Learn how to zig when everyone else is zagging
The bad news is that the bankruptcy industry is supersaturated with bankruptcy attorneys in pretty much every large or medium-sized city in the U.S. The good news is that most attorneys market themselves in generic, herdlike ways. They stay in the safe zone and use similar logos, have similar names (Ex: Johnson & Johnson, ______ & Associates, The Law Firm of _____), and use the same ads (Ex: Get a Free Consultation!). This lack of creativity and ingenuity gives you an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and attract customers to you by being distinct from everyone else. Are you brave enough to be different and reap the rewards?
To stand out from the crowd and get the attention, interest, and business from your customers, follow these simple principles:
1. Recognize what your marketing message environment looks like
Take time to note the websites, billboards, TV/radio commercials, and online ads of your competitors. What feel and messages are they striving for? Are they all in the same herd, or are there some that are doing unique things?
2. Determine whether or not you have fallen into the trap of sameness in your marketing
Now look in the mirror at your own marketing messages. Are you blending in with the crowd? Are your ads, website, and marketing messages commoditized, or do they truly stand out? If they don’t stand out, you have an opportunity to improve.
3. There are plenty of things you can change to stand out
In your market of homogenized competitors, you can change these to be different:
- Logo
- Website
- Radio Ads
- TV Commercials
- Online ads
- How you handle calls
- How you handle in-person consultations
4. Don’t be afraid of doing things completely outside the box
Now it’s time to loosen up the tie and brainstorm truly unique, stand-out marketing strategies. As long as you are thinking about what marketing messages and resources will best help your customers, you really don’t have any rules to follow.
One of the biggest challenges of attorney marketing is fearing to do things that seem outside the “accepted” realm of what attorneys are “supposed” to do. Remember, however, that you are marketing yourself to real people, not to attorneys. Step outside your comfort zone and do something off the wall, like this effective marketing video that the Pew Law Center in Arizona created, to get customers attention.
This video does an excellent job of:
- Having a truly ingenious, unique delivery
- Being 100% different from any other attorney ad that you’ve ever seen before
- Using humor effectively to portray creditors and debtors
- Timing the message perfectly (launched close to Halloween)
- Taking advantage of social trends (zombies are quite popular)
- Hilighting the benefits of hiring an attorney
- Relating with the consumer on a personal (albeit humorous) level
- Effectively calling them to act
Whatever you decide to do to make your law firm stand out from the crowd, never feel constricted to the herdlike mentality of your competitors. Let your creativity and innovation take your law firm to heights that your boring competitors are too scared and lame to try.