Law Firm Marketing: If You Simplify, Your Clients Will Multiply
.jpg)
I blogged here and here a couple of months ago about strategies attorneys can use to build a better law firm. Here are a few more:
Speed to Market Wins Almost Every Time. Is it more important to have a solid strategy or to execute an imperfect plan? My response may surprise you. Attorneys are notorious for over-planning everything. This becomes a fatal mistake when it comes to marketing. Your marketing plan should only be focused on what actions you are going to take in the next 90 days. You should be able to easily write it down on one page. Keep it simple and focus on consistently taking action!
Be a Contrarian. Many of our best Rainmaker marketing strategies are based on contrarian thinking. I often tell my clients to look at what their competitors are doing and do the opposite! Not because their competitors are dumb or intentionally doing it "wrong," but because following the herd is the single most common action taken by attorneys in their marketing, especially on the internet. Don't follow the crowd with your marketing; instead, do the opposite.
Eliminate Every Obstacle to Marketing Your Law Firm. What is blocking you from achieving the financial success you deserve? A bad partnership? A partner or associate or key team member who is distracted and depressed? No passion for your clientele? Lack of automated systems to run your marketing? No system for following up with leads and prospects?
Now is the time to get rid of the dead weight! It's easy to overlook faults when times are good, but they can kill you when times are tough. When you identify a weak link, remove it!
While you're at it, make every attorney and staff member commit to returning every single phone call and email within 24 hours. I'm convinced benign neglect of prospects, clients and referral sources is a major reason why many attorneys are struggling in their business.
Keep Your Team Lean and Mean. I was recently speaking with a bankruptcy attorney in the New York area. His business is about the same as last year, but he isn't willing to do any marketing right now. Why? Because he just fired an associate who wasn't performing well and he doesn't want to take on any more work because he's not sure he can handle it alone.
Even when I pointed out, rather obviously, there are a lot of out of work attorneys right now who would love the chance to work and even more people who would entertain an Of Counsel relationship or work part-time, he wasn't interested. Seriously?
Now is not the time to add several new and costly staff hoping for massive success. Now is the time to keep your team "lean and mean" while putting everything you can into effective marketing!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
Free Report: 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys From Building A Referral-Based Practice
Referrals are the lifeblood of many law practices, and building a good referral program takes a proven process. Stephen Fairly unveils the 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral-Based Practice in his new free report. Read and discover:
- How to determine the best source for your referrals
- How to explain your ideal target market to a referral source
- How to get referrals from other attorneys
- Whether online directories are a good referral source
- How to network effectively
- And much, much more!
Click here to get your free report today.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: Study Says LinkedIn Best Social Media Network for Lead Generation
A new study by Hubspot of more than 5,000 B2B and B2C companies shows that LinkedIn far outpaces Facebook and Twitter as a lead generation engine, serving up almost three times as many leads as the other two networks:
Since LinkedIn is the leading business social media network, it stands to reason that B2B marketers would find more gold for their social media marketing efforts. But the Hubspot researchers also say that B2C firms benefit because there is less “personal” clutter on LinkedIn and people who visit are more likely to be in a business frame of mind.
So how do you leverage LinkedIn to generate leads for your law practice?
1. Build out your profile. Take your purpose and craft your profile to reflect that purpose. The key is to compel the people you know and the people who are looking for someone like you to reach out and connect.
2. Connect with the people you know. Use LinkedIn’s built-in tool to import your connections.
3. Get testimonials. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s built-in Recommendations feature to give and receive testimonials. Third party endorsements carry much more weight than your marketing message alone.
4. Include CTAs within your content. Strategically place some calls-to-action (CTAs) in your updates but don’t go overboard – you don’t want to look like you are just there to sell something. Relevant CTAs could include a free whitepaper or report you’ve just uploaded to your website, or a relevant post you’ve just made on your blog.
5. Build your network out strategically. Each connection you make with someone you know grows your overall reach exponentially. Start or join Groups inside LinkedIn where you can connect with thought leaders, experts, prospective clients and prospective referral sources.
6. Leverage your networks. LinkedIn is a social network and a search engine. Connected individuals can see and search for the people in each other’s networks. You can use those connections for business development and for finding your ideal social target market.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice! Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Law Firm Marketing: Add Social Share Capability to Turbo-Charge Your Email Marketing Efforts
If you grew up with siblings, you undoubtedly learned how to share. That skill comes in handy for law firm email marketing efforts, since new research shows that emails containing social sharing buttons enjoy an average click-through-rate (CTR) that is 115 percent higher than emails without sharing capabilities.
This GetResponse infographic tells the story:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Looking for more proven tactics from The Rainmaker Institute?
Then subscribe to our FREE monthly e-newsletter. One click of your mouse will take you to our site where you can see the current issue and subscribe to our complimentary monthly e-newsletter that will be delivered to your inbox. Each issue is chock-full of legal marketing information you can put to use right away. I think you will find the information in every newsletter something you will want to share with your staff to maximize the effectiveness of your legal marketing plan.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: The Small Firm and Solo Practice Social Media Cheat Sheet
Second day here in Las Vegas at our January Rainmaker Retreat and I grow heartened at each successive session at how the interest in social media marketing for attorneys is growing.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks that busy lawyers have is learning about the individual social media networks and what each has to offer then in terms of generating leads for their practices.
The clever folks at Flowtown released a Small Business Social Media Cheat Sheet this past week, and although it doesn’t include LinkedIn (hopefully it will be updated to include it; this, to me, is a BIG exclusion), it does provide social media newbies with some great guidelines and attributes of the most prevalent social media networks:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE REPORT: How to Use Blogs as a Secret Weapon in Your Online Arsenal
One of the secret tools of Internet marketing for attorneys is the power of having a targeted blog. In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer.com found that in 2010, 51% of Internet users in the U.S. (that’s over 91 million people) read blogs, and they project that usage will go to 60% (150 million) in the next four years!
Still think blogs are a fad?
Here’s what you’ll discover when you read this report:
- Why you must have a blog in order to stay relevant
- 3 keys to successful blogging
- 7 Guidelines for achieving ROI
- Your 3 choices for managing your blog and social media efforts
- And much more!
Click here to order your free report now!
Law Firm Marketing: Something for Everyone at a Rainmaker Retreat
I am in Las Vegas today at our January Rainmaker Retreat, preparing to engage an enthusiastic crowd of attorneys eager to learn proven law firm marketing techniques and unveil the mysteries of social media and Internet marketing.
At every Rainmaker Retreat, attendees have a wide range of expertise when it comes to law firm marketing. Jim Negele, a business litigator in Southern California, attended our Los Angeles Rainmaker Retreat last month and told us what he liked about the sessions is that they are geared for everyone, from novices to experts:
No matter what your level of expertise is when it comes to law firm marketing, you will gain the knowledge you need to have to attract new clients and grow your practice at a Rainmaker Retreat.
Here are our upcoming sessions:
February 10-11, 2012 – Orlando, FL
March 30-31, 2012 – San Diego, CA
April 27-28, 2012 – Chicago, IL
Click here to visit our Rainmaker Retreat website, where you can also access online registration for upcoming events.
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then click here to receive a free DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at our 2-day law firm marketing boot camp, the Rainmaker Retreat.
Yes, we know you are skeptical. So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, you can listen to your peers describe their experiences in their own words.
Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
How Google Analytics Can Help Improve Your Law Firm Marketing Website and Blog
.jpg)
What gets measured, gets done.
This quote is usually attributed to Peter Drucker, and remind us of the importance of measuring the efficacy of our law firm marketing efforts in order to keep focused on building on what works and not to waste time on what doesn’t work.
One of the most compelling tools for measuring the effectiveness of what you’re doing online is a tool called Google Analytics. You embed a snippet of code into your law firm website or blog and it provides you with a mountain of great data – for free! Google gives you all the guidance you need to get started using this tool here.
To get the most out of Google Analytics for your law firm marketing efforts, you need to pay close attention to three important areas:
Visits – by examining visits to your sites, you can see how many people are coming to your site, where they are coming from and if they are new or returning visitors. This is a basic metric to tell you if your efforts to drive people to your site are working. It can also tell you if a good number of your visits are coming from tablets or mobile devices, so you can be sure your sites are optimized for those devices.
Activity – here you want to examine Pages per Visit, which tells you how many pages visitors access when they come to your site; Average Time on Site, which tells you how long your visitors stay; and Bounce Rate, which tells you who looked at just one page and left. These metrics will let you know how engaging your site is and if you are holding your visitors’ attention. If you have a low Average Time on Site and a high Bounce Rate, you need to rethink your online strategies because you are attracting low quality web traffic.
Goals – Google Analytics allows you to input your goals for your site for tracking, so if your goal is to get visitors to download a free report, watch a video or sign up for an e-newsletter, you can track exactly how many people did what you wanted them to do.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD Set
The Practice Made Perfect CD set and manual applies Stephen Fairley’s unique High Impact Marketing System to the practice-building challenges faced by solo practitioners and partners at small law firms.
It includes dozens of specific marketing and sales recommendations that can be easily and quickly applied to your firm, including:
- The only 7 sure-fire ways to get clients in your door NOW
- Why advertising doesn’t work for most small law firms
- The 7 reasons why people don’t buy from you
- How to market and sell with USP’s (Unique Selling Proposition)
- Using audio logos to attract immediate attention for your business
- Using low-cost, high impact marketing strategies
- Strategies for achieving maximum results from all of your marketing efforts
- How to discover your Ideal Target Market
- 3 critical factors to remember when looking for new clients
- The NEW sales cycle for professional services
- How to retain your best clients
Click here to order your Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD set and manual now.
Internet Marketing for Lawyers: How to Generate Leads From What People Do Online Every Day
You already know that people spend a lot of time online these days. That’s not news. But what exactly are they doing online? And how can you leverage everyday online activities to generate leads for your law firm? That would be news you could use!
The go-to resource for all things Internet is the Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Survey, which measures all the Internet activity in the U.S. Taking data from the past three years – 2009, 2010 and 2011 – Flowtown created an infographic showing what people are doing most – and least—online:
What People Do Most Online
- Send or read email
- Use a search engine to find information
- Look for health or medical information
- Check the weather
- Search for a product or service
What People Do Least Online
- Create or work on a blog
- Use Twitter
- Buy or sell stocks, bonds or mutual funds
- Use a dating website
- Visit virtual worlds like Second Life
Taking the activities people do most online and applying them to your law firm marketing program will tell you that email marketing and SEO activities should be a major focus for your legal marketing plan.
So what about what people do least? According to Pew research, they don’t create many blogs, but they do read them – which is a great opportunity for you to be heard via a legal marketing blog.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
How to Boost Your Law Firm Marketing SEO With Twitter
.png){kind=logo}
Social media is increasingly being integrated into search engine results, and even though Google and Twitter are not playing nice right now, user preference will eventually win out and Twitter should be back in the Google game before long.
That said, tweets are included in the first page of Bing and other search engine results, and need to be part of your law firm marketing SEO strategy. Here are some tips on how to boost your law firm marketing SEO with Twitter:
Select SEO-friendly names. When you set up your Twitter account, you choose two names – a real name, which is yours or the name of your firm, plus your user name. Think of what your prospects would use to search for you, and use the most relevant term(s).
Keep it professional. When you’re using any social network to further your business goals, be sure you keep it professional and relevant. Tweet about things that are top-of-mind to your prospects, using relevant keywords and #hashtags.
Link. Put links to your websites and blogs in your Twitter profile. Include links to topical blog posts and promote on Twitter – even though Twitter adds a “nofollow” attribute to links in tweets (which basically tells a search engine to ignore it), if you drive more traffic to your website and/or blog, that will help your SEO.
Promote. Add the Twitter button to your websites and blogs and ask people to follow you. Be sure to link your Twitter account from all your other social network profiles.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
FREE REPORT: 8 Reasons Small Firms & Solos Should Publish an E-newsletter + 3 Steps to Get Started
In less than a few hours a month, you can produce an effective electronic newsletter, also known as an “E-newsletter.”
An E-newsletter is a customized electronic newsletter that is commonly used in business, but rarely in the field of law. If you are truly interested in the long-term success and sustainability of your practice, you need to learn how to leverage technology and the Internet to build it.
Here’s what you’ll discover when you read this report:
- The cost benefits of an e-newsletter
- How to incorporate your e-newsletter with your social networking
- How an e-newsletter supports your marketing efforts
- How to get started right away with your e-newsletter
- And much, much more!
To get your free report now, click here.
Top 10 SEO Essentials for Your Law Firm Marketing Websites
Happy New Year to my readers celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Dragon today! In ancient China, the symbol of the dragon was traditionally reserved for the Emperor and is a highly auspicious sign, portending prosperity and good luck.
If you are relying on your law firm marketing websites to bring you prosperity in 2012, you cannot just count on luck to make it happen. Those sites will not do you any good if prospects are not finding them – which is why it is critically important that you follow these top 10 SEO essentials for your legal websites and blogs:
- Keywords in title tags – title tags are those words that appear in the title bar of web browsers and what generally shows up in search engine results pages. For example, when you open this blog, you will see this title tag: The Rainmaker Blog: Law Firm Marketing and Business Development: The Rainmaker Institute: Stephen Fairley: Professional Legal Marketing. Title tags are coded into your site and should contain the most important keywords relevant to your prospects.
- Keywords in URLs – ideally, your URL will contain primary keywords – i.e., www.fortmyersestateplanning.com
- Header tags – these go in your main content, separating thoughts and/or paragraphs with keyword-rich subheads.
- Fresh content – creating new content and updating old content regularly boosts authority and news ranking.
- Content diversity – search engines reward diversity in format and content, so include photos, videos and presentations wherever possible.
- High quality inbound links – creating high quality, unique content that others will want to link to and reference can have a huge impact on your website ranking.
- Authority – build authority for your site through participation in social media, providing commentary and links to other authoritative sources in your space and quality inbound link building.
- Feedback – syndicate, promote and provide people with an easy way to share feedback via a blog hosted or linked to your website.
- Quality user experience – Google rewards sites that are well designed, easy to navigate, load quickly and keep visitors engaged (low bounce rates).
- Browser compatibility – your site needs to be compatible with the latest browser versions, including mobile.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
Becoming a Rainmaker: Business Building Strategies for Lawyers
Based on Stephen’s highly successful seminar series by the same name, this 3-audio CD program covers dozens of practical recommendations and step-by-step sales and marketing techniques for solo practitioners and small law firms.
More than 8,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.
In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:
- How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
- The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
- How to position your small firm as an industry leader
- The importance of being perceived as a specialist
- Why most advertising is a waste of your money
- What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
- The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
- How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
- Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
- How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
- Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
- What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
- Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
- The 6 stage sales process you must follow for maximum success
To order yours now, click here.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: Fans Aren't Just for Sports Teams Anymore
The NFC and AFC Championships are on today, and millions of fans across the country will be gathered in front of their flat screens rooting on four teams, hoping to see their team advance to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
Last fall, Forbes published an article on the NFL’s most valuable teams. The #1 team – the Dallas Cowboys – didn’t even make it to the playoffs this year, and has not made a trip to an NFC Championship game for 15 years. So what makes the Cowboys America’s (most valuable) team? Fans. Not only the average Joe football fan, but sponsors who pay big bucks – a highly profitable fan base that Jerry Jones leverages to build his brand.
Attorneys need fans too, to build their brand and develop referrals, and social media plays an increasingly important role in achieving that goal as demonstrated by this infographic:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. Click here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Internet Marketing for Attorneys: SEO Makes Biggest Impact on Lead Generation
According to WebMarketing123’s 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report, which surveyed 500 B2B and B2C marketing professionals, SEO makes the largest impact when it comes to generating leads.
53 percent of all survey respondents said SEO makes the largest impact on generating leads, followed by 28 percent for PPC and 19 percent for social media. Not surprisingly, 75 percent of the B2C marketers are most active on Facebook (75 percent), while B2B marketers are more active evenly across the three leading social networks – Facebook (34%), Twitter (26%) and LinkedIn (25%).
Here is an infographic outlining the findings from this survey:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Want to Learn More Social Media Marketing Techniques for Attorneys? Attend a Rainmaker Retreat!
If you are interested in building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing, then come to one of our upcoming Rainmaker Retreats:
January 27-28, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV
February 10-11, 2012 – Orlando, FL
March 30-31, 2012 – San Diego, CA
April 27-28, 2012 – Chicago, IL
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for one of our one-hour complimentary teleseminars:
Thursday, January 26
1pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET
Thursday, February 2
12pm PT | 1pm MT | 2pm CT | 3pm ET
Wednesday, February 8
11am PT | 12pm MT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Law Firm Marketing: Follow These Steps to Turn Prospects into Clients
Successful law firm marketing includes not only determining which people and businesses are truly interested in your services, but those that are not. Wasting time chasing bad prospects is a business-killer, one you can ill afford in these recessionary times.
These 5 simple steps will help you turn more prospects into clients. Incorporate these into your law firm marketing strategy and watch your conversion rate grow:
1. Identify those with genuine interest. This requires some work on your part, to separate the real prospects from those who are merely responding to you out of politeness or shopping around. To make the separation, create a list of qualifying questions to determine those who need, want and can afford your services. If they meet those three criteria, they are good prospects for converting into paying clients.
2. Interview good prospects in person. Be sure you are speaking to the real decision-maker, who can pull the trigger and hire you, not just a gatekeeper.
3. Make your best case. Are you a persuasive presenter? If not, take a presentation skills seminar. Focus on benefits and results, not services and features. Identify your prospect’s problems and let them know how you can help. Develop good listening habits, and become more fluent in speaking your prospect’s language.
4. Ask for the sale. A common mistake too many attorneys make is not asking for the sale. Make sure to ask your prospect for their business, and ask in a way that makes it clear to them you want it.
5. Follow up. You should be following up with prospects within 24 hours of an interview, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in their business.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
Free Report: 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys From Building A Referral-Based Practice
Referrals are the lifeblood of many law practices, and building a good referral program takes a proven process. Stephen Fairly unveils the 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral-Based Practice in his new free report. Read and discover:
- How to determine the best source for your referrals
- How to explain your ideal target market to a referral source
- How to get referrals from other attorneys
- Whether online directories are a good referral source
- How to network effectively
- And much, much more!
Click here to get your free report today.
Law Firm Marketing: The Importance of KPI in Marketing & Managing Your Law Practice
.jpg)
Key Performance Indicators – KPIs – are quantifiable measurements that help you gauge the progress you are making toward realizing the critical success factors for your law firm to flourish.
Some examples of typical KPIs for law firms can include:
- How much money you need every month to make payroll and keep your doors open
- How many new clients you need to bring in every month to break even
- Your average profit margin per client
- The types of cases that produce the highest profit margin
- The percentage of people who visit your website that end up calling your office
- The percentage of prospects that call your office and then come in for a free consultation
- The percentage of prospects that come in for a free consultation and become clients
To be useful to you, your KPIs must reflect the goals of your organization and they must be measurable. Done correctly, KPIs will help you determine whether you are on target to achieve your objectives or if you need to retool and refocus your marketing efforts. Your KPIs provide the critical data you need to drive good decision-making.
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, I will present a one-hour webinar on Key Performance Indicators: Knowing The Numbers That Run Your Law Firm at 2 pm ET/11 am PT.
Sponsored by the Legal Marketing Association, my webinar will teach you how to determine which analytics you need to measure, and how to communicate the relevant data to Partners so you are viewed as a valued member of the decision-making leadership team.
Discounts are available for LMA members. For more information and to register online, click here.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: Why You Need to YouTube & How To Get Started
Yes, YouTube is so ubiquitous its name is now a verb. And important enough that a senior YouTube executive was the keynote speaker this month at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he predicted that video would soon account for 90 percent of all the traffic on the Internet.
According to Nielsen, in November 2011 there were 167 million unique U.S. video viewers who spent more than five hours during the month watching online video. YouTube had the lion’s share of this audience, with 131 million unique viewers.
But YouTube is so much more than just a video channel. It is now the second largest search engine on the Internet, just behind Google. Another big reason why attorneys who are nowhere to be found on YouTube are missing great opportunities for branding as well as for SEO.
Here are some tips on how to get started marketing yourself and your law firm on YouTube:
Create a branded channel. Name your channel in a way that explains what you do, not with the name of your firm – for example, if you are a family law attorney in Phoenix, you may want to call it something like Phoenix Divorce Legal Network.
Tag your video content with keywords. Tagging and titling your video with the keywords your target market uses to search for the information you are providing is key. YouTube has a keyword system called Tags that is a useful tool for helping you do this.
Use annotations. YouTube offers several different ways for you to annotate your videos: Speech Bubbles are graphic pop-ups you can use to highlight what someone is saying during the video, Notes are boxes that you can locate anywhere on your video where you can embed a link to your website or blog, and Spotlights are transparent boxes with text used to highlight specific areas of a video that appear when a user rolls their mouse over them.
Use Promoted Videos – this is a paid search option similar to Google Adwords, allowing you to create ads for your videos to promote them across the network.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Get All the Law Firm Marketing Strategies You Need to Create A 7-figure Law Practice with Rainmaker In A Box: Volume 2!
Newly released! Rainmaker in a Box: Volume 2 includes:
8 Proven Steps for More & Better Referrals
Discover the proven step-by-step system used to double your referrals from current and former clients and how to build a network of strategic referral partners. Top attorneys have used this exact system to double their referrals in 6 months or less!
7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm
Watch and learn as I walk you through the specific strategies top lawyers are using to increase their revenues in this tough economy-and it doesn’t include reducing their fees!
6 Keys to Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media
Social media has emerged as the fastest way to build a massive platform of prospects! I pull back the curtain and let you in on little known secrets of how attorneys are generating dozens of leads every month from social media.
5 Core Components for Highly Successful Websites & Blogs
My interview with nationally recognized personal injury attorney John Bisnar on how his law firm uses search engine optimization and internet marketing to drive tens of thousands of unique visitors every month to his 30 websites and 10 blogs. Discover proven techniques for converting website visitors into paying clients.
Data DVD: Includes all 4 PowerPoint slides for all 4 presentations. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you experience these information-packed DVDs!
Click here now to order!
The 5 Pillars That Form the Foundation of a Great Law Firm Marketing Plan
Perhaps one of the most frustrating exercises in life is basing a law firm marketing plan on strategies that simply don’t work. We see it all the time, and really, there is no reason for it with all the resources available to attorneys today to develop a legal marketing plan that will deliver real results.
If you are working on a new law firm marketing program for 2012, be sure you include these 5 pillars as the foundation for your plan:
People: Identify your target market by analyzing the characteristics of your best clients and determining why they need your services. Look for a niche you can serve.
Product: Identify specifically what services you provide and the best way to present these to your prospects. Be sure they always know what they will get when they hire you.
Positioning: Take an in-depth look at your competitors and identify why you are different from them. Then educate your prospects about why they should hire you and no one else.
Packaging: When it comes to law firm marketing, the package is you. Decide how you can best project an image that makes people want to work with you.
Place: Be where prospects can find you online, participating in social networks that your target market frequents. Market your articles and other content so you show up well in search. Be where people can find you.
These 5 pillars provide a firm foundation on which you can build a great law firm marketing plan to generate leads and converting those leads into paying clients.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 best-selling author and nationally recognized law firm marketing expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals a proven system to generate more and better referrals, find new clients fast, and fill your law practice! Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Law Firm Marketing: How to Become a Go-To Source for Journalists
Do you ever wonder how certain attorneys in your community seem to be the quoted experts in local news and media stories? How did that happen? And why aren’t you being contacted?
The truth is that like most businesses, media has had to become lean and mean in these trying economic times, with fewer journalists covering more ground. So it’s not surprising that journalists are turning to online services that provide them with immediate access to relevant sources for their stories.
The good news is that you can sign up for these services and add yourself to the list of sources for your market area and area of legal expertise. Here are two popular services journalists are using every day to get quotable sources:
HelpaReporter.com – known as HARO (Help a Reporter Out), this service sends you email queries every day that you can sort through to see if you are a relevant source. HARO has evolved into a social media network with more than 100,000 members – including 30,000 journalists. Journalists write their own queries, and when you respond, you are responding directly to the journalist. HARO has several membership levels – from free (you receive all queries, which can be a little cumbersome to sort through) to three levels of paid membership that allows you to filter alerts by keyword, build a profile on the HARO site that journalists can review, access to the online searchable database of queries, text alerts to your phone so you can meet tight deadlines, and more.
ProfNet Connect – a service of PRNewswire, ProfNet Connect also sends out daily media queries via email to members and you respond directly to the reporter if there is a fit. Members are allowed to create detailed profiles (with keywords) and upload videos, photos and documents that are made available to media as well as indexed by all major search engines. ProfNet Connect is offered only to PRNewswire members; annual membership fee is $249.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
Social Media Marketing for Lawyers: About Facebook's Potential $100B IPO
Yes, you read that headline right: Facebook is anticipating a $100 Billion IPO, reportedly scheduled for sometime between April and June.
This would make the Facebook offering the largest in tech company history, with only three other U.S. companies in the same category: AT&T, GM and VISA.
This infographic produced by AccountingDegreeOnline.net shows what this mammoth IPO looks like:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jan. 18 Webinar: Developing Your Law Firm Marketing Roadmap
There’s no better way to start 2012 off right than to create a Marketing Action Plan (MAP).
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Stephen Fairley will lead you through the 5 critical steps of developing a 90-day game plan for marketing your law firm and give you viable options to help you implement the MAP.
The webinar begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT and goes for one hour.
You will learn:
- The 5 critical components of a Marketing Action Plan (MAP)
- How to select the right marketing tools that will work for your practice and personality
- View examples of Marketing Action Plans for various practice areas
- How to create a roadmap to make 2012 your Best Year Ever!
All attendees will also receive a FREE 40 page marketing plan workbook at the end of the webinar.
If you would like to view this webinar at your convenience, then go ahead and register to receive a recording of this impactful one-hour session that will help you plan your work, and then work your plan!
Internet Marketing for Attorneys: Why Fresh Content Matters for SEO
I recently blogged here about why content marketing should be a key component of your law firm marketing plan in 2012. The primary reason that content matters so much is not just to keep your readers engaged, but for SEO purposes.
Here is an interesting infographic that details why content matters for SEO:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE Rainmaker Retreat Preview DVD – Learn Before You Go!
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then click here to receive a free DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at our 2-day law firm marketing boot camp, the Rainmaker Retreat.
Yes, we know you are skeptical. So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, you can listen to your peers describe their experiences in their own words. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
Social Media Marketing for Lawyers: About the Google Search, plus Your World Controversy
Friday the 13th seems to be the perfect day to address the recent Internet riot concerning the introduction earlier this week of Google’s Search, plus Your World (SPYW), which serves up social content in Google search results.
The introduction set off a chorus of complaints across the Web since SPYW does NOT return Facebook or Twitter content, but primarily that from its own social network, Google+.
Google is doing this because it believes we want to see what people we know have to say about what we are searching for. Google says its research shows that we like to have search results returned to us with connections to people we know, because we click more often on social links.
But to ignore the two largest social networks on the planet, Facebook and Twitter, seems counterproductive, to say the least. While fully understanding Google’s desire to promote its own social platform, this seems to go against its credo of “do no evil” – i.e., create a level playing field and let the user decide.
Users have spoken in droves, and if SPYW is to be fully embraced, it is clear that users want to see ALL social links. We want neutrality from our search engine – which is what Google promoted so vigorously when it first launched.
Perhaps when the smoke clears, Google will be able to make a deal with Facebook and Twitter that works for everyone. But until that happens, Google seems bent on forcing us all to participate on Google+.
At the very least, law firms need to stake a claim on Google+ by creating a Google+ Page for their practices and populating it with content that will help you get found in Google search. You can get started at the Google+ Pages site.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
FREE REPORT: How to Use Blogs as a Secret Weapon in Your Online Arsenal
One of the secret tools of Internet marketing for attorneys is the power of having a targeted blog. In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer.com found that in 2010, 51% of Internet users in the U.S. (that’s over 91 million people) read blogs, and they project that usage will go to 60% (150 million) in the next four years!
Still think blogs are a fad?
Here’s what you’ll discover when you read this report:
- Why you must have a blog in order to stay relevant
- 3 keys to successful blogging
- 7 Guidelines for achieving ROI
- Your 3 choices for managing your blog and social media efforts
- And much more!
Click here to order your free report now!
Jan. 18 Phoenix Legal Networking Group Event Focuses on Creating a Law Firm Marketing Plan
.jpg)
The Phoenix Legal Networking Group is a group of solo and small firm attorneys looking to effectively market their law firm and grow their businesses.
We meet each month for a couple of hours to enjoy networking with other attorneys at small law firms and participate in a 45-minute practice building workshop.
Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 18, where I will be making a presentation on how to Develop a Law Firm Marketing Plan to Make 2012 Your Best Year Ever. I will lead you through the 5 critical steps of developing a 90 day game plan for marketing your law firm and give you viable options to help you implement your Marketing Action Plan (MAP).
For a nominal fee, you will receive a networking session that begins at 5:30 p.m. and the marketing seminar that begins at 6:45 p.m. The event will be held at the offices of Target Market Media Publications/Attorney at Law Magazines, 4647 N. 32nd St., Suite B-280 in Phoenix.
Cost is $25 for those who register by Monday, Jan, 16, and $30 after that.
Recessions are an excellent time to ramp up your marketing efforts because it is counterintuitive. Most firms are pulling back, and your efforts will stand out because many of your competitors have reduced their presence.
You won’t find this kind of information and opportunity at this price anywhere. Make an investment in your firm’s future and join your fellow legal marketers for this invaluable presentation. The information shared and the networking opportunity can open doors that will allow you take your firm to the next level.
Click here toregister for this seminar, co-hosted by Attorney at Law Magazine, Coash & Coash Court Reporting and The Rainmaker Institute.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(18).jpg)
Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. Click here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Law Firm Marketing: What Social Media Will - and Won't - Do For Your Practice
.jpg)
I understand that, when confronted with something someone tells you that you really should be doing, your first reaction is, “Why? What’s in it for me?”
And so it is with social media. Most attorneys I talk with want to know what’s beyond the hubbub, and if social media marketing will deliver true value for the investment in time and effort that it takes.
The short answer is, most certainly.
But to cut to specifics, here is what social media will – and won’t – do for your legal practice:
Social media will help you build trust, but it will not make a “bad” reputation better. Social media is a meritocracy – if you’re good, people will know it. Conversely, a bad experience will also get talked about. Building trust is crucial for attorneys, and social media helps you build trust by providing a robust platform for sharing your particular insights and knowledge. Once people trust that, they will use you and recommend you to others.
Social media will get you leads, but it will not turn them into paying clients. People who follow you on Twitter, are a fan of you on Facebook or interact with you in any way on a social network have indicated an interest in what you have to say. These are leads. To capitalize on them and turn them into paying clients, however, requires effort on your part in following up.
Social media will give you visibility, but it will not replace a good client experience. Social media is a 365/24/7 world, allowing you to engage with prospects at any time, and they with you. You must be vigilant about responding to posts and questions the same way you would in responding to a prospect who calls or emails you. Every point of contact is an opportunity to make a great impression.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Free Report: 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys From Building A Referral-Based Practice
Referrals are the lifeblood of many law practices, and building a good referral program takes a proven process. Stephen Fairly unveils the 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral-Based Practice in his new free report. Read and discover:
- How to determine the best source for your referrals
- How to explain your ideal target market to a referral source
- How to get referrals from other attorneys
- Whether online directories are a good referral source
- How to network effectively
- And much, much more!
Click here to get your free report today.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: How to Create a Winning! Social Media Strategy
“Winning!” This was one of the most popular catchphrases of 2011, uttered by actor Charlie Sheen during his media meltdown maelstrom last year. If only our own infinitely more reasonable utterances could catch such fire in the social media universe....
Since we would never recommend becoming that detached from reality in order to create a ripple in the social media ocean, here are some tips on how to create a Winning! social media strategy:
Mission. Whether you want to generate more leads or merely enhance your brand in the social media world, you must first set your goals. Be specific.
Market. Define your target market then research their habits, needs and social media activities.
Message. Craft the message that will best appeal to the needs of your target market and find the keywords that reinforce that message.
Media. Decide which social networks are best for attracting followers and readers who are in your target market.
Medium. Decide what kind of content will help you reach your target – blogs, videos, e-newsletters, etc.
Mix. Mix in your social media marketing with your current marketing efforts, adding links to your website, blog, e-newsletters, etc.
Management. Decide who will be responsible for posting , how often you will post, who will manage replies and other management tasks so your social media marketing campaign doesn’t flounder.
Measurement. Measure your stats to see if your audience is growing and what messages and strategies are paying off for you. Then do more to build on that success.
Money. Budget for your social media marketing effort and measure your ROI. If you need to hire outside help, that costs money.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Want to Learn More Social Media Marketing Techniques for Attorneys? Attend a Rainmaker Retreat!
If you are interested in building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing, then come to one of our upcoming Rainmaker Retreats:
January 27-28, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV
February 10-11, 2012 – Orlando, FL
March 30-31, 2012 – San Diego, CA
April 27-28, 2012 – Chicago, IL
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for one of our one-hour complimentary teleseminars:
Wednesday, January 11
12pm PT | 1pm MT | 2pm CT | 3pm ET
Thursday, January 26
1pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Jan. 18 Webinar: Create & Implement Your 90-Day Law Firm Marketing Game Plan
.jpg)
Every good legal case outcome began with solid strategy and a plan – so why would you leave the future of your firm to happenstance?
The truth is that growing your firm and profitability does not just happen, it comes as the result of a solid plan. No matter how big you dream or how much effort you put into your practice, you will constantly lose your way on the path to success unless you create and follow a well-defined plan.
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, I will lead you through the 5 critical steps of developing a 90-day game plan for marketing your law firm and give you viable options to help you implement your plan.
The webinar begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT and goes for one hour.
You will learn:
- The 5 critical components of a Marketing Action Plan (MAP)
- How to select the right marketing tools that will work for your practice and personality
- View examples of Marketing Action Plans for various practice areas
- How to create a roadmap to make 2012 your Best Year Ever!
All attendees will also receive a FREE 40 page marketing plan workbook at the end of the webinar.
If you would like to view this webinar at your convenience, then go ahead and register to receive a recording of this impactful one-hour session that will help you plan your work, and then work your plan!
Internet Marketing for Attorneys: 25 Staggering Stats for 2012
The recent eMarketer U.S. Digital Media Usage: Snapshot of 2012 report provided some eye-popping estimates about what the digital marketing landscape will look like this year, according to a Hubspot.com blog post a few days ago.
If Internet marketing is not a key component of your law firm marketing plan, you have a lot to catch up on – because you must also begin mastering the art of marketing on multiple platforms, including mobile and tablet.
Here are the prognostications:
The Internet in 2012
1) In 2012, the audience of Internet users in the U.S. will expand by 3.1% to 239 million, representing 75.6% of the total population.
In other words...
2) More than 3/4 of the total population will be online in 2012.
Mobile in 2012
3) Mobile Internet users will reach 113.9 million in 2012, up 17.1% from 97.3 million in 2011.
4) Smartphone users will reach 106.7 million in 2012, up 18.4% from 2011.
5) In 2012, 94% of smartphones users will be mobile Internet users.
6) All mobile phone users will reach 242.6 million in 2012, up 2.3% from 2011.
7) Mobile shoppers will reach 72.8 million in 2012.
8) Mobile buyers will reach 37.5 million in 2012.
9) Smartphone shoppers will reach 68.6 million in 2012.
10) Smartphone buyers will reach 36.4 million in 2012.
11) Tablet users will reach 54.8 million in 2012, up 62.8% from 33.7 million in 2011.
12) iPad users will reach 41.9 million in 2012.
13) In 2012, 76.4% of tablet users will be iPad users.
14) Adult-aged eReader users will reach 45.6 million in 2012, up from 33.3 million in 2011.
Social Media in 2012
15) Facebook will reach 143.4 million US users in 2012, up 8.2% from 132.5 million in 2011.
16) About 2/3 of web users will use social networks in 2012.
17) More than 90% of social network users will be on Facebook in 2012.
Online Video in 2012
18) Online video viewers will reach 169.3 million in 2012.
19) 53.5% of the population and 70.8% of Internet users (up 7.1% from 2011) will watch online video in 2012.
20) Mobile video viewers will reach 54.6 million in 2012.
21) Smartphone video viewers will reach 51.2 million in 2012.
Ecommerce in 2012
22) 88.1% of US Internet users ages 14+ will browse or research products online in 2012.
23) 83.9% of Internet researchers will make at least one purchase via the web during 2012.
24) Online shoppers will reach 184.3 million in 2012, up 3.3% from 2011.
25) Online buyers will reach 154.6 million in 2012, up 4.4% from 2011.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice! Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Social Media Marketing for Lawyers: How to Master LinkedIn to Boost Referrals
With 135 million users, LinkedIn is still eclipsed by Facebook and Twitter in social media network popularity. But what makes LinkedIn such cat-nip for attorneys is its membership demographics – high-income business people who are on the site to network.
This infographic provides you with specific and actionable information on how to master LinkedIn so you can start reaping the rewards of targeted online referral sources in 2012:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. Click here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Content Distribution Tools That Can Turn Lawyers Into Publishers
.jpg)
A couple of days ago I blogged here about the importance of making content marketing a key legal marketing tactic in 2012.
As luck would have it, on the same day one of my favorite staying-on-top-of-trends websites, Mashable.com, published an article listing six turnkey tools for content distribution that can help lawyers quickly become publishers across the web and social media networks. These tools include:
Outbrain – Have you ever read a story on a major media site and see a list of headline links under the story that said “Sponsored” or “Related”? Outbrain takes an RSS feed of your content or links and matches them with stories sites like CNN, Fox News, Hearst, MSNBC, etc. for a few cents per click.
SimpleReach – Have you ever read a story and then seen a box “slide” in from the side of your browser that says “Recommended for You”? That’s SimpleReach at work. You load the Slide tool on your website or blog and it finds the content that is most shared – and most likely to be shared – and encourages readers to share it. Free.
ARC – A new PRNewswire product, ARC distributes your video or other multimedia content across social networks, blogs, 6,000 media outlets and the top 100 video sites. A paid service.
Zemanta – Use this plug-in on your blog to get tips and advice, suggestions for related content and images and promotes your content to other bloggers and sites to link to. Mashable calls it “a link distribution engine cleverly disguised as a text editor plug-in.” Free.
TubeMogul OneLoad – allows you to upload your video once, then this service distributes it across a wide network of social and video networks. It has analytics so you can track your views. Free.
StumbleUpon – inexpensive pay-per-click content distribution tool that serves users content according to their specified requests.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
Law Firm Marketing: How to Increase Your Email Marketing Effectiveness
With all the legal marketing emphasis on social media these days, it sometimes seems as if that very powerful law firm marketing tool – email marketing -- gets left in the dust. That would be a very serious mistake.
The 2011 Marketers’ Benchmark Report by Focus Research showed that email marketing is still the top performing channel:
Earlier this week, Hubspot provided these tips for proven ways to increase your email marketing effectiveness by improving your click-through rates:
Test subject lines – remember the ingredients for effective email subject lines: deliverability, actionability, personalization, clarity, brevity and consistency.
Keep it brief – keep the copy short and extend your offer early.
Make it social – include social sharing buttons that allow readers to pass along your content. Research shows that adding these can increase your click-through rate by 30 percent or more.
Segment your lists – whether it’s by geography, new clients, current clients, prospects or practice area, segment your lists and talk directly to the subjects that interest that segment.
Personalize – not only by name, but also by interest. Make the most relevant offers to those who are most likely to be interested in those specific offers.
Remove distractions – don’t clutter your email newsletter with lots of “fun facts” or other esoterica that distracts from your message.
Strong call-to-action – hit your prospects in the face with a strong call to action in the first part of your email and make it impossible to miss.
Include a P.S. – these are irresistible to most readers, and should be used to reiterate your offer.
Optimize for mobile – research tells us that 70 million Americans access email via their mobile devices every day. Be sure your email messages are optimized for mobile.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE Rainmaker Retreat Preview DVD – Learn Before You Go!
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then click here to receive a free DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at our 2-day law firm marketing boot camp, the Rainmaker Retreat.
Yes, we know you are skeptical. So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, you can listen to your peers describe their experiences in their own words.
Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
Make Content Marketing a Key Legal Marketing Tactic in 2012
.jpg)
If there’s one area where attorneys can excel, it’s creating content. Your knowledge and experience are useful not only in the court room, but can also be turned into a highly successful legal marketing tactic that can reap big rewards in terms of new client prospects.
So how do you do content marketing right? Here are some tips:
1. Plan ahead. Brainstorm a list of topics that would appeal to your target audience. Review your website analytics to see what pages of your site are getting the most visits, which can help stimulate ideas. Dig up speeches and presentations you’ve made over the last few years and repurpose those for articles, press releases and blog posts. Subscribe to blogs and news feeds that cover your practice area for ideas.
2. Make it interesting. Nielsen research shows that most people spend about a minute on any given web page, so strive to make your content easily digestible in that timeframe. Use short paragraphs and subheads to keep readers’ attention. Punch it up with references to current events or pop culture to make your content timely. Include client success stories (not using real names, of course).
3. Optimize your content. Be sure to optimize your content for search by including your keywords and keyword phrases in your title, subheads and image file names.
4. Create backlinks. Sprinkle your content with links back to your website, blog, social media profiles or previous posts to create backlinks, which help boost your search engine ranking. Comment on other articles, blogs or forums with links back to a relevant post you’ve written, but be sure your comment adds value or it may be viewed as spam.
5. Go social. Promote your videos, posts, articles, press releases and other content on all your social network channels – not only on your own Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter page, but also through submissions to the discussion pages of groups you’ve joined.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE REPORT: How to Use Blogs as a Secret Weapon in Your Online Arsenal
One of the secret tools of Internet marketing for attorneys is the power of having a targeted blog. In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer.com found that in 2010, 51% of Internet users in the U.S. (that’s over 91 million people) read blogs, and they project that usage will go to 60% (150 million) in the next four years!
Still think blogs are a fad?
Here’s what you’ll discover when you read this report:
- Why you must have a blog in order to stay relevant
- 3 keys to successful blogging
- 7 Guidelines for achieving ROI
- Your 3 choices for managing your blog and social media efforts
- And much more!
Click here to order your free report now!
How to Build an Audience for Your Law Firm Marketing Blog
.jpg)
If you build a legal marketing blog, will the readers come? That is a common question many neophyte law firm marketing bloggers must address – not just by posting and hoping, but taking specific actions to attract a following.
Here are some tips on building an audience for your law firm marketing blog:
Pick the low-hanging fruit. Send an email to all your current clients, contacts, family and friends letting them know about your blog. Make it easy for readers to share with friends by adding a Share button feature to your blog. Include your blog address in your email signature as a subtle promotion.
Create good quality content. The best way to grow readership is by creating high quality content that your readers value and will pass along to others. Make your headlines informational and relevant to your subject, instead of serving up sensational headlines that try to “trick” readers into following you.
Write for a target audience. Pick your target and stick to it. Just as we encourage you to niche your practice to attract more quality prospects, you should be applying this same reasoning to your blog audience.
Invite guests. Guest bloggers can provide a new unique voice, keeping your blog fresh, and can also direct their followers to your blog, thus providing you with a new source of readership. Just be sure you choose guest bloggers whose message is relevant to your core audience.
Post consistently. Publishing your blog on a regular schedule helps build loyalty and makes it easier for your audience to integrate you into their daily readership routines.
Be relevant. Blogging about topics that are top-of-mind – a celebrity divorce, a high profile criminal case, a controversial court decision – helps you connect with readers and encourages them to pass your blog along, which in turn increases your reach.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Want to Learn More Internet Marketing Techniques for Attorneys? Attend a Rainmaker Retreat!
If you are interested in building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing, then come to one of our upcoming Rainmaker Retreats:
March 30-31, 2012 -- San Diego, CA
April 27-28, 2012 -- Chicago, IL
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for one of our one-hour complimentary teleseminars:
Wednesday, February 221pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET
Friday, March 1
11am PT | 12pm MT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET
Wednesday, March 14
12pm PT | 1pm MT | 2pm CT | 3pm ET
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Your 2012 Law Firm Marketing Plan: Creating Your Unique Competitive Advantage
.jpg)
A Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) answers the question, “Why should I hire you?” With so many competitors and choices today, your law firm marketing strategy must clearly set you and your law firm apart from the competition.
How should you position yourself and your services? Answer these questions to get a good start on developing your UCA:
- In light of what I know about my competitors and my target market(s), what are the top five to ten reasons why someone should buy from me versus any other company?
- How can I take advantage of my competitor’s weaknesses?
- Why am I the best attorney for this person/company?
- What skills, abilities, and experiences do I offer clients that they can't receive elsewhere?
- How can I emphasize the value I bring to the table?
- What are my competitors known for?
- How can I find, retain, and motivate the best people possible that can help me succeed?
There are many ways to create a Unique Competitive Advantage for your law firm marketing plan; here are 10 of them:
Focus on the Benefits: What are the benefits of working with this firm as compared to others? What do you do that other firms refuse to do to better serve your clients?
Focus on Value: Compare your costs versus how much money you save clients. How have you helped other clients take better advantage of opportunities or avoid liability?
Focus on Results: What are some specific results you have obtained for clients in the past? What is your win/loss record? What do you do to achieve better results than your competitors?
Focus on Solutions: Give an example of a creative solution you found to a client’s problem. How did you come up with it? What happened because of your creative solution?
Focus on the Individual Partners: Remember, people don’t buy legal services from law firms; they buy legal services from attorneys. People don’t say, “Go talk to my law firm,” they say, “Go talk to my attorney.” What is different about your partners than in other firms?
Focus on Service: (not the list of services your firm provides, but how you serve your clients). How do your clients describe the way you treat them?
Focus on a Niche: Position your partners as leading experts in a specific industry, not as generalists. To be a generalist for most attorneys is the “kiss of death.” Go deeper, not broader.
Focus on Client’s Feedback: What do your best clients say about you? What would they tell someone else about your services and how it has helped them? Do your clients refer other clients to you on a regular basis?
Focus on Credibility: What is your firm known for in the industry? Talk about how your partners are profiled in the media or are industry experts. What are 3 reasons why your prospects should perceive you as a credible expert?
Focus on Visibility: How visible are your partners within an industry? Do they regularly speak at top industry events? Are they a nationally recognized expert? A published author? What happens when prospects type their name into Google?
By developing a strong UCA, your legal marketing plan will be well ahead of your peers and it will give you the tools you need to implement a strong law firm marketing strategy that tells a prospect why they should hire you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.jpg)
Jan. 18 Webinar: Developing Your Law Firm Marketing Roadmap
There’s no better way to start 2012 off right than to create a Marketing Action Plan (MAP).
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Stephen Fairley will lead you through the 5 critical steps of developing a 90-day game plan for marketing your law firm and give you viable options to help you implement the MAP.
The webinar begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT and goes for one hour.
You will learn:
- The 5 critical components of a Marketing Action Plan (MAP)
- How to select the right marketing tools that will work for your practice and personality
- View examples of Marketing Action Plans for various practice areas
- How to create a roadmap to make 2012 your Best Year Ever!
All attendees will also receive a FREE 40 page marketing plan workbook at the end of the webinar.
If you would like to view this webinar at your convenience, then go ahead and register to receive a recording of this impactful one-hour session that will help you plan your work, and then work your plan!
