A Content Marketing Metaphor, Continued: Get Out There and Play

 Posted on September 18,2015 in OVC Lawyer Marketing

Recently on this blog, a previous post drew a comparison between a successful football program and an effective content marketing strategy. It discussed the importance of detailed preparation and intense focus as you and your team prepare to launch a new campaign or an update to existing one. With football season now fully underway across the nation, it is time to take the analogy a step or two further: now, it is game time.

Start With Fanfare

Think about a high school or college football stadium just before kickoff. Is it quiet? Does the team subtly sneak out of the locker room and over to the sideline? Absolutely not! The band is playing, the crowd is going crazy, and the players burst out onto the field, barely able to control their enthusiasm. The launch of your marketing plan should be handled in the same way. Take steps so that the public is aware of your existence and your efforts. Issue press releases, allow your excitement to be felt on social media, and get your team fully invested.

Stay in the Game

As your marketing campaign gets going, it is time for action. For many businesses, a solid, mobile-friendly website is the foundation of their strategy. A well-designed, responsive site, however, is merely a strong start. To maintain your presence and to increase your search engine optimization (SEO) visibility, you will need to regularly update your site with engaging content, such as articles, videos, or blogs. Reach out to your intended customer base and personally interact on social media. A professional marketing team can help provide you with the necessary tools to establish your brand and grow your digital reach.

Just like in football, you will sometimes need to be prepared to play defense as well as offense. From time to time, virtually every business is forced to deal with an irate customer or a negative online review. It is important to approach potentially combustible situations honestly and objectively. Respond directly, identify areas for improvement and move forward. One of the keys to good reputation management is understanding that an occasional mistake can actually make you more appealing to prospective customers, as many are skeptical about allegedly perfect records.

Quantify, Evaluate, and Adjust

The sideline and press box at a football game are abuzz with activity throughout the night. Coaches, trainers, and players continually analyze results and look for ways to improve. So must be the case in your marketing efforts. There are a host of analytical tools available to help you identify your strengths, as well as areas that could use improvement. By reviewing your results carefully, you may choose to refocus your strategies on new target audiences, possibly niche groups in which you may experience much better conversion rates. You may be able to significantly increase the return on your marketing investment with just slight adjustments to your campaign.

Keep Your Feet Moving

Unlike football, the content marketing game never ends. As long as you hope to maintain your online visibility and prospective customer interaction, your efforts must continue. New campaigns and strategies may start the cycle over again, to an extent, but the game goes on.

At OVC, INC. we offer a full catalog of content marketing services to attorneys from coast to coast. From websites built with responsive design to social media integration to top-quality blogs to professional photography services, we can do it all. Our experienced content marketing team has been providing world-class marketing solution to lawyers since 2008 and are ready to help you. Call 630-635-8000 today to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

http://www.b2bmarketinginsider.com/content-marketing/6-steps-to-executing-a-content-strategy

http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/what-content-marketing-looks-like-in-2015-01311097

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2014/03/04/top-online-reputation-management-tips-for-brand-marketers/

About the Author: Greg Wildman is the President of OVC, INC. Since 1999, Greg has developed hundreds of websites for attorneys from his company's inception as Online Video Concepts, LLC to the modern era's OVC, INC. Greg's knowledge of law firm marketing has helped many attorneys establish online presences through custom website development, Search Engine Optimization, legal directory partnerships, social media marketing, content writing and more.