At cj, we are always looking for new ways that our clients can better connect with their communities, build brand recognition, and ultimately receive good case leads from those efforts. As the market becomes more saturated and competitive, it is getting more important that firms employ advertising methods beyond traditional mediums like TV, billboards, and radio. Building up a database of email addresses is a cost-effective tool that can significantly impact lead volume over time.
The Impact of a Database
Databases primarily help personal injury firms through brand recognition, community education, and first-party data.
First, many PI firms are now seeing 800-lb gorilla firms enter their markets (if this is you, check out our recent blog post on handling an 800-lb gorilla here). These firms get their name everywhere in your community. This can mean that if someone has a PI case and doesn’t have a personal connection to a PI firm, they might think of the huge national firm first. However, if you have built a relationship over time with regular email communication, they are much more likely to remember your firm name and to call you instead.
Second, sending emails to your database offers a unique opportunity to educate your audience on their rights. Lead nurture emails allow you to communicate in more depth than if using a different medium. Many people who suffer injury due to an accident, whether it be a slip & fall or nursing home negligence, have no idea that they have a case a PI firm would take and get them a settlement for. By sending out emails, you can educate your contacts before an accident happens so know what to do if they end up in a terrible situation.
Finally, first-party data refers to the information collected directly from individuals or customers who interact with a company’s website, app, or other online channels. Rather than depending on ever-changing 3rd party tools, including Google and Meta, managing first-party data allows PI firms to maintain consistent communications with the same person over time. With marketing automation, firms can use powerful data tools to target individual users or segments and deliver personalized content.
How Do I Build a Database At My PI Firm?
Anytime you are interacting with the community, you have an opportunity to build your database. If you participate in community events – such as a volunteering day, motorcycle rally, or back-to-school fundraiser – come up with a creative way to collect emails. It’s important to remember that people won’t give you their email for no reason. You need to offer them something. For example, if your firm is attending a motorcycle rally, you could have attendees give you their email for a chance to win a brand-new helmet.
Social media giveaways are also a great way to build your email database. In the past, we’ve had people enter to win a new car seat, $100 grocery gift cards for Thanksgiving, or gift cards to local restaurants and attractions. We recommend having multiple winners and tying your giveaway to a local cause or holiday. These giveaways are easy to share on socials are gain a lot of traction!
Building up a database takes time and effort, but can be done without a high spend. It is an ongoing effort, but one that can certainly pay off!
Using Newsletters to Nurture Your Database
Now that you have collected emails to start your database, it’s time to stay in touch with engaging email marketing content. At cj Advertising, we are big fans of monthly newsletters for PI. As said by AJ Eckstein in a recent article for The Street, “There is no marketing channel more intimate than a newsletter. In a world of increasingly cluttered marketing channels, newsletters offer a unique opportunity to reach your audience directly.” Newsletters should be short, easy to digest, and include things that are relevant to your audience. For example, you could start with a few quick tips about what to do if you are injured in a car accident and then highlight a local event happening in the coming weeks.
People have become more and more sensitive to spam emails in recent years, so you want to be sure not to inundate your database with too many emails or unnecessary information.
Questions? We’re Here to Help!
At cj Advertising, our talented Integrated Digital team has years of experience running social campaigns to build email databases and creating emails to be sent to nurture those databases. If you are interested in learning more about how cj can help your firm take advantage of this valuable marketing medium, reach out to us today!
