[author: Noreen Fishman]
If you read our past post on what makes up a modern marketing technology stack, you know that thousands of platforms are available to help with virtually every facet of running your law firm’s day-to-day marketing. Moreover, implementing, maintaining, and optimizing your law firm’s Marketing Technology Stack is not a simple, streamlined process. Unfortunately, too many law firms end up implementing technology they don’t use because vendors over-promised. In general, there are 6 mistakes law firms make when selecting and adopting marketing technology solutions. We’ll cover them here, so your firm can avoid these pitfalls when considering new marketing technology.
You believe that integration will be easy
It’s a vendor’s job to promise that installation will be simple, but that’s rarely the case. Every law firm is different which means implementing new technology is more complex than what an outside vendor can understand from brief interactions. Make sure you drill down into the process and ask detailed questions on any platform. Ask vendors if they’ve worked with your specific systems before, and let them know if you have any custom code. Be sure to get references and take the time to call and discuss the potential platform. While some technologies are easy to implement, you should know that those are the exception, not the rule.
Perhaps you’ve just been at a legal tech conference, and you come back invigorated about new technology options. Maybe you have a new marketing director at your firm eager to make some changes. Whatever the reason, firms often end up biting off more than they can chew when they try to implement multiple new systems simultaneously. Every implementation requires resources from your teams, and those resources aren’t infinite. It’s important to scale into new technologies. We suggest building a long-term roadmap of the technology needs of your team, accounting for how long it will take to integrate each other and how they impact each other. Rank any new technology according to priority and need. When you implement new systems, start slow and keep it simple – scale up to the full capabilities.
You think that bigger is always better
Many law firms are only comfortable buying from the best-known brands or biggest names. Just remember that even the most prominent brands have issues. For one thing, they tend to be more expensive. It can also be tricky to see how integrated each of their solutions are. We suggest also looking at younger or smaller companies, as they often offer better customer service (and you’re bound to have questions in the early adoption phase!), and they may have features better tailored to your firm’s needs.
Your law firm’s internal teams are not aligned
It’s crucial to involve key stakeholders in choosing technology that affects them. Beyond the marketing team, consider who might need input on any platforms. The technology could impact business development, client service and secretaries, your CIO or CFO, and others. Anyone who will ultimately be an end user should have some say. Having your technology team on board is also essential, and ensuring proper resources will be allocated to an installation. Make sure the entire team involved is on board and engaged from the beginning, or you could potentially waste months not using the technology you pay monthly for.
You assume the job is finished after the implementation
Most advanced technologies require more than financial investments – they take time. Technology can only go so far. You must provide the right training and tools to help your team make the most of the technology you’ve invested in. Training, onboarding, and ongoing support are critical components of success in any marketing technology that you implement. Otherwise, you’ll have wasted dollars on platforms your team doesn’t know how to use.
Related: How to Assess Your Law Firm’s Marketing Technology Stack
Overlooking Data Security & Compliance Risks
One of the most critical, yet often overlooked aspects of choosing new marketing technology is ensuring it meets data security and compliance standards. As law firms handle sensitive client information, any software you adopt must comply with legal industry regulations, such as data protection and confidentiality standards. Vendors should provide detailed documentation on how their platforms address security, encryption, and compliance issues. Always prioritize solutions that offer robust security features to protect your firm’s and clients’ data and avoid costly breaches or legal risks.
Key Takeaway:
The fact is that there are plenty of marketing technologies out there that can help law firm marketing teams do their jobs more effectively. It’s important to invest the proper time and effort into implementing any new system to see a return on investment (ROI).
