If you’ve been ignoring your profile on Avvo, here’s something to consider: Avvo is very good at search engine optimization. Which means they could be one of your sources for lead generation if you know how to use the site right.
Here are the steps you should take for taking full advantage of the Avvo website:
Claim your profile. This process is free and allows you to update your contact information and add information about you and your law firm.
Put your full resume into Avvo. This can go a long way to improving your rating.
Add all the seminars you have given, awards you have received, and articles you have written. These items can also improve your rating.
Add your photo. I have heard reports that profiles with a photo are clicked on up to 10 times more than profiles without photos.
Add videos. If you have videos put them into your Avvo profile. While they won’t improve your rating, it will give potential clients who are checking you out online an opportunity to see who you are, how you articulate your answers, and will position you as more of an “expert.” The production quality of your videos does not matter nearly as much as the information you include in them. It’s all about education-based marketing—educating your prospects.
Answer user’s questions. Over 5,000 consumers every week ask legally related questions on Avvo. Please be sure to put a standard disclaimer on each response, i.e., that your reply does not constitute legal advice or the establishment of an attorney-client relationship, etc.
Create Avvo “Legal Guides” for your top 10 questions. If you’re like most attorneys, you constantly get asked a common set of questions. Write down these FAQs and write a short (1-3 pages) response to each one. Make each question a legal guide. Keep the questions and answers highly focused on a specific topic. Be sure to add a disclaimer on each guide.
Ask other lawyers to endorse you. This can make a big difference in your rating. Just like a referral from another attorney in the real world makes a big impression on a prospect, so having a reference from another attorney or a judge on your Avvo profile can improve your rating.
Ask clients to write a testimonial for you. Client testimonials do NOT have a positive or negative impact on your rating. However, I assure you, potential clients read them!
Put your Avvo badge on your website or blog. Avvo allows you to create a “badge” with your profile score on it that links directly to your Avvo profile.
Consider signing up for Avvo Pro. There is a small monthly fee for this, but it provides you with all sorts of statistics like, how many people clicked on your profile, etc. You may also want to consider advertising on Avvo. I’ve heard anecdotally from attorneys who are finding some success with an Avvo ad campaign in their local areas. If you have the budget, I think it’s worth testing it.
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Register for a 2012 Rainmaker Retreat by Jan. 1 and Get a $397 Gift FREE
Is growing your law practice to greater and more profitable levels on your list of New Year’s resolutions this year?
If so, then your first step is to register for our Rainmaker Retreat two-day law firm marketing boot camp. We have two sessions coming up:
January 27-28, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV
February 10-11, 2012 – Orlando, FL
And if you register before January 1, 2012, you’ll get the Rainmaker in a Box Volume 1 DVD set for FREE, as our holiday gift to you!
For years, the Rainmaker in a Box set has been a consistent best seller at the Rainmaker Institute. It includes four separate presentations on four DVDs as well as a Data DVD including PowerPoint slides from all four presentations that cover the law firm strategies you can employ to create a seven-figure law practice.
Here’s just a sample of what you will discover:
The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Law Practice:
How to create an automated marketing system to transform your law firm from a practice into a business. I share with you the 5 unchanging secrets top-earning attorneys use to build a multi-million dollar law firm.
Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners:
Every lawyer wants more referrals, yet for many the steps to get there remain an elusive secret. Listen in and watch as I lay out the 8-step proven system to triple your referral sources in 90 days or less!
The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys:
Internet marketing is one of today’s fastest growing and most powerful marketing tools for lawyers. Yet much of how to generate more business and attract more clients online is still a mystery. Watch as I pull back the veil and walk you through the core concepts and key principles every attorney must understand in order to dominate their competition online and build a powerful Internet presence on a shoestring budget.
Action, Accountability and Next Steps:
Knowledge is power. The most difficult part for most attorneys is putting that knowledge into action. In this DVD you will discover an 8-step system for creating your law firm marketing plan and how to take action immediately.
We sell a bunch of these every year for $397. Click here to register for a 2012 Rainmaker Retreat and claim your FREE Rainmaker In a Box DVD set now!