A digital marketing analysis prepared for a online legal services startup.

1. DIGITAL MARKETING ANALYSIS
FOR DIGITAL LEGAL SERVICES PLATFORM
Targeted Marketing & Campaign Implementation
Prepared by:
Ryan Ziemba
ryan.ziemba@gmail.com
646.256.4791
Social Networking:
ryanziemba.com
@Ryan_Ziemba
LinkedIn.com/in/ryanziemba
CASE STUDY:

2. Ryan Ziemba Bio
I have direct experience working across all elements of digital media it relates to
content production, brand marketing, social media, display advertising, and
audience analytics.
My experience includes working with over 40 digital media related platforms as
well as a number of measurement and tracking platforms including comScore,
Nielsen, Vindico, Google Analytics, Quantcast, DART, Atlas, ViralHeat, and
SocialMention to name a few. I have also worked on SEO/SEM projects, display
advertising campaigns, and social media programs.
I have developed, executed, and analyzed tens of millions of dollars worth of
brand marketing campaigns across a variety of technology platforms and
content categories. This includes campaign management for media companies
such as MTV, ESPN, and Hulu, advertising agencies like Starcom Mediavest,
Mediacom, MEC, and Saatchi & Saatchi, and consumer brands including Toyota,
P&G, Cotton, Red Bull, Microsoft, and Verizon.
In addition, as an MBA student at Columbia Business School I devoted much of
my work to exploring business opportunities at the intersection of consumer
brands, digital content, and technology.

3. Overview: Online Research by Legal Consumers
While many people still rely on offline referrals from friends and family, most consumers use online resources
and search engines in particular to find attorneys.
Online resources (net) 65%
Online search engines 39%
Online directories 31%
Social media sites 26%
Law firm websites 31%
Legal blogs 29%
Online legal advice forums 34%
Offline advice 39%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Online resources
(net)
Online search
engines
online directories Social media
sites
Law firm
websites
Source: LexisNexis.com. “How Today’s Consumers Really Search for an Attorney.” 2012
Legal blogs Online legal
advice forums
Offline advice

4. CONSUMER TARGETING
Life-Stage Segmentation

5. Life-Stage Segmentation
Life-Stage Segmentation takes into account the multidimensional character of consumer and economic behavior:
specifically, the effects of life-stage factors on consumer behavior and individual preferences. The following
segments have been determined to be most relevant to specific legal practice areas and are accessible targets for
digital marketing.
Baby Boomers
• Ages: 50 – 68
• % of Michigan Population: 24.6%
• Legal Issues: Retirement, Long-term care, Estate Planning, Healthcare
• Target Practice Areas: Elder Law, Estate Planning – Wills & Trusts
Generation X
• Ages: 35 – 49
• % of Michigan Population: 20.5%
• Characteristics: Divorce, Child custody, Financial planning, Job security, Real estate
purchases
• Target Practice Areas: Labor Law, Real Estate Law, Family Law, Intellectual Property Law
Millennials
• Ages: 20 – 34
• % of Michigan Population: 18.5%
• Legal Issues: Traffic violations, Drunk driving, Divorce, Child custody, Employment,
Debt management, First time home buying
• Target Practice Areas: Labor Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property, Real Estate Law

6. Life-Stage Marketing
Segment Baby Boomers
(50 – 68 yrs)
Generation X
(35 – 49 yrs)
Millenials
(20 – 34 yrs)
Characteristics Prefer to be referred to as ‘mature’
Willing to shop around & switch
brands
Rely on referral information
especially from email
Resist broad-based marketing
Tend to be brand loyal
Won’t purchase until thoroughly
researched
Spend a lot of time scouring
online review sites and social
media
Respond well to digital and
traditional advertising
Look for immediacy – “I want it now”
Value authentication & trust
Skeptical about advertising in general
Team oriented and listen to peer
recommendations
Messaging Make specific references to
product features & benefits
Provide detailed information
Highlight ‘Local’ features e.g.,
“Michigan lawyers”
Empower Gen X to make
decisions on their terms i.e.,
“decide what’s best for you”
Call attention to the fact that
the legal services platform can
be a valuable research aid
Focus on product education
and detail key benefits
Explain how ZB’s offering is
customizable and suited to fit unique
needs
Highlight ZB’s commitment to ethics,
quality, and the fact that each
member attorney has been
evaluated and is in good legal
standing
Tactics Avoid relying too heavily on social
media
Pay special attention to SEO/SEM
Make email communication a
primary touch-point
Offer money-back guarantees,
or freemium plans, and other
promotions that help establish
consumer confidence
Make ZB highly visible online with
SEO, keywords, display ads,
social media, and review sites
Listen to feedback and respond
Be creative – videos like Benihana
should resonate will with this group
Use social media to engage the
audience on a personal level

7. SEO/SEM
The #1 Marketing Tactic

8. Michigan-Specific Search Volume by Practice Area
This data is meant to help prioritize practice areas in terms of search engine marketing against Michigan legal
consumers.
Practice Area Avg. Monthly
Searches Percent of Total
Elder Law 25,570 22%
Estate Planning 14,630 13%
Family Law 19,800 17%
Immigration Law 26,830 23%
Intellectual Property 19,400 17%
Real Estate Law 10,700 9%
Total 116,930 100%
NOTE: The "Immigration Law" Avg. Monthly
Searches have been adjusted down from
53,660 based on the assumption that
immigration-related news could account
for as much as 50% of search volume.
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Avg. Monthly Google Searches
Elder Law Estate Planning Family Law Immigration Law Intellectual Property Real Estate Law

9. Elder Law
Geographic Distribution
Keywords by Relevance
elder law elderly law
elder law attorney elder law lawyer
elder law answers elder law chicago
elder law attorneys elder law new york
law elder law elder abuse laws
what is elder law national elder law foundation
certified elder law attorney
national academy of elder law
attorneys
elder law lawyers elder abuse law
elder law firm attorney elder law
elder law and advocacy attorney search
Sample Ad Copy

10. Estate Planning
Geographic Distribution
Keywords by Relevance
estate planning estate planning magazine
estate planning checklist estate plan
what is estate planning estate planning trusts
estate planning attorney estate planning forms
estate planning for dummies estate planning documents
estate planning basics estate planning law
estate planning software wills and estate planning
estate planning lawyer estate planning guide
estate planning attorneys estate planning journal
estate planning lawyers estate planning definition
Sample Ad Copy

11. Family Law
Keywords by Relevance
Geographic Distribution family law family attorneys
child support divorce attorney
legal aid custody
lawyer how to file for divorce
attorney ask a lawyer
divorce lawyers legal separation
free legal advice divorce lawyer
divorce papers legal advice
free legal aid cheap divorce
family law attorney grandparents rights
Sample Ad Copy

12. Immigration Law
Keywords by Relevance
Geographic Distribution immigration law immigration status
immigration immigration forms
citizenship immigration laws
immigration office immigration attorney
undocumented immigrants employment lawyers
immigration and naturalization
immigration and customs
enforcement
immigration reform bill immigration services
comprehensive immigration
reform
immigration and naturalization
service
immigration lawyer immigration policy
employment law immigration amnesty
NOTE: Keywords strictly referencing immigration news have been
eliminated.
Sample Ad Copy
26,830

13. Intellectual Property Law
Keywords by Relevance
Geographic Distribution intellectual property copyright law
copyright trademarks
patent search patent attorney
trademark trademark registration
patent what is a patent
trademark search copyright laws
patents intellectual property definition
ipr patent office
how to patent an idea patent pending
registered trademark what is intellectual property
Sample Ad Copy

14. Real Estate Law
Keywords by Relevance
Geographic Distribution real estate real estate contract
real estate attorney probate real estate
real estate lawyer real estate purchase contract
real estate purchase
agreement real estate contract form
real estate law real estate contracts
real estate forms grass valley real estate
real estate lawyers commercial real estate
real estate questions real estate tax
real estate sales contract home buying
offer to purchase real estate
form home sales
Sample Ad Copy

15. EMAIL MARKETING
Turn prospects into customers.

16. Integrate Surveys into Email
• MailChimp enables you to
populate an email
campaign with a
SurveyMonkey survey.
• Ask new users to provide
demographic information
and to identify relevant life
events within the email itself.
• Develop more effective
email targeting moving
forward.
• Email segmentation is
consistent with the Life-Stage
approach.

17. SOCIAL MEDIA
Engage users and monitor consumer activity.

18. Social Media & Blog Usage
A majority of consumers using social media to research attorneys refer to legal blogs and forums. Facebook
and other sites are also used and have likely gained popularity since 2012; LinkedIn has seen particularly
strong gains (See appendix).
Social media sites (net) 26%
Facebook 14%
LinkedIn 8%
YouTube 8%
Twitter 7%
Legal Blogs & Forums 29%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Social
media sites
(net)
Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Legal Blogs

19. Social Media Organic Marketing Overview
Facebook
• Generate awareness among potential
consumers and direct them back to
the target site.
• Share a mix of relevant links, engaging
content, videos, and polls
• Promote upcoming events and create
them in the events tab
• Engage with influencers
• Post 1 – 2 posts per day
LinkedIn
• Generate awareness among legal
professionals and law students and
drive them back to the legal services
website.
• Create a user group involving the
founders’ particular interests and
practice fields.
• Identify other groups to follow and
participate.
• Encourage employee participation
• Post 1 – 2 posts per day
Twitter
• Tweet about new content and link the
tweets back to the website.
• Identify and engage influencers
• Reply to others’ tweets
• Segment influencers and create lists
• Tweet 3 or more times per day
Blog
• Encourage others to comment by
asking questions
• Add social sharing buttons
• Incorporate visuals and video
• Link to other relevant content
• Feature customers/legal professionals
• Post new blogs weekly

20. FACEBOOK
Generate awareness among friends.

21. Facebook Paid Advertising – Michigan
21
All potential reach data is based on Facebook users within Michigan that share the listed interests. More finely
targeted ads tend to produce a greater number of clicks per impression. Ads can be more finely targeted
depending on how many separate ads you want to create for each set of targets and interests. However,
because you should be paying on a pay-per-click basis, the financial implications are not that large.
Target
Segment
Age
Range
Facebook Interests Potential
Reach
Baby Boomers 50+ Retirement, Social security, Pension, Money
management, Investment management, Estate
planning, Insurance, Investor, healthcare, Long-term
care or Financial services
240,000 people
Generation X 35 - 49 Real estate, Intellectual property,
Entrepreneurship, Labor relations, Copyright,
Patent, Mortgage loans, Property, Investment
Management Trademark, Small business or Real
estate broker
480,000 people
Millennials 20 - 34 Family law, job searching, Intellectual property,
Child custody, Fatherhood, Parent, Motherhood,
Child support, Joint custody, Copyright, Alimony,
Parenting, Divorce, Adoption, Children and Family
Court Advisory and Support Service, first home
buyers direct or Real estate
860,000 people

22. Facebook Ad Example – Generation X
Targeting
• Location: Michigan, US
• Age: 35 – 49
• Interests:
• Real estate Intellectual property
• Entrepreneurship
• Labor relations
• Copyright
• Patent
• Mortgage loans
• Property
• Investment Management
• Trademark
• Small business
• Real estate broker
• Potential Reach: 480,000 people
Sample Ad Copy

23. LINKEDIN
Network with professionals as potential clients.

24. LinkedIn Marketing
Implement the marketing tactics below to increase the businesses position as a strategic thought leader in the
legal services industry, grow company awareness, engagement, and reach, and most importantly generation
qualified leads.
Build a robust company page
• Display graphics, add products and
services.
• Fill the page with compelling and
interesting status updates about the legal
industry.
• Invite existing employees, clients or
customers, and partners to follow your
page.
• Ask customers to recommend the target
website.
Engage LinkedIn 1 – 3 times daily
• Include media-rich status updates with
links and images.
• Ask though-provoking questions.
• Commen on the status updates of your
connections.
Leverage Paid LinkedIn Content Ads &
Sponsored Updates
• Make sure the landing page attached to
your banner or text ad includes a relevant
offer with clear call to action instructions.
Launch a LinkedIn group based on the
legal industry or specific practice areas.
• Position the legal services company as an
industry thought leader.
• Focus on gaining relevant members with
common goals.
• Identify top influencers and have them
serve as group ambassadors to lead
discussions.
• Message members once or twice per
week.

25. LinkedIn Paid Advertising – Michigan
25
LinkedIn ads can be targeted to a wide variety of groups. Unlike Facebook, however, LinkedIn groups do not necessarily cover all the
interests each segment is likely to be concerned and as a result overly specific targeting will limit reach. With that in mind, base your
approach on the groups you believe each market segment would likely belong to but also consider running broader campaigns across
all groups. Note also that LinkedIn age targeting does not align exactly with traditional life-stage demographics.
Target
Segment
Age LinkedIn Groups Potential
Reach
Baby Boomers 55+ Retirement & Pension Careers, Retired and enjoying life, US ARMY- (Retired)
& (Vets) Professionals, Leaders, Soldiers, Retired Law Enforcement, Retired
Engineers - A Gold Mine, Retirement Income Industry Association Discussion
Group (2,000 + members), Social Security Administration Employees, Social
Security Practitioners, Social Security Benefits, International Social Security
Association, Social Security Disability, Investment & Money Management -
*Wealth Management, Private Banking, Discretionary, Consultancy, Client
Money, Cash Management & Compliance, Investment Management
professionals, Investor Relations Network, Long-term Care Industry
Professionals Group or Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance
2,500 members
Generation X 35 - 54 Real Estate, Real Estate Professionals Referral Group, Real Estate
Employment Network, The Real Estate Networking Group, Intellectual
Property Networking, Intellectual Property Professionals, Intellectual
Property Jobs, Patent Attorney Patent Agent jobs, Intellectual
Property Services, Patents, Licensing Executives Society International,
IP Intelligence or Patent and Intellectual Property Practitioners
33,025 members
Millennials 18 – 24
+
25 – 34
Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!, Job Postings and
Job Boards! (#1 Jobs Groups), Intellectual Property Professionals,
Intellectual Property Networking, Patents - Intellectual Property, LAW
JOBS NETWORK - #1 Legal Careers Group, e-LEGAL, IP Lawyers,
Patent and Intellectual Property Practitioners, Music Industry Forum,
MusicBiz, Intellectual Property Law & Protection Networking Group,
REAL ESTATE, REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GROUP or Residential Real
Estate Referral Group
8,747 members

26. LinkedIn Ad Examples – General Audience
Display Ads Sponsored Content

27. TWITTER
Communicate in real-time.

28. Twitter Paid Advertising
Twitter paid advertising is meant to complement the company's regular digital engagement strategy of identifying
and interacting with key influencers presented in the original ZB marketing analysis. Note that in terms of
demographics, Twitter only allows for geographic and gender targeting; age is not included.
Promoted Tweets
• Reach more people and drive conversation.
• This approach works for driving traffic in the
short term to the website.
• Promoted Tweets will likely work best to drive
traffic to new blog entries once it is
integrated into the primary site.
Followers Campaign
• Grow your community on Twitter.
• A Followers Campaign is a longer term
strategy that will help the business recruit a
broader audience.
Options
• Target Keywords: Reach people that search,
tweet about, or engage with specific
keywords.
• Consider using a keyword list made up of those
used in the Google Adwords campaigns
combined with keywords related to legal
practice areas associated with each life-stage
segment and Twitter’s own recommendations.
• Interests and Followers: Reach people with
specific interests or who are similar to
followers of specific accounts.
Options
• Interests and Followers: Reach people with
specific interests or who are similar to
followers of specific accounts.
• Tailored Audiences: Reach people using
your own data.

29. FORUMS
Establish thought leadership

30. Legal Advice Forums
30
In addition to interacting with legal blogs, consider participating in these legal advice forums by creating profiles
and responding to visitor queries on behalf of the business.
1. TheLaw.com/forums
2. WorldLawDirect.com
3. Expertlaw.com/forums
4. Forum.Freeadvice.com
5. LawyerCentral.com/forum
6. Forums.LegalMatch.com
7. LawInfo.com
8. LawFiles.net
9. LawGuru.com
10. TheLaw.com

31. VIDEO
Promoting Video Content

32. Video Marketing Recommendations
Promote Increase Content Offering
• Produce videos related to case
studies.
• Add video content to the sites
Wiki forum.
• Encourage attorneys to include
video in their profiles.
• YouTube has essentially the
same targeting options as
Google Adwords.
• Include the company’s
branding at the beginning of
the video.
• Cross promote with other
YouTube videos and channels.

33. Law-Related Video Content Categories
• Legal Alerts: Describe
changes changes in
Michigan law directed at
consumers
• Thought Leadership:
Focused on industry insights.
Ex: Present key findings from
a recent publication
• Events & Press Releases:
Videos highlighting industry
developments relevant to
Michigan residents.
• Legal Marketing Insights:
Interviews with Michigan
marketing and business
development professionals
• Practical Case Studies:
Real world stories &
interviews with clients and
attorneys in Michigan

34. YouTube Promotion Campaign Example
Rules of Thumb
Keep it short – shoot for 30-60s.
Show viewers what you’re all
about – include clips of your
content and make the ad is in
the same style as the content
on your channel.
Make the first 5 seconds count
– after this the user can skip
your ad. Convince them to
stay!
Use Calls to Action (CTA) – tell
users exactly what you want
them to do after watching
your ad.
Give users time to take that
action – the last 10 seconds or
more of your video should
give users time to click. Create
a static call to action, like an
end-card for your ad.
Give it a real title – ad titles are
visible to the user so don’t call
it an “ad.” Use this space to
double-down on your CTA and
name it something like
“subscribe to my channel”.
Upload to the channel you’re
promoting – upload the ad as
unlisted or public to the
channel you’re trying to
promote.

35. THANK YOU!
Ryan Ziemba | ryanziemba.com | ryan.ziemba@gmail.com|646.256.4791