• By Laura Lee

20 Ways to Get Other People to Market Your Law Practice for You

20 Ways to Get Other People to Market Your Law Practice for You

Putting together a smart marketing plan takes some balance. After all, there are only so many things that you have the time and budget to make happen.  If you can harness your good reputation and other hard work in ways that make it so others market for you, then you can extend your law firm marketing to even deeper levels without a ton of extra effort on your part.  Here are 25 ways to do that, with varying amounts of resources required from you.

Promotional Products

Designing, ordering, and distributing promotional products will cost both time and money, but once they’re released “into the wild,” they continue spreading the word about your law practice, even when you’re nowhere in sight.  Promotional products can—and should—double as gratitude gifts for clients, but in order for them to be effective lawyer marketing, you need to make sure that the items you choose are ones that will actually get used.

1.     Travel coffee mugs

2.     High-quality sweatshirts

3.     Personalized pens

4.     Funny bumper stickers for clients

5.     A unique, branded item relevant to your area of law

Helping Others

There’s not much in this world that feels better than helping someone in need, and by engaging in these kinds of activities you can benefit your law practice, not just by marketing it, but also by building a culture of caring and loyalty amongst your staff and the organizations your law firm supports.  It’s a win-win.

1.     Underwrite a charity event

2.     Sponsor a youth sports team

3.     Donate services to fundraising auctions

4.     Put together a volunteer team

5.     Run a food/coat/toy drive for a good cause

In Writing

When someone quotes you in an article or provides you with a testimonial, others see it as a direct endorsement of your skills.  When it comes to lawyer marketing, it doesn’t get much better than that.  Even if you put in the work to write a press release, once it’s picked up by media, they suddenly become the ones doing your marketing for you.

1.     Ask for testimonials for your marketing materials

2.     Send out press releases

3.     Provide clients with referral cards (and a referral program)

4.     Join HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

5.     Exchange brochures with a non-competing colleague

Online

Every time you comment on a blog or Facebook post, you are getting your name (and probably a link to your business) in front of a new audience.  You can also gain the attention of those you admire by retweeting or sharing something they’ve posted, and oftentimes all of their followers or “friends” will also see what you’ve had to say due to the networked nature of social media.

1.     Encourage others to share or retweet your posts

2.     Share and retweet others’ posts

3.     Purchase advertising on targeted websites

4.     Run an ad campaign through Google

5.     Comment on relevant blogs and sites with a link back to yours

As you can see, these are just 20 marketing ideas out of THOUSANDS you could put in place this fall.  My advice is to focus on 4-5 and follow the tasks all the way through to completion. You can even recruit staff members who have a little bit of extra time on their plate to help.  The time and effort you spend now will be well worth it to have a full calendar when 2017 comes!

Generate more business, speaking engagements & expand your influence with our free 21-day legal marketing bootcamp.  Click here now to discover more.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Ramp Up Speaking Engagements to Promote Your Law Practice in Multiple Ways

Ramp Up Speaking Engagements to Promote Your Law Practice in Multiple Ways

It’s pretty common for lawyers to be advised to incorporate speaking engagements into their overall marketing strategies, and we don’t mind jumping on that bandwagon…because it works!  A lawyer’s original goal in doing these types of talks might be to have someone from the audience come up and hire them on the spot, and while that does happen from time to time, it’s good to recognize that there are actually several other ways that speaking engagements benefit your practice and boost your marketing.

Building Your Reputation

If you’re doing it right and presenting good information, every speaking engagement you do helps put you in the position of “expert.”  The more people who see you giving advice and insight on a particular topic, the more will recognize you as the go-to person for it.  It’s not all for show, either.  The more presentations you give on something, the more you actually do understand and become an expert.  It’s a win-win situation that markets your law practice in a really positive way.

Cost Effective

Most of the time, the chance to do a speaking engagement costs you nothing other than the gas to get there and the time it takes to present.  Heck, you might even get a free lunch out of the deal!  There aren’t a lot of marketing methods for lawyers that are so incredibly cost effective.

Minimal Work

When an organization invites you to speak to its members, they generally do 90% of the work for you.  They take care of scheduling.  They set up the microphone and any other needed technology.  They even bring you the audience!  Your only real preparation is to put together a presentation that the audience will find valuable.  Plus, once you’ve got your notes, slides, or other materials created, you can give the same presentation to many different audiences.

Opportunity for Further Marketing

When you leave the speaking engagement, the marketing doesn’t have to end.  Instead, make sure that everyone who is interested is able to take some sort of branded material away from the event so that they know how to contact you if they need further information.  This is also a great opportunity to follow through on one of a lawyer’s favorite marketing practices: offering a free consultation.

Finally, make sure everyone at the event has the opportunity to sign up for SOMETHING so you can continue reaching out to them long after the event is over. In my opinion this is the NUMBER ONE goal of speaking engagements and where I see the most mistakes made!  Just because someone is not ready to hire you on the spot doesn’t mean that they (or their family members) won’t need your services in the future.  But, if you don’t continue to “touch” these leads, they’ll find their way to someone else.  I don’t care if you offer a free book, an exclusive free service or even just raffle off some hot sports tickets or a massage at a local spa, do whatever it takes to entice audience members to fork over their full contact info to you.

Speaking engagements represent some of the best free or low-cost marketing for law practices, and as you can see, there are a lot of benefits that stem from even a single presentation.  Imagine how these compound when you make them a regular part of your firm’s marketing calendar.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

[News] Helping Clients Take Advantage of Facebook’s New “Legacy Contact” Feature

As our lives become increasingly digital, more and more of the assets we accumulate are based in technology or created online.

Estate planning attorneys have the important job of educating their clients on how to handle “digital assets” in the event of a person’s death or incapacity, and then helping the client document such wishes in a will or trust.  Whether it’s an email account, blog, collection of domain names, hosting accounts, apps, ebooks, etc., a good estate planning attorney can help ensure that only a person the account owner trusts can access and maintain digital assets in their absence.

One area of digital asset planning that has received a lot of attention lately is the management of one’s Facebook profile page.  Until recently, loved ones of the deceased only had two choices: 1) Keep the wall public so everyone could continue to post messages and thoughts on the wall or 2) request to have the page “memorialized,” which meant the profile was no longer searchable or visible to those who were not already friends of the individual.

What Facebook did not allow to happen was for someone to manage the profile in the owner’s place.  Without explicitly having the password (and the permission to use it!), loved ones could not accept new friend requests, pin important information about memorial services to the top of the profile or update pictures.

That’s all changed this week, though, with the roll out of Facebook’s Legacy Contact feature.  Facebook users now have the opportunity to choose a “legacy contact,” either a family member or a friend, whom they want to manage their account when they pass away.  Or, they can let Facebook know that they want their account deleted immediately upon their passing.

From Facebook’s Newsroom:

Today we’re introducing a new feature that lets people choose a legacy contact—a family member or friend who can manage their account when they pass away. Once someone lets us know that a person has passed away, we will memorialize the account and the legacy contact will be able to:

• Write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline (for example, to announce a memorial service or share a special message)
• Respond to new friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook
• Update the profile picture and cover photo

If someone chooses, they may give their legacy contact permission to download an archive of the photos, posts and profile information they shared on Facebook. Other settings will remain the same as before the account was memorialized. The legacy contact will not be able to log in as the person who passed away or see that person’s private messages.

Alternatively, people can let us know if they’d prefer to have their Facebook account permanently deleted after death.

As your clients plan for the handling of their digital assets after death, the Facebook Legacy Contact Feature is an important tool to mention during the process.  By simply logging into their account and following the directions below, they can easily make their wishes for their Facebook account known.

How do you feel about the creation of Facebook’s new “Legacy Contact” feature?  Will you take advantage of the opportunity to name a contact and share this information with your clients?  Sound off why, or why not, in the comments below!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

I Stink at Marketing My Law Practice—Now What?

The weather couldn’t be prettier down here in the Florida Panhandle this time of year.  I’ve been enjoying some beautiful weather here at the beach soaking up some much needed sunshine after battling the flu for weeks!

If you get a chance to come down to the Panhandle be sure to let me know so we can meet up!

It is October now, and I hope that the marketing plans you made for your firm in January are rolled out and implemented full steam ahead.  Because 2017 is right around the corner.  You should have been reaching out to organizations about speaking opportunities, setting up coffee dates with key referral sources, or making fabulous offers for prospective clients if you’ve dropped the ball.

However, that window of opportunity in 2016 is closing fast, so strike while the iron is hot!  Even seemingly small connections can turn into bigger and more lucrative opportunities down the road.  Just a few months ago, we had a heck of a time getting a client into a well-known organization to speak to a group of HIGHLY targeted prospects.  So…we put our marketing hats on and got creative. We thought, “How can we get in the door just in time for the New Year?”

Here’s a big secret: When you get stuck, always approach things from the perspective of “What’s In It For THEM.”  Shift your mindset!

So, with 2017 approaching, we gave another call back and explained how much we love what the organization is doing and wanted to support them financially to help meet THEIR goals.  We were basically making a sponsorship donation.  And, as we had hoped (and planned for), the small donation FINALLY cracked the door open for the coveted speaking opportunity that other law firms in town would kill to have!

Even if you think you stink at marketing, there are so many ways to get the visibility for your firm that you want and deserve.  Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. My feature article below has some pointers for you…

I Stink at Marketing My Law Practice—Now What?

Not every lawyer has a gift for marketing a law practice.  On the other hand, pretty much every law practice depends upon marketing.  It can be a very difficult dilemma, indeed!  So, for those who don’t feel like they’ve got what it takes when it comes to marketing, what’s the answer?

Actually, there are a few good options.  Being a less-than-skilled marketer doesn’t need to spell doom for your law practice, rather it means that you need to dig deeper to uncover what will work for you.

Go With Your Strengths

If you’re reading this, then it’s probably because you already know the importance of marketing your law practice.  You’ve probably also noticed that there seems to be no shortage of ways to do just that.  But, it’s quite likely that you don’t feel comfortable with all of the possibilities.  For example, if you’re someone who doesn’t like speaking in front of a crowd, we could tell you all day how beneficial it is to give presentations without you deciding to give it a try.  It’s just not your thing!  On the other hand, you might be hugely charismatic in one-on-one situations.  If you also happen to like to eat, then you might just have hit on an area of marketing in which you excel: the lunch meeting!

• I never want to cold call someone, but I love writing = direct mail
• I have tons of info to share but no desire to do a seminar = blogging
• I want to reach out to others, but I don’t have time to go in-depth = social media

Take the time to analyze your strengths and then build on those for an authentic and results-oriented way to market your law practice.

Educate Yourself

Maybe you don’t know a ton about marketing a business, but it sure does look like fun to you!  In that case, why not take a marketing class at a local college or even take a course online.  Nothing quite beats the enthusiasm that goes along with implementing new ideas, and classes are a great way to gain exposure to those ideas.

If a class doesn’t seem like it would work for you, you might also consider hiring a business coach.  This person will get to know your specific business, along with your personality, in order to make suggestions for strong methods to market your law practice.

Hire a Pro

Let’s face it.  Not every lawyer has an interest in marketing his or her firm.  With few exceptions, it’s just not typically why someone goes to law school.  If you’ve determined that you don’t enjoy marketing and/or that you’re just not getting good results from your efforts, it might be time to bring in the big guns.  Hiring a professional, especially one with a proven track record of marketing lawyers, can actually be the best course of action.  Not only does it free up the lawyer’s time to do Lawyer Stuff, but it can also save a fair amount of money in the long run by avoiding newbie mistakes and giving your legal marketing a more professional appearance.

So if you want to do this at no risk (well, actually for $1.00 to kick you off) click here to learn more about our Inner Circle Accountability & Private Group Coaching Program! What do you have to lose besides getting the phone to ring and revenue?

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Creating a Marketing Plan That WORKS for Your Law Practice

There are so many parts and pieces when it comes to marketing a law practice, that it can get a little overwhelming.  Instead of taking a helter-skelter, see-what-works approach to marketing the practice, it’s a good idea to come up with a consistent plan to follow.  A law practice marketing plan doesn’t have to be set in stone, as you’ll want to monitor it and make occasional adjustments based on results; but it is a practical way to organize your approach and stay on track.

Just as with any other part of marketing, the marketing plan can be done in many different ways.  For those who need a place to get started, though, here is a great way to do so:

Legal Marketing Plan Step 1: Strategize

If you have no idea where you want to go, all the maps in the world aren’t going to help you get there.  The first step in creating a legal marketing plan is to figure out what it is that you are trying to accomplish.  Are your goals monetary?  Are you looking to serve a certain number of clients?  Perhaps you want to branch out into a new area of law.  It’s possible that you want all three!

Before deciding how you’re going to make your business successful, you have to define what success means to you.  By doing this, you can develop reasonable steps to take in pursuit of those goals.

Legal Marketing Plan Step 2:  Develop Goals and Objectives

The goal is what you want.  The best goals are quantifiable and have a deadline.

• Increase billable hours by 15% in the third quarter
• Sign XXX Company to a retainer by the end of the year
• Conduct four new consultations a week

Each of these goals can be measured in order to see if they’ve been met or not.  Again, you can’t reach your destination if you don’t know what it is!

Objectives are the steps you take to reach the goal.  So, for the goal to develop four new contacts a week, you might implement the following objectives:

• Pass out ten business cards a week
• Check in with referral contacts once a month
• Lead four workshops a year

These objectives are action steps that you intend to take in order to make the goals real.

Legal Marketing Plan Step 3:  Set a Budget

Once rent, payroll, association fees, etc. have been paid for the month, it can feel like there’s just nothing left to be spent on marketing your law practice.  Instead of looking at it as an expense, however, it’s a good idea to think of your marketing budget as an investment.  How much per year are you willing to invest in making your goals happen?  Spending a few hundred dollars for marketing collateral should lead to considerably more income as you reach that 15% billable hour increase goal!

Decide what you can/are willing to put toward marketing and make it a monthly part of the business’ budget.  Using those numbers and your best judgment, you can then tackle individual objectives on the way to meeting your goals.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

[SWIPE] Our Best Email Subject Lines of 2014

I love January.  A New Year always brings new opportunities to review the inner-workings of our businesses and see how we can proactively make changes, or improve upon things that are already working for the year ahead.

This week I’m actually battling walking pneumonia (BOO!), so in between rest and loads of chicken soup, I decided to dig in and take a peek back at our top performing email subject lines of 2014.

Email marketing is such a HUGE part of our business and a huge part of our attorneys’ businesses, as well.  Whether it’s sending out weekly email newsletters, promotional emails for legal workshops or upcoming events or persuading referral sources to send new business and collaborate, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate with the prospects and clients of your firm.

But, please don’t be fooled.  Just because email makes direct response marketing more cost-effective and accessible, doesn’t mean that it’s EASY.  If your communications are constantly getting filtered into junk, or worse, no one is opening your messages, it’s a huge waste of your time and effort.

I always say that there’s a fine art to getting an email open and read, and it’s something we really focus in on here at Legal Marketing Maven.   And, once the email is opened, it’s a whole ‘nother animal to get people to respond and take action.

If you’ve sent out email communications in the past and felt ignored or that your efforts produced little to no response, I’d challenge you to go back and review the content of what you sent out.

Start with the subject lines.  Here are a few tips to get your readers to open up:

Make it personal:  If a prospect believes the email is coming personally from you, they are more likely to open it and respond.  Ex:  Can we talk for a second, <insert name>?

Create a little mystery:  Be purposely vague or intriguing with a subject line to entice readers to open and learn more.  Ex.  We announced the overhaul of a client’s new website with the subject line: “I got a facelift!”  Imagine the clicks!

Use numbers:  People like numbered lists and steps.  Examples include, “5 Ways to Avoid Probate” or “6 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing An Attorney.”

Shed a little light on your personal life.  Readers are nosy and want to know what’s happening with YOU behind the scenes. Give them a peek at your life outside of the law.

Get to the point:  Let them know upfront if there is an invitation or gift inside that requires their attention.  Ex.  I have a gift for you… open quick!

The other piece of advice I would offer you is to make sure that you are including a CLEAR call to action in your emails.  Are you TELLING the reader what you want them to do?  Are you letting the reader know HOW you want them to respond?

Many times we’ll help our attorneys spark communication with their readers by clearly asking for responses or suggestions about a whole host of topics that simply catch people by surprise, humanize the attorney and open up the lines to chat.  Try it in your own mailings.  For example, ask clients for their top suggestions of places to vacation within a two hour drive, or favorite local spots to buy art or discounted furniture for the office.  You may be shocked when your inbox fills up with responses and the occasional…”oh by the way, I’d like to come in and get your help with something.” I promise, this REALLY works!

And, if we want the reader to take fast action on something, we ASK.   There’s no beating around the bush.  The call to action is clear, concise and easy to act upon.

Remember that when it comes to email marketing, and marketing in general, a confused mind always says “no.” If it’s not clear what you are promoting or what you want the client to do, your emails will get deleted or lost in the shuffle.  Be sure to have a CLEAR call to action in every communication that you send.

I hope you find these tips helpful and that you are able to use some of these suggestions to craft more effective email marketing campaigns this year.   And, feel free to swipe some of our top performing subject lines from 2014.  You can see how they easily fall into the guidelines and tips I gave you above:

My facelift  (Note: This was the launch of a new website)

I’m moving, AGAIN + Info on our scholarship opportunity!

Thanks (insert name)

My naked mermaid saga

Hey… I need your help with something real quick

How Did We Get So Much Stuff?!

With Thanks

A tribute to my young client killed in a horrific crash

Saying goodbye to my old love  (NOTE: this was about a purchase of a new car)

I can’t stop laughing at this (truly) + a new workshop for you!

A friendly reminder for you… + my epic mom FAIL moment

See you this month?

Thanks for the pics + heads up for these warning signs!

Have a great week!

Laura Lee

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

New SEO Techniques for Lawyer Marketing

Anyone who is marketing a law firm online understands that Google is very important.  Most computer users will go directly to Google, type in their search term, and hope they get back good information.  Your goal, of course, is for your law firm to show up in results that come back.  There are methods for improving your ranking in those results, referred to as SEO, or search engine optimization.

No one knows with absolute certainty how exactly Google determines which sites to pull into a user’s SERP (search engine result pages), and the algorithms used change as much as 600 times a year.  The search engine giant is always tweaking the system to try and make it more accurate and helpful.  By being aware of what some of the algorithm’s criteria are, though, you can improve how you market your law practice online.

In a fairly recent major change to the algorithm, Google has placed more emphasis on location.  So, someone from California is more likely to get results from LA and Sacramento law firms than from some practice in Delaware.

There are some things that you can do in your law practice marketing that can have a positive effect on how and where your firm shows up in results.

First of all, Google tends to give more attention to businesses that have a Google+ page.  Law practices will often rank better when they have optimized their Google+ Local page.  This means making sure that you have chosen the right business category.  It’s also a good idea to ask your clients to leave positive reviews on your Google+ page.

The other aspect of improving your law firm’s marketing with SEO is to pay attention to your actual web site.  Sure, you want to do things such as keeping fresh, keyword-enhanced content going up on the site, but you can also make other minor changes that are helpful.  One suggestion is to add a “location” page.  In doing this, double check that the information you include on this page reflects exactly what you have on your Google+ page, especially when it comes to your address.  Additionally, it can be helpful to add “Services” pages.  Create an individual page for each service your provide and make sure that your location is included.

Search engines are a huge part of modern law firm marketing strategies, and being aware of important criteria and changes like these can help your web site rank higher when folks are looking for a lawyer in your area.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Holy Excuses!

Theoretically, every small business owner understands that marketing is a basic need for success.  Still, it can be intimidating and leave lawyers wishing they didn’t have to develop this skill.  It’s impossible to overstate the importance of marketing for lawyers, though.  If you find yourself procrastinating due to any of the following excuses, you’re not alone.

I Have Enough Work

When you’re busy filing briefs and meeting with clients, it can seem like there’s just no time in the day to devote to marketing your law firm.  You might even think that you don’t need to market because, “Hey, look how busy I already am!”  All businesses are cyclical, though.  Busy today does not mean busy tomorrow, ESPECIALLY if you’re not marketing today.  In order to keep your business thriving, it’s imperative to constantly be cultivating new clients and new projects.  Otherwise, you’ll end up in a dreaded “slump” where you’ll be wishing you’d thought ahead.

I’m a Lawyer, Not a Marketer

You spent years studying and working to get to the point where you could be the best lawyer, and now you’re expected to market your law firm, too?  Yep!  While you are obviously a lawyer, you are also a business owner, which means you have chosen to take on the responsibilities that come along with that role, too.  You don’t have to get an MBA to be a success, but you do need to take steps to market your business in order to make sure you have a business to market!

I Don’t Know How to Market My Law Firm

Great news!  You don’t have to know everything.  Learn one skill at a time and build on that knowledge base.  There are also companies like ours that can take a lot of the marketing stuff off your plate.  Work closely with the company to figure out what your goals are and then let them do the job for you.  That’s not to say that you don’t have to put any personal effort into marketing your law firm, but we can definitely make it a lot easier on you.

I Feel Uncomfortable Marketing to People I Know

The point of your marketing doesn’t have to be about selling yourself or your service.  Instead, it should be about building relationships and helping people solve their problems.  You don’t need to be pushy or take advantage of others in order to market your business.  What you have to offer is helpful and valuable to others, and your job is to let them know what you can do for them.

No matter how you look at it, you need to be marketing your law firm all the time.  Some efforts are more overt that others, say sending out email newsletters or purchasing an ad.  Others are less obvious but arguably even more important, such as providing great service, being an active member of your community, and helping others understand how you can help them.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

I did your holiday shopping for you!

The holiday season is upon us, and that means for the next eight weeks our schedules are going to be hectic, offices will be closed and our professional and personal calendars are going to become chaotic!

On the list of things to do before the end of year is show appreciation to top clients and referral sources, and I know you WANT to make that happen.

However, I can’t even tell you how many times I have talked with attorneys about the holidays and showing appreciation to top clients and referrals sources and heard, “Well, I really wanted to do that, but time just got away from me,” or “I just didn’t know what to send,” or a plethora of other excuses why year after year their good intentions remained just that and never got implemented.

In fact, that is the story I hear about a lot of great marketing ideas…but let’s stick with this one.

Your top clients and referral sources should be feeling the love from your firm this holiday season and since there is PLENTY of time to make this happen, I’m *giving * you THIS RESOURCE to help you knock this task off your to-do list in less than a week!

Just click the link: you’ll find my personal holiday gift guide with options for every budget. There are even links that go directly to the product order page. It couldn’t be easier!

So let’s break this down into action steps.

Choose your list of top clients and referral sources and export their names and addresses into a spreadsheet.Choose the gift you would like to send (from my recommendations)or your own but if your own go ahead and put the order link on the spreadsheet).

Write what you would like the gift card to say.

Decide the date you would like your gifts delivered.

Give the list and your credit card to your assistant to place the orders.

Isn’t that easy?!  Don’t put it off, get it done early…even if your delivery dates are in December. Keep this holiday season as stress free as possible and show your appreciation to your top clients and referral sources! They are an important part of your business and deserve to be celebrated.

Happy Holidays!!!

PS:  This is just one of the many services we provide to the clients that
work with us. We are the marketing team that they hand these types of
tasks off to so that they know it is handled without having to worry about
it.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Online Reviews…The Good, Bad and Ugly

There are so many ways for clients to tell everyone they know about you, and thanks to the Internet, they can even tell people they don’t know!  This is great if the things they’re saying make you look good.  If they’re posting negative reviews and comments, however, it can feel like a punch in the gut to someone running their own small firm.

So, what do you do if someone is trying to sabotage your legal marketing plan by saying nasty things on Yelp, their blog, or your Facebook page?

First, don’t panic.  This is a time to keep your cool, because how you respond is more important than whatever this person had to say in the first place.  Keep in mind that even though this negative comment is out there, it is certainly not the only thing out there.  It is one person’s opinion in a sea of opportunities for you to present yourself as you’d like.  It’s annoying and infuriating, but it is not the end of the world.

Once you’re calmed down, not just pretending to be calmed down—take a day or two if you need to, you can plan how to respond.  Because of their background, a lot of lawyers jump right to the idea of writing a cease and desist letter.  There are some problems with this.  For one thing, it could theoretically add legitimacy to whomever made the claim against you.  It can also be really hard to even find out who made the comment as so many of those things are done anonymously.  And in the grand scheme of things, the letter might not even work.

With the idea of a letter considered and thrown away, you can now look at actually responding to the comment.  Most of the review sites will allow you a way to respond to the negative comment.  In doing so, you don’t want to come off as anything but professional.  You can use the opportunity to explain your side of the situation—oftentimes the individual is mad that they lost their case, not because there is actually anything wrong with you—but do it in a calm, rational way that doesn’t sound overly defensive.  If the person responds back, make a point to only engage if you can do so calmly and in a way that shows you in your best light.  Remember, too, that there’s no rule saying you have to respond at all.

Finally, consider asking your clients, colleagues, and supporters to visit the site and leave their own feedback. This will “bury” the negative comment down to a lower position that will probably not be seen by many.  In addition, when you have a bunch of five-star ratings or comments about your professionalism, it shows that the negative comment is not par for the course and is likely coming from someone who is bitter.

A bad review here or there isn’t going to completely destroy your legal marketing efforts.  If you find that you are getting a lot of negative reviews, however, it may be necessary to take a look at what you’re doing and make some changes.

• By Laura Lee

Could you use some individualized help growing your practice?

Summer is almost here, our team has expanded significantly and we have room this quarter to accept a few additional private clients who could use some more individualized help growing their practices.

This is NOT exclusive to just Estate Planning and Elder Law attorneys.

This is more than just receiving marketing materials that your team can implement on their own (if that’s what you need, check out our Done-For-You program here).

Instead, this is OUR TEAM, doing your marketing FOR YOU, so that you can focus on what you do best: practicing law!

We serve attorneys in the following areas:

• Copywriting and ghostwriting
• Blogging
• Website management
• Email marketing
• Email newsletter creation and management
• Print newsletter creation and management
• Graphic Design
• Public Relations
• Social Media management
• CRM or Infusionsoft management
• Mailing and fulfillment
• Team coaching

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

P.S. Curious about what it’s like to work with us? Here’s what a few of our clients have to say:

“Laura Lee is a great motivator and implementer. She is passionate about helping her clients grow their practices and she has certainly helped me grow mine. Laura Lee and Legal Marketing Maven have been instrumental in helping me transition my practice from all divorce and family law to its current 50-50 mix with estate planning and probate, and that side of the practice growing each year. As a direct result of their materials, I have been on local television and radio shows featured as an expert on the topic of estate planning and probate. I have several ready-made and often-requested educational and promotional e-books and legal guides which they prepared and taught me how to deliver them to my prospects in a systematic and effective manner. Their team is highly trained in communicating the legal principles I with which I wish to educate my potential clients, so that they are already prepared to retain me before we even meet. Best of all, they are great people to work with and very loyal and dedicated to their clients and their needs. ”

~Steve Worrall
Attorney at Law

“Laura Lee is AWESOME. She listens, asks questions and works closely with you to achieve the best results, quickly and at a reasonable cost. She is number 1 in my book!”

~Nancy Cavey
Attorney at Law

• By Laura Lee

The dirty “D” word for law practice owners

Make Your Law Practice Marketing Plan Work for You

Let’s be real.  You didn’t go into law because you wanted to be a marketer.  You studied and worked so that you could become a lawyer.  But, you are also a business owner, and that comes with the need to market your practice.  So, how does a lawyer successfully get the message out without becoming a full-time marketer?

The simplest way to do so is to develop a marketing plan that works for you.  That means identifying the things you can or should do on your own while looking to others to take on appropriate tasks.  You can narrow this down by asking yourself a few questions:

• What do I enjoy doing?  If you’re the kind of person who loves to mix and mingle, then in-person networking could be a great opportunity for you.  Consider joining some groups or associations that allow you to meet others face-to-face to talk about how you can help meet their needs.  If you like being “the host with the most,” it might be fun to put together a referral group of attorneys with different specialties that gets together for dinner once a month.  When you turn something you enjoy into a marketing opportunity, it can make that aspect of being a business owner kind of fun!

• What do you not enjoy?  You’ve got enough on your plate with running your business, taking care of employees, and—of course—representing your clients.  There’s no time in there to be forcing yourself to do marketing tasks that you don’t enjoy.  Maybe you really don’t like writing, for example, which means that your blog is never updated or your email newsletters are half-hearted, if done at all.  Skip the headache and the drudgery by hiring someone you trust to take on these tasks.

• What are you good at?  Are you a heck of a carpenter in your spare time?  Do you have a way with animals?  By identifying those things that you do well, you can narrow down volunteer opportunities or speaking engagements that complement both your interests and your area of practice.

• What should you leave to the pros?  Generally speaking, things like graphic design, search engine optimization, or even video production take some specialized knowledge that most people just don’t have.  Instead of forcing yourself into a role that will likely end up hurting your business anyway, recognize that there are times when you really do need to bring in the professionals.

What much of boils down to is being true to yourself.  You don’t want to adopt some sort of phony marketing persona for the sake of drumming up business.  It’s not authentic and will end up putting people off.  Instead, focus on the things you like and do well, and take a pass on those things that would benefit from outside assistance.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Exposing yourself (decently, of course!)

When it comes to successful marketing, the name of the game is exposure.  You’ve got be willing to “put it all out there,” as much as possible so more people can become acclimated to your practice.

I always say there are two ways to do this.  You can throw money at it.  Or, you can get creative and invest your time.

If your budget isn’t where you would like it to be at the moment, one of the easiest ways to expose your business to others is to simply TALK about what you do to everyone you meet!

At first glance, this might seem icky, slimy or embarrassing. But it shouldn’t!  Let me give you an example of how beautifully this can work when done the right way.

My right hand gal, Amber, went on a cruise to Cozumel last week.  While sitting on the beach with her 3-year-old daughter, a woman walked up to her and asked to share a bucket and shovel.

She casually asked Amber where she was from and what she did. She then proceeded to tell her that she was a swim coach who teaches children to swim in 5 days and people from all around the country fly in to use her services.   In fact, her toddler was swimming freely in the Caribbean, while Amber’s toddler was still wearing swimmies close to the shore.

But the “exposure” of her business didn’t stop there.  After the trip, she found Amber on Facebook.  She wanted to stay connected and reminded her that she was there if she ever needed anything for the kids.

Amber was so impressed that she’s now considering flying her two kids down to take her classes after many failed attempts with private instructors (and her own lack of patience lol).

But my point is, if the instructor had been afraid to EXPOSE herself and what she did, she wouldn’t have earned a potential client who was willing to fly halfway across the country to use her services.

If she was too afraid to open her mouth and share how she helps children and parents have peace of mind to swim safely, her business wouldn’t have the national reach that she currently enjoys.

You must be willing to expose yourself, all the time, every day about what you do and who you serve.  For some people, this is a natural thing, but for others, it’s more dreadful than having teeth pulled.

But remember, it’s FREE marketing!  And nothing beats that in my book!

I would love to hear if you have had similar experiences like this.  Please feel free to email me and let me know how it worked out for you and if it generated new business.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

9 Signs You Need A Website Overhaul

Spring is just around the corner (thank God!) and now is the perfect time to do a quick audit of your website.

The design and functionality of your website is critically important. A website that motivates clients to call the office must be clear, easy to navigate and built to rank well in the search engines.

This is your first impression—and you must make it a good one if you expect phone calls from the internet.

Here are a few areas to “audit” as we head into spring:

1. Is your contact information displayed prominently on the site? You would be surprised at how many websites we audit that force us to HUNT for this information!

2. Do you have a page for each of your practice areas? A bulleted list of what you do is simply not enough. If you want to rank better in the search engines and clearly explain your expertise to prospective clients, you must have a dedicated page for each area in which you practice.

3. Is your site visually appealing or does it look like a DIY job? If you’re seeking high-end clients and cases, the “face” of your company should have a high-end look too.

4. Is the website designed to “build your list?” Are there free reports, audios or kits that people can download? Is it easy to join your mailing list? Do you even have a mailing list?

5. Does the website tell your “firm story?” Of course you need a professional bio, but what about the story of why you do what you do? What makes you different and unique? This type of copy helps clients feel like they know you and helps you stand out from the crowd.

6. Are you displaying badges and logos of your affiliations, media appearances and awards? These help to give 3rd party credibility and validation that you are who you say you are and can do what you say you do.

7. Do you have testimonials from happy clients on the site? Testimonials from happy clients SELL legal services!

8. Do you have correct title tags on each page that are properly optimized for SEO?

9. Is your website a WordPress site? WordPress is one of the best sites for SEO, functionality and usability (translation: it makes it SUPER easy for you to edit your own site without help from tech geeks!).

These are just a few things to look for when reviewing your site this spring. If you determine your website is not up to par and you would like information on a redesign, please feel free to reach out to us for help. Whether it’s a few copy edits or an entire website overhaul, we can help you get it done in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Happy Auditing!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Blogging to Grow Your Law Practice

There’s no doubt that the Internet has changed the way that most businesses work, especially when it comes to garnering new clients.  There are plenty of reasons for that, but web sites and search engines certainly play a huge role.  One of the most powerful tools on your web site is the blog feature.  (You do have a blog feature, don’t you?)

Blogs are an excellent marketing resource for several reasons, and if you’re not blogging yet, then it’s time to get started.  Just a few of the reasons you NEED to start blogging include:

• Authority
• Relationship
• SEO

Authority
Just by virtue of being an attorney, you already have a significant amount of authority when it comes to matters of law.  It’s understood that you have extensive education and understanding in areas that most lay people do not.  But, what sets you apart from all of the other lawyers in your field?

Blogging about your topic gives readers the reassurance that you know what you’re talking about.  When they see your words on the screen, offering them information they truly need, they recognize you as being an expert.  When it comes time to hire an attorney, they’re going to remember you over the lawyer whose static web site does little more than offer some pretty pictures and a contact form.

Relationship
Blogging is a form of social media, and “social” means building relationships.  When people read your blog, they begin to feel like they have a relationship with you.  In addition, many blogs allow for readers to leave comments, questions, and feedback.  When you respond to a comment left on your blog, you are doing more than simply answering a question.  You are showing the reader you are responsive and  you care about their needs.  Simply put, you are building a relationship which creates a great starting point for further engagement with your readers.

SEO
SEO, or “search engine optimization” refers to using proper methods to help search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing to notice your site and to rank it as relevant to search terms input by users.  Blogging is great for SEO!  For one thing, the search engines notice that your content is updated often, which is a good sign to them that you’re engaged and active.  Additionally, you can use “keywords” in your content.  By dropping in terms that you feel others might be using when looking for your type of information, you can show the search engines exactly why you are relevant to certain topics.

There are other good reasons to consider blogging, but these three alone are enough to get you more business.  If you don’t have time to blog on your own, it’s possible to hire “ghost bloggers” to cover topics which fit your practice and give you all of these benefits.  We are happy to give you recommendations to companies we love, or if you are an estate planning lawyer, check out our Done-For-You program where we take care of this for you.  Either way, commit to blogging in 2013. As much as it can feel like a chore, the benefits are well worth the effort!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Being held hostage by a contractor or service provider?

It never fails that when we start working with a new client, we discover some area where an old contractor or outside firm is holding their intellectual property hostage.

It may be a social media account or website hosting.  It could be access to a CRM or your email marketing platform.

The point is that you can NEVER be too careful when it comes to ensuring that you have long-term access and control of your various accounts.

Not long ago, we started working with a client who asked us to take over the management of his Facebook Fan page. It hadn’t been used in a while and they were ready to start posting more updates on behalf of the firm.

When we asked this attorney to make us an authorized “admin” of the page, it turned out he couldn’t. Lo and behold, a former employee had set up the page under THEIR personal name. That meant the attorney could no longer access the page and we were forced to start from scratch setting up new accounts and building up their fan base.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I can’t TELL you how many times we started working with clients only to discover that they did not own the hard coding or hosting of their website! Rather, the contractor or web company who set it up retained this control and if the attorney wanted to make any changes or use a different provider, they would lose their entire site!

In fact, this recently happened to a very good friend of ours (and a very brilliant attorney) who had to redesign her site from scratch after paying $10,000 for a beautiful site that she did not own and no longer had access to once she terminated her relationship with the designing company.

I shared the following tips with her in order to avoid this nightmare in the future, and I encourage you to use them as well to protect your intellectual property or online real estate.

1. Any accounts set up in YOUR name and on your behalf must be done using a central email address that YOU OWN. When we start working with clients, we set up a basic gmail account that the attorney has access to at any time. We use this gmail address when we make purchases, submit press releases, submit event listings, open new accounts, etc.  That way, the client has access to everything in one central location should we decide to part ways in the future.

2. Do not sign a contract for a website or hosting services unless you retain total control! I don’t care how pretty it looks or how fancy it seems; unless you own that html code, do NOT sign on the dotted line! Same goes for sites you “rent” too. It’s not the brightest idea to pay $2500-$5000 a month for a website that you CERTAINLY won’t have access too if you want to break up with the service provider down the road. For what you pay in one month’s “rent”, you could OWN a site with all the bells and whistles they are offering you.

3. Ensure social media accounts are set up using either your PERSONAL login or a central account like I mentioned in step 1.  This goes for Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, YouTube and even a hootsuite account—which is used to manage these profiles all in one place.

4. Retain ownership of your phone number! This may sound like a “duh” tip, but we recently had a client who learned this the hard way. When she decided to stop renting her office space, she learned that her phone number (which goes to the main switchboard of the building) would not be coming with her, nor would the receptionist be forwarding the calls.  I’m sure you could imagine what a nightmare this turned out to be.

A few proactive steps like these can save you from a TON of headaches and hassles when working with outside companies and independent contractors.

If you’ve ever found yourself held hostage, I’d love to hear your experience and what you did about it. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Lawyers Can Increase Google Rankings with These Three Steps

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I'm Ready to Get Started!

• By Laura Lee

What Is the Point of Social Media Anyway?

I’ve heard this question over and over from lawyers who are wondering why they would want to invest their valuable time into what they consider to be some frivolous conversations that take place on social media outlets.

And yes, social media CAN be just that.  However, it is also much more importantly the new media way of marketing.  People are no longer turning
to the yellow pages or ads run in newspapers and magazines when they
are looking for a service provider.  Instead they are going to their network,
their “social network”.  And YOU need to be there!

The question then becomes about how you show up once you are there.

I see a lot of lawyers making what I consider to be three huge mistakes.

• Setting up an RSS feed ONLY and just feeding the content from their blog onto their social media profile.  While this can be good for SEO, it is not doing much to build you a following of local prospects and leads.  Nor does it usually generate any interaction.
• Building relationships with other lawyers but neglecting looking for prospects and potential referral sources in their own back yards to build relationships with that will turn into real ROI for the time they are investing in “new media” marketing.
• Not realizing that social media contacts (fans, followers, connections) are worth FAR less than email and direct mail contacts. And failing to set up systems by which they *leverage* social media to build these much more valuable lists.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Law Firm’s Search Engine Rankings

Prospects are looking for you.  Chances are, there is someone in your local community right now who is looking for the exact services you provide.

Marketing is and always has been about finding people who need you.  The question is, how do you get found? The answer has changed quite a bit over the last several years.  Gone are the days when people searched for you in the yellow pages (No matter what the yellow pages ad salesman tells you!).

Instead, today’s consumer is looking for you online. They are seeking you out in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Therefore, it becomes clear that if you don’t have an active, consistent, and relevant online marketing strategy you are losing business.

Yet the question remains, “How does all this work?”

Simply put, Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines have advanced algorithms for which they determine which websites are the most appropriate based on the words typed into their search bar.  These algorithms are secret and constantly evolving. However, based on practical experience and search engine optimization (SEO) experimentation it is fair to state that they are also based on simple human logic.  In simple terms, this logic is based on content relevancy and how many other quality websites link back to you.

So with that said, here are three easy ways to give the algorithms what they want and ensure you are found when customers come looking for your services:

Content

Back in the day, people who called themselves SEO experts would cram websites full of popular but irrelevant keywords. The belief was that if you put lots of keywords on your site and you’d zoom to number 1 in Google.  But Google quickly got wind of these “black-hat” techniques and changed their algorithm.

Today search engines are constantly changing the game as far as how websites rank to avoid people taking advantage of the system, but one thing remains the same – you must have quality, optimized, content that will engage your readers.  And lots of it! It is critical that you post to your blog on a consistent basis and frequently – at least once per week.

That’s simply because the search engines value fresh content optimized with one or two quality keywords that naturally flow within the text.  And how do you know which keywords people are searching for?  We recommend trying your hand at Google’s free keyword tool found at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Takeaway Tip – Post to your blog at least once per week.  Make sure that you write articles that provide information that your potential clients are seeking and include targeted keywords so the search engines can find it and rank it appropriately.

Local Directories

Local results are becoming more and more common in online searches, and will continue to grow as a way that clients seek local services.  If you’re not familiar with local search, do a quick experiment in Google by typing in “estate planning lawyer near (your city)”.  You’ll notice results that link to a map above the regular search results.  These “local” results are generated by a different algorithm as the organic (or regular) results, as they seek to provide users with service providers near their desired location.

A quick way to get yourself included in such local search is to visit getlisted.org.  That will take you through signing up for several well-established data sources for local businesses like Google Local, Yelp, Bing, and Yahoo Local.  And don’t forget to optimize your profiles as well, as your keywords will dictate how you are found by local consumers.

Takeaway Tip – Go to getlisted.org and list your business in the most popular local search directors and do research to find niche directories.

Article Marketing

Article marketing is yet another way to get your information out to hungry consumers.  Not only is this a great way to gain positive public exposure, but it is a smart way to improve your search engine rankings.  When done properly, articles you post on syndicated article sites become “link bait” for other sites.  They also give you quality “link-backs” to your site—which leads Google, Yahoo or other search engines to believe your site is “popular” among consumers.  Think of links on your articles as little steps toward that number one ranking in Google!

The first thing you should do, even before you write the first word of your first article, is to do keyword research to determine what your potential clients are searching for.  Keyword research is the practice of balancing the popularity of a keyword or search phrase against the competitiveness of the keyword phrase. You certainly wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time and money targeting keywords and phrases that no one is likely to use in a search. Likewise, if 80 million plus results come up when you search for your keyword phrase you may have a difficult time getting ranked for that competitive of a keyword. So it is important to find the right combination of popularity and competitiveness.

Once you determine what keywords you should be using to allow your prospective clients to find you, begin writing articles that target such keywords– and lots of them.  You should be writing at least one article per week.  If you aren’t able to devote that much time to writing, it is possible to outsource this. (If you’re an estate planning attorney, our DFY service is s a good outsourcing resource.

Then once you have quality, keyword rich articles, it is time to submit them.  Look for article submission sites or article directories that receive a high volume of traffic and are considered authority sites by search engines.  Submitting to these sites will result in lots of free traffic to your site.

Finally, there is one more step to ensuring your site ranks well in the search engines and that’s being consistent with your search engine optimization strategy.   The steps above aren’t something you do once and never do again.  Instead, you must be working on your SEO strategy weekly to ensure your site ranks on page one (or close to it) when prospects come calling.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Trying to Keep Your Facebook Page Professional? Turn Off Tagging!

If you’re trying to keep your facebook page professional and strictly dedicated to networking for your law practice, a smart thing to do is disable “tagging” on your page right this minute.

If you’re not familiar with tagging, this feature basically allows anyone to upload a picture of you and attach it to the “photo” section of your page.    As you can imagine, this can cause a number of problems for lawyers, as pictures showing you in unprofessional or even just private situations can easily make their way on to the web (not to mention, some lawyers have lost their JOBS over pictures tagged on Facebook!).

So to ensure the only photos on your facebook page are the ones you authorize, use the following steps to disable the tagging feature for good:

1.    Go back to your profile page.
2.    Click on the top right “Account” link.
3.    A pull down menu will appear. Locate the “Privacy Settings” on this list and click on it.
4.    Then click on “Applications and Websites”
5.    Now, to the right of the “What your friends can share about you” option, is a “Edit Settings” button. Click on that.
6.    Find the checkbox next to the “Photos and videos of me” and UNcheck it.
7.    Save Changes.

Enjoy!