Expert Account Management for Legal Marketing Companies
Account management is one of the most important aspects of running a digital marketing company. This is especially true if your business offers services for law firms. Attorneys are evidence-driven professionals. If you are working with a law firm, you should understand how to stay organized, not simply with tasks, but data relating to your strategy. You never know when you might need that data to get out of a bad situation. Data is often the best evidence to pull yourself out of hot water.
Many attorneys look at the end or beginning of the year as a baseline for how well you or your company performed. Some of the following tips should prove helpful if you are an account manager.
Master Marketing Strategy and Account Management Together
Simply being an account manager is never enough. You must master your products and services to build confidence. In fact, you should be able to speak confidently on both no matter the circumstances. For example, I slept about one hour last night and felt I had the confidence to write this blog. Could I have done that 5 years ago? Probably not, as it took time to build upon my skill set. I had to master my craft first.
The easiest way to get out of a difficult situation with a client is to avoid it in the first place. What do I mean by that? You should have a strategy planned out when you first begin working with the client. Meet with the client and get a feel for what they need help with most, and offer your own suggestions based on data.
More importantly, be transparent with your data and strategy while working with the client. If they have questions, then be prompt. This is where having a lot of experience with legal marketing can help. I remember a client I had years ago that was obsessed with website content. His Google Review scores needed some work and it turned out increasing his score was more important than adding more onsite content. Furthermore, it was discovered once he did get his score up, he would be far more competitive with Local Service Ads in his area.
An experienced account manager needs to be able to look at the data and show a client why their concerns may not even be a concern at all, or if they need to pursue a different type of strategy to be successful.
The best way to provide effective account management for a legal marketing company is to combine the roles of account manager and strategist.
Why is this the case? Strategists must be able to defend their strategies in front of clients by using data and examples clients can understand. In my opinion, this is an essential part of account management. If you are an account manager, then consider mastering digital marketing strategy. On the flipside, if you are a strategist without account management experience, it is time to start putting yourself in front of clients to discuss your strategy.
Staying Organized as a Strategist and Account Manager
There are a number of ways to stay organized as an account manager and strategist. Perhaps one of the easiest is to use platforms like SemRush, Search Console, GA4, Google Calendar, Microsoft Office, or even your phone.
It is easier than ever to set reminders for tasks. Additionally, it is also easy for platforms like SemRush to auto-crawl websites, find errors, and then send alerts to your email. These are just a few of many, many examples I could provide.
Automation is never enough by itself. You should always be sure to double-check your work and calendar on a daily basis. Automation can make your job easier, but it is not a silver bullet for avoiding problems. You should aim to develop a methodology that combines automation and diligence.
Be Available and Diligent
It is crucial to remember that other people are placing their financial and professional well being in your hands. Trust is essential.
Treat your clients like an airline pilot treats passengers. Passengers have to trust the pilot will get them from A to B without issue. The lives of all aboard are in the hands of the pilot. Why should it be any different if someone is trusting you to grow their business, which they depend on to house and feed themselves or a larger family?
As you gain more experience with digital marketing, it becomes much easier to spot problems before they become major problems. You have to feel comfortable using a number of platforms to be a true master of account management. I suggest mastering the following platforms and skills as a start:
- Google Analytics/GA4
- Google Search Console
- Google Ad Platforms (Including Local Service Ads/LSAs)
- SemRush or Ahrefs
- Screaming Frog because of the free version
- Chrome Devtools and Lighthouse
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Google Pagespeed Insights
- GTMetrix (it helps to test site speed with more than one program to look for consistency)
- Google Business Profile
- Avvo/Martindale/Lawyers.com, etc
- Facebook/Meta Business Suite
- Youtube and video production
- SEO
- Website design
- Competitor research
- Hotjar for website heat maps (this program provides helpful data for site adjustments)
As you can see, the above list is quite long. However, learning and eventually mastering the platforms above can significantly help account managers working for legal marketing companies. Once you master the above platforms, it is very unlikely you will run into a question you cannot quickly answer.
One thing I would often do is get on a call with a client and share my screen. Depending on what issue they had, I would go through any of the platforms listed above. If they had questions about video production, I made sure I knew how to give data-driven advice. Although it can take years to master all of these skills, it will pay off in the end.
It would likely help if I were to post a video blog following up this written blog. I can go through each platform above and show you how to resolve all kinds of client-related problems in the blink of an eye.
Learn More About Dale Wooddy
Dale Wooddy is the co-owner of TriLux Digital. He is a graduate of St. Edward’s University and Texas State University and holds degrees in political science with a focus on international relations.
Dale has experience in all aspects of legal marketing and is familiar with personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and estate planning laws across the country. Email Dale if you have any questions.
