I heard two radio commercials yesterday and IMH (but accurate) O, both made the same mistake. Listen up. This is important even if you don’t advertise.
One spot was mass tort. I don’t recall the other. Both ads used the same call to action. They told (interested) listeners to call a telephone number, presumably, to make an appointment.
What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that why the lawyers are advertising? Isn’t that how the listener with a legal issue is going to get the help they need?
Sure. But here’s the thing. For every person who calls, there are perhaps ten people who “almost” call but don’t.
The ad caught there attention, they have the legal issue, or think they do, they need help, but for a multitude of reasons, they don’t call.
Maybe they think their problem is different. Maybe they’re scared and not ready to talk to someone. Maybe they don’t trust you. Maybe they think they’ll have to pay. Or they know the consultation is free but think they will have to pay after that (and can’t afford it). Maybe they think the person they talk to won’t answer any questions unless they come to their office. Maybe they’re busy and can’t take time off work. Maybe they didn’t write down the phone number. Maybe their dog threw up and the next day they forgot to call.
Lost of reasons. But the ads give the listener only two options: call or don’t call.
And most don’t call.
What if there was another option? What if they could learn more about their issue and the possible solutions, find out about the law and procedure, and learn about the lawyer’s background and how they have helped lots of other people with this problem?
What if they could get many of their basic questions answered without having to talk to anyone? What if they could sell themselves on taking the next step?
What if the ads told the listener to go their website, where they could get all of this, and more?
Do you think some of the listeners would do that? And if the website does a decent job of educating them and making them feel comfortable with these lawyers and their ability to help them, do you think more people would call or use the email contact form?
If more people did that, do you think these lawyers would get more clients?
Look, some of the listeners to these commercials are going to go online anyway, to see what they can find out about the problem and possible solutions. Your ad reminded them to do that.
What will they find? Which of your competitor’s website will they land on? Which of them will they hire instead of you?
In marketing your legal services, yes, you should give out your phone number and tell prospective clients to call. But you should also give them your website, so that if they’re not ready to call, they can get to know, like, and trust you, so that when they are ready to do something, the lawyer they call is you.
Marketing legal services with your website. Go here
