Law Firm Newsletters: The Key to Referrals and Relationships for Life
A monthly newsletter from a law firm is more than fluff; rather, a newsletter is a way to engage and communicate with your clients to create trust, relationships and eventually referrals down the road. If you already have a monthly newsletter and aren’t reaping the fruit listed above, chances are the publication needs some help.
The key to understanding what makes up a good newsletter is to understand why you need one in the first place. To keep things simple, a newsletter gives the people of the firm a chance to showcase their personalities and expertise. By writing a small article each month, lawyers can personally show prospective clients that they are not “ambulance chasers” or just another name in the phonebook, but rather a public servant that really cares about his or her clients.
Oddly enough, most firms I encounter think publishing a list of recent verdicts and settlements, attorney bios or summaries of high profile court decisions constitutes a newsletter. But think about it- what exactly does that information do for your clients? Nothing if you ask me. The majority of people signed up (or thinking of signing up with the firm) don’t care about the latest decision out of the 9th Circuit, nor do they care to see pictures of you and your buddies golfing while they are heartbroken and going through a bitter divorce or custody battle. Similarly, the art of just throwing words on a page to take up space shows the client that you value appearances and the “look” of engagement more than the actual issues affecting their lives.
But, if you connect with clients where they are by using stories, tips, answers to frequently asked questions and things they can relate to, they will feel directly engaged with you and the firm. This is so important when you think about the way clients call and want to speak with you on a monthly or weekly basis just to know you are “still there”. You probably don’t have the time to take these calls, which irritates the client, but all they are looking for is that assurance that you care about their case and what happens to them. The newsletter, then, can be used as a broad platform to explain that you really do care, while answering those burning questions that new clients may have.
If you still aren’t quite sure how to build relationships and trust through a newsletter, check out the December issue from the Ben Glass Law Firm. Notice how the firm starts with an educational piece about something that matters to their clients, namely how chiropractors are scamming PI victims and impacting their bottom line at settlement. Then notice how they publically answer letters and recognize local business people to keep that level of trust and involvement going. They touch on topics that affect and confuse average people, such as disability insurance and the fine print behind rebates and other consumer topics. The information is 100% client focused rather than being a soapbox for “the big, fancy rich lawyers that can’t relate to me anyway.”
And this gesture of building relationships goes along way. Word of mouth is clearly one of the cheapest forms of marketing, but the returns are astronomical. Learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you and you’ll be in business forever. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how a satisfied client that felt engaged and kept in the loop through the legal process will refer friends and family for life. Similarly, a happy client will go out of their way to speak to someone that was hurt, or involved in a custody dispute or looking to draft a will to give out your number and pre-sell that person on your services.
Realistically though, isn’t it the ultimate goal of any firm to generate clients based on referrals, which do not cost a dime in advertising or marketing? If you’ve answered ‘yes’, then take the time to utilize this powerful marketing tool right at your fingertips and begin to connect with clients in their own space. Show them that you really do care what happens to their children, their 401k and the town in which they live by starting a newsletter and building relationships for true ROI (Return on Investment).
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.