Law Firm Expands From College Football Schedule Magnet Mailing Campaign

Case Study: How a South Carolina Law Firm Grew from 3 to 28 Employees with an $1,800 Marketing Investment

Background

A South Carolina personal injury law firm, starting as a small, two-lawyer firm with one paralegal, sought an effective way to increase brand awareness, generate referrals, and build a stronger presence in key local markets. Facing stiff competition from larger firms with massive digital marketing budgets, the firm needed an affordable yet impactful way to stand out.

The Strategy: College Football Schedule Magnet Campaign

Instead of investing in costly pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which often requires a substantial budget, the firm opted for a highly targeted and cost-effective direct mail campaign featuring college football schedule magnets.

Campaign Details:

  • Investment: Just under $1,800 to design, print, and distribute magnets.
  • Design: Custom magnets featuring the law firm’s logo, contact information, and Clemson & University of South Carolina football schedules.
  • Distribution:
    • 1,000 recipients received the magnet attached to a postcard.
    • Target audience: Past clients, friends, family, and prospective clients in key South Carolina cities.
    • Call to Action (CTA): The postcard encouraged past clients to leave a Google review about their experience with the law firm.

The Results

The law firm experienced explosive growth, expanding from 3 employees to 28 within just a few years. Here’s why the campaign was so successful:

  1. Cost-Effective Client Acquisition
    • Comparison to PPC Ads:
      • Personal Injury Lawyer Google Ads CPC: $50–$150+ per click
      • Criminal Defense Lawyer Google Ads CPC: $20–$80 per click
      • Total cost of mailing 1,000 magnets: $1.80 per recipient
      • Even with a 5% response rate, the cost per lead was dramatically lower than PPC.
  2. Increased Brand Visibility & Trust
    • Mailed-out in early June, the football schedule ensured 6-months worth of exposure for the law firm on residential and office refrigerators.
    • Unlike a one-time PPC ad click, a magnet is seen repeatedly, reinforcing brand awareness.
  3. Boost in Online Reviews & Credibility
    • The postcard’s encouragement to past clients to leave a Google Review led to an increase in positive Google reviews, which enhanced the firm’s online reputation and local search ranking.
  4. Referral Business & Community Connection
    • Recipients who weren’t in immediate need of legal services referred others because they saw the firm’s name consistently.
    • The association with popular college football teams created a sense of familiarity and trust.

Conclusion

By investing in a simple, low-cost marketing initiative, this South Carolina personal injury law firm was able to:

✅ Expand its staff from 3 to 28 over a few years

✅ Gain significant brand exposure in key markets

✅ Generate word-of-mouth and referral business

✅ Improve its online reputation and Google rankings

✅ Avoid costly PPC expenses while still attracting high-quality leads

This case study proves that one well-planned marketing initiative can have a long-lasting impact without requiring an excessive ad budget. For small and growing law firms, direct mail and creative branding strategies can provide better ROI than high-cost digital advertising.

Contact Us to start the conversation for your 2025 Marketing Program Using College Sports Schedule Magnets