If you were following the news this weekend, you probably came across the very sad story of former American Idol contestant, Alexis Cohen, who was killed as the result of a hit-and-run accident in New Jersey.

According to reports, Cohen was found unresponsive in the street about three hundred feet from her parked car along the beach of Seaside Heights.  She was later pronounced dead at Community Medical Center in Toms River.  The coroner confirmed that there is evidence a car came in contact with her body before her death.

Yet besides leaving people stunned over Cohen’s tragic and  untimely death, this story also had people hitting the internet in droves looking for answers.

So what does that mean for you as an attorney?

Well if you have a law blog, this is a great opportunity to help your clients understand this case– and the realities of hit-and-run accidents in a little more detail.

American Idol is something that’s embraced all over the globe, and I’m sure fans of Alexis Cohen would like to know exactly what steps will be taken to bring the driver in this case to justice (which is a great opportunity for you criminal lawyers out there).

Or maybe you are an estate planning lawyer.  Stories like this are a great time for you to remind your clients how tragedy can strike ANYONE at any minute of the day.  Hence the reason to name guardians for your kids and have a will– even if you don’t have a ton of money or think you’re too young for that kind of stuff.

Wrongful death attorneys  can also use this story to explain how her family may be able to go after the driver (once he or she is found) for monetary damages in civil court.

Either way, this unfortunate and tragic story is a great way to connect with your clients on issues that really matter to them.

And that’s what your blog is for– building relationships and educating your legal clients on issues that they probably never thought of as it relates to your field.

So use this story as a starting point and reach out to your clients on their level. Help them understand the true nature of cases like this and how to contact you for more information if necessary.

At the end of the day my friends, THAT  is what your clients will see as legal marketing with heart.

Online Business Manager and law firm marketing expert, Laura Lee Sparks, is one of the most authoritative and well respected voices on attorney outsourcing, legal marketing and being a virtual assistant for lawyers on the web.  Her advice and legal marketing campaigns have helped lawyers reach and surpass the million-dollar mark in their businesses numerous times thanks to her straight-forward advice and ability to make legal marketing principles easy to understand and implement.  For further information on lawyer outsourcing programs or to contact Laura Lee directly, please email help@legalmarketingmaven.com

Law firm layoffs in 2009 are higher than ever thanks to a sluggish economy coupled with large, yet outdated law firms that have never mastered the legal marketing principals necessary to compete in the world of web 2.0.

I recently discovered there are entire websites devoted to following this trend, as more lawyers find themselves in the unemployment line rather than creating the business and lifestyle of their dreams.

If you’ve been laid off and are now considering a solo career—GREAT!  There’s never been a better time than now to do it!

With a little help and some insider information, you can create a million dollar law practice that provides you the security and freedom you’re looking for—even in this economy (I witness this every day in our Personal Family Lawyer Program).  It’s just going to require a shift in the way you’ve been accustomed to doing business and some fine tuning of your legal marketing skills.

You’ll also need to load up on resources designed to help you stand out in an oversaturated legal market and make a commitment to run your firm like a BUSINESS, not a traditional law practice where your only concern is billing for every email, phone call and piece of paper possible.

And when I say “run your firm like a business” I mean the client (or customer) has to become your number one priority.  You’ll have to be innovative and creative to stay competitive. And most importantly, you’ll have to learn some renegade legal marketing tactics to close clients on your services before they start “shopping around” at other firms.

I realize that sounds like a lot, but it’s a whole lot easier than you think.  If you are serious about stepping out on your own in 2009, here are some resources I HIGHLY recommend you add to your legal marketing arsenal so you can kick things off with a bang:

• Renowned legal marketing coach and million-dollar law firm owner, Alexis Martin Neely has over $22,500 worth of FREE legal marketing and practice building gifts for download here.  At a bare minimum, you MUST get these tools into your hands if you’re serious about creating a law firm that runs on auto-pilot and brings in enough money for your family to live on!
• Alexis also has a really great Holiday Call that talks about creating the law practice of your dreams in any economy.   She actually lays out the top 3 things you MUST be doing right now to ensure a steady flow of new clients.  Also, on the call is Dave Dee , a marketing guru who coached Alexis on how to build her million dollar law practice from scratch. It’s normally $47 but Legal Marketing Maven readers can download it FREE here.
• Once you get your practice set up with a physical address, get yourself listed on Local Search as soon as possible.  We have a great how-to post on getting your law firm set up on Google Maps here that will walk you through the process in 10 minutes flat.
• Finally, stay tuned and be sure to visit back here in the next few weeks as we roll out some affordable (yes, I mean AFFORDABLE) how-to, handholding products that will show you how to get free publicity as a legal expert, generate leads with social media and optimize your website so you rank above your completion in Google and Yahoo Search.

And as always, if you have specific questions that weren’t addressed by any of these resources or you would like some help developing a legal marketing strategy for your new firm, please email help@legalmarketingmaven.com for further information.

Online Business Manager and law firm marketing expert, Laura Lee Sparks, is one of the most authoritative and well respected voices on attorney outsourcing, legal marketing and being a virtual assistant for lawyers on the web.  Her advice and legal marketing campaigns have helped lawyers reach and surpass the million-dollar mark in their businesses numerous times thanks to her straight-forward advice and ability to make legal marketing principles easy to understand and implement.  For further information on lawyer outsourcing programs or to contact Laura Lee directly, please email help@legalmarketingmaven.com

I confess, I’m a workaholic.  Mainly because I love what I do, and most of the time, it just doesn’t feel like work.  But I was way over due for a vacation and after 7 months of back to back launches, some major family crisis’s that took an emotional toll that I really never dealt with because work was an easy escape, I really needed to unplug and spend some quality time with my family and myself.

And when I say completely unplug that is exactly what I did, no computer, no blackberry, no cell phone.  I spent my days relaxing reading fun books (non business); playing games with my kids, hanging out on the beach, riding my bike, playing at the waterpark, swimming with wild dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, and yesterday spent the day just pampering myself, new haircut, mani/pedi, massage – can you say relaxing!
 
When is the last time, you really took time away from your law business? Completely away and focused on yourself and your family.  Most likely if you are a solo it has been a long time, because there is always something to do.  But by never disconnecting and coming back with a fresh focus and outlook you are really doing yourself and your business a disservice and are probably headed in the direction of burn out which isn’t good for you, your family or your clients.
 
I am now fully recharged, refocused, energized and excited about the upcoming plans I have for Legal Marketing Maven.  I know you enjoy the blog and the tips that I provide but beginning this fall, my team and I will be rolling out some amazing products and services for you unlike anything that is out there. 
 
I encourage you to block at least a few days before the end of summer to unplug and recharge – do post a comment and share the results with me!

Online Business Manager and law firm marketing expert, Laura Lee Sparks, is one of the most authoritative and well respected voices on attorney outsourcing, legal marketing and virtual assisting for lawyers on the web.  Her advice and legal marketing campaigns have helped lawyers reach and surpass the million-dollar mark in their businesses numerous times thanks to her straight-forward advice and ability to make legal marketing principles easy to understand and implement.  For further information on lawyer outsourcing programs or to contact Laura Lee directly, please email help@legalmarketingmaven.com

Image courtesy of Flickr

Understanding How Legal PR Impacts Legal Marketing Efforts

For any client browsing an attorney website, the words “As featured in the New York Times” or “as Featured on the TODAY Show” really brings a sense of credibility to the table.

After all, if the “unbiased” media considers you a credible source, the client is inclined to feel that way too.

 Getting Estatblished as a Legal Expert on a Budget

So now you must be wondering, “what exactly does it take to get a quoted in a national publication or land an interview on TV without hiring an expensive PR firm?”

Well it’s quite simple actually—it just requires a plan, a team in place to carry out the work you need done and a budget for pitch-related expenses.

To start with one of the free resources you can tap into, I suggest setting up Google Alerts for any topic you feel qualified to speak on should a story break.  For example, a medical malpractice attorney should set up alerts on the words “medical error” or “medical neglect” to stay abreast of relevant stories as they hit the mainstream media.  A divorce lawyer may want to keep the words “custody battle” on alert to stay on top of that subject as another example.

The second and relatively-low cost thing you should do is hire someone with media and writing experience to pump out press releases or story pitches when something breaks in your area of expertise.  This person can work either in-house or virtually, but it should be someone that knows how to write a pitch that’s not only newsworthy, but interesting enough to catch a journalist’s eye as they wade through hundreds of pitches and releases every single day.   

Remember, your press release or direct pitch is the key to landing a spot in high profile publications or a TV segment.  After all, how can the media invite you to speak on their TV show or to give a quote in a magazine/newspaper if they don’t know you exist or why you’re qualified to speak on the subject in the first place!  So to ensure you’re on their radar, you must find someone media savvy enough to know what journalists are looking for and how to write in a way that doesn’t get your content rejected the minute it hits a news desk.

Finally, you’ll need to invest in a press release service like PRNewswire or a similar database that offers paid access to contact information to writers, editors and producers.  This can be a rather expensive task (In the case of PRNewswire, there is a yearly fee plus a $400-$650 charge per press release), but it is much more effective than sending out blind pitches to the “contact us” section of a publications’ website.

The Key to Great Legal Marketing Through Legal PR:  JUST GET STARTED!

So if you’re ready to get some good publicity and you haven’t taken any of the steps listed above, I suggest you start implementing what you can immediately (after all, your competition is doing it—might as well get started!). 

And as always, if you need further assistance writing press releases or developing a media plan from a qualified Legal Marketing Maven, please contact help@legalmarketingmaven.com and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible. 
Photo Courtesy of Flickr 

Online Business Manager and law firm marketing expert, Laura Lee Sparks, is one of the most authoritative and well respected voices on attorney outsourcing, legal marketing and being a virtual assistant for lawyers on the web.  Her advice and legal marketing campaigns have helped lawyers reach and surpass the million-dollar mark in their businesses numerous times thanks to her straight-forward advice and ability to make legal marketing principles easy to understand and implement.  For further information on lawyer outsourcing programs or to contact Laura Lee directly, please email help@legalmarketingmaven.com