Barker Booth & Eastwood had been through some changes of name and branding. Whilst they are well-established in Blackpool, marketing had never taken a priority, and they faced the danger of going backwards if they did nothing. They started working with Consortium in February 2024 to establish some marketing fundamentals.
Here's what Jonathon Waterhouse, Director and Head of Conveyancing at Barker Booth & Eastwood had this to say about working with Consortium:
“I had the pleasure of working with Hannah and Lara at Consortium for our marketing strategy, and I can confidently say it was transformative for the marketing of our business. From the beginning, they took the time to understand our needs and goals, crafting a tailored approach that resonated with our target audience. Thanks to Consortium's expertise, we have seen a significant increase in our online engagement and client enquiries. I wholeheartedly recommend Consortium and I’m excited to continue our partnership.”
The Brief
Barker Booth & Eastwood instructed Consortium to create a bespoke marketing strategy that would give them the direction and accountability that they needed. Along with some ongoing marketing support each month.
There was an appetite within the firm for more marketing tools, content and brand awareness so that they could market themselves as the go-to law firm in Blackpool.
The brand had suffered from confusion over the years with muddled use of the names ‘BBE Law’ and Barker Booth & Eastwood. They also operated under the Quality Solicitors umbrella for a period of time, so 2024 was the time to take ownership of their brand and re-establish their identity.
Competition along the Fylde Coast is increasing, and they wanted to take action to avoid slipping behind.
The marketing focuses included:
- Raising the profile of the firm generally
- Establishing some marketing and brand foundations
- Improving the existing website
- More focus on the Family and Residential Property departments for their growth
The Approach
The firm had a few ‘housekeeping’ issues that needed addressing first – including some inconsistent branding, old social media accounts and out-of-date information on their website. We actioned these first, along with setting up some consistent brand templates for social media and training their full team on how to utilise LinkedIn and raise their personal brand online and offline through networking.
New social media profiles were set up, grown and posted to regularly with a mix of informative and fun content to showcase individuals and the personality of the firm.
An initial audit highlighted a few website improvements to be made, and a blog page was added to ensure that new, fresh content can be shared each month to boost SEO and capture potential clients searching for legal solutions. New website sub-pages were created to develop and grow the site.
The firm had an untapped opportunity to re-market and cross-sell to their existing clients. A monthly newsletter was set up to keep in communication with their client bank.
Consistency is key. Barker Booth & Eastwood know that every single month, their social media accounts will be active and managed (LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram), a new legal blog will be produced and added to their website, and a topical client newsletter will go out to their database. All with minimum, ‘approval only’ input required from the Directors.
The Outcome
Now (October 2024) the firm is 9 months into working with Consortium. They have moved from 6th position on Google searches for local solicitors to 4th. The website’s usability and social performance have improved considerably. New blogs added to the website since working with Consortium have generated 1,945 new website visitors.
Website traffic has grown by 72%. Initially getting an average of 1093 visitors, to now, 1888 visitors and rising steadily.
Social media followers across all platforms have grown by 246% and members of the team have become more confident using LinkedIn and posting their own content. Social media for Barker Booth & Eastwood has helped to create a culture of pride, where team members across all levels are proud to publicly share and praise their colleagues online.
The firm’s monthly newsletter is going out to a database of 8,000+ clients. Whilst the newsletter is still in its infancy, it is already generating regular work. The Wills & Probate department received a phone call enquiry, just 45 minutes after the first client email was sent out!
The firm won the ‘Professional Services’ award at the Costal Business Awards, which was driven by public votes and relied heavily on their social media presence to generate votes.
All departments across the firm are busy with new instructions and repeat client work. They are actively recruiting to grow and are now in the position to look ahead at trying some new marketing tactics for 2025, whilst developing on the solid foundations that have already been laid in 2024.
We can help you too
If you are looking to start from scratch with good intentions and accountability to ensure that marketing remains consistent, please get in touch. Call us on 01903 530787 or use the button below:
