Consistent branding is where your estate planning law firm either grabs a competitive edge or falls by the wayside. Law firm marketing requires consistency across all platforms: website, print materials, social media, even your front door. Here are some tips to boost your branding consistency:
A flock of birds considering where to land? Think of prospects as birds considering whether or not it’s safe to land on your website. They scan the landscape to see if there are any dangers present. Certain signs – a dark shadow, the silhouette of a cat – are instant signals to veer away. Humans do the exact same thing. If there are discordant images, misspellings, poor grammar, out-of-date design elements, they will not land. Trust is built through an emotional feeling of safety and engagement.
Rational vs. emotional. You have less than three seconds to grab a website visitor by the heartstrings. That’s where emotionally responsive video, infographics and visuals are power players. Images register instantly in the emotional parts of the brain. By the time you engage the human rational side, whoosh, your prospect is gone. Those images need to be consistent and complementary.
Nothing like a new blank canvas to get your dormant artistic self excited, right? Experimenting with a new design every time a new blank surface presents itself only creates disharmony. Give your promotional product vendors your logo and let them make the item, coffee cup or pen, as gorgeous as possible. And don’t settle for so-so design. If you don’t love it, ask them to try again until you do.
Don’t make your prospects work to get your message. If your client base is 60 and older, consider their visual and/or physical status in branding. Is there enough contrast in your logo and design for older eyes? Have you added widgets to your website so they can easily make text larger? This goes double for mobile websites.
Out-of-date? Just as you advise clients to update their wills, we advise you to review your logo and overall branding. Chances are you don’t need an overhaul, but you may need a tweak to keep it fresh. Aren’t convinced this matters? Check out your biggest competitor. If you aren’t the dominating force in your market, it matters.
Consistency means harmony. Disharmony means confusion, cognitive dissonance—whatever you call it, if images and graphics are not visually consistent, new clients and prospects will become uncomfortable. This may not occur on a conscious level, but it will create an uneasy feeling.
Consistency also means professionalism. Law firms are not expected to be on the bleeding edge of design, but they are expected to have a polished, consistent and professional appearance. It starts with the website and extends all the way to your #10 envelopes.