluable in tracking the entire journey of leads from initial contact to becoming a client, providing concrete data on which marketing channels are most effective.
For example, in one of my projects geared toward the legal industry, we implemented an integrated approach using HubSpot. By integrating it with the firm’s website and social media platforms, we could track not just the quantity of leads each channel generated but also the quality, as measured by conversion rates and the average time taken from lead capture to becoming a client. This data was then cross-referenced with the firm’s investment in each marketing channel to calculate a precise ROI.
Another critical facet is customer engagement metrics, such as interaction on social media posts, time spent on specific web pages, and download rates of gated content (such as legal guides or whitepapers). These indicators not only signal the effectiveness of content but also help in identifying content that drives engagement and conversions. By focusing on these metrics, the law firms I’ve worked with were able to optimize their content strategy to produce more targeted and engaging materials, ultimately enhancing their marketing ROI. This approach, rooted in both my creative strategy expertise and practical experience, underscores the importance of data-informed decisions in marketing within the legal sector.
Haiko de Poel, Owner, Mass Impact
Integrate Marketing with Case Management Software
In my experience, the best approach is to integrate legal marketing efforts with Case Management Software. This software is highly valuable for daily use by attorneys and staff. But it also serves a purpose in determining the ROI of law firm marketing, as it keeps records of all the clients who have hired your firm.
For instance, let’s say John Smith is a paying client listed in your Case Management Software. Marketing teams can trace John Smith’s journey from being a paying client in the CMS back to the CRM or intake data, all the way to his initial contact. They can then link this paying client to the marketing or advertising strategies that initially led him to reach out to the firm.
This method is an efficient way to track the full journey from marketing effort to client acquisition, which is vital in calculating your law firm’s ROI. For example, Case Management Data might show that John Smith paid $2,000 for your services. Call Tracking data aligns with his initial call’s time and date. Marketing Analytics data might indicate his entry through a Google Ads search, but intake notes may reveal he first saw your ad on TV.
This means both TV and Google Ads contributed to acquiring John Smith as a client. By applying this approach to broader datasets, considering advertising expenses and revenue figures, you can accurately calculate your law firm’s marketing ROI. Easy!
Precious Abacan, Marketing Director, Softlist
Analyze Traffic, Conversions, and Lead Quality
There are several ways for law firms to measure the ROI of their marketing efforts. One way is to track website traffic and conversions, such as form submissions or phone calls from potential clients. This can be done through tools like Google Analytics and call-tracking software. Another important aspect to consider is lead quality. By tracking which marketing channels are generating the most high-quality leads, law firms can determine where to allocate their marketing budget for maximum ROI. Additionally, conducting client surveys or analyzing client data can provide insights into the effectiveness of different marketing strategies. By gathering feedback and identifying which channels clients found the firm through, law firms can better understand which tactics are resonating with their target audience.
Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV
Record Referral Sources Accurately
While fully monitoring ROI can be difficult, it can be made considerably easier by ensuring that recording referral sources is built into the workflow process for onboarding new clients. Training for this is critical. You must ensure that everyone—from the first line of contact, whether that be a secretary, a receptionist, or a paralegal, right through to the heads of department—understands the importance of accurately recording the referral source. If you can’t see how a client came to us, simply ask them, ‘How did you hear about our firm?’ It’s a two-second question that can have such a big impact on identifying the most successful marketing channels, shaping future activity, and subsequently, increasing client numbers.
Haley Evans, Marketing & Communications Manager, Harding Evans Solicitors
Utilize Detailed Metrics Analysis
From my experiences at Cleartail Marketing, where we’ve propelled B2B companies into new realms of growth through targeted, data-driven campaigns, there’s a comprehensive approach law firms can adopt to measure ROI and decipher their most efficacious marketing channels. One standout strategy involves the utilization of marketing automation technology, paired with a keen focus on specific metrics like CPA (Cost Per Action), CPL (Cost Per Lead), CLV (Customer Lifetime Value), and the meticulous tracking of multi-touch attribution points throughout a prospect’s journey.
For instance, we aided a client in the legal sector to revamp their Google AdWords campaign, resulting in a staggering 5,000% ROI. The crux of this success relied not only on the high-level automation and targeting strategies but also on an unwavering attention to detailed metrics analysis. By drilling down into the cost per lead, evaluating the conversion rates from each channel (e.g., LinkedIn, cold emails), and actively managing the customer lifecycle to harness the full potential of their CLV, we were able to allocate marketing funds more effectively. This level of precision in tracking and analysis allowed for a fluid, responsive marketing strategy that maximized returns from the most profitable channels.
Moreover, incorporating tools like detailed website and email analytics, integrated with CRM systems, offers a coherent view of how each touchpoint contributes to the final conversion. By rigorously analyzing website traffic increases, engagement levels on published content, and the effectiveness of email campaigns in lead nurturing, we’ve been able to pinpoint which digital activities drive the most client engagements and conversions. This multifaceted approach, hinging on granular data and strategic automation, can significantly help law firms to not only track but also amplify their marketing ROI, ensuring every dollar spent is an investment towards measurable growth.
Magee Clegg, CEO, Cleartail Marketing
Track Campaigns with Unique URLs
When it comes to measuring ROI for a law firm’s marketing efforts, one effective method is to use unique URLs and landing pages. Assign distinct URLs or landing pages for each marketing channel or campaign you have. This way, you can easily track where your traffic is coming from and which channels are driving the most conversions.
This will allow you to get clear insights into which strategies are contributing to your ROI and where adjustments might be needed. Plus, it’s a straightforward way to gauge the effectiveness of your various marketing channels, which will help you adjust your efforts accordingly.
Daniel Willmott, Founder, Shortformvideo.co
Focus on Digital Ads for Measurable ROI
Measurement is all about data quality. By their natures, different types of marketing produce data of varying quality. For example, it’s almost impossible to accurately measure the effectiveness of a billboard. You don’t know how many people see it each day, how many of those people contact you, and how many eventually become clients. (Asking leads how they heard about you is not particularly accurate.) With digital advertising, all of these data points can be easily measured. That means, for example, you can easily compare the ROI from your search ads and your social media ads. Comparing the ROI of digital ads to traditional ads is hard because the data on traditional ads is so much worse. For the most measurable and reliable results, digital ads are the obvious starting point. That doesn’t mean that traditional advertising is bad, but because its results are hard to measure, you can easily spend a ton, get nothing in return, and be none the wiser.
Temmo Kinoshita, Co-Founder, Lindenwood Marketing
To Conclude
Measuring marketing Return on Investment (ROI) is essential for law firms to gauge the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and make informed decisions about resource allocation. By implementing the ten effective methods discussed in this blog, law firms can gain valuable insights into the performance of their marketing initiatives.
From tracking website analytics and lead generation metrics to calculating client acquisition costs and assessing client lifetime value, each method offers unique perspectives on marketing ROI. Additionally, leveraging paralegal services can streamline data collection, analysis, and reporting, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of ROI measurement processes.
At Legal Consulting Pro, we recognize the importance of measuring marketing ROI and the role that paralegal services can play in supporting these efforts. By leveraging these effective methods alongside paralegal services, law firms can make data-driven decisions, optimize marketing strategies, and drive business growth.
By continuously monitoring and evaluating marketing ROI, law firms can identify areas for improvement, capitalize on successful strategies, and adapt to changing market dynamics. With a strategic approach to ROI measurement, law firms can maximize the impact of their marketing efforts and achieve their business objectives effectively.
