This article explores ways to use data to make marketing decisions: creating campaigns to focus your efforts, selecting your communications channels and measuring success. Published in the 2018 International Legal Marketing Technology White Paper, September, 2018.

1. MARKETING TECHNOLOGY
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Straight Talk on Data-Driven Content Marketing
Unless you are living under a rock, you’ve heard of content
marketing and you are likely already doing it: creating and
distributing content to drive new business. What you may not be
doing, is being strategic about it.
As an ILTA member, there’s a good chance that marketing is not
your area of expertise – but the marketing team is surely an integral
part of your day. As a marketer, your resources are likely stretched
and you are challenged with getting technology systems in place that
will provide you with the necessary actionable marketing analytics to
drive results.
If you are doing the basics -- email marketing, social media
marketing, customer relationship management and running a
website -- you already have volumes of data. From click-throughs,
open rates, visits, views, impressions, and engagement to organic vs.
direct, desktop vs. mobile . . . the data is there, probably more than
you will ever use.
It takes years (along with blood, sweat and tears) to achieve
nirvana where all the systems are integrated: your finance and client
intake software is feeding into CRM, email marketing software
is synced with your CRM system, your website is optimized for
search and maximized for positive user experience, your clients and
prospects are receiving the right updates and invitations, and your
attorneys are trained in how to create and capitalize on business
development opportunities. How can you possibly do it all?
You need not – and cannot – wait to start benefiting from
content marketing strategies. You’re already marketing content, you
must be deliberate about the strategy: set goals, track, assess, refine
and do it again, but better.
by Caroline Hennessy of Quarles & Brady LLP
Straight Talk on Data-Driven
Content Marketing

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MARKETING TECHNOLOGY Straight Talk on Data-Driven Content Marketing
This article will explore ways to use data to make marketing
decisions throughout the process:
»» Creating campaigns to focus your efforts
»» Selecting your communications channels
»» Measuring success
CreatingaCampaigntoFocusYourEfforts
What is a content marketing campaign? By definition, a campaign is
a connected series of operations designed to bring about a particular
result. A content marketing campaign provides structure for a
coordinated approach to the various marketing tactics you’ll employ
to reach your goals. A campaign has a beginning and an end.
The most important indicator of success: selecting the right
initiative around which to build a campaign. Be judicious! Consider
only proposals that include these critical elements:
Target audience – the more focused the better. This is non-
negotiable.
Goals – measurable, reasonable, attainable.
Committed attorneys – ready, willing and able to create content,
share it, and act on leads.
SelectingCommunicationsChannelsandSettingFrequency
With your goals set, you must strategize on how to leverage
communications channels and set a schedule for content creation.
1
2
3
Your website will always be the main channel, but which social
properties will yield the best results? Your target audience, budget
and historical data will guide your decisions. You must design a
marketing mix specific to each piece of content created across
earned, owned, shared and paid media.
Next you will need a scheduling system to plot a consistent
stream of content delivery. A content calendar is essential to your
planning. Obtain commitments from your attorneys on the content
they are willing to contribute and set due dates for each. Ideally,
you will have evergreen content available so an unexpected delay or
missed deadline does not halt the campaign.
WhatisContentMarketing?
The Content Marketing Institute
defines it as “a strategic marketing
approach focused on creating and
distributing valuable, relevant, and
consistent content to attract and
retain a clearly defined audience —
and, ultimately, to drive profitable
customer action.”
Your website will
always be the main
channel, but which
social properties will
yield the best results?
Your target audience,
budget and historical
data will guide your
decisions. You must
design a marketing
mix specific to each
piece of content
created across earned,
owned, shared and
paid media.

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MARKETING TECHNOLOGY Straight Talk on Data-Driven Content Marketing
Following are points to consider when determining the ideal breakdown of your earned, owned, shared
media strategy:
SettingGoalsandMeasurements
Now that you have identified an initiative and strategized on the
distribution channels, you must have clarity on what data you
need to track in order to measure success. Keep it simple – develop
measurable key performance indicators (KPIs). The ultimate KPI is a
new client, but that final purchase decision relies on other factors out
of your control. What you can own is lead generation. What do you
want your target audience to do?
»» Open the email
»» Click through to your website
»» Contact an attorney
»» Register for an event
»» Subscribe to a mailing list
»» Download a white paper or v-card
»» Watch a video
»» Engage with your social post (like, comment, share, click through
to website)
Take stock of the existing data from your website, social
properties, email marketing system, social properties, CRM system,
and accounting system. You will need to understand key data such as
website page views, referral sources, email open rates, click throughs,
and social engagement metrics such as followers, impressions, and
clicks. This information will serve as a baseline and will provide
invaluable information for your strategy development.
The data begins to make sense when you have something
specific to measure. For instance, if the data shows that email
E A R N E D
Requires more effort, time and resources
• Traditional media highly valued by legal decision-makers
• Added benefit of third-party/editorial credibility
• Reprint rights create additional content marketing opportunities
• Never let an open link (not subscriber only) go underutilized
O W N E D
(website, blogs,
email marketing)
Controlled environment, ample data readily available
• Email software tracking reports will help you determine best send times and days
• Strategic use of strong headlines/key words/imagery/calls to action improve organic search
results, email open rates and/or click-throughs
• Paid search increasingly important to reach target audiences
• Google Adwords provides actionable data on high-value terms
• Allows for hyper-targeted advertising, reach a larger, interested audience
S H A R E D
(LinkedIn, Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram,
YouTube, etc)
Integral to content marketing, limited organic reach
• While social was once free, it is no more! Paid social strategy is key. Without it, your content is
not likely to be seen by most you hope to reach.
• Sponsored posts enable hyper-targeting
• Audit attorney social properties; amplify content via groups and individual shares
• Utilize video. Studies show that integrating video into the mix can boost engagement and
the information shared via video is more likely to be retained.

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MARKETING TECHNOLOGY Straight Talk on Data-Driven Content Marketing
updates drive significant traffic to the website, email alerts should
be a key component of your campaign. You can measure traffic to
key landing pages within the campaign time period and compare it
against your benchmarks.
Once you have set your KPIs, be sure a tracking system is set
to capture this information. Your tracking system will likely be a
combination of website traffic analytics, email marketing data and
social media reports. Software is available to assist you in tracking
the data, but there’s no “easy button” for gathering information from
these various sources.
As you develop the tracking system, consider the data that
is not yet tracked, but should be, e.g., speaking engagements or
referral sources gained as a result of the campaign. Make sure new
clients are entered into the client intake system with accurate
information on the source of the new business. You will need to
engage the attorneys in gathering these proof points and reporting
all forms of success.
EarlyAssessment:UsingDatatoRefineYourStrategy
Your campaign is off and running. Now is the time to analyze the
results and refine your strategy.
»» Which content is performing best? Why?
»» How can you do more with it, more of it?
»» What is NOT working? Refine or stop.
For example, if your audience responded well to a webinar,
consider how to repurpose the recording, how you can build on
the success with a follow-up webinar, put paid efforts behind it to
increase exposure, and adjust your content calendar accordingly.
ShareYourFindings
Even the most basic content marketing campaign can yield results
because you are diligent in producing consistent, laser-focused
content and tracking it. Celebrate your successes, large and small!
Firm leaders place high value on data. Use the marketing team’s skills
to package the results and share it internally. Evangelize at practice
group meetings, educate your colleagues, and demystify the process.
While content marketing is a hot topic to marketing
professionals, law firm leaders and other administrative departments
are not attuned to these strategies. No one is going to ask you to
create a content marketing campaign. You must educate your firm on
what needs to be done to remain competitive. ILTA
CAROLINE HENNESSY
Caroline M. Hennessy is the Senior Manager
of Digital Marketing and PR at Quarles &
Brady LLP, where she utilizes her unique
skillset to increase visibility, drive business,
and enhance client relationships. Throughout
her career, she has evangelized on the
need for law firms to embrace cutting-edge
marketing practices and technology. You can
reach her at caroline.hennessy@quarles.com.