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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.

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.

[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.

I Stink at Marketing My Law Practice—Now What?

A trash can full of smelly garbage. Not really sure why he is smiling, but he is!

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.

 

 

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.

[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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

 

WARNING: Before you sign with a coaching or marketing company this Spring, read this

Did I get your attention? Good, because this is important.

Spring tends to be an “open enrollment” free-for-all for many coaching, training and legal marketing organizations. We will in fact be having our own webinar March 5th to share details about our programs…..but that’s not the point of this post.

What you may not know about me or my company is that we regularly get to see the inner workings of many of these organizations. You might be surprised to know that we do behind- the-scenes campaigns, business development and copywriting for quite a few of them….many of which are well- known and highly- respected in this industry (and whom you may have considered our competition).

On the flipside, through our client base, we’ve worked with many other lawyer marketing and training organizations that are a mess internally and have significantly drained the finances of our clients. We are often hired to implement what these “coaches” or programs are teaching–and more often that not, it turns into our team cleaning up a huge mess when the attorney breaks up with the company or quits the program.

It’s no wonder why I’ve been bombarded with Facebook messages and emails this week asking me what I think of the various offerings, enrollments and teleclasses happening right now.

Let me first be clear that there are some very good companies and organizations out there....and hiring a coach or a legal marketing agency can be one of the best decisions you will ever make in the quest to grow your firm. Again, I don’t just speak of our company… because there are MANY times that I refer clients to trusted colleagues who may be a better fit. But as a whole, if you are serious about taking things to the next level in your practice, getting a mentor or some hands-on help is a great place to start.

But there are also companies in the legal industry right now who are all smoke and mirrors and quite frankly dangerous to your sanity and your bottom line.

In an attempt to help you make the best decisions if you are looking to join a program or hire a legal marketing company this Spring, I’ve compiled a few “warning signs” that I’ve been offering to the attorneys reaching out for my opinion. Heeding this advice could mean the difference between having a thriving law practice or one saddled with six-figures of debt with little to nothing to show for it next year. Here they are:

1. Avoid companies that could hold your intellectual property hostage– Without mentioning names, it has shocked some of our clients to find out that they are merely RENTING their fancy website or other IP from their marketing agency each month. When they decide to part ways the company, they retain ZERO ownership of the site and many times ZERO ownership of the content. We had one client who signed with a well-known company and when they launched her new site, they completely deleted her old one with all of her blogs and links that she worked so hard to build for SEO. Then once she realized this company was taking her for a ride and she quit, they deleted her site a second time and she lost everything AGAIN. We’ve also seen marketing agencies and companies who insist on “hosting” websites, email lists and client databases so that you can’t access them or make changes without their help. They retain all the power and you are at their mercy in a sad attempt to get you to stay on board. Avoid these situations at all cost!

2. Watch for companies and organizations that make you scrub content when you’re not in “good standing.” Imagine this: You pay 6-figures to be in a program and invest in their marketing campaigns, systems and products. Over the course of time, you outgrow the program or it’s not a good fit. After dealing with the expected calls & emails trying to get you to stay in the program, the company then comes back with a vengeance, stalking you at every turn and insisting that if you leave, you must remove every blog article, report and campaign that YOU PAID FOR because you are no longer in good standing and it really never belonged to you in the first place. Unbeknownst to you…your six-figure investment only allowed you to “rent” some marketing and ideas. We see it happen almost monthly and it infuriates me. That’s why when we create marketing for clients, they own it. If we spend time building their blog up, we aren’t going to sabotage their SEO years down the road and insist everything comes down if we part ways. So before you join any program, get clear on content ownership and their rules for usage. Then decide if it’s palatable for you if you breakup in the future.

3. Long-Term Commitments– As a marketing professional, I understand that some commitment time is necessary to truly gauge your results, but be cautious of long- term commitments that leave you stuck if the program turns out to be the exact opposite of what you signed up for….or just not the right fit for YOU. It happens and you should be prepared for it.

4. Make sure you can speak to CURRENT CLIENTS– A company may put out great testimonials showing results of their clients, but go one step further and ask to speak to people who are currently in the program. You may be surprised to see a company using testimonials that speak of results from 5-10 years ago, which have not been duplicated since (I’ve actually seen companies using testimonials from lawyers whom I personally know went out of business and no longer practice law!)

5. Do they work with your competition? A VERY important question to ask right up front is whether the company or agency works with other attorneys in your geographical area. If so, how many and what’s the scope of the work? Here’s why this matters. Let’s say you hire someone to do SEO. If the company is trying to increase rankings for you and your competitor down the street, they are essentially competing with themself. Will you come out on top or will their other client? It’s unethical and puts you and them in a bad position. Or say you hire a PR person. You don’t want someone approaching journalists or producers with the same exact press releases being used by someone else. That’s a fast way to make a bad name for yourself in the local media. Or, in the case of marketing materials,   you don’t want the exact same newsletter going out to the same pool of people in your community….and you don’t want to be reaching out to referral sources with the same campaigns and seminar info as the guy down the street. As a rule of thumb, we only take one client per media market, because we do PR & blog content for SEO. We literally have waitlists because of this rule, and I’ll be the first to admit that as a business owner, it’s hard to turn away a paying client. But any other way would be icky, and my integrity and the peace of mind of our clients means more to me than money. Of course this can vary based on the nature of the services being offered, but make sure your coach or agency feels the same.

6. Is there “stickiness” among the members?- Pay close attention to whether or not the company or coach has long-term clients. For example, one particular organization for estate planning attorneys that we work with has had members in their program for over 15 years! That says something about an organization. On the flipside, if they are a newer agency or organization, check out the results of the leaders. Have they successfully done what they want to teach you how to do? Are they still doing it, or did they get lucky for a year and now they are trying to cash in on that fleeting success? Have they been successful at duplicating their efforts….or are they all talk and theory and no action? This matters more than you think.

7. Who is on the team? With many companies transitioning to done-for-you services these days (hey–we’re trendsetters…what can we say!), it’s important to scrutinize the actual team since they will probably have more interaction with your firm than the company’s figurehead. For example, everyone on our team has a legal background and most have worked in law firms. I would never allow someone control over an attorney’s social media accounts, for example, who didn’t understand the law….or have a basic understanding of the English language. Other companies are using outsourced teams overseas to do these tasks. Your image and your ethics are on the line. Find out who exactly will have their hands on your account and make sure everything is to your satisfaction.

8. If you are working with an agency, where are they driving traffic? Not long ago, one of our clients hired an outside agency to do Pay-Per-Click ads for them. Instead of driving to the firm’s website, they company insisted on creating separate sites using ALL OF THE FIRM’S CONTENT! They were basically “duplicating” the site exactly and driving the ads to the site they owned with a different phone number. They also wanted to change the local profiles in Google and Yahoo using this “duplicated” site as well. Again, the name of the game is to stay in control so always find out where your leads are driving to and what happens when the company is no longer in the picture.

These are just a few things to look out for if you are seeking to hire a marketing agency or join a coaching program this year. Of course no company is perfect and it’s important to have a realistic expectation of results going into it. Your results could vary on your budget, your niche, your area, etc…..but these are some steps you can take to ensure you suffer the least amount of pain and financial loss if the services are not what you expected them to be.

 

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.

5 great resources for a profitable 2013

We all make resolutions to be more profitable and bring in more business
in the New Year, but the real question is…

What specifically are you doing to ensure your goals become a reality
in 2013?

  • How will you command the attention of better quality prospects
    each month?
  • How will you increase your referrals from local professionals?
  • How will you pull together live seminars that fill your pipeline to
    capacity
    for 2-3 months at a time?
  • How will you land FREE publicity in your local papers and on TV?

-and-

  • When will you find the time to focus on your marketing and create
    the materials necessary to make 2013 your best year in practice yet?

If you keep doing the same things you’ve always done, you’re likely to get
the exact same results. Einstein called that insanity, right? I happen to
agree.

Instead, why not start off 2013 with some NEW tools in your arsenal?
I’m talking about tools designed to get the job done right, with a proven
track record of RESULTS
(i.e. new quality clients, 1st page SEO rankings,
publicity in your local paper or TV stations, etc.).

To kick off the New Year, I’m releasing 5 of our favorite campaigns and
marketing resources
that continue to bring in excellent results for our private
clients, and I KNOW they’ll do the same for you!

But I don’t want you to just take my word it. Here’s solid proof that they WORK:

  • Using our Estate Planning Seminar Mega Pack for spring seminars, our
    private clients in various parts of the country averaged 20-25 attendees
    EACH NIGHT during a 4 night seminar spree. Average amount of
    appointments madeat the seminars consistently ranged between 35-45.
    What would you do with an extra 30 appointments this month?
  • Our clients were regularly featured in their local media using our press
    releases and publicity campaigns. Here are a few links from 2012 for you
    to check out

Steven Spewak featured on STLtoday.com, “Estate Plan Strategies, LLC Offering
Free Health Care Directives For Local Heroes November 26-30th http://interact.
stltoday.com/pr/local-news/PR110112011010912

Darlynn Morgan featured in the Orange County Daily Pilot, “When Teens Become
Adults” http://articles.dailypilot.com/2012-05-24/opinion/tn-dpt-0525-mailbag-20120524 _1_water-taxi-service-harbor-commission-harbor-character/4

Albert Hehr featured in the Plain Dealer, “When Your Graduating Teen Becomes a Legal
Adult, Take Steps To Protect Your Right to Parent In a Crisis” http://blog.cleveland.com/
letters/2012/06/when_your_graduating_teen_beco.html

Need some more page one rankings? Here are a few screen shots showing how our
supercharged blog content packs great SEO results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


And the BEST part with all of our products and campaigns? There’s no guess work.

We walk you step by step through EVERYTHING you need to know to implement the campaign fast and get the best results. We’re also easily accessible by phone and email if you need guidance purchasing mailing lists, fulfillment, etc.

So, if you’re ready to hit the ground running in 2013, you can now scoop up one… or ALL of our favorite resources for the next 48 hours ONLY at 25% off the regular price. This is a firm deadline…the page will come down and purchases will NOT be possible after January 10th.

Use the code SUCCESS2013 at checkout to apply the 25% discount to your order.

The only catch is that the materials are area exclusive, so they will be issued
on a first-come-first serve basis. If your area is no longer available because
someone purchased it first, or we have a client already in your territory, we will
contact you immediately and issue a full refund. We believe in marketing integrity
and do not work with competing firms.

With that said, I encourage you to check these resources out if you desire to build
stronger, more profitable relationships in your community this year. This New Year’s
blowout because is based on our commitment to YOU and YOUR success, so don’t
wait to take advantage of the materials at this pricing. As always, if you have questions
or would like more information about a particular campaign or product before you buy,
just email us and we’ll help you out.

If you are training someone to handle marketing and community relations at
your firm, purchasing these materials to use as a guide or template of a solid direct
response marketing campaign is an excellent idea. Check it out here!

 

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.

 

Expecting magic vs. momentum in your legal practice

Magic Marketing ImageIn most professional fields, people seem to equate the word “marketing” with “magic”. Maybe you’ve unknowingly done it in your practice, too. You create a marketing plan, hire the appropriate staff members, run some campaigns and nothing happens.

Sound familiar?

I know the frustration of this from personal experience. Typically around the second or third month of working with a new client, this becomes the topic of our private coaching calls. They express concern that their phone is not ringing off the hook, no one seems to notice what they are doing and it feels like their money is getting wasted in the process.

They are striving for magic, not momentum.

After effectively talking them off the ledge, I’m able to teach them how REAL, relationship-based marketing works. Typically it’s front-end loaded, requiring a small investment of time to lay a foundation in which you are REGULARLY reaching out to prospects and potential referral sources in the community.

It’s a further understanding that you can’t just swipe a cold mailing list of financial advisors or CPA’s from the Internet, mail to them one time and expect business like crazy. Instead, it’s recognizing the Rule of 7 at play and making a plan to constantly stay in touch.

And, especially when it comes to internet marketing, it’s understanding that the website you spent ZERO time marketing in the past will not show up on page one of Google just because you posted a blog or two.

You have to do these things consistently, usually over a period of a few months before you can accurately gage results!

So back to my coaching calls. Once I’m able to help the client see that business relationships and momentum are not built overnight (much like relationships in real life!), it never fails that within the next 30-60 days I’m getting emails from the SAME EXACT CLIENTS like this:

“I don’t know what happened but the largest nursing home in my
community just called. Said they’ve seen my name all over the
place and I was also mentioned by someone on staff. They’ve
invited me to speak to their residents. I had two similar calls this week for smaller speaking engagements. I’ve had zero invites prior to this”.

“I’m finally starting to get calls from my website and ranking all over the place. And not just waste of time calls before, but these are actually quality cases. Amazing how this works”

“We engaged a very lucrative client today. She inquired about our services a year ago but put it on the backburner. I started sending my newsletter and after reading it for the past two months, she knew she had to come in and get everything taken care of. She thanked us for the push…but I should probably be thanking you for the same”.

I encourage you to take a cold, honest look at your marketing expectations today. Are you expecting magic or are you realistically focused on building momentum and long-term relationships?

It’s wise to expect some form of ROI (return on investments) but make sure you are allowing the proper timeframe for that to happen. Just like you probably wouldn’t agree to marry someone after the first date, you also need to allow for proper “courtship” and “wooing” before a client is willing to fork over $5,000-$10,000 on your services.

 

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.

3 Creative Ways To Capture Leads At Live Speaking Events

A few months ago I had a strategy call with an attorney who was frustrated he didn’t have more business coming in the door. As I started to ask he questions about his current marketing efforts, I found out that he was doing speaking engagements almost every week! 

Stunned by this, my very first question was, “how are you staying in touch with the people you’re meeting at these events?” and “what are you doing to convert them into clients?” He told me that he typically passes out business cards and just waits for them to call. 

Ouch. 

When doing any kind of live speaking engagement, your primary goal (besides putting on a great presentation!) is to capture the contact information for as many people as you can in the room. 

Remember our trusty rule of 7? Capturing attendee’s information now gives you the opportunity to add them to your mailing list and communicate with them on a regular basis. 

In fact, when our private clients do speaking events, we have multi-step, automated follow-up sequences in place to ensure we are staying in touch with these warm leads and gently pushing them toward becoming a paying client. These sequences typically include an immediate post-event email, a letter and sometimes a personal phone call. 

Now remember, people will not just give you their name, email and phone number just because you ask. You may have to get a little creative in order to capture this valuable information. Here are 3 of our favorite ways to collect personal information without acting ike a used car salesman:

1. Do a raffle or prize giveaway- Make sure the prize or free giveaway that you are offering is something the particular audience you are speaking to wants. Examples might include tickets to a ball game, a certificate for a local restaurant, spa, etc. To enter, attendees must include their contact information on your registration form. Be sure to note on the form that they’ll also start receiving a complimentary subscription to your email newsletter as a bonus for registering. 

2. Offer bonus educational materials- Another great way to capture leads during events where you are not allowed to overtly promote yourself is to offer supplemental learning materials that you can “mail out” to attendees free of charge. This could include free guides, brochures, informational CDs etc. Examples might include a guide to securing VA benefits for a loved one or a CD on 7 things you should know before filing bankruptcy. Have an order form ready so that you can deliver the goods (and stay in touch with your leads!) after the event. 

3. Make a special offer for a free appointment with you- Many of our estate planning clients will offer a free, 2-hour planning session with anyone who fills out a questionnaire and qualifies during their live events. It helps them to book more initial consultations while simultaneously builds their internal database. If your practice area allows you to make a similar offering, bring your calendar and consider ways to capture names and book appointments on the spot. 

Finally, don’t forget to ask attendees to follow you on sites like Twitter and Facebook, as it’s another great way to stay in touch with warm leads! Make a plan to start collecting this information any way you can so you can stop leaving money on the table at live events!

 

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.

Law Firm Marketing Tips: 4 Free Ways To Increase Registrations To Your Next Live Speaking Event

The number one concern when booking a live speaking event or workshop on a legal topic is, “how can I put more butts in seats and make it worth my time?!”

I don’t know one attorney who does not feel this way—and, quite frankly, it’s a legitimate concern.

You’re spending a bunch of money and time to put on a speaking engagement or workshop and it’s only natural to expect some ROI for your efforts.

So to increase the chances that you get the outcome YOU want, try these 4 FREE strategies to get more publicity and registrations for your next speaking engagement:

1.   Send an email to your database:  Let your clients, prospects and referral sources know about your upcoming events and encourage them to forward the information any friends or family members that may also need help.

2.   Canvas your town with a great flyer:  Make a great flyer with a strong call to action and have someone on your staff put it on bulletin boards or drop it off at all the places where your target market hangs out around town.

3.   Submit the event to online event calendars:  Many newspapers and TV stations have online calendars dedicated to promoting local events.   For the most part, these submissions are free and give you a great opportunity get in front of new people with your events and workshops.

4.   Write a press release and pitch local journalists-  If you know of a journalist who covers the topic you will be speaking on (i.e. senior issues, parenting issues, tax issues), write a press release  and ask him or her to cover the event.  You can also pitch your release to hyperlocal sites (i.e, patch.com) that like to publish events and any information beneficial to local citizens.

So there you have it—4 FREE ways to increase registrations to your next live speaking event or workshop.  Give them a try and be sure to come back and leave a comment about the results you get from these easy strategies!

 

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.