How to Market Services Everyone Needs but Nobody Wants

Marketing can be difficult even when you are selling something everyone wants, but it gets even trickier when you are marketing things people need, but don’t want. No one really wants a flu shot, a funeral service, or a divorce lawyer, but sooner or later, many people need them.  In order to promote these types of services, you will need a carefully-tailored marketing campaign. Of course, every firm has different specific marketing needs, but here are two things to focus on when advertising those difficult services.

Present Choices

No one likes feeling like they are trapped in a bad situation, but challenging experiences like divorce and deaths in the family often leave people feeling stuck. Use your advertisements to present future clients with options. Having choices gives them a sense of freedom and control in the middle of a difficult experience.

Making choices in the middle of an emotionally trying time can be especially difficult, so keep things simple. Your advertisements are not the place to get into the nitty-gritty details of how estate law works. Instead, present simple options like happy vs. sad, stressed vs. relaxed, or captivity vs. freedom. Compare and contrast your services to the negative alternatives such as trying to sort through a complicated will on their own, or staying in a bad marriage. This helps them see something like divorce in more positive light.

Cultivate Trust

People in the middle of a particularly trying experience are usually pretty emotional. This means that they will be looking for someone who makes them feel safe and gives them a strong sense of trust.

One good way to cultivate trust is through social media. Social media has a sense of authenticity that nothing else on the web can match. Creating a Facebook or Google Plus profile where you can share updates and advice makes your firm seem more trustworthy and friendly. Social media is also a place future clients can see positive feedback left by people they may already know. One of the fastest ways to earn someone’s confidence is to show them that you are trusted by someone they know and rely on.

Another great way to cultivate trust is to get involved in your community. Coach a local little league team or give a career presentation at the high school in your area. You could also volunteer to write an advice column for your local newspaper or offer your services pro bono for a special cause. The next time someone is looking for a divorce lawyer in Kelowna or an estate lawyer in Connecticut, they will remember you as someone who cares about the community and the people in it.

By presenting choices and cultivating trust, you can market those trickier services without seeming like someone who is taking advantage of people in the middle of a crisis.

Author Byline

Michael David is a freelance blogger who writes about a variety of topics including marketing and law. He gets legal tips and advice from places like Heritage Law Group.