The Firm: Evaluate ROI before spending your marketing dollars

By Carolyn Lavin The Daily Record Newswire Few small law firms have marketing budgets with line items devoted to business development initiatives such as public relations, paid advertising, charitable donations, website enhancements and print material updates. Instead of planning for marketing, small firms and solo practitioners often evaluate a marketing decision when presented with an opportunity. Sometimes these on-the-spot decisions overshadow more time-intensive projects that don't have a deadline and, by default, the quickly made decisions use marketing dollars with little return-on-investment. Consider two of the most common marketing dilemmas and ways to avoid them by thinking ahead. A willy-nilly approach You are asked to contribute to the charitable cause championed by your office suitemate. Maybe you have received a mass e-mail from a casual acquaintance asking for a donation. You could attend the event for $50 per ticket or place an ad for $100. The event sounds dry and you will have to network, so you write a check for the ad. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you write the next check: * Does your firm have a policy for charitable contributions? Often, even the smallest of firms are well-advised to limit charitable contributions to requests from fee-generating clients and referral sources. Many lawyers are also active in their own causes, from coaching baseball to volunteering on bar association committees to serving as board members for non-profits. Tell your suitemate that you value his commitment to his charitable organization, but you are already committed to your own charitable pursuits and must limit your additional contributions to requests from fee-generating clients. * What will your ad look like? In many instances, the cost to create an ad for a program book exceeds the initial investment for the ad space. If you can use your nicely designed business card as your ad, that is probably your best bet. Charitable organizations may volunteer to create an ad for you, but that can backfire. If the organization does not have a seasoned designer, a haphazard ad may reflect negatively on your business. * Should I attend this event for business-building purposes? While writing a check and handing over your business card may require a small investment of time and energy, consider attending the gathering to augment your network. You know that your suitemate will be there to introduce you to other attendees with whom you might have some synergy. Peruse the organization's website to check out the board members and others whose personal passions might lead them to the function. If you decide to attend, invite a key client along to share the evening as part of your client retention effort. Postponing the inevitable We all breathed a sigh of relief when we completed our first website (and then forgot all about it). Firms of all sizes dread the thought of re-tooling their sites, especially when faced with an onslaught of work that generates billable hours. Small and solo firms who may not have relationships with a marketing guru are especially hard-pressed. Consider the following plan-ahead tips to facilitate your approach: * Don't try to do it on your own. You would not advise a plaintiff to represent himself in court, so don't attempt to muddle through a website yourself. Take the time to talk to your peers, the bar association or local chamber of commerce for recommendations. Then work hand-in-hand with your marketing expert to reflect your key selling points. Sometimes a few hours are all you need to get up to speed. * Find a middle ground between a Band-Aid approach and a lavish overhaul. Slapping some new graphics and colors on your site may make it appear contemporary, but don't forget to jazz up your writing. Writing for the Internet has changed dramatically (because people don't read anymore!). But in most cases a total overhaul is not needed. Look for an opportunity to "refresh" your site with return-on-investment of marketing dollars in mind. Whether you are looking to highlight your achievements, build your reputation or grow your network, thoughtful evaluation of your marketing dollars may optimize your impact and, ultimately, secure fee-generating clients. In today's challenging business climate, firms of all sizes must see results for their investments of marketing dollars. ---------- Carolyn Lavin is president of Lavin Marketing Communications and has worked with lawyers in Boston and Providence, R.I., for more than 25 years. She can be contacted at lavinmarketing@cox.net. Published: Tue, Apr 12, 2011