So your firm is finally accepting that marketing is necessary in the current legal landscape and they have given you their blessing to market away. But there is that constant nagging/lingering question of “How do we know this is working?” While measuring the effectiveness of individual pieces of a marketing strategy can sometimes be difficult, there are some tools out there to help you with collecting data on the elements you can track. Here is a look at some tools available to help you work through the ROI rigmarole:
- Google Analytics - We go to Google for answers to everything, why not let them compile answers on basics, like your firm’s website? Google Analytics provides a very informative and easy to use platform to track a number of metrics. The basics include data on number of visits to your site, page views, keyword analytics, bounce rate and time spent on your site for starters. But these metrics are just scraping the surface of what good information is available to you. Google Analytics can also tell you who is coming to your site, where they are from, how they are getting there. You may need to dig a little deeper and do some data gathering of your own, but you also want to find out conversion rates - who is coming to your website and then calling to make an appointment, who becomes a client, etc. Double bonus: it’s free!
- Buffer - Social Media. Now that you have your firm on board for why having a social media presence is a must, you need to figure out what is working. Buffer will provide analytics across all of your social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. It will tell you which posts are your most popular, and who your important influencers are. It will also let you compile and stagger posts so you don’t have to be glued to your computer or phone to post throughout the day/week/month.
- Compete - Competitive Intelligence. One great way to improve your position in the market is to first understand your position in the market. Compete allows you to compare your online presence against competing websites by looking at what strategies your competitors are using to achieve results. You can find out what keywords are driving users to their sites, as well as what tactics your competition is using to drive traffic to their site. This information can help you plan your campaigns to maximize your position in the marketplace.
Of course, there are numerous other tools out there to help you, both free and paid. Take a look around to find the tools that are right for you. Just remember, collecting the data is the easy part. Analyzing the data and implementing strategies to better your marketing plan is where the real talent comes in.
Helpful resources:
http://www.smartinsights.com/marketplace-analysis/customer-analysis/10-free-online-marketing-tools-that-every-hands-on-marketer-should-use/
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/the-10-smartest-web-analytics-tools/
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/03/analytic-tools-measure-content/
http://www.inc.com/guides/12/2010/11-best-web-analytics-tools.html
By Kristin Maclay Brunett, Marketing & Business Development Manager at Paley Rothman for the March/April 2016 issue of Capital Ideas.