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In the past, many industries relied heavily on referrals to connect with their customers.
These companies would wait for referrals from physicians, clinics, friends, and family without having much control over their lead generation process.
Today, going direct-to-consumer (D2C) is all about getting yourself out there online to be discovered in a Google search or social media post to generate an exclusive lead.
In this guide, I’ll dive into the intricacies of D2C marketing, explain how it works, and give specific use cases in regard to law firm marketing, mortgage marketing, and senior living marketing.
Skip ahead: Tell us about your 2023 marketing goals and we’ll tell you how we can help.
What is direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing?
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing is a strategy where companies sell their products or services directly to the end consumer. This bypasses any middlemen such as retailers, wholesalers, or third-party dealers.
The goal here is straightforward: Make a bee-line for the consumer and establish a direct relationship with them from your own website.
This way, businesses can control their brand narrative, personalize their consumer interaction, and yes, potentially boost their profits.
What are examples of D2C marketing?
All right then, let’s dive into some real-life examples of how this D2C marketing thing works across different sectors.
Law firm D2C marketing
Consider a law firm that’s creating engaging, user-friendly web content to make legal jargon less intimidating.
They’re not waiting for referrals anymore.
Instead, they’re reaching out directly to folks who might need legal advice, making it easier for people to understand their rights and what the firm can do for them.
Mortgage lender D2C marketing
Or how about a mortgage lender who’s leveraging the power of the internet to cater to a national audience?
They’ve got a great mortgage website design, SEO tactics, and online ads working to educate potential homeowners about the ins and outs of mortgage loans. No more relying on local referrals — they’re taking their expertise right to the homebuyers across the country.
Read: 60+ Mortgage Marketing Ideas to Fill Your Pipeline in 2023
Senior living D2C marketing
And then there’s the senior living community that’s using blogs and social media to reach out to potential residents and their families.
They’re directly addressing the concerns of their audience, offering a window into the community’s lifestyle, and building a waiting list of potential residents.
Who needs solely doctor referrals when you can create a compassionate online presence, right?
Schedule a Discovery Session
Learn how to attract new leads and clients.
Building a robust direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing strategy
Your D2C marketing strategy will involve multiple facets, all of which create a vital role in enhancing your online presence.
From designing an intuitive and user-friendly website to optimizing it for Google bots—each of these elements lays the foundation for your successful D2C journey.
1. Website design and development
Say goodbye to the days when mortgage lenders were restricted to local clients and hello to the era of nationwide online services.
Kaleidico works its magic, helping lenders build optimized websites that generate reliable borrower traffic and convert this traffic into qualified leads.
The beauty of it all? Connecting these leads directly to loan officers. Can it get any better?
The same applies to law firms and senior living communities. They’re not just waiting around for referrals anymore. Instead, they’re connecting with potential clients and residents through sleek, user-friendly websites.
Trust me, this new “internet” thing is the bee’s knees.
Key takeaways:
- Mortgage lenders, law firms, and senior living communities are now building direct-to-consumer websites to serve their clients nationwide.
- These websites need to be user-friendly, responsive, and optimized for conversions.
- They act as a digital storefront, presenting the business’s services and converting visitors into leads.
The challenges of designing a website yourself
Law Firms: Understanding and implementing the best practices for legal website development can be tricky. There’s the challenge of creating a site that’s both informative and engaging, and ensuring it’s compliant with legal advertising rules and guidelines.
Senior Living Communities: It’s challenging to design a website that appeals to different demographics, the seniors themselves and their adult children. There’s also the need for accessibility considerations.
Mortgage Lenders: Converting website traffic into actual leads requires a good understanding of the customer journey, SEO, and conversion rate optimization techniques, which can be hard to master.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Rock a killer online presence
- Directly interact with your audience
- Showcase your offerings attractively
Use cases
Law Firm Website: Imagine your law firm’s website, all polished, reflecting your firm’s values, showcasing your lawyers’ expertise, and making it super simple for potential clients to reach out. That’s our vision for you.
Read: The Comprehensive Guide to Law Firm Web Design in 2023 (To Get More Traffic and Clients!)
Mortgage Lender Website: You’re going national! We’re talking about an optimized website that can handle a flood of traffic and offers all the mortgage details your customers need. Smooth navigation? Check. High traffic management? Check. Quality leads? Check.
Read our guide “The Best Mortgage Websites of 2023 and Why” for more website inspiration.
Senior Living Website: Picture a warm, inviting website for your senior living community. Virtual tours? Absolutely. Resident stories? For sure. Clear service and amenity information? Definitely.
2. Search engine marketing (SEM) & search engine optimization (SEO)
We’ve all become Google whizzes these days, haven’t we?
That’s why businesses are leaning into SEM and SEO, popping up right when you’re searching for something.
Kaleidico’s expertise in driving traffic and converting it into prospects has transformed the way businesses connect with their audience.
Key takeaways:
- Businesses use SEM and SEO to become more visible online. Your consumers are actively searching for your services, i.e. “How do I sue after a car accident?” or “What are the signs of dementia?” or “How do I qualify for an FHA loan?”.
- This strategy is essential for capturing potential clients who are researching their options online. They see your blog post, click on it, and hopefully fill out a contact form on your website.
- SEM and SEO can help generate reliable traffic, convert that traffic into prospects, and guide prospects to become qualified leads.
The challenges of doing SEO yourself
Law Firms: Legal jargon can be a turn-off for potential clients. Balancing the use of legal terms for SEO purposes with plain language to keep content accessible can be tough. Consider hiring a law firm marketing agency to help write accessible content.
Senior Living Communities: Creating a localized SEO strategy that attracts the right demographic can be a significant hurdle.
Mortgage Lenders: Keeping up with the ever-changing algorithms and SEO trends is time-consuming and complex.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Boost your online visibility
- Reach your audience at the right time
- Improve your search engine rankings
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: We’ll get you in the spotlight with relevant keywords and Google Ads. Whenever locals need legal advice, they’ll find you.
Senior Living Marketing: Stand out from the crowd with our SEO strategy. Whenever locals search for senior living options, you’ll be on the front page.
Mortgage Marketing: Wanna increase traffic and conversions? We got your back. We’ll make sure you appear in the top search results whenever people are looking for mortgage options.
Read: 2023 Best Mortgage Marketing Companies
3. Content marketing
Content marketing, often referred to as “blogging” is the cool kid in the digital marketing world.
By sharing engaging content, businesses create meaningful connections with their audience. Take law firms as an example. They’re embracing the digital age and are turning to content marketing to generate online leads.
Did you know only 27% of law firms have a blog now? The other 73% are severely missing out on organic leads from Google searches.
Key takeaways:
- Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage an audience.
- Blogs have become a vital tool for law firms to engage with their audience. Law firms that blog regularly are bringing in 67% more leads per month than legal websites with no blog.
- Regular, quality content helps businesses build a relationship with their audience, position themselves as industry experts, and drive more traffic to their websites.
The challenges of writing content and blogs yourself
Law Firms: Providing legal content marketing ideas that are both legally accurate and understandable to the layperson is challenging. It’s also hard to consistently produce engaging content.
Senior Living Communities: Developing a content strategy that answers potential residents’ concerns while also highlighting the community’s features can be tough.
Mortgage Lenders: Making complex mortgage topics engaging and easy to understand can be a daunting task.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Establish trust and authority
- Boost SEO rankings
- Engage and educate your audience
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: Let’s start a blog, share valuable legal advice, and position yourself as a trusted source.
Mortgage Lender Marketing: How about a series of articles and infographics to simplify the loan process and educate potential borrowers? Sounds good, right?
Senior Living Marketing: Let’s showcase your community through blogs, newsletters, virtual events, and video tours, giving a clear picture of the lifestyle you offer and generating more resident leads.
4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads
Those ads that pop up on your screen aren’t just random clutter — they’re carefully designed PPC ads, tailored to reach potential clients right where they are.
With Kaleidico’s strategic digital marketing services, businesses can skyrocket their online lead generation. Remember that the next time an ad pops up!
Key takeaways:
- PPC advertising allows businesses to place ads on search engines and social media platforms.
- These ads target specific demographics, leading to high-quality leads.
- PPC can be a cost-effective strategy when managed properly, as businesses only pay when their ad is clicked.
The challenges of creating PPC ad campaigns yourself
Law Firms: Achieving a good return on ad spend can be difficult given the high cost per click in the legal sector.
Senior Living Communities: Targeting the right audience with PPC ads can be complex due to the wide range of potential decision-makers involved.
Mortgage Lenders: It’s a challenge to design ad campaigns that stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Stand out in search results
- Drive high-quality traffic
- Boost your website’s visibility
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: We’ll develop targeted PPC ads for your local area. When potential clients search for legal advice, your firm will pop up first.
Mortgage Lender Marketing: Picture this—PPC ads draw potential borrowers to your website whenever they search for home loans or refinancing options.
Senior Living Marketing: Let’s create PPC ads that engage families searching for senior living options. Your community, front and center.
Tell us about your 2023 marketing goals.
5. Email marketing
Email marketing is very much alive, and it’s getting a new lease of life with Kaleidico. Email isn’t just about sending newsletters or updates. It’s about crafting personalized, relevant messages that resonate with the audience.
Key takeaways:
- Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing strategies, enabling businesses to send personalized messages to their audience.
- Email campaigns can range from regular newsletters to promotional offers to personalized recommendations.
- Email helps businesses keep their audience engaged, drive traffic to their website, and encourage repeat business.
The challenges of running an email marketing campaign yourself
Law Firms: Balancing the frequency of emails to stay top of mind without overwhelming or annoying potential clients can be tricky.
Senior Living Communities: Crafting emails that resonate with both seniors and their children requires a good understanding of both demographics.
Mortgage Lenders: Keeping email content fresh, personalized, and relevant can be a time-consuming task.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Stay connected with your audience
- Build customer relationships
- Keep your brand in the forefront of customers’ minds
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: Regular newsletters, legal updates, and consultation slots — we’ll keep your audience informed and engaged.
Mortgage Lender Marketing: How about email updates about loan products and financial tips? Let’s keep those customers coming back.
Senior Living Marketing: Keep families updated with regular emails about community events and new services. It’s all about staying connected.
6. Social media
With around 92% of people in America using social media, it’s clear that social media has become the modern town square. Kaleidico’s expertise is helping businesses across sectors connect, engage, and build lasting relationships with their audience.
Key takeaways:
With the right strategy, businesses can use social media to build their brand, engage with their audience, and drive traffic to their website.
Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter each offer unique ways for businesses to interact with their audience.
The challenges of managing social media yourself
Law Firms: Creating engaging content that aligns with professional ethics rules and maintains client confidentiality can be hard.
Senior Living Communities: Keeping up with the different social media platforms to reach a wider demographic is challenging.
Mortgage Lenders: Maintaining a consistent and positive brand image across multiple platforms can be time-consuming and challenging.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Boost brand recognition
- Improve customer loyalty
- Drive traffic to your website
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: Engage with the local community on Facebook and LinkedIn. Share your victories, legal tips, and highlight your team’s expertise.
Mortgage Lender Marketing: Use social media, such as Facebook to generate mortgage leads, offer quick customer service responses, share testimonials, and educate customers about your services.
Senior Living Marketing: Showcase resident activities, share success stories, and create a sense of community on your social media channels.
7. Lead generation and qualification
The grand finale of all this digital magic? Generating qualified leads that are genuinely interested in what your business has to offer.
Kaleidico has this down to a science. Whether it’s for law firms turning inquiries into actual cases, mortgage lenders transforming curious visitors into genuine borrowers, or senior living communities building a waitlist of future residents.
Key takeaways:
- The end goal of all digital marketing strategies is to generate qualified leads.
- These are people who have shown interest in the business’s services and are likely to become clients or customers.
- For mortgage lenders, law firms, and senior living communities, qualified leads might mean potential borrowers, potential cases, or potential residents, respectively.
The challenges of generating leads yourself
Law Firms: Turning inquiries into cases requires a good understanding of client intake procedures, lead tracking, and follow-ups.
Senior Living Communities: Qualifying leads can be challenging as you need to consider various factors like their health conditions, budget, and living preferences.
Mortgage Lenders: It can be difficult to quickly process leads, assess creditworthiness, and make loan decisions in a competitive marketplace.
Quick wins of working with Kaleidico:
- Fill your pipeline with potential customers
- Nurture leads through the sales funnel
- Boost your conversion rates
Use cases
Law Firm Marketing: Turn inquiries into potential cases. We’ll structure your content to encourage contacts and ensure timely follow-ups.
Mortgage Lender Marketing: Transform online visitors into potential borrowers with a seamless conversion process.
Senior Living Marketing: Develop a waitlist of potential residents and ensure inquiries are handled promptly and professionally.
Schedule your free Discovery Session with Kaleidico.
FAQs about direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing
What exactly does a D2C strategy entail for my business?
A solid D2C strategy is like a secret recipe. It requires a mix of ingredients such as understanding your audience, creating engaging content, optimizing your website, SEO, and running targeted ad campaigns.
But remember, every business is unique. Your recipe might need a dash more of one thing and a sprinkle less of another.
How quickly can I expect to see results from D2C marketing?
While we’d love to tell you that success is instant, that’s not quite how it works. Just like planting a seed and expecting a tree the next day isn’t realistic, D2C marketing is a strategy that flourishes over time. With consistent effort and fine-tuning, you can expect to see significant results.
How does D2C marketing differ when implemented in different sectors like law firms, mortgage lenders, and senior living communities?
D2C marketing strategies are tailored to fit the specific needs and characteristics of each sector.
For instance, a law firm may focus on content marketing and SEO to provide legal advice and enhance online visibility, while a senior living community might use social media to create a sense of community.
What common challenges can I expect when implementing a DTC marketing strategy and how can I overcome them?
Challenges can include understanding your target audience, creating engaging content, optimizing your website for SEO, and setting up effective ad campaigns.
Overcoming these requires research, testing, and perhaps a dash of professional help from a digital marketing agency.
I’ve heard about SEO, but can you tell me more about its role in D2C marketing?
In D2C marketing, SEO is the key to getting your brand in front of your audience when they’re searching online.
It involves optimizing your website and content with relevant keywords, providing valuable information, and ensuring a seamless user experience to rank higher in search engine results.
Are you ready to go D2C with Kaleidico?
D2C marketing is about building a relationship with your audience, and we at Kaleidico are here to help you do just that.
Whether you’re a law firm, mortgage lender, or senior living community, we’ve got a strategy tailor-made for you.
So, are you ready to take your D2C strategy to the next level?
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
