How to Create an Email Newsletter that Gets Opened & Generates New Clients

A lot of attorneys I’ve talked to over the past month have “starting an email newsletter” or getting consistent about SENDING an email newsletter is at the top of their 2020 to-do list.

If you are also thinking about stepping up your email marketing game this year, here’s an outline of an effective email newsletter to help you get the most out of your efforts. After over 16 years of helping law firms across the country consistently get their electronic newsletters out each and every month, we KNOW what sparks the most engagement and ROI for your efforts!

  1. Subject Line: I hate to say it… but lawyer subject lines are THE WORST. Please don’t send an email that says, “law firm newsletter” and expect that clients and prospects will open it. Even if you have bar requirements that force you to mark email newsletters as advertising, you can still think of something clever to say before your disclaimer (subject line example: Here are my personal New Year’s Resolutions **Attorney Advertising**). Just think about the subject lines that pique your interest and make you click… then duplicate that in your own newsletter.
  2. Personal Note: I always encourage my clients to add a personal note before any legal articles that they send to a client. There are a few reasons for this: 1) it’s humanizing; 2) people are nosy and will open just to learn more about your life and, 3) it’s a way to talk about things happening in the firm that doesn’t fit well in the confines of a blog post. I also suggest using the personal note in a way that sparks interaction with the people you are emailing. Again, the more they click, open and REPLY… the less likely your communications will go to spam. Plus, it keeps the conversation with your clients and prospects going so that you always stay top of mind. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations, ideas… even suggestions for places to visit on vacation! You’d be surprised what people will respond to!
  3. Educational Article: This is your chance to show your expertise and educate your prospects or clients on why they need to work with you, or why they need to be referring their friends to see you. Strive to write articles that are in a conversational and empowering tone. If someone starts reading heavy legal-eze and quickly feels in the weeds, they will hit delete and unsubscribe.
  4. Recommends Section: This spot in an email newsletter is a great place to show some love to your professional partners in the community! They will appreciate being featured in your email newsletter and it will keep you top of mind when they are referring their own clients. You can also reach out to your referral partners from time to time to ask what’s happening in their practice so that you can perhaps feature them in an upcoming edition. It gives you a non-salesy way to touch base and nurture your relationship.
  5. Upcoming Events: If you host community seminars or you regularly speak at events that are open to the public, this is a great way to showcase what you’re up to and invite readers to attend.

I absolutely LOVE email marketing, as it’s an easy and inexpensive way to stay in touch with clients, prospects and referral sources. If you follow this outline AND STAY CONSISTENT you’ll find that people will actually look forward to receiving your law firm emails, rather than unsubscribing or deleting the message.

Of course, if you want to send an email newsletter for your law firm and you aren’t sure how to get started or you’d like some help creating content each month, feel free to schedule a time to talk on my calendar, happy to brainstorm, share resources or discuss how we might be able to help you. Did I mention I LOVE email marketing 🙂