Opening Insights
In Q1 2023, Blue Sky Legal embarked on a mission to revolutionize the metrics of success in legal lead generation and client acquisition. Partnering with a national law firm, our objective was to recruit claimants impacted by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, specifically those with tier-one injuries. Operating on a $175,000 budget, we activated our dual-service model: performance-based advertising for identifying qualified leads, and a separate, third-party specialized intake process for the verification and conversion of those leads. It’s essential to understand that we do not sell clients; we generate qualified leads that are pre-qualified as potential claimants. This case study delves into how this nuanced strategy led to an unparalleled cost per signed contract, all while staying within typical industry-standard drop off rates.
The Challenge
A common industry expectation for any mass tort campaign is a drop off rate of 20% to 40% post-retainer signing. Despite this known challenge, the goal remains to minimize these drop off rates as much as feasible. For this campaign, our objectives were:
- To generate high-quality leads via performance-based advertising.
- To validate and convert these leads into signed claimants, with an eye on achieving drop off rates that meet or beat industry standards.
Strategy and Implementation
Advertising Team: Utilizing performance-based advertising, we targeted potential leads who proclaimed to meet the criteria for tier-one injuries related to the Camp Lejeune incident. These self-qualified leads were then funneled into our intake process.
Intake Team: These leads were subsequently managed by our specialized intake team supported by software that employed a proprietary algorithm to validate the lead quality, thereby ensuring a high probability of conversion into a valuable claimant.
Both teams focused on performance metrics and operated independently, facilitating a seamless, efficient process from lead attraction to conversion.
Outcomes and Evaluation
The campaign successfully generated 368 qualified leads. Upon completion of the vetting process, 91 of these leads were deemed eligible and were sent contracts. Impressively, 62 of them were signed, resulting in a sign-off rate of nearly 68%. In terms of cost-efficiency, the cost per signed contract was an unparalleled $2,822, significantly undercutting competitors who engage in the practice of selling contracts.
Concluding Thoughts
This case study underscores Blue Sky Legal’s commitment to ethical, specialized, and performance-driven services in both advertising and intake. It’s crucial to note that these should be disparate services: While it’s acceptable to pay for performance in lead generation via advertising, combining this with intake services can lead to the problematic practice of selling claimants—a line we are careful not to cross. By keeping these services separate, we ensure ethical integrity and maximize efficiency, thereby solidifying our reputation as industry innovators. In a direct comparison, Blue Sky Legal stands out for its ability to deliver high-quality, retainer-ready leads based on genuine advertising performance, far outperforming those who choose to sell contracts or claimants.