In a market flooded with competitors (1.3 million attorneys in the U.S. to be exact), attorneys face some of the stiffest odds when it comes to standing out and getting found.
In a recent study conducted by LexisNexis, competition is cited as the single largest growth challenge law faced by law firms today. The greatest challenge in finding new clients, then, becomes differentiation.
How can your law firm stand out from the competition?
The landscape is shifting, and age-old law firm marketing methods are being replaced by new strategies. In fact, 85% of attorneys agree that the strategies and activities law firms require to win new business have changed considerably in the last few years. As the tides shift, this leaves room to stay ahead of the curve.
After attorneys Gino Brogdon and Darl Champion gained success with their respective solo practices, they formed a partnership in 2016 to create a new firm, Brogdon Champion, LLC.
Brogdon Champion, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia-based Personal Injury firm facing the same challenges that many of today’s attorneys: creating a distinct brand to attract high-value clients and cases.
Wanting to stand out from the crowd, build trust, and make an immediate marketing impact, Brogdon Champion partnered with Crisp Video Group to create the law firm’s legal brand video to connect with viewers and educate them about the firm.
Recently, we sat down with attorney Darl Champion to discuss Brogdon Champion, their biggest marketing challenges, and their decision to invest in legal video.
Can you describe your firm?
At Brogdon Champion, LLC, our firm represents clients who have been injured or lost a loved one due to somebody else’s negligence. Our office is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and we represent clients throughout Georgia.
Why did you decide to produce a video for your firm? What problem/challenge were you looking to solve or improve?
We decided to produce a video for our firm so that prospective clients could see, hear, and learn from our attorneys. We believe that a video that addresses a problem or situation a viewer might have will potentially lead them to call us about their case.
Most importantly, we wanted to build and generate trust.
Do you believe investing in video for your firm was the right thing to do?
Investing in visuals for our firm was a great choice on our end. Our video gives viewers and potential clients the chance to see, hear, and learn from our attorneys. We have gotten a lot of compliments on it.
There are a number of legal video companies out there. Why did you choose to produce your video with Crisp Video Group?
Seeing Crisp Video Group’s legal video portfolio made them an easy choice. We were blown away by the quality of their work.
Where were you at with your business one year ago vs. one year later?
One year ago our firm technically did not exist. Gino and I each had our own successful solo practices. In June 2016, we formally launched Brogdon Champion, LLC. We both wanted a high-quality video to release with the launch of the new firm.
How do you compare in terms of size/market share/resources/marketing budget with your competition?
Our firm is smaller than some of the larger firms, and we don’t have the enormous marketing budget that some of the advertising lawyers have. But that is something that also sets us apart from those firms. We aren’t a high volume firm.
What concerns/hesitations did you have leading up to this decision? Did you have any doubts about making the right choice?
None at all.
What advice would you give to attorneys struggling to differentiate themselves and grow their legal practice?
Focus on branding and building awareness within your local market.
What would you say to an attorney who believes that professional video marketing is “too expensive” or is doubtful of the value/impact it would make on their firm?
By having advertising videos and educational (FAQ) videos on your site, social media pages, and other online platforms, you give clients the ability to hear from you and have their questions answered.
This has the potential for a positively large ROI as it generates trust and can lead to potential cases.
Has your investment in your video marketing improved your life? If so, how?
It has definitely improved awareness among our followers on social media (6,600+ views, 39 shares, and 179 likes in the first few weeks). We have gotten a lot of great feedback on it.
What’s the best part of owning your own business/law firm? Correspondingly, what’s the toughest part?
By far the best part is the excitement of building something great, and being able to have the freedom to make the decisions as you build the firm.
We really don’t think there’s a bad part.
Sure, there are some negatives that go along with everything, but in the grand scheme of things, owning your own business is so awesome that it is hard to even think about the bad stuff.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in your business?
Not following the saying, “You get what you pay for.”
Trying to save money on something, whether it is marketing, personnel, or equipment, almost always comes back to bite you.
What piece of advice do you wish you would have been given when you first started your law firm?
Focus on the long term. There are so many short term needs that arise, and it is easy to try to find a solution for them without focusing on the long term.
What do you see as the future of legal marketing? (e.g. how will attorneys have to invest in their firm to compete/attract clients/cases)
I see the future of legal marketing being focused primarily in digital and local (geo-targeted) marketing campaigns. Most attorneys will invest their marketing dollars in SEO and content creation.
Here’s what attorney and firm partner, Gino Brogdon, has to say about his experience with Crisp:
