The common misconception surrounding marketing is that it’s all about advertising. While advertising is one part of the marketing function, it’s not all it is.
Marketing can more aptly be defined as the promotion of your business, product or service. This promotion can take many forms that focus on engagement, retention and acquisition.
Engagement with your clients is important to maintain whilst running a successful firm. Marketing is a tool you can use to ‘keep the conversation going’. It informs, engages and sells to your audience, resulting in constant growth of your practice.
For small conveyancing firms, getting the word out can be challenging due to less visibility and lack of resources (like budget or time). However, there are some strategies that can help you scale your marketing efforts and build your brand.
Whether you’re struggling with a limited budget, time restraints caused by having a smaller team, or having a lack of direction, this article will highlight 4 marketing tips to help build your brand and generate clients.
1. Create a digital presence
This starts with a website. Your website should be seen as your digital storefront. It’s often the first thing people see when they hear about your business.
It you were running a Coffee Shop and the kitchen was a mess, the seating area was dirty and the staff looked shaggy, most customers would take one look at it and walk back out. The same can be said about your website.
Your website is also a place where people can get in touch with you, making it a direct source of customer acquisition. A good website will naturally convert visitors into customers.
Later in this article we’ll discuss how you can drive traffic to your website, as the more traffic you drive there, the higher chance you have of creating customers.
Once your website is built, you should look to create social media pages for your business.
These are a free tool that you can use to promote your brand and, more importantly, drive traffic to your website.
The more social media platforms you can be on, the better. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are the more popular ones.
That being said, the more channels you have, the more time you will need to keep these channels updated with content.
If you’re time poor, just think about which platforms your customers use the most and start there.
2. Networking
At the end of the day, business success comes from making in-person connections and creating relationships.
Clients will not work with you if they do not trust you and they will not trust you from an internet ad.
Networking enables you to get face-to-face with your potential clients so they can see who they’re dealing with, building that trust from the outset.
Networking can be as simple as attending your friends barbecue and being able to confidently explain what you do, all the way to attending trade shows, conferences, and other events.
To make sure that you’re networking effectively, and making the most out of every opportunity, you need to first plan your elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is an overview of your business, including the what’s, why’s, how’s and a call to action.
This two sentence pitch can make a powerful impact on the person you are connecting with, along with setting you apart from your competitors.
3. Content Marketing
Content is key. Once your website and social media platforms are up-to-date, you can use content to drive traffic.
By providing useful content to your audience, it increases your reputability, positions you as a thought leader in your field and helps entice clients to engage with your service.
Content should be thought of as the first step in an overall marketing strategy. An article you write or a video you post of you talking about the industry that you push out through your channels can be the first time someone interacts with your company.
You want this first interaction to be a positive one. It doesn’t always mean that every person who sees the video will come flooding into your inbox, but it’s a great stepping stone to building a reputable brand.
Over time, the more content they see, the more people will get to know your brand and will trust your services.
4. Create a plan
Creating a Marketing Plan is the most important thing you can do for your business. Before you go away and design a website or start creating content, you should map it all out in the form of a plan.
This plan needs to outline how you will reach your target audience and with what marketing strategies.
There are thousands of ways you can promote your business. With the right mix of activities, you can identify and focus on the most effective marketing tactics for your conveyancing firm.
To do that, you need to research and identify your target market, decide how your business will stand out, develop a SMART objective and then create the action plan.
If you want to find out more specific tips on how your can build your brand and what should be in your marketing plan, you subscribe to The Conveyancing Digest monthly newsletter.
