Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog

Part two of Laurie Lee Swoboda's guest blog appearance about Co-Op marketing campaigns. Read part one here.

Why is it so difficult to promote a Co-Op marketing campaign within the legal industry? As a concept, it has proven successful. Then why the resistance? What makes it a Win-Win? You can create a successful Co-Op by pooling resources and branding your Co-Op as an authority while supporting a community.

Five Steps that will create harmony and ensure the Legal Marketing Co-op meets expectations.

Align these steps throughout the development process and you will have a successful Co-Op marketing campaign.

1. Pinpoint Market

   Find a recognizable underserved community, this will become your target niche market.  Select legal industries complementary to that community. For example: If targeting U.S. Veterans; pool boutique firms that specialize in government benefits, foreclosure prevention, medical malpractice and bankruptcy.

2. Develop Monthly Budget

   Budget should never be an afterthought. Properly executed, Co-Op advertising can outproduce traditional single media buys allowing for more spend. Use sustainable marketing methods that will expand the Co-op’s footprint into the niche market. By becoming authorities in your niche market you reduce advertising spend and increase ROI.

3. Outline Process

   Transparency and guidelines must be in place. Establishing rules in advance provides controls within your Co-op. Co-ops that ultimately succeed develop procedures that allow all members equal exposure and participation within the marketing campaign. If you don’t have the internal systems to allow transparency, you need to create them. 

4. Identify Expectations and Goals

   Unite as a team. What is the measure of success for each firm? How long will the Co-Op exist? Create a code of conduct that will guarantee a certain standard of customer service.

5. Fashion a Motto

   People care about “inclusion” in a brand’s message, when they share the same values. People who have a strong relationship with a single brand state that they “share values” with that brand. What does your niche market value?

   “Lawyers for Veterans: advocates of economic justice, individual respect, and community wellbeing by serving the legal needs of our Colorado Veterans.”

Have you attempted or completed a Co-Op advertising campaign? I would love to hear your experiences!

Author Bio: Laurie Lee Swoboda is a strategic, multi-talented internet marketing guru & web designer with an eye for marketing perfection. Even though her skill set is vast, she continues with her education to this day. While her primary expertise is developing groundbreaking marketing campaigns, she is a social media architect, brand identity guru, content creation wizard, blogger extraordinaire, business development fanatic and web design solution enthusiast. Read more athttp://about.me/llswoboda and http://laurieknowsmarketing.com/.