Many savvy law firms, attorneys and marketers are repurposing content to make the most of each opportunity. They routinely use a published bylined article for one or more blog posts, tweet the link to followers, add the information to LinkedIn profiles, and post to the firm website. Some firms are going further and developing micro-sites to host curated content and position the firm/practice group as thought leaders in specific areas. The intent is to “own the space” for a specific topic and become the go-to expert source on the subject of interest.
These techniques are part of a push marketing strategy, which literally pushes information out to various networks and enhances digital platform search engine optimization. This results in very favorable rankings in search engine hierarchies when an individual is searching for information regarding the topic.
But what if your target audience is not searching the topic of interest? An analogy for this situation is “What if you are knocking, but no one is behind the door, listening for the knock?” This is where a push marketing strategy comes into play. You don’t have to stand and knock, hoping someone is listening. Instead, you can push the information under the door and the potential recipient can review it if interested.
To implement a successful push strategy, you must build and maintain a database of contacts (clients, potential clients, referral sources, industry experts) to whom you can send – push out – substantive and relevant information in a timely manner. Make sure your contact lists adhere to the CAN-SPAM Act (Opt-In lists) and Direct Marketing Association guidelines. This is important because not only is your reputation on the line, but each separate email sent in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000.
Vendors can help you compile a targeted list of contacts who will appreciate receiving timely information. These vendors can build your lists or enhance them with the following services:
- Email appending – adding email addresses to your in-house direct marketing database.
- Reverse appending – adding other contact details to your list of company/individual email addresses.
- Contact appending – incorporating complete details of key contacts into your targeted list of companies/individuals.
- Data hygiene – removing errors, typos, data entry mistakes, duplicates, etc., from your database
According to a 2011 IBM study, “data explosion” tops the list of challenges faced by C-level executives. Make sure you are pushing information to the correct recipients … your online reputation will soar, and they will appreciate your efforts.
For more information about push marketing strategies, contact Sue Remley at sremley@jaffepr.com or 804-304-2894.