What do paid, owned, and earned media mean for legal firms? You have to define these types of media first before you can understand how an earned media campaign works. By knowing the differences, you can make the most of all of your media opportunities online.
Paid Media Support: How It Differs from an Earned Media Campaign
Paid media itself is pretty easy to understand. It refers to media (or advertising) that you purchase, such as PPC campaigns, social media ads, print ads, or partnerships. While you pay for this media, an earned media campaign represents a marketing strategy where you have far less control.
That’s because you’re dependent on what others say about your law firm and their experiences with your services. Whether they post comments on review sites or speak about your services on social media, they influence how others regard your legal enterprise.
Moreover, PPC, when used, gives you unlimited control over what you spend in ad revenue for your local area – money that you can direct to queries and demographics that work. Forbes adds that this type of control allows you to craft your own message – something you don’t have when you’re organically linking content.
Owned Legal Media
Owned legal media consists of the platforms that your law firm owns, such as your social media pages, website, blog, etc. Your brand is in charge of both owned and paid media. For instance, you’re the one who chooses the budget for your social media advertisements before you decide what to say or how you plan to reach your audience.
You’ll also write blog pieces and publish them on your social media accounts. You select the data that is shown on your website.
According to the Harvard Business Review, the foundations associated with an owned media strategy are found in the channels you use for content. These are the vehicles where you deliver direct content to your readership, including your website, your blog, or newsletters.
The key to this type of delivery is to engage the reader, providing content that is as valuable as it is relevant. This means using all the information and facts at your disposal to personalize the user’s experience.
Why Earned Media is Different
Earned PR doesn’t put your brand in command. PR that is earned is just that—earned by how you communicate and serve your clients. It includes what outside sources, such as media organizations, influencers, and followers, say about your company.
And it’s not because they’re paid. Instead, your message or brand influences this behavior. Now, it’s easy to believe that earned media–just like magic–simply materializes overnight. After all, if your firm features quality legal services, it follows that you’ll get some rave reviews – without even asking.
However, don’t allow that notion to influence your thinking. Things are not that simple. It takes more work to realize the rewards of earned media. Paid and owned media are easier to manage. Earned media has a whole new set of rules that you must follow.
Still, you need not despair. If you have a marketing plan for your legal firm in place, you’ll realize your earned media goals over time
In fact, you can become highly influential with earned media exposure. Those re-tweets from Twitter followers and shares by Facebook fans are just the beginning. You can also repurpose these results during webinars or when you write content about your firm’s services.
Why Earned Media Gives You an Edge
Given that the majority of consumers believe that direct ads have little or no impact on their decisions, when retaining legal services, earned media serves as an essential component in influencing people in selecting a lawyer. While not all the results from an earned media campaign are instantly measurable, they definitely will surface in due time.
Boost Your Website’s Rating through Earned Media
You’ll notice that an earned media campaign is working when you receive authority backlinks for your legal brand. That is because earned media is also good for SEO. The more high-quality links you have, the better your legal website’s ranking and traffic.
With this plan in place, you can better strategize how and where to focus your efforts while getting a better grasp on the benefits of earned PR.
Gain Both Loyalty and Trust
Earned media also fosters brand loyalty and client trust. That is why you should work with a digital marketing agency to expand your online influence.
Doing so will allow you to set goals for your legal firm and see how this type of marketing plan can produce successful outcomes. Therefore, you need to work with a digital marketer who can help you develop clear-cut objectives – objectives that you can measure and scale as you grow.
So, what do you want to do?
Earned media can help you target new audiences, raise brand awareness, or promote a specific legal service. For example, maybe you’re a personal injury lawyer. However, you want to gain more clients involved in slip-and-falls. In this case, you’ll need to establish some long- and short-term goals.
How do you want others to perceive your law firm’s brand? In what ways do you want to receive recognition as a legal authority? Your legal brand’s voice should accomplish these kinds of objectives.
Who Is the Client You Want to Reach?
Think about your client’s persona. A persona is an ideal representation you want your legal firm’s brand to target. While some businesses or practices might create 10 or more personas for their clients, others may have one or two identities. The more specific you are, in these cases, the better.
How to Create a Client Persona
When creating a client persona, you should, at least, include the following:
- The name
- The age
- Gender
- Place of employment
- Typical job duties
- Position or title
Your ultimate goal is to drive local people who need your services in slip-and-fall accidents. For example, you might develop a strategy to show your expertise and knowledge in slip-and-fall cases. You can increase interest, along these lines, by providing information about the related hazards and how to handle this type of mishap.
Developing an Earned Media Campaign – What to Keep in Mind
Keep in mind – having someone write an article is not earned media. Instead, you need to forge a relationship with influencers in the legal field, or with safety experts who understand your goals when assisting slip-and-fall clients.
To support an earned media campaign, you need to seek out review sites, influencers, followers, and media channels that are willing to collaborate with you – because they support what you do.
These people may share your values or wish to learn more about how you can support them if they have an accident. Or maybe they have already experienced a slip-and-fall.
If you keep up-to-date with social media, you’ll gain a keener insight into who, in your legal niche, to contact, or who is interested in your legal brand.
Make Your Message Clear and To the Point
Remember, a strong and direct voice with a distinct message speaks “volumes.” Clients who seek a slip-and-fall attorney, for example, want someone who has the following credentials:
- Trustworthiness – someone who can back up their claims with information that is as persuasive as it is factual.
- Experience and knowledge – you’ve got the background and information that shows you know what you’re doing when it comes to litigating slip-and-falls.
- An up-to-date and forward-thinking mindset – you know how to negotiate cases because you keep current on all legal matters.
- Visibility – your firm is easily found online. You are reachable anytime.
Who to Contact Today for Your Law Firm’s Earned Media Campaign
You need to rely on a digital marketing agency that can help you realize your goals for getting the “applause” you need to stand out from your legal competitors. That is why you need to focus on working with a company that understands the marketing needs of attorneys.
Get support for your earned media campaign by contacting Attorney Marketing. Online at (888) 992-9529 now – your go-to source for everything that covers online legal marketing and reputation management.
