Long-Term Marketing Strategies for Process Servers
- December 05, 2017
- by ServeNow Staff
- Articles
Marketing isn’t magic. It is a strategic plan to introduce your company to as many new clients as possible, and maintain good standing with your returning clients. In line with those goals, effective marketing doesn’t happen overnight and is a long-term investment. It can take time for your marketing efforts to gain traction and prove effective so marketing should be analyzed over a yearly basis. Keep this in mind while you’re evaluating your marketing, as products might need more time to show their effectiveness, or ebb and flow in parallel with seasonal trends in your industry.
Successful companies are routinely reevaluating their business tactics and determining what is working and what is not. Part of this is reevaluating their marketing strategies and we have a few tips to help you along the way.
Recognize the Additional Value of Your Marketing
Marketing isn’t as straightforward as one would hope. There are many factors that contribute to a successful marketing campaign, so it is important to understand all aspects of your efforts. For example, ServeNow membership and listings are a great way to gain new clients by being found in our directory. However, did you know that ServeNow provides an invaluable backlink to your website, helping you rank in searches across the web? That means that being a ServeNow member doesn’t just get your new clients through our network searches, but across the web by increasing your own website’s rankings. When these important listings and links go away, there is a negative effect on your online ranking, potentially changing how often you appear for searches for a process server in your coverage area.
ServeNow is a powerful authority on the web for process servers, and having your website linked on our site helps categorize your website in the legal and process serving field. This helps search engine bots (like Google) identify your industry, purpose, and services and rank them accordingly.
Being a member of an association of trusted network establishes your business and proves to potential customers they will reach a qualified industry professional, instead of an unknown number found through a basic search. Law firms, corporations, other process servers, and fellow ServeNow members search in the directory since they understand the quality of work that ServeNow members offer.
Track Your Leads
It can be hard to determine where your business is coming from, but it is essential to do your best to track where your leads are coming from. Ask every new client how they found you or heard about your company. Whether it’s a direct email, message through your website, or a phone call, try to get the specifics without overwhelming them.
Keep in mind that saying they “found on you on the web or Google” often means that a combination of strategies are working in your favor. Your ServeNow listing, website, and optimization plan can all help you to be found on the web. Furthermore, some people aren’t familiar with the internet and it’s many parts, so they don’t always remember where they found you.
Tracking leads is pointless if you don’t organize and analyze this data. We suggest making a spreadsheet that is accessible to all employees answering phones and emails to update with every new lead. Analyze and categorize this data often.
Identify Essential Marketing Tactics
Finding the perfect combination of marketing tactics for your company takes time and effort. Your return on investment isn’t necessarily straightforward as leads can be generated from a combination of efforts, not just one listing or flyer. Online marketing is a perfect example of how multiple products can affect your overall online presence and ranking. One product can provide enough business, but a combination (website, listing, optimization) can promote your company to even more clients.
Advertising also helps build your brand. If you are listed one day and gone the next, potential customers may forget about your company and the services you provide. They also may conclude that you are retired or out of business, completely stopping reoccurring customers from returning.
Make sure that your marketing foundation has all the basics: a website, local optimization, and a ServeNow listing. If your business doesn’t have the basics, your marketing will suffer.
Expand Content and Bolster Profiles
Increasing marketing during slow months can help bolster your company and get a few more clients! You should consider enriching your marketing with other tactics, info, and content to draw in more searches.
Consider adding a special offer to your listings to set you apart and help finalize the decision between you and a competitor. Unique special offers are also a great way to track leads!
Understand ROI and Maintain Realistic Expectations
Not all businesses grow every month, so be realistic with your expectations. If you're spending a limited amount of money on marketing and advertising, your return may not support your entire business. Marketing prices are scalable so it is important to understand the appropriate amount of return. Business has its ups and downs, so don't be discouraged by a bad month. Building up an online reputation and repeat clients takes time, so keep faith in your marketing tactics.
Acquiring the right customer can pay for the life of your advertising, so make sure you consider all leads before readjusting your marketing plan.
Maintain Long-term Marketing Goals
If you’ve hit a rough patch or are not receiving the same amount of work as a few months ago, don't jump straight to cutting your marketing. Reducing marketing costs might seem prudent but marketing is the lifeline of your business, and canceling your marketing plan has the potential to lose your company more business over time. Your competitors may also have the same knee-jerk reaction to cancel marketing during slower months. Keep your business in the game, make sure you’re the one getting the calls, increase your focus on customer service, and put more emphasis on answering the phone and client intake tactics.
The legal industry is known to slow down during the winter months, so plan ahead and so you can keep your long-term marketing goals intact.
Conclusion
Marketing takes time and effort, but it is worthwhile to have a long-term strategy. Businesses today need multiple products to make their marketing truly effective, so make sure the ground is covered with a website, optimization plan, and industry-specific networks. But, don’t just stop there. Understand all aspects of your marketing plan to track and expand!
For more marketing strategies, check out the webinar below or the playlist on ServeNow's YouTube channel.