Niched Legal Marketing Growth Tactics | Kyle Hebenstreit from Practice Made Perfect

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Hey everybody. Welcome back to Pathmonk Presents. Today we’re excited to have onto our show Kyle from Practice Made Perfect. Hey Kyle, how are you doing today?

Kyle Hebenstreit: I’m great. How are you?

Kevin: Not too bad. Feeling good. So I’m really looking forward to our conversation. It’s not every day that we have a law practice agency-specific person on the show. We’re really looking forward to getting some of your insights into what’s going on over at Practice Made Perfect. But to get things started, I might just ask you a bit of a softball-type question to throw it up there. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about the business, what you guys do, and who you support?

Kyle: Sure, absolutely. Practice Made Perfect, or PMP for short, as we usually refer to ourselves, is a marketing firm that partners with law firms across North America. We offer typical ad agency services, putting together annual marketing plans for our clients based on a variety of factors like their objectives, budget size, local market dynamics, etc.

We then execute against that strategy for the year, all with the intention of driving as many new clients to the law firms as we can. We also offer website services—building and managing websites for our clients, doing content marketing, technical SEO, and things of that nature—just as an integrated service alongside our advertising services. Some clients use us as their outsourced marketing department.

PMP has been in business for a little over 20 years. We’re at a really exciting time in the industry and have some fun stuff in the pipeline to focus on moving into 2025 and beyond. It’s a cool place to be.

Kevin: Great introduction. Sounds good. Can’t wait to dive in a little deeper. To follow up on that, I wanted to talk a little bit about your audience. Obviously, you’re supporting and working with law firms specifically, but maybe you can tell me about how you find them. What are some of those top acquisition channels?

Kyle: Yeah, absolutely. First, we try to be smart about how we segment our prospective audience. Some law firm clients have meaningful media and marketing investments that are cross-platform with specific needs, while others might only need website management.

In general, we focus on brand awareness alongside moderate conversion tactics. It’s a somewhat commoditized space with many advertising agencies supporting law firms. Our niche focus, long track record, and high client tenure set us apart.

Lawyers and law firms are naturally skeptical and inquisitive, making it a personal decision for them to invest in marketing. Trust-building and relationships are key for us. To drive awareness, we attend conferences, do thought leadership, and produce online content, social media, and paid advertising on platforms like LinkedIn.

We also focus on account-based efforts for high-value prospective clients, using direct outreach, gift boxes, follow-ups, and tracking preferences. Additionally, we leverage technical SEO, pay-per-click, and conversion-oriented tactics.

Kevin: Definitely a full suite of services. It sounds like you go above and beyond what traditional digital marketing agencies offer. I haven’t really heard of agencies attending conferences with or for their clients. That’s a new one for me.

What separates you from traditional digital agency models?

Kyle: We see our core differentiators in three areas:

1. Industry knowledge: Our niche focus allows us to understand law firm operations, pain points, and trends. We can benchmark across markets, giving our clients valuable insights.
2. Client service: We recently conducted an NPS survey, and all clients rated us highest for responsiveness. Our service is timely, personalized, and aims to surprise and delight.
3. Creative: We push the envelope on creative strategies across platforms. From static images to video and audio, we invest heavily in developing creative assets that make our clients successful.

Kevin: That’s awesome. I think anyone could learn from those differentiators. Now, let’s talk about your own marketing. How does your website play into your client acquisition strategy?

Kyle: Our website is a fluid evolution. Success stories have been a recent focus, as social proof resonates well with skeptical clients. We’ve also focused on SEO and digital PR to improve organic growth.

On-site, we emphasize A/B testing and user testing for landing pages. We’ve also introduced features like AI chatbots to answer common queries and improve engagement.

Kevin: Always improving, right? Websites that go stale tend to fall behind. Let’s shift focus a little. What does your day-to-day look like as a CEO?

Kyle: My role balances operational integration with visionary strategy. I oversee back-office functions, client success, creative, ad services, and sales/marketing.

No two days are the same. I might have one-on-ones, attend discovery calls, solve client issues, prepare financial reports, or plan team events like our Halloween contest.

Kevin: Sounds like you wear a lot of hats. Speaking of Halloween, what’s the costume plan this year?

Kyle: I always pick a famous bald character. It’s my go-to strategy!

Kevin: Love it. Now, let’s shift to personal growth. Where do you go to learn and stay sharp?

Kyle: Conversations with a strong network are invaluable. I also read newsletters like Legal Dive and broader publications like The Economist and Vanity Fair. These give me industry insights and a well-rounded perspective.

Kevin: It sounds like you’re staying well-informed, not just in your niche but across broader topics. That’s great for having those meaningful conversations with clients and staying ahead of the curve.

Now, we’re moving into the rapid-fire round. The next few questions will be quick and to the point. Short answers, maybe a little explanation, but nothing too long. Ready?

Kyle: Sounds great.

Kevin: Perfect. First question: what’s the last book you read?

Kyle: Who Is Michael Ovitz? It’s a biography of Michael Ovitz, one of the founders of CAA. I started my career in entertainment, so I have a strong interest in Hollywood and its history. Ovitz’s business strategies are fascinating and have given me interesting ideas to consider for PMP.

Kevin: Interesting! Adding that one to my list. Next, what’s one thing your company is focusing on most right now?

Kyle: Unreasonable hospitality. It’s about creating a culture where caring is cool and service is noble. We’re building systems to ensure excellent client experiences.

We’re also improving our data supply chain for reporting, ensuring transparency between our campaigns and client results, and focusing on legal intake processes to minimize lead leakage.

Kevin: Absolutely critical. You can’t afford to miss a single call—that’s potential revenue. Next question: if there were no technological boundaries, what’s one thing you’d fix in marketing today?

Kyle: Attribution. Demonstrating the value of every touchpoint across the customer lifecycle is still a major challenge, especially for legacy and digital media. A perfect solution here would be a game changer.

Kevin: Agreed, you’re not alone there. What’s one repetitive task you’d love to automate?

Kyle: Scheduling meetings. There are tools like Calendly, but they don’t always account for the nuances of relationship-building or power dynamics. A smarter, more human-centered solution would be amazing.

Kevin: Totally get that. Now, if you could give yourself one piece of advice at the start of your marketing journey, what would it be?

Kyle: Focus more on relationship-building as a functional skill. Early in my career, I concentrated on technical excellence, but building strong, meaningful connections is just as critical to long-term success.

Kevin: That’s such solid advice. Building relationships lifts everyone up, clients and colleagues alike. Rising tides, right?

Kyle: Exactly.

Kevin: Well, that wraps up today’s conversation. Kyle, thank you so much for joining us. This has been incredibly insightful. For any law firms listening, go check out Practice Made Perfect. Kyle is excellent and can help with all your marketing needs.

Before we go, I want to give you the last word. If someone forgets everything from today, what’s the one thing they should remember about your company?

Kyle: At PMP, we focus on helping our clients grow not just through marketing but by taking a holistic approach to their business. Marketing is just one piece of the puzzle. We work with clients to think about their business trajectory long term, not just today’s results.

Kevin: Really well said. Thank you so much for joining us, Kyle. Looking forward to staying in touch.

Kyle: Likewise. Thanks, Kevin.

Kevin: Take care!