Nolo's Legal Marketing Blawg http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/ en Copyright 2010 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:24:54 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Social Media Round Up Nielsen Company, consumer usage of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter increased by 82 percent.  In fact, consumers spent over six hours per month on Facebook, or more than three times the amount of time spent on Google. 
 
Many lawyers give short shrift to the growing importance of social media, which is mistake.  As described in this article excerpted from an upcoming book that I co-authored with Nicole Black, lawyers should keep in mind these three themes when they approach social media:

  1. Social media is not a fad or a frivolity but a paradigm shift sweeping both the legal profession and society at large;
2.   A social media presence is a tool for achieving other professional goals, not a goal in itself and

3.  Use of social media does not transform otherwise appropriate conduct into something unethical, but nor does it insulate unethical conduct.

Take a look at the full article for more detail on these three themes.  And if you're interested in learning more about social media,  consider  these additional resources:

Mashable - Premier online site for social media, packed full of demographic information, trends and how-to guides.

Social Media Law Student - Don't let the fact that this site is run by students and young lawyers deter you - this blog covers social media issues related to lawyers, judges and the legal system at large, and includes some product reviews of social media tools.

Social Media Today - Focusing on how businesses implement social media.

Web Strategist - Though focused on business use of social media, detailed discussions and statistics at this site make it a great educational resource for lawyers on intelligent use of social media.

AllTop - Social Media - Top social media stories aggregated in one place.
 



 

 



]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/02/social-media-round-up.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/02/social-media-round-up.html lawyers legal marketing social media Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:24:54 -0800 Using Excellent Client Service to Build Brand and Market a Practice
Indeed, as this article by Gerry McGovern describes, your firm's law practice management practices are part and parcel of your firm's brand.  In McGovern's case, she judges banks largely on the usability of their online service and unfortunately, they don't fare well.  McGovern believes that's because banks treat customer service and IT issues separately - and fail to recognize how IT design can impact usability:

In fact, I have rarely, if ever, met a senior manager with more than a passing interest in the Web. They think this stuff is technical - something you give to the IT department.
Where customers spend their time is where you build your brand. Organizations need to stop trying to use traditional advertising techniques to create false images. For an increasing number of customers, you are your website. It's about time senior management woke up to that fact.

Unfortunately, in a down economy, are cutting customer service programs rather than enhancing them reports  BigNews.biz.  That's a mistake, says Chris Coles, a CEO of HyperQuality, a customer service solutions provider quoted in the story, because quality service helps companies retain existing customers. 

When you market your law firm, do you describe to clients how you'll serve them?  If your firm has a 24 hour call return guarantee, a client portal, where clients can check the status of cases or Internet access in your waiting room, you should make those features part of the package that you sell to clients, along with your expertise and the results you've obtained in other cases.  And if your firm doesn't offer a suite of client friendly benefits, realize that it's not just a law practice management issue.  It's also a marketing issue that may be impacting the financial health of your law firm. 
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/02/building-brand-through-excelle.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/02/building-brand-through-excelle.html Client Relations client service clients law firm marketing legal marketing Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:28:47 -0800 The Billboard: The Last Frontier of Conventional Advertising, But Should Lawyers Try It? Declining newspaper circulation means fewer outlets for print advertising, and reduced visibility for ads in the print publications still in existence.  The advent of services like Hulu or Tivo enable consumers to bypass television commercials entirely.  Meanwhile, more and more consumers are spending time online, making the Internet and more recently, mobile technologies the hotspot for ads.

Still, there's one last bastion of conventional advertising:  the billboard.  As David Sparks discusses at SocialMedia.biz, the billboard survives social media because there's no way to avoid outside ads:

As I'm wait­ing for the bus, dri­ving my car, or sit­ting on pub­lic tran­sit, I can't not look at the adver­tis­ing. It's actu­ally some­thing to do. I can't look at the peo­ple. You know what hap­pens if you make direct eye con­tact with any­one on the bus? They'll think you're com­ing on to them or you're a psy­chotic killer. Isn't that every­one who rides the bus?

But is billboard advertising appropriate for lawyers?  Frankly, I don't know, so I searched around on the web, and here's what I found:

1.  Billboard ads can be effective

San Antonio, Texas based family law attorney Michael McLees invested roughly one thousand dollars a month in a billboard to market his new practice.  McLees' billboard is simple and in good taste (insofar as billboards go) with just his picture, firm name, phone number and tagline, Family Matters.  Over at his blog, McLees reports that the billboard does in fact generate clients.

Traverse City, Michigan lawyer Enricho Schaefer also reports that billboards are effective, even for law firms such as his with a dominant internet presence.  Schaefer's billboard is also tasteful, featuring many of his firm's local clients, who appreciated the added exposure.

2.  Billboards can also be cheesy or carry negative connotations

Though billboards can be effective, there are also drawbacks.  Some billboard advertising is cheesy and or controversial.  And sometimes, it can reflect poorly on a lawyers' abilities.

Chicago, Illinois attorney Corri Fetman stirred up a controversy with her Life's Short, Get a Divorce billboard featuring the scantily clad torsos of a woman and man.   Many fellow lawyers criticized the ad as trivializing divorce, or as simply undignified.  There's no word on whether the ad attracted clients, but it certainly received wide media coverage.

Meanwhile, in Houston, Texas, DWI lawyer Tyler Flood put up a billboard on a street known for a high number of drunk driving arrests.  Flood's billboard, depicted here, asks drivers to keep Flood's number on their cell phones, prominently warns them that if arrested, DON'T BLOW (i.e., take the breathalyzer test). Not surprisingly, law enforcement officials are critical of the billboard, claiming that it provides bad advice since drivers who decline to take a breathalyzer test can have their licenses suspended for three months, or in certain cases, be subjected to a blood test.   However, Flood's billboard passed muster with the state disciplinary committee which reviews billboards in advance of publication.

Billboards can also carry negative connotations.  Memphis, Tennessee lawyer James Ferrell has a poor impression of  "billboard lawyers" in his neck of the woods, many of whom have never taken a case to trial:

Of all the lawyers who heavily advertise on billboards, city buses and television, I know of only one (and I won't say which one) who is actually a credible trial attorney.  Most are virtually unknown in professional circles, except by reference to their advertising.  Most seldom if ever try a case in court. Most never speak at continuing legal education programs, and  attend barely enough CLE to keep their licenses. Hardly any are active in professional organizations.

When clients have asked me to consider taking over cases that those firms had been handling, I have been appalled at the lack of the most basic forms of investigation and preparation.

Conclusions regarding billboard ads

Based on my review of lawyers' experiences with billboards, I arrived at the following conclusions.  First, billboard advertising may survive social media, but that doesn't mean that it's for everyone.  Billboard advertising doesn't come cheap so unless you receive some tangible returns like McLees or Schaefer, it's probably not worth considering. 

Second,  if you're going to advertise by billboard, keep it simple and tasteful.  Billboards that are cheesy or brazen generate controversy but they can also offend prospective clients and harm the public image of all lawyers. 

Finally, bear in mind that a billboard is no substitute for excellence:  high quality work and scrupulous ethical standards in every case that you handle.  Even if you put the resources into advertising by billboard, you're not going to attract clients if you're a lousy lawyer because those clients may still ask around about the quality of your work.   Billboards may be the last bastion of conventional advertising -- but there's nothing to stop consumers from Googling you on the Internet after they've found you on a billboard. 

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/the-billboard-the-last-frontie.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/the-billboard-the-last-frontie.html Billboards billboards lawyers legal marketing Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:58:27 -0800 Why Are You Marketing Your Law Firm?
Maybe that sounds that a stupid question.  After all, isn't marketing all about making money? 

Not necessarily.  True, in some instances, a law firm may initiate a marketing campaign that's designed to attract more clients.  For example, marketing techniques like special discounts on estate planning or incorporating a small businesses or free consultations in a market where they're not traditionally offered are largely intended to bring more client matters through the door to generate more revenue. 

Trouble is, if your primary goal isn't short term cash infusion, then discounts or free consults or doing whatever your competitors are doing won't help - and in fact, may actually hurt your practice.  Let's take the hypothetical case of Louis, a busy immigration lawyer.   Due to a couple of contacts in his country of origin, Louis has dozens of clients beating down his door.  He's so busy he can barely keep pace.  And yet, neither can he afford to hire an associate to share the workload.  That's because to date, Louis' business model has consisted of charging less than other lawyers but making it up in volume.  For Louis, additional discounts would exacerbate his stress rather than improve his practice. 

Louis' immediate goal isn't necessarily making more money.  Instead, he needs to be more concerned with keeping his income at the same level by cutting down on the number of clients.  To do that, he needs to implement marketing techniques that will help him improve the quality of his client base.  How to do that?  Education based marketing initiatives like ebooks or blogging might be one place to start.  Clients who take the time to learn about the immigration process are often better educated and therefore, potentially higher earners.  In addition, by using educational tools to explain the complexity of the immigration process and the need for expertise, clients will come to appreciate the value of the service provided and may be willing to pay more.  Another way to find better quality clients is through use of testimonials.  A former client's recommendation is powerful and lets potential clients know that you have the ability to assist them effectively - which also enhances your value to them. 

In other cases, a lawyer's primary goal in marketing may be to expand or diversify a practice.  Here again, discounts and free consults aren't the most effective way to go.  Instead, stepping up networking events with other lawyers would help more because they give you a way to get the word out about your new practice area.  Likewise, speaking engagements on your new practice area are a way to introduce yourself to new audiences who may need your services.

Ultimately, better quality clients or an expanded practice will yield more money in the long term.  But if quality of life or diversity are your short term goals with money being an added reward, then discounting services or running expensive television or newspaper ads aren't necessarily going to bring you closer to those goals.
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/why-are-you-marketing-your-law.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/why-are-you-marketing-your-law.html Lawyer Marketing lawyers legal marketing marketing marketing goals Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:59:17 -0800 More on Mobile Marketing mentioned a Pew Internet Report which found that approximately one third of African Americans access the Internet through a cell phone or other mobile device.  I recommended that lawyers serving African American clients make their websites and blogs mobile compliant to facilitate easy access via a hand held device. 

Now, I realize that I should have expanded my advice.  Because even if only a tiny portion of your target clients currently access the web through mobile devices today, very shortly, many more will.  By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device, predicts Gartner Research.  Thus, as we move through the second decade of the twenty-first century, all lawyers will reap benefits by expanding their marketing efforts to the mobile arena, while those who fail to will lose out.

From Gartner's Press Release:   

the total number of PCs in use will reach 1.78 billion units in 2013. By 2013, the combined installed base of smartphones and browser-equipped enhanced phones will exceed 1.82 billion units and will be greater than the installed base for PCs thereafter.

Mobile Web users are typically prepared to make fewer clicks on a website than users accessing sites from a PC. Although a growing number of websites and Web-based applications offer support for small-form-factor mobile devices, many still do not. Websites not optimized for the smaller-screen formats will become a market barrier for their owners -- much content and many sites will need to be reformatted/rebuilt.

While 2013 is still three years away, lawyers are better off getting out in front, rather than scrambling to play catch up.  So what can lawyers do to expand their presence in the mobile online world?  Below are four ideas:

1.  DO design websites and blogs with mobile use in mind.  The Online Marketing Blog recommends keeping fonts basic, stripping out images to optimize loading time, remove third party services from side bars and focus on delivery of content.   For those running WordPress based blogs, design for mobile devices is even easier: you can use a WPtouch iPhone
If you run a WordPress blog, you can use a Word Press iphone theme plug-in to automatically create a small-screen friendly version of your blog.

2. DO develop content with search in mind.  As web access goes mobile, find-ability will be critical.  After all, users aren't likely to have the patience or agility to run Google searches and scroll through results on a 2" x 3" screen that downloads slowly.  Moreover, a significant percentage of mobile users will be searching for local assistance:  consider, for example, an abused wife who's left her home and needs a lawyer to file a restraining order or a businessman arrested for DUI.  In both of these scenarios, the prospective client will be searching for a lawyer away from home and will want to find someone within a specific jurisdiction.
 
The Online Marketing Blog suggests focusing on local directories (a topic I wrote about here) to improve find-ability in mobile search:

The best way to ensure you are found on mobile devices is to make sure your site is in all the local search directories with full and accurate profiles. Places like Google Local and Yahoo local probably receive more traffic from users who want to find business in a certain area. When I've used my phone to search the web, I was searching for specific businesses to visit.  Social networking through mobile is also popular and through links, can drive web site traffic. A combination of search and social is the direction where I see the bulk of mobile traffic going.

3.  DO explore creative ways to establish a mobile presence, but DON'T be tacky.  Fort Lauderdale, Florida based lawyer, Jason Turchin just released the free iphone MyAttorney app, reports the Florida Sun Sentinel.  Granted, the MyAttorney feature which enables cell phone users to call their lawyer at the touch of a button arguably meets the tacky test.  But in my view, MyAttorney is redeemed by inclusion of useful tools, such as a checklist of what to do in an accident and a feature for submitting a case inquiry and uploading and submitting photos.

4.  DO get moving on video  Nearly a year ago, I wrote about the importance of video to online marketing.  As user access moves to mobile devices, video marketing takes on even more importance.  For some users, reading text on a mobile device, can prove cumbersome even at an optimized site.  By contrast, video is much easier to view on a phone, and users can still listen even if they have difficulty seeing the video, they can listen.   Most mobile phones already integrate YouTube seamlessly into their design, and consumers have grown adept at watching videos on the small screen.  Chances are, they'll be equally adept at listening to education-based videos or scrolling through video interviews with attorneys on their phones as well.      
   
Are you good to go in this decade's on-the-go marketing world?  And if not, what are you doing to prepare?  
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/more-on-mobile-marketing.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2010/01/more-on-mobile-marketing.html Mobile Devices Search Engine legal marketing mobile devices Nolo Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:16:13 -0800 Marketing a Law Firm On Facebook New York Times reported last month.  And why not?  With 300 million users, Facebook is likely to be home to a substantial portion of a business' prospective and existing customers.  For that reason, Facebook helps businesses find new customers, build online communities to retain and provide perks to existing customers and even to access demographic information. 

Just like businesses, lawyers can also realize marketing benefits through Facebook.  At Inside Facebook, Sara Ines Calderon offers ten tips for ways that lawyers can use Facebook to market a practice.  I'll discuss some of those tips below and throw in a few of my own:

1.  Goals and Target Audience Definition:  Just like there's more than one way to skin a cat, there's more than one way to market a law practice on Facebook.  To figure out which marketing approach (or approaches) are right for you, you need to define your goals and identify your target audience.  For example, if you market to consumer clients, you may want to attract them with direct ads or try to educate them with articles or links to blog posts on relevant topics.  As discussed below, creating a Fan Page would support these goals.  By contrast, if you're trying to attract more conservative corporate clients who don't spend much time on Facebook, direct advertisements wouldn't have much value.  However, you might locate these clients indirectly through referrals from colleagues whom you can get to know personally through a Facebook friends page.

2.  Set Up A Fan Page:    A Fan Page is a Facebook page for a business or corporate entity rather than for an individual.  As a lawyer,  a Fan Page is important because it provides a way that you can interact with clients without allowing them to become privy to personal information and photos that you might share with close friends.   You can use a Fan page for a variety of purposes - to respond to questions about legal matters (in a general way, of course, to avoid any perception that you're giving legal advice), to share links to recent blog posts or to engage "fans" of the site in conversation.  You can also use a Fan page to issue invitations to events or to make special offers available - for example,  free consultations or a discount on certain legal services.

3. Direct Advertising:  With so many users on Facebook, advertisements can potentially attract a large audience.  Moreover, you can very specifically target ads to various demographics, including, country, state and city, gender, age and workplace.  There's more information on Facebook ads available here.

4.  Building Relationships:   Personal referrals are the primary source of business for most lawyers.  And most people prefer to make referrals to lawyers whom they know on  a personal basis.  Facebook offers a way to get better acquainted with colleagues and build a relationship that goes beyond the office or the bar meeting room.  In addition, when you interact with colleagues more frequently, you'll be at the top of their mind if they're asked to refer a matter.

Have you thought about using Facebook to market your practice?  How are you using it? 
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/marketing-a-law-firm-on-facebo.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/marketing-a-law-firm-on-facebo.html Networking events Facebook lawyer marketing Nolo social media Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:03:11 -0800 Update on Email and Newsletter Marketing here.  And even though since that time, the the benefits of social media for SEO have become more widely recognized, marketing via newsletters still remain a powerful tool.  For starters, bear in mind that many of your prospects may not participate in social media, so sending an email newsletter enables you to target a population that you might otherwise miss on social media alone.  As for existing clients, newsletters help you stay in touch long after the attorney-client relationship ends, thus laying the foundation for future referrals or other work.  The Law Gazette offers a couple of examples of how firms in the UK are using newsletters for everything from promoting seminars to simply keeping clients up to date on news.

Newsletters also carry SEO value, as discussed here.  The newsletter can drive readers to a law firm website, thus increasing traffic and online visibility.  And, you can repurpose that newsletter content too.  Many law firms upload newsletters to article archiving sites which can further bolster online visibility.

So if you're thinking about starting an email newsletter or improving the one you have, check out Small Business Trends which provides 30 email marketing applications, ranging from free to fee. 







]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/update-on-email-and-newsletter.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/update-on-email-and-newsletter.html Newsletters email marketing email newsletters lawyer marketing legal marketing Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:18:50 -0800 A Portfolio Approach to Social Media
That's what I've done with the chart below: organized social media platforms into functional categories, given a brief description and the "old school" analogy.  All you need to do is pick a tool from at least two different categories, preferably more, and start moving forward with a social media strategy for 2010. (click on the chart for a better view)

webtable.jpg

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/a-portfolio-approach-to-social.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/a-portfolio-approach-to-social.html Social Networking social media social networking Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:06:40 -0800 Blog Early and Often
blog early and often.

Most commonly, it's the "often" component of this equation that generates the most discussion and debate.  For example, a recent Portfolio story on lawyer blogs pointed out that:

[...] many are finding that feeding the blog beast with fresh content is a legal challenge unto itself. Lawyers and blog specialists say the best legal blogs generate at least several posts per week.

While it's important to blog often, particularly when getting a blog off the ground, timing is equally, if not more important than frequency.  In other words, you don't need to blog often so much as you need to blog early.

First to press:  One component of blogging early involves reacting quickly to a big news story, getting a post up on breaking news or a recently issued decision before other bloggers come on the scene.  When you post about a new development early, you make your blog indispensable to readers; a go to source of up to date information.  In addition, an early post on a topic ensures that other bloggers or media sources will link to or comment on your blog, therefore giving you more exposure.  A couple of rules about posting early, however. 

First, if there's a hot news story or just-issued judicial decision, don't just throw out a link with a single line like "read this!" or "breaking news!"  To make your post valuable, you must offer some original insight or prediction, even if it's based on a quick first impression.  You can always update the post or write a follow up as events emerge.  Second, you don't need to be first to press with every single news item, or you run the risk of converting your blog into a news feed rather than a source of analysis and conversation.  If you enjoy providing rapid feed on new developments, share your blurbs on Twitter, which offers a  better platform for short form writing than a blog.

Early in the morning:   When I say that you should blog early, I also mean it literally, as in early in the morning.   Many heavy blog readers like newspaper reporters (who can give you more exposure) or other lawyers (who can generate referrals) tend to scroll through their news feeders first thing in the morning in search of fodder for their own blog posts and stories.  If you can get your posts up early in the morning, they're more likely to be read when fresh.  By contrast, if you post on a time-sensitive topic later in the day, by the time your post comes up on an aggregator, it may be yesterday's news.

Early in the week:  Posting early in the week is important for two reasons.  First, (and though the evidence is hardly scientific), based on my experience at several different blogs, readership is generally highest on Mondays or Tuesdays.  A  survey of various design blogs reached a similar conclusion, though Thursdays were a close second.  Tuesday is also the most popular activity day for Twitter, which can also be a source of traffic to your blog if you tweet links to your posts.   Statistics aside, there's a second reason to post early in the week: it will allow more time for conversation to brew throughout the week which will also generate more traffic.

Early adapter:  Finally, if you're just starting a blog, you gain a tremendous advantage if you can establish yourself as first to market on a particular topic.  Indeed, many of the earliest blogs, like Howard Bashman's appellate law blog,  How Appealing continue to dominate not just because of quality but also a strong first mover advantage that helps keep competitors at bay.  Even though blogging is more common than five years ago, there's still plenty of room for lawyers to establish a blog on a  topic that's not yet been covered and benefit from a first mover advantage from that  particular niche.

In short, I can't emphasize this point often enough:  blog early!

Here is another post on this topic (from last year) from Blog for Profit.

 
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/blog-early-and-often.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/12/blog-early-and-often.html Blogs blawging blawgs blogging lawyer marketing legal marketing Nolo Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:48:36 -0800 What's in a [Key] Word? Here's how to find out... What's in a name, he might well have had Juliet ask  "What's in a [key] word?"  Because when it comes to SEO, keywords matter, as Jay Fleischman emphasizes over at Legal Practice Pro.   But whereas Juliet idealistically believed that "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," her observation wouldn't apply to SEO where subtle differences in terminology can yield less-than-sweet SEO results. 

So how can you determine whether the keywords will be effective in attracting traffic to your site?  Jay's Legal Practice Pro post offers a couple of starting points.  In addition, there's an even more recent post by Marshall Sponder of Entrepreneur that identifies seven free tools for evaluating the potential effectiveness of key words.

One tool suggested by Sponder is Microsoft AdLabs, which can help determine whether your intended service has commercial value based on the words you're using to describe it.  From the post: 

For example, "Ultra-Thin Insoles" is considered to have a 68 percent commercial value while "Comfortable Shoes" is considered by the tool to have a 96 percent commercial value. Finding the right way to describe what you're looking for will help you find it faster and cheaper, and help you monetize your offerings once your products or services are ready.

Other tools include Quantcast Marketing which you can use to obtain demographic information on customers which in turn, can inform keyword selection, and Wordstream Keyword Search, which will generate keyword suggestions.  For example, if you select "bankruptcy law," you'll see that many searches relate to the changes in bankruptcy law.  Since this term drives traffic, you may want to use it as a keyword and also target blog posts or web content to address this topic.

By using free tools to select effective keywords, you can create a rosy presence for yourself online without spending a bundle.  And that is sweet, indeed.  ]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/11/whats-in-a-key-word-heres-how.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/11/whats-in-a-key-word-heres-how.html SEO law firm keywords law firm marketing lawyer marketing legal marketing blog Nolo SEO Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:51:08 -0800 How to Get Free Press for Your Practice in the New York Times Call me old fashioned, but even with the recent decline in newspaper circulation, I hold a special place in my heart for the old Gray Lady.  For all the exposure that the Internet offers, nothing quite parallels the reach of a mention in the pages of the New York Times, or rivals the cache of a "quoted in the New York Times" entry on a lawyer bio.


Guess what?  You don't need to be a bigwig to snag a mention in the New York Times, or at least, at one of its online sites.  These days, the New York Times gives readers the ability to contribute posts to its local blogs or to cover local news stories.  And lawyers are already taking advantage of these opportunities to contribute to the local community while gaining exposure for their practice.


Consider Livingston, New Jersey-based new solo, Jodi Rosenberg (whose office, coincidentally, is located in my hometown, right around the corner from where I grew up).  Rosenberg wrote this post for the New York Times' local Maplewood blog about an author's talk that she organized for a working mothers' group.  In the post, Rosenberg shares useful tips on how to locate published authors to speak at events as well as information on Workmoms, a social networking group for working mothers that Rosenberg co-leads.  But Rosenberg also discretely slips in mention about starting her new law firm.  Rosenberg's post thus brings exposure both to her Workmoms group (which can generate membership and lead to increased connections and potential clients) and directly to her law firm.


Former lawyer turned author, writing coach and speaker Ari Kaplan has also posted on the New York Times blog, once about his experience of writing his book at the local library and once about family activities.   Kaplan's articles help build a local following, not to mention that he garnered a nice byline with information about his business.


The Times offers another opportunity for lawyers to get exposure and even meet prospective clients face to face with its Virtual Assignment Desk.  The Virtual Assignment Desk lists local events where news coverage is desired, and then solicits volunteers who are willing to cover those events and file a blog post and story.  Past assignments  include school board meetings, a League of Women Voters' workshop offering tips for citizen journalists and a town board of trustees meetings.  By attending these events as a journalist, lawyers have the opportunity to get to know the key players, and even have a chance to interact with them directly by interviewing them for a story.  Consider a lawyer interested in a niche practice advising bloggers and citizen journalists.  Attending a meeting on citizen journalism and reporting about it can get the lawyer's name out in front of prospective clients. 


Does the metropolitan newspaper in your area offer these kinds of opportunities?  Not only can your effort help rebuild the newspaper industry, but you can help build your own practice in the process.



 

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/10/how-to-get-free-press-for-your.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/10/how-to-get-free-press-for-your.html Newspapers exposure legal marketing newspaper writing Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:51:39 -0800 Marketing to the Do It Yourself-er Nolo's Legal Marketing Blawg, I was an unabashed fan of Nolo for its pioneer work in providing legal resources to pro se litigants at a time when they had no other alternatives.  Flash forward three and a half decades, and though other self-help resources now exist, Nolo remains out in front both in the variety of offerings and more importantly, quality of material.   

What's more, the self-help trend is growing faster than ever -- and it's not just because the economic downturn is forcing folks to cut back.   Instead, the move towards self-help is at once driven by generational preferences and technological advancements.

Consider the evidence, like this recent press release about Generation Y's propensity for   taking charge of their own investments instead of relying on a financial manager, broker or other professional.  Gen Y'ers are playing a far more active role in overseeing their finances -- 31 percent are doing their own investment research compared to 12 percent of Boomers, and a full 50 percent are keeping track of their accounts compared to 30 percent of Boomers.  The trend isn't surprising -- after all, Gen Y'ers have grown up online and are accustomed to researching online.  For that reason, Gen Y'ers rated online research as the most important tool for investment information and they frequently use iPhones for stock quotes or to check investments.

Technology is also making self-help options more desirable for consumers. The Chicago Tribunehighlights the growing popularity of self-service Redbox kiosks for videos and self-check out at supermarkets.  Kiosk transactions are expected to surpass $775 billion this year, up from $607 billion in 2008, according to IHL Group, which tracks the self-service industry. It could hit $1.6 trillion by 2013.

So why do lawyers need to learn about DIY and self-help trends?  After all, don't self-help options reduce the need for lawyers?  Not necessarily.  In many instances, self-help products for consumers - like Nolo's books and forms - capture a market segment that either didn't want or couldn't afford to hire a lawyer.  In other words, many self-help options help clients who weren't going to hire lawyers anyway.

The 21st century version of self-help has evolved from the more traditional concept of doing it yourself to save money.  The modern day version of self-help is all about education and empowerment; today's self-help tools aren't intended to displace the need for professionals but rather to supplement the services that they provide.  

In the survey that I mentioned, for all the work that Gen Y'ers are doing in tracking their own investments and researching their portfolio, at the end of the day just 24 percent (compared with 11 percent of Boomers) are actually managing their own accounts.  That still leaves 75 percent of the Gen Y population as potential investment company clients.  And an investment professional's ability to cater to Gen Y's self-help urges -- through services like online research reports on market trends and internet connection to accounts--is what will make them appealing.  

That's why understanding the self-help trend is critical for lawyers.  Acting in a protectionist fashion and keeping information close to the vest for fear that clients won't "buy the cow if they can get the milk for free" won't generate more clients.  Instead, hoarding information will only drive clients to those lawyers who understand and respect their desire to educate themselves and play an active role in their case.

With that goal in mind, what features can you add to your practice to make you more attractive to the independently minded Gen Y'ers, not to mention the kiosk-patronizing consumers who've grown accustomed to the convenience of self service?  Consider the following ideas:

--Start a blog and pack it full of posts related to your practice, such as answering "frequently asked questions" that you hear all the time (will I lose my home in bankruptcy? Is it really a hassle to go through probate?) to explaining how you handle certain types of cases.  You could supplement the blog with a newsletter which is another way to feed information to clients.

--Write an ebook or special report that can help clients better understand or even solve a basic legal problem.  Ebooks and reports educate potential clients, which means that they may self-screen themselves if they learn from your materials that they don't have a case.

--Incorporate tools in your practice that makes it easy for clients to help themselves.  Add a client portal, where clients can log-in and check the status of your case.  Client portals aren't costly -- services like Zoho, Basecamp or Clio offer portals and cost $50 per month or less. Plus, the portals will save you time by eliminating, or at least reducing calls from anxious clients seeking updates.

--Offer unbundled services virtually.  If you're interested in trying to capture more reluctant do-it-yourself clients, you might consider providing unbundled services exclusively on line.  Two companies, VLO Tech and Direct Law offer reasonably priced, turn-key systems for serving consumers online.  As a virtual lawyer, you'll provide legal advice and draft and review documents, but the client will still do much of the legwork, such as filing an incorporation with the Secretary of State or executing a will that you've drafted.  

By helping clients help themselves, you help yourself too.  Because when those self-help client need a full service lawyer, they'll turn to the ones who helped them when they didn't need to.

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/10/marketing-to-the-do-it-yoursel.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/10/marketing-to-the-do-it-yoursel.html Legal Marketing Trends Self-help eBooks legal marketing Nolo pro se self-help Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:15:57 -0800 Give Yourself and Your Clients the Present of Web Presence ABA's 2008 Tech Survey.  If you fall into this category, perhaps you figure that a web presence isn't relevant since most of your clients come by way of mouth or referral.   Even so, consider the message that lacking a website (or an alternative web presence like a blog conveys.  For starters, many prospective clients and referrers may conclude that if you haven't bothered to stay current on technology, then perhaps you've let your substantive legal knowledge slide as well.  Moreover, many clients regard a website as a basic convenience; a place where at a minimum, they can find contact information, an address and a photo.  By failing to provide this information online, you give the impression that you're insensitive to clients' needs.

Alternatively, the thought of getting a website up and running may intimidate you.  You've heard quotes from colleagues about $10,000 or even $20,000 sites and that's simply not in the budget.  As I'll discuss below, you certainly don't have to put up that kind of money for a basic site.

At the same time, if you're one of those lawyers who has had a website since the mid-1990s, don't pat yourself on the back just yet.   Though a website loaded with Flash, high graphic images and a couple of static pages may have been cutting edge a decade ago, in a more dynamic Web 2.0 age, it is likely showing signs of age.

So, if you don't have a website at all, or you're considering a face lift, consider these tips below to get you started.

1.  Take a trip around the Internet:  Why not start down the path to building a website with a trip of your own -- around the Internet -- and visit other websites for inspiration.  If you're on a listserv, now's the time to click on the URL in participants' signatures and take a look at what their sites look like, and whether it's something you'd want to replicate.  You can also find collections of lawyer websites online -- there's a terrific bunch here at LexCSS as a start.

Don't limit yourself to lawyer websites, though.  If you practice in a specific industry, like high tech or real estate or health care, you may find common conventions amongst those sites that would make sense to incorporate in yours.   Likewise, consultants and other professionals may include certain features that could benefit your practice as well.

2.  Develop a strategy  This article from Small Biz Trends emphasizes the importance of having a strategy -- a method to the madness, so to speak -- behind a website:

Your first step in creating your Web site is to outline the goals for that online presence. From there you'll be able to identify your calls to action and key content themes so that you can build around them. You want to know how the site will be used so that you can incorporate your navigation in a way that will be intuitive for users. You want to create content that will reinforce what you're trying to accomplish, it should be informative, and it should put people on a path to do whatever it is you want them to do. If you don't create a Web strategy before building the site, you're going to lose your focus and value for users.

How do you see potential visitors using your site?  Will it simply serve as a source of basic information?  What kind of contact will be useful to users?  Potential clients may be interested in educational materials or tip lists, whereas potential referral sources will want to information about your credentials and past accomplishments to determine whether to send you cases.

Also, consider your audience.  A corporate crowd likely won't be amused by a whimsical website while consumers won't feel welcome at a highly formal site.  Design your site with the audience in mind. 
 
3.  Website Features  Once you've looked at some of the other sites, and come up with a strategy put together a list of the features that you'd like to include in yours.   For example, an "About Us" page that describes your firm is fairly de rigeur.  But what about an "About You" page, which is a more effective way to make clients understand how you can help them.

Compare the following two descriptions: 

About Us:  I am a highly qualified business lawyer with 12 years of experience drafting leases, shareholder agreements and other business documents.

About You:  You are a small, mom and pop owned business with a need for cost-effective assistance in preparation of basic agreements to protect your rights.

From a client's perspective, which is more effective?

Other effective features include testimonials (though check bar rules to determine whether you can ethically include them), video, which adds a personal touch, an educational e-book, for download or a newsletter.  These features infuse your site with personality and also give clients a reason to contact you, even if only to get a free e-book or newsletter.

4.  Interaction In the 21st century, a website should be interactive.  You need a way for clients to contact you, whether it's through a contact sheet or through tools like Google Voice.

5.  Educate Yourself:  Once you've decided what kinds of features you'd like to include in yourself, educate yourself about the feasibility.  Many features that seem high-end are surprisingly easy to include, yet often site designers will charge an arm and a leg for them.  For example, you can install auto-responder services like Aweber to capture client contact information and enable them to sign up for a newsletter.  Many site designers will tell you that this kind of feature is costly when in reality, you could set it up yourself.  Likewise, companies will often charge several hundreds of dollars for "site maintenance" or updating pages when there are many tools that allow you to do this yourself.

Realize too, that at the end of the day, as a lawyer, you are responsible for your developer's work.  The Ninth Circuit just held that a small law firm, whose web designer lifted the content from a competitor's site and used it for the small firm's new website could be liable for copyright violations.  So if a developer charges a price that's too good to be true (because maybe he's done the same site before!) or provides professional sounding material that seems vaguely familiar, you may want to check around the web to make sure that the site that your designer presented  isn't already online under someone else's name.

6. Design Yourself or DIY  This piece by Deborah Bruce contains some good information on the range of costs of websites, from the low end do it yourself to retaining a designer.  Bruce suggests two easy and inexpensive do it yourself options, www.SpinSite.com for $12 per month and www.SquareSpace.com for $14 per month.  In addition to do it yourself and high end designers, consider a middle of the road solution, such as contracting a designer through Craigslist or Odesk, where you can generally find a developer in the $300-$700 price range. If you do hire a designer, be sure that you register your domain names yourself.  You don't want to find yourself in a conflict with a developer down the line and lose access to the domain name.

7.  The legal stuff:  No law firm website would be complete without the requisite legal disclaimers about how your site doesn't offer advice, how contacting a lawyer through the site doesn't give rise to attorney client privilege and that the site may be a form of advertising.  Check your bar rules to determine what kind of disclaimer is required.   Copyright notices are important as well to put potential infringers on notice.

There's no need to run a monster disclaimer right on the front page; you can simply link to it on a sub-page.  And you might even consider a somewhat humorous disclaimer like this one to satisfy your lawyerly duties but at the same time, show signs of a real personality.

8.  More Reading:  For more ideas on setting up a website, consider this extra reading:

This article from CNN Money offers a great, play-by-play makeover of a highly ineffective website belonging to a small firm in a small community.  Just because you practice in a small town doesn't mean that your website needs to be bumpkin-like, and the article offers great advice on how the lawyers could redesign the site to make it more user friendly and SEO-efficient. 

Solo and small firm lawyers are small businesses, and so they stand to learn a great deal from this piece on common mistakes of small business websites.  These include poor design, lack of interactivity and failing to give any reason for visitors to return.

Personality will help set a website apart, and Entrepreneur.com gives some quick tips on how to let your unique character shine through.

Jay Fleischman at Legal PracticePro provides seven quick fixes for improving an already existing website.

Designing a website correctly can take time, so why not start now?  A website presence is a great present, both for yourself and for your clients. 
]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/give-yourself-and-your-clients.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/give-yourself-and-your-clients.html lawyer marketing legal marketing web design websites Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:45:13 -0800 Legal Marketing: Social Media Trends where and how potential clients are using social media rather than what your colleagues are doing with it. 

However, turning a blind eye to how your colleagues are using social media is a mistake.  Because social media isn't just a static tool -- like a newspaper ad or a website -- for direct generation of clients.  Engaging social media is also a process that enables lawyers to build meaningful relationships with colleagues, which in turn will produce referrals.

A just released study by Leader Networks shows why social media is critical to generating business in the legal profession.  Of the 1474 lawyers surveyed as part of the study (764 private practice lawyers and 710 corporate counsel), 56 percent identified peer referrals or recommendations as the most effective method for finding business, followed by in person networking events (33 percent) and conferences and seminars (15 percent).  Only three percent believed that blogging, listservs or other social media tools helped to generate business.

But here's the rub.  Despite recognizing the importance of networking with peers to generate referrals, most lawyers said that they simply don't have the time to leverage opportunities to network with peers.  And that's where social media can fill the gap.  Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, the ABA's Legally Minded, Martindale Connected or Legal OnRamp, serve as a virtual water cooler, giving lawyers opportunities to exchange quick pleasantries, update colleagues on recent accomplishments ("speaking at national conference" or "just won SJ hearing") and share news of current events or developments in their respective practice areas.   As relationships evolve, you might find yourself consulting with a colleague on another matter or eventually passing on a case -- and vice versa. 

So not surprisingly, more lawyers are joining social networking sites.  According to the Leader Networks Study, 78 percent of lawyers polled reported membership in an online social network, up substantially from 59 percent in 2008.  And participation runs across all age groups, with 86 percent of lawyers aged 25-35 belonging to social networks, followed by 76 percent of those 36-45 and 66 percent of those in the 46-55+ category. 

Still, even though social networking can be less time consuming than traveling to a conference four hours away, it can easily become a time-sink unless lawyers are disciplined about participation.  So here are a few tips to engage social media tools efficiently so that you won't begrudge your participation if referrals don't come as quickly as you'd like.

1.  Choose your weapons

If this is your first foray into social media, you may want to proceed with some caution.  You are better off signing up for two sites and creating a robust presence rather than spreading yourself thin on eight or ten sites. 

However, with so many social media tools available, how can you pick the one that's right for you?  The decision depends largely on your intended targets.  If you're looking to build relationships with other lawyers, here's how various social media sites stack up according to the Leader Network report:

Linked-In - (used by 58% private counsel, 52% corporate counsel);

Martindale-Hubbell Connected, reading and commenting on blogs (42 % private counsel,
35 % corporate counsel);

Public social networks (Facebook, MySpace)  (37% private counsel, 25% corporate counsel);

Online Q&A and expert search services (e.g., WikiHow or Yahoo Answers) (13% private counsel, 19% corporate counsel);

Twitter (6% private counsel, 4% corporate counsel)

Other considerations in choosing a site include:

--Your personality.  If you tend to be shy or reserved, a site like Facebook, which is most interesting when colored by photos or light banter, may not be appropriate.  Instead, you may feel more comfortable at a more sites like Linked-In or Martindale Hubbell Connect, where the interactions are more focused on professional matters.

--Your schedule.  Some types of social media - such as blogging or regularly responding to online questions and answers may be too time consuming to fit into your schedule or to justify based on the resulting returns.  If you're busy, choose social media sites that don't require a large time investment.

--Your markets.  Are your competitors engaged in, or gaining stature at certain social media sites?  If so, you may want to dive in if only to keep an eye on them.  At the same time, don't avoid a social media site just because it's not populated with other lawyers from your practice area.  There's something to be said for gaining a first mover advantage.

2.  Recognize the process for building relationships

Because this post is focused primarily on use of social media as a way to build connections and generate referrals and business from other lawyers (as opposed to directly from clients), I'm going to assume that as your goal.  So how do you reach the point where you establish a relationship that encourages referrals?

In many ways, the stages of relationship building on social media parallel those in a traditional office environment.  For example, if you ever worked in an office, recall how you went about establishing relationships with colleagues.  During the first few weeks, you likely exchanged greetings and perhaps emailed each other about work related projects.  As you grew more comfortable, perhaps you went to lunch together or out for a cup of coffee and chatted about personal matters like your vacation plans or girlfriend or kids.  Finally, after more time, you may have gotten together outside of the office for a ball game or a tennis match.  Having established this level of camaraderie, you most likely tried to help your colleague professionally by referring him clients or making sure to sing his praises to management.

The same process takes place in the online world as well.  Initially, you may exchange greetings with a colleague whom you've "friended" on Facebook.  After a few weeks, you may comment on photos she's posted of family or offer some sympathy after she's posted about a bad day.  Finally, if you learn that your Facebook colleague will be visiting your city or speaking at a conference that you plan to attend, you might try to schedule an offline, in person meeting which will solidify the relationship.  Once you've grown comfortable with each other, your colleague will trust you enough to send contacts.  Plus, because you have a personal friendship, your colleague will make an effort to help you out, and vice versa.

3.  Don't dive in too quickly

You want social media relationships to evolve offline, but at the same time, you don't want to jump in too quickly.  Avoid friending 400 people whom you barely know all at once and then sharing 40 items with them daily.  Likewise, don't bombard Twitter with self-promotional posts or you'll just turn off followers.  You wouldn't like it if an office mate barged in to your conversation with a co-worker and began gabbing away, would you?  Turns out, social etiquette in social media isn't all that different.

4.  Set up a social media schedule

Some social media tools, particularly Facebook and Twitter can quickly become addictive.  If you spend too much time online, you won't get any work done - and worse, you'll create the impression that you're not very busy.  A realistic schedule might include (1) blocking off thirty minutes early  in the morning to log on to your social media accounts and return messages, send messages and tend to any updates and then (2) repeating the process sometime during the late afternoon or evening.   Or you might block out three to four 15 minute segments throughout the day to come online.  Of course, during really busy periods, you may not have any time for social media - so try to stick to the schedule when you can to establish a reasonably consistent presence.

5.  Do not outsource your social media! 

You don't need to read any further than my last post here to understand the dangers of outsourcing social media campaigns.

Conclusion:  Increasingly, lawyers are joining social media - but there's still time to get on board.   You just need to keep an open mind about the possibilities that social media holds to  build meaningful and lasting connections with colleagues that will provide both financial and personal rewards.

For more detailed information on how lawyers can use social media, take a look at my ebook on Social Media for Lawyers.  

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/legal-marketing-social-media-t.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/legal-marketing-social-media-t.html Social Networking Twitter legal marketing Nolo Directory Nolo Publishing social media Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:59:55 -0800 Legal Marketing Round Up
1. Be Careful Whom You Hire As  a Marketer  A few months ago, I asked whether you should hire a legal marketer and warned about some of the potential red flags to avoid in choosing a marketing consultant.  At least one unfortunate attorney failed to read my advice, and now, she's found herself the brunt of serious criticism around the blogosphere. 

Colin Samuels' Infamy and Praise Round Tuit 2 provides the best summary of the sordid affair.  Apparently, a California attorney retained a marketing consultant (well, actually, she bartered for his services) who chose to build her online presence by scraping content from other blogs, including Houston criminal defense lawyer's Mark Bennett's Defending People.  The consultant also set up a number of alias Twitter accounts under the California attorney's name in a lame effort to boost her SEO.  Mark Bennett took the consultant to task  here and here, with the end result of spreading the story around the blogosphere, damaging the attorney's representation in the process.  Two lessons here:  (1) bad publicity isn't necessarily better than good publicity and (2) DON'T outsource your marketing efforts.  Hopefully, this attorney will read my earlier post on guarding your reputation online so that she can minimize the negative commentary.

2.  Recyle and Re-purpose for a Successful Blog In my post on ebooks, I described how you can recycle or re-purpose content you've created for blogs or other publications to include in the ebook. However, the concept of re-purposing or multi-purposing is also useful to understand if you're trying to build a successful blog, a topic I've covered here. Over at Blog for Profit,  California Defamation Law Blogger Adrianos Facchetti describes how he multi-purposed his blog content to gain visibility in his niche of Internet defamation in just six months time.  Facchetti explains:

This is the "hub and spoke" strategy.  This is how it works.  Let's say I write a really great post and I want to make sure a lot of people read it. The first thing I would do is to upload it to as many websites as possible. So, I would upload the post to several bookmarking sites like social median and digg. Then I would upload it to JDSupra. Then I would tweet about it.

I also made sure that my blog posts updated automatically to my LinkedIN profile and to my Facebook profile via RSS feed.
My goal was to get my content in as many different places as I possibly could, which I did.  Use this strategy. It works.

There's similar advice over at the Baby Boomer Entrepreneur, which in addition to Facchetti's suggestions recommends (1) recording blog posts for podcasts or videos and (2) circulating blog posts to Ezinearticles.com, a heavily trafficked site which will rock your SEO.

 

]]> http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/legal-marketing-round-up.html http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/09/legal-marketing-round-up.html Blogs Marketing Consultants Round Up blogging legal marketing repurposing content Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:05:36 -0800