Work Post: What I Do
The worst part of my job these days is that nobody in any position of authority has any idea how to successfully utilize social media, marketing, or even the Internet. The end result is that any so-called vendor peddling the virtual equivalent of snake oil is directed my way.
Like this guy suggested by B's sister. He claims that he has made "a fortune for your competitors in the personal injury and medical malpractice field" and that he can do the same for us. My experience with these people usually proves three things true:
1. Their services basically involve setting up Facebook account, because most attorneys are dinosaurs reluctant to use technology and likewise afraid of pissing off the Bar by increasing their virtual presence;
2. At most, they sell packages promising hits that could just as easily be generated by setting up a WordPress site and some basic SEO;
3. The sales reps know about as much about advertising, the Internet and social marketing as my in-laws.
This guy is the poster child of that. When I asked him what kind of impressions versus clicks he could guarantee us, he defaulted to his stock marketing presentation. That doesn't really help me when I'm trying to visualize how much traffic you could ultimately direct to our website, dude. It's not a good sign, and it scares me how many sales reps for companies that specialize in increasing web presence seem to have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. I realize a strong element of sales is to be artful at the invention of truth anyway, but this niche seems to be so new you've got people who have no idea how to use a computer, let alone utilize one to increase the awareness of a certain business.
So, it's a bit frustrating, particularly since I have no power to authorize spending in any capacity. You know that saying that folks work with a shoestring budget? I have a Velcro budget: short, not permanent, and easily ripped off without warning. I do the best that I can, but it isn't enough and my in-laws are aware of but not really acknowledging that fact. They still don't see that the six weeks we ran those ads on Facebook generated the highest net presence we'd ever had, and for a while, we were receiving e-mails daily about being represented.
Obviously, we'll always have the back cover of the phonebook, but most people don't have a need for phonebooks these days as landlines have given way to cellphones. I've tried to explain that to them, and have them understand that they have to get with the program if the business is going to be around long enough for B to inherit it. But they've been a bit stagnant. They don't think the Facebook ad was a waste, but they definitely indicated that they thought it was pricey for the result.
I pointed out that courtesy of that ad, we had received and had settled a case for $32,000, of which our fees after cost was just a little over $11,000. That's not a huge case by any means, but when you consider we only spent $1,200 for the six weeks or so that the ad ran, that settlement alone paid for the ad and then some. If my math is correct, we could have run that ad for an entire year and that case alone would have paid for it.
I'm also feeling a little discouraged because my mother-in-law seems to be convinced that by doing follow-up calls to our more recent clients and asking for their feedback, they will be encouraged to go and leave positive reviews at sites like Yelp--she's obsessed with saying, "We just need to get more stars." Did I mention it's a bad idea to have someone unfamiliar with what the Internet does making the executive decisions of how it should be employed in the work place? But the truth is, I suspect that of the 300 or so people I'll be calling in the upcoming weeks, maybe 45 of them will actually agree to the 15-minute feedback session. I say 45 because those are the number of people who haven't yet received their checks and will assume they need to talk to me in order to obtain their settlement. But of those 45, I don't believe even half will be so inspired by our conversation and customer service to go to the user-driven review sites, like Manta and Yelp.
Obviously, I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I've told them that I think the better option is to host some kind of drawing--as in, mail out a newsletter with the latest updates on the business, throw in a few personal tidbits like Max welcoming his ninth grandchild, and then inform clients we're hosting a drawing for a $200 gift card for any former client that publishes a review of us on user-driven sites like Yelp. I suggested we could even emphasize the necessity of being honest, but they've been fighting that idea, too. There might be some legal issues in place, like we're essentially "paying" former clients for publicity or something, but I'm not sure.
I also suggested that they look into sponsorship, perhaps buying messenger bags for the local debate team, or agreeing to a blog with running commentary on legal issues. So far, that's a no-go, even though I think it would attract potential clients and increase awareness of the business. That's also why, even when receive e-mails from folks we obviously can't represent, I will still call them up and do a mock intake. Sometimes, the initial impression is wrong and it is a case we can take, but I mostly do it so in the future if they are injured in a car accident or something, they'll remember we treated them with respect and gave them a good referral and connect with us again.
I know that on paper, my job seems completely meaningless and like I'm being paid only so that my mother-in-law doesn't have to baby-sit my daughter or pay my husband more. I'm sure some people would use this as an opportunity to sit around and watch soap operas, but I take the job seriously. I guess it's the bigger picture--sure, it'd be fun to screw around and get caught up on "All My Children" (is that still on the air?) but to call it shortsighted would be an understatement. Like it or not, my future is linked to the future of the business. If it fails, so does B, and by association, so do I. And because I honestly believe that the Internet marketing is crucial to our success, I have to take my job seriously, treat it as a job, and commit every reasonable moment I can to doing the best job I can.
Like this guy suggested by B's sister. He claims that he has made "a fortune for your competitors in the personal injury and medical malpractice field" and that he can do the same for us. My experience with these people usually proves three things true:
1. Their services basically involve setting up Facebook account, because most attorneys are dinosaurs reluctant to use technology and likewise afraid of pissing off the Bar by increasing their virtual presence;
2. At most, they sell packages promising hits that could just as easily be generated by setting up a WordPress site and some basic SEO;
3. The sales reps know about as much about advertising, the Internet and social marketing as my in-laws.
This guy is the poster child of that. When I asked him what kind of impressions versus clicks he could guarantee us, he defaulted to his stock marketing presentation. That doesn't really help me when I'm trying to visualize how much traffic you could ultimately direct to our website, dude. It's not a good sign, and it scares me how many sales reps for companies that specialize in increasing web presence seem to have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. I realize a strong element of sales is to be artful at the invention of truth anyway, but this niche seems to be so new you've got people who have no idea how to use a computer, let alone utilize one to increase the awareness of a certain business.
So, it's a bit frustrating, particularly since I have no power to authorize spending in any capacity. You know that saying that folks work with a shoestring budget? I have a Velcro budget: short, not permanent, and easily ripped off without warning. I do the best that I can, but it isn't enough and my in-laws are aware of but not really acknowledging that fact. They still don't see that the six weeks we ran those ads on Facebook generated the highest net presence we'd ever had, and for a while, we were receiving e-mails daily about being represented.
Obviously, we'll always have the back cover of the phonebook, but most people don't have a need for phonebooks these days as landlines have given way to cellphones. I've tried to explain that to them, and have them understand that they have to get with the program if the business is going to be around long enough for B to inherit it. But they've been a bit stagnant. They don't think the Facebook ad was a waste, but they definitely indicated that they thought it was pricey for the result.
I pointed out that courtesy of that ad, we had received and had settled a case for $32,000, of which our fees after cost was just a little over $11,000. That's not a huge case by any means, but when you consider we only spent $1,200 for the six weeks or so that the ad ran, that settlement alone paid for the ad and then some. If my math is correct, we could have run that ad for an entire year and that case alone would have paid for it.
I'm also feeling a little discouraged because my mother-in-law seems to be convinced that by doing follow-up calls to our more recent clients and asking for their feedback, they will be encouraged to go and leave positive reviews at sites like Yelp--she's obsessed with saying, "We just need to get more stars." Did I mention it's a bad idea to have someone unfamiliar with what the Internet does making the executive decisions of how it should be employed in the work place? But the truth is, I suspect that of the 300 or so people I'll be calling in the upcoming weeks, maybe 45 of them will actually agree to the 15-minute feedback session. I say 45 because those are the number of people who haven't yet received their checks and will assume they need to talk to me in order to obtain their settlement. But of those 45, I don't believe even half will be so inspired by our conversation and customer service to go to the user-driven review sites, like Manta and Yelp.
Obviously, I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I've told them that I think the better option is to host some kind of drawing--as in, mail out a newsletter with the latest updates on the business, throw in a few personal tidbits like Max welcoming his ninth grandchild, and then inform clients we're hosting a drawing for a $200 gift card for any former client that publishes a review of us on user-driven sites like Yelp. I suggested we could even emphasize the necessity of being honest, but they've been fighting that idea, too. There might be some legal issues in place, like we're essentially "paying" former clients for publicity or something, but I'm not sure.
I also suggested that they look into sponsorship, perhaps buying messenger bags for the local debate team, or agreeing to a blog with running commentary on legal issues. So far, that's a no-go, even though I think it would attract potential clients and increase awareness of the business. That's also why, even when receive e-mails from folks we obviously can't represent, I will still call them up and do a mock intake. Sometimes, the initial impression is wrong and it is a case we can take, but I mostly do it so in the future if they are injured in a car accident or something, they'll remember we treated them with respect and gave them a good referral and connect with us again.
I know that on paper, my job seems completely meaningless and like I'm being paid only so that my mother-in-law doesn't have to baby-sit my daughter or pay my husband more. I'm sure some people would use this as an opportunity to sit around and watch soap operas, but I take the job seriously. I guess it's the bigger picture--sure, it'd be fun to screw around and get caught up on "All My Children" (is that still on the air?) but to call it shortsighted would be an understatement. Like it or not, my future is linked to the future of the business. If it fails, so does B, and by association, so do I. And because I honestly believe that the Internet marketing is crucial to our success, I have to take my job seriously, treat it as a job, and commit every reasonable moment I can to doing the best job I can.