I was in a car accident about 20 years ago. A lady driving a big ass car slammed into another car, which then slammed into me.
A few days later, I got an unsolicited copy of the accident report, courtesy of a local attorney. Also attached was a letter letting me know that he was available to help, should I need it.
Why? Because I deserve justice, I have rights, and insurance companies want me to settle...
You've heard and seen these ads, because every city has aggressive attorneys like this. Here's one from personal injury attorney in Nashville, TN who has a similar business and marketing model:
Here’s a similar radio ad from a criminal attorney based in Memphis:
If you’re on the receiving end of legal trouble, you need an attorney. Because of this, you’d think attorneys wouldn’t have to be so aggressive with their advertising.
What’s the deal? Too many attorneys!
There are approximately 1,500,000 licensed attorneys in the United States. In New York state, there are 84 attorneys for every 10,000 residents. In California, there are 43 attorneys for every 10,000 residents.
With that much competition, if you don’t effectively get the word out about what you’re doing, you’re going to starve.
As a podcaster, you're in a similar situation. So let’s analyze some of this "attorney marketing." And who better to look at than the fictional composite of every aggressive attorney you've ever seen on daytime television, billboards, and the back pages of phone books — Saul Goodman from the television series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul..
5 Podcast Marketing Lessons From A Criminal Attorney
1. Look (And Act) The Part
When you think of attorneys, you imagine a certain look. Like doctors, you don’t want to walk into their offices and see some guy in a Hawaiian shirt and a clown wig — that doesn't look like somebody who can keep you out of jail (or out of the cemetery).
You also need to practice what you preach. Your listeners are watching for incongruence. To have podcasting success, you better look (and act) the part of a successful podcaster, whatever that looks like for the market/niche you're in.
2. Be Aggressive And Shameless
You can’t just open up shop and expect people to find you. Timid podcasters don’t eat.
"Aggressive" doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk or act like a guy from a network marketing company. It does, however, mean that you need to confident about what you're doing and have no shame in your approach.
Don't be shy about sharing your message with people, either on or off the podcast. Let them know who you are and what you stand for.
Nashville attorney Dick Strong took a page out of this playbook with a series of ads (like the one pictured below) that hang above urinals in bar restrooms.
3. Talk The Talk
You know how you go by a "tobacco" place, but without even going inside, you can safely bet that everything they're selling is marijuana-related?
Every business has something like this — we know how the game is played. We know the "muscle massager" is nothing more than a dildo. We know nobody is actually using "bath salts" to take a bath. And we know the "oriental massage parlor" employs hookers and not actual massage therapists.
"You deserve to be paid for what you've gone through."
This attracts a certain type of client, just like the tie-dye colors and photos of Bob Marley outside the “tobacco” place.
Own your podcast and the business you're in – don't apologize.
4. Know When To Keep Quiet
Like a good attorney, know when to keep your mouth shut. You don’t have to tell everybody everything, especially aspects of your life that involve other people and you don't have explicit permission to share.
5. Do Good Work
In the end, as long as what you do is legal and ethical, the only thing that matters is whether you’re able to do your job and clients get what they’re paying for.
Does Saul Goodman do a good job?
Quality work that gets results trumps everything. When you have this, your marketing is done for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve watched Better Call Saul, you know that before Saul Goodman was an attorney, he was a criminal. Because of this, he’s familiar with criminal culture and has firsthand knowledge of what that market wants and needs.
As a podcaster, you can’t beat having the "insider" knowledge that comes from being part of the same community in which your listeners are. This option isn’t available to all podcasters, but if you have an opportunity to do it, you’ll make it harder for other podcasters to compete with you.