Advertising is a cornerstone of new client acquisition. In the world of online advertising agencies and PPC ads, many law firms suffer from lack of transparency. While hiring a company to handle advertising may be both convenient and beneficial, outsourcing advertising efforts may lead to lack of communication and even loss of money.
How Law Firms May be Losing Money
When firms hire agencies to manage their Google ads, they not only pay the company for ad spend but they typically furnish a commission as well. What many law firms aren’t made aware of, however, is the number of fraudulent clicks their ads are receiving. Expectedly, potential clients aren’t the only ones clicking on PPC ads. Both marketers and competitors also make up a significant portion of the clicks – but how many of those clicks are the product of fraud? Not only that, but how much is that fraud draining a firm’s ad spend budget?
Google refunds ad agencies for fraudulent clicks. Unfortunately, they are not required to disclose the refund information to their clients (law firms). While the ethical choice would be to communicate the refund amount to the firm, that is entirely at the discretion of the individual agency. To complicate matters further, advertising companies typically handle a large volume of clients. When a refund is issued, they will need to know what percentage of that reimbursement should be attributed to each client. Often, this number is difficult to compute, making it even more difficult to issue each client a proper refund.
On top of that, when firms pay a commission on clicks, the loss may be even more profound. Should the advertising agency choose to conceal refund information, both the commission and the refund will remain in their pocket. So how do law firms protect themselves against this? By asking a few simple questions.
How to Reduce PPC Losses
Ask the agency if they are expecting a refund from Google for fraudulent clicks. To make certain they are not withholding information, ask them to go on record with their statement using a simple social media post. Agencies that may be attempting to withhold refund information may be reluctant to comply with this request, tipping firms off to the truth.
If the agency is receiving a refund, a firm representative should ask them to provide records supporting the amount that should be attributed to the firm. Request that they disclose the agency fee (or commission) that was charged on any fraudulent clicks.You can also ask them to refund both the firm’s portion of the total refund, along with the commission charged on the fraudulent clicks.
By asking a few simple questions, firms can protect themselves from what may amount to considerable ad budget losses. While ads may work well for a variety of firms, the risks associated with outsourcing those ads are evident. If your firm is looking for a successful and cost-effective strategy for PPC marketing, Market My Market can help improve your approach.
Market My Market houses digital marketing experts who can advise you on how to use PPC advertising to the benefit of your law firm. Contact us today if you want to improve your marketing plan and take advantage of numerous digital marketing tools.