AVALANCHE: The Lawyer Marketing Group

Community Directories: Good or Bad Investment?

Sometimes community directories can offer a good return on investment. It depends on where the books are distributed, who publishes them, how large of an area the “greater metro” area is, who publishes the primary book, how long the community books have been published, and local use habits. What it really all boils down to is: do people use these community books?

The publisher will have all sorts of charts and surveys that “prove” people actually prefer the community directories to the phone company’s telephone book. Don’t believe the surveys; they are often misleading and the methodology to create the information is seldom very scientific. (I saw one survey that demonstrated that more than 98 percent of the community used the directory. Astonishing for a brand new directory. How was the survey data collected? Inside the front cover of each book was a postage paid survey card. It asked the reader to check the box that said “Yes, I use the XXX phonebook” and then to send the card in to qualify to win a $1,000 shopping spree. The only people who would have seen the card were the people who opened, and presumably, used, the phone book.)

It takes years for a telephone book to establish itself in a community. Newly-published directories seldom get a “go ahead” from me when I am spending my clients’ money. Also, community directories tend to work better for neighborhood businesses. The reason people open them is because they want to go to a business that is close to home, a restaurant, hardware store, pizza delivery, video store, library, etc. For more important decisions, such as choosing a dentist or hiring a lawyer, people want more choices. “Close to home” is not a primary consideration; lots-of-choices is a primary motivator. So the greater metro area directory is almost always used when people are making important vendor decisions, want choices, and don’t plan on making regular trips to the vendor’s office or store.

I would recommend that you save your money for other marketing investments.

Logos and Yellow Pages

Is a logo very important? I notice more and more law firms are using them in their yellow pages ads. - Anonymous

Yes, logos are important—logos can make or break an ad. That means logos can generate telephone calls—that is an important job. Logos can steer potential clients toward responding to your ad and becoming a client, or skipping over your ad in search of something they did not find in your ad.

The function of logos then is to communicate. Not just to anybody. You want a logo that will communicate to potential clients who are looking for representation in the field(s) of law you practice.

Recently we designed a logo for a solo practice in the Midwest that was marketing bankruptcy services. The client told us his ideal clients (those who provided the highest revenue-to-effort ratio) were “average people of either gender who did not own businesses or real estate, were not getting divorces, and did not have substantial assets. My best clients lead uncomplicated lives and they get behind the eight-ball after they lose their jobs or have a catastrophic event such as medical bills or uninsured losses. These people are not looking for $295 bankruptcies; they want to be treated with respect and they know they can’t get that at a bankruptcy mill.”

When we sent the logo draft to the client, we described it this way: “We designed this logo to appeal to the John Doe of either gender. The logo is simple, lacking frills and flourishes. It is straightforward and reliable, steady and constant. It is solid; there are no surprises. The logo makes it clear that you are not fancy-priced or self-centered. You are neither pious or unapproachable, just a count-on-me kind of a guy.”

The client agreed that the logo accomplished all these things. We are now moving forward with designing an advertising campaign that communicates that our client can meet the needs of his target audience.

Law firms want logos that communicate that they can provide the things potential clients are looking for. Law firms want logos to communicate in a way such that their logos weed out the clients they don’t especially want while targeting those they do want. Often a single element or set of elements in a logo can accomplish the process of weeding out and targeting at the same time.

For example, an expensive looking typeface will attract people who are service oriented, may hold the belief that “more expensive equals better,” and have a high threshold for cost, while weeding out those who are looking for discount pricing and bare-bones service. (As you already know price and service are not necessarily connected.)

Of course logos can communicate much more. For law firms, logos can communicate:
the size of your firm
trustworthiness
reliability
pricing
quality of service
knowledge
experience
warmth
approachability
field of practice
aggressiveness
seriousness

Logos can also communicate:
stuffiness
reproach
sloppiness
carelessness
meanness
stinginess
self-centeredness

Slogans can be added to logos to emphasize the logos’ messages, or to add additional messages.

To be effective, the messages our logos communicate must meet the needs of our intended audiences.

The best logos communicate so effectively that clients will select one law firm over another (based solely on the logo). For most law firms, the best messages may be:
We are reliable.
We are honest.
We are trustworthy.
We are effective.
We are respected within the community.
We offer value.
We are knowledgeable.
We are experienced.
We specialize.
We are passionate about our work.
We like people.
We respect people.
We are approachable.
We are warm and friendly.

Most potential clients looking for representation will have needs in more than one of these areas. How important those needs are varies greatly with individuals. A potential client with little money and big problems may be focused on cost and value. A client with big problems and big money may be more focused on knowledge and experience and might even look for a pricier law firm. Women may be more sensitive to reliability, relationships, trust, and safety while men may be more focused on speed, ease, and prestige. Minorities may be sensitive to things that majorities don’t even know exist.

Logos can effectively generate new business from the types of clients you want to bring into your firm.

Let me know when you are ready to see what a logo can do for your marketing.