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Welcome to marketing during COVID-19 (aka coronavirus), a time where face-to-face marketing efforts like conferences, seminars, and on-site sales calls are minimized in favor of safer, virtual forms of contact.

The coronavirus has influenced the way we connect, network, and engage. Companies have limited travel. Employees work from home and rely on video conferencing. Law firms, including Baker Botts, Linklaters, and Sidley Austin, canceled in-person partner meetings, and the American Bar Association called off its 34th National Institute on White Collar Crime.

Valuable legal technology conferences might also soon bow to the virus. The CLOC Institute is taking precautions but going on as scheduled in May. [Editor's Note: CLOC canceled its Vegas Institute after the publication of this article.] ILTA announced that it is carefully evaluating all options for its well-attended (and lead rich) ILTACON. We can probably expect cancellations for more ABA events and other legal and legal technology conferences as law firms and corporations dial back on traveling and fears continue about COVID-19.

How Will This Affect Marketing? 

Marketers already devote a large portion of their plans to digital marketing. These virtual forms of communications, including email, online ads, and SEO, have impactful results. What will change is the fact that there will be fewer opportunities to get in front of clients and prospects.

Why does this matter, especially since digital marketing is so compelling?

Attorneys and those working with them default to a state of risk aversion—understandable considering the profession. They're highly interested in what their peers recommend and accomplish. And legal technology is a competitive field, with professionals getting pummeled every day by companies selling solutions. Successful marketing to this audience is a mix of multiple approaches. Digital marketing is crucial, yes. But face-to-face meetings—when they can happen—make immediate impressions, allow you to gain information quickly, and can melt time off year-plus sales cycles for B2B technology companies.

Legal technology conferences put companies right in front of their prospects and clients, not only on the exhibit floor but during educational presentations, demo sessions, parties and networking. Companies spend months planning for them to promote brand awareness, win leads and close deals. But if these conferences and the chance for in-person meetings decrease, how can marketers fill the gap? Here are a few ideas.

Personal, relevant marketing: With more organizations increasing digital engagement, the competition for eyeballs will be even stiffer. Marketing efforts will need to be personalized and highly relevant to capture attention. One misspelled name, wrong title or incorrect email address can cost you a sale. Revisit your database and ensure the information is accurate. Talk to sales, customer service reps, and anyone else that regularly has contact with prospects or clients to capture more information about contacts and where a law firm may be in terms of buying new technologies. Also, try to replicate the experience of an in-person meeting with personal touches.

Raise your profile with PR: By working with media that target your clients and prospects, you can enhance brand awareness and build valuable exposure for thought leaders. Interviews, news announcements, article submissions, and even introductions to clients can help media keep your company front-and-center with legal professionals.

Plug the holes: Examine the results of past conferences and determine how they affect your marketing results. For example, did deals close more quickly after conferences? Did the conferences create new leads, and what types of leads? By understanding the marketing fulfillment of these conferences, you can identify, anticipate, and bridge potential gaps in your overall marketing.

Review conversion: Help sales close more deals by taking another look at your marketing funnel. Check analytics to evaluate performance and understand which marketing components are more effective. Likewise, look for missing content—topics that prospects and clients will find relevant that aren't currently being addressed. Doubtless, you'll find opportunities to optimize.

Diversify assets: Build additional assets into your content marketing. If you aren't already, consider adding videos, infographics, e-books, and more to encourage new levels of engagement.

Encourage engagement with social media: Social media provides a forum that welcomes both formal and informal conversations. Along with corporate postings, you'll find strings of conversations, tip sharing, and more. Of course, it's a chance to share information on your product and services. But it's also offers an opportunity to share a more personable side of your operations to build interest. For example, consider live streaming or posting informal video interviews with employees from company leaders to customer reps.

Also, consider advertising on social media for a boost to brand awareness and lead generation. Focus on more resource-oriented content (e-books, webinar playbacks, etc.) to draw interest.

Turn to partners: Do you have structured marketing initiatives in place with your partners? Teaming up with them for marketing and PR campaigns can amplify your reach and create new sales opportunities. Additionally, review the legal technology landscape to determine if it makes sense to form new partnerships.

Explore new ways to collaborate with industry organizations: Industry organizations such as ILTA, CLOC, EDRM, ALA, and ARMA offer additional ways to connect with their membership beyond annual conferences, including webinars, advertising, blog posts, and more. Dig into their sponsorship packages and one-offs to develop different marketing approaches for their members.

Conclusion

COVID-19 is, unfortunately, not the first thing to disrupt businesses across the globe, and it won't be the last. If you take steps now to fill the marketing gap it has already started to create with personal contact, you'll be in an ideal position to enhance results for your company.

 

Melanie Brenneman joined Edge Legal Marketing in 2010 after an in-house career focused on public relations, marketing and communications for private and publicly traded technology companies. As senior account manager, she helps organizations successfully market their solutions to law firms, corporate law departments and accounting firms. She is a past president of the Austin chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and a former board member for the Houston chapters of AMA and the Public Relations Society of America.