Why a Legal Directory Might Not be the Best Choice for Your Firm

Posted by Samuel Ballen on Jan 6, 2012 in Marketing | 0 comments

Is a Legal Directory the Best Place for Your Firm to Advertise?

For a variety of reasons, including costs, overwhelming choice, and a variety of alternatives, Legal Directories may no longer be the most cost effective way to advertise your firm online.

Costs

Legal Directories can be extremely expensive, especially if you desire a listing that stands out. Furthermore, it may not be possible to get listed appropriately if your practice area is in a small niche. If you are a general practice firm, your listing will face too much competition. Most listings are in addition to having a website. Designing and maintaining a website can be a large cost in and of itself. Optimizing the site to do well in search engine results (SEO) is also expensive but necessary. You must decide whether a listing with a directory adds anything to your marketing strategy.

Benefits

Legal Directories have some good features that should be pointed out. Often, they fit well into a small firm’s advertising budget. They allow for filtering by location and specialization. They allow you to put your name right next to the names of your competitors with very little effort. They are easier to set up and maintain then websites and no SEO is necessary.

Legal Directories Present Potential Clients with Too Much Choice

Most legal directories present consumers with a vast array of choices. A single page on Findlaw will display 20 law firms. HG can display more than 60 choices on one page and Justia.com displays a staggering 100 attorneys PER PAGE. Choice can be good, and it is important that potential clients are presented with choices, but 100 per page is simply too much. As Barry Schwartz explains in his TED talk “The Paradox of Choice,” when people are presented with too many choices, they often avoid choosing at all. A more obvious consequence of advertising in a list of hundreds of lawyers is that each lawyer on that list is less likely to stand out. It becomes hard to justify paying so much to be listed in a directory when you could end up on the bottom of the third page of listings in just one of the many directories available.

Alternatives

There are many alternatives to directories. Companies sell everything from turn-key websites to advertising space on websites full of legal information. Social media, blogs and newsletters may all be viable options for advertising your firm. Placing a greater emphasis on word of mouth referrals can also boost business.

Tell us what is working for you

We are curious to know what is working for your firm. Have you used directory listings? Are they working? How easily can you find your own directory listing? Do you keep track of where your clients come from to do a cost-benefit analysis later?

Featured image courtesy of Tulane Public Relations licensed under creative commons.

12 Most Important Marketing Questions to Ask in December

Posted by Sean McGinnis on Dec 27, 2011 in Marketing | 0 comments

It’s December. That means it’s time the time to give thanks for our successes of the last year and start thinking about changes we’d like to make in the coming year – both personal and professional.

It’s also time to reflect back on the year that has passed and assess what worked and what didn’t. Financial and business plans are an inevitable part of this process. But don’t forget to review your marketing efforts of the past year and begin planning for next year as well.

As you assess and plan your marketing efforts, below are some questions you might ask yourself to jump start the process:

1. Channel Assessment: What marketing channels drove the most business to the firm in 2011? Are you relying too heavily on that channel? If not, should you consider taking steps to expand it further? What marketing channel drove the least business to the firm in 2011? Can that channel be revitalized? Can that channel be eliminated?
2. Referral Network: Can you find any new sources of referrals in 2012? What service providers exist in areas that complement your specialty (if any)? Where did you refer business in 2011? Be sure to touch base, even if only to confirm they are still interested in the type of business you’ve referred in the past. The touch point may remind them you were a referral source and prompt them to reciprocate in 2012.
3. Print Materials: Are your print materials accurate? If not, revise or eliminate.
4. Media Coverage: Are you known to local or national reporters who are looking for experts in your given area? Can you find one or two targeted news providers to establish relationships with?
5. Speaking Engagements: How many speaking engagements did you deliver in 2011? Were they effective? Can you ramp that up or down to greater effect?
6. Website: Is your website content fresh and relevant? If not, be sure to update and refresh. Assess the number and quality of inbound links back to your firm’s website. What online marketing trends can you exploit to generate links back to your web site? (Inbound links remain a critically important factor in SEO and traffic generation).
7. Guest Blogging: How many guest blog posts did you write for online publications in 2011? Were they effective at generating interest in the firm? Did they create inbound links back to your site?
8. Online Advertising: What online advertising campaigns did you execute in 2011? Were they effective? Review and tweak accordingly.
9. Pay Per Click: Did you do any PPC in 2011? Was it effective? Can you drive your costs lower on a per click basis in 2012? Should you have your PPC program reviewed by an independent third party? Someone who is NOT currently managing your current program?
10. Newsletter: Do you have a newsletter that is delivered to your customers? If not, start one immediately. Find a reason to communicate to customers, but ensure you are adding value. A gentle reminder that you helped them in the past is a great potential source of future referrals. I would deliver at least quarterly and preferably monthly for certain practice areas.
11. Lead Sharing & Networking Group: Did you participate in a lead sharing group in 2011? Was it effective? If not, how can you energize the group or tweak to make it effective? Are there other groups with better reputations?
12. Conference Attendance: Did you enrich your marketing knowledge in 2011? How? What was effective? What wasn’t? Did you listen in on any webinars? Go to any conferences? Review and assess.

An established business with a robust marketing program should be analyzing many (if not all) of these areas. A new business may be looking at only a few.

A sound marketing plan always includes time for review and analysis to determine what is working and what isn’t – what should be increased, decreased, begun or stopped entirely.

Hopefully you have good data and analytics to inform the business on what worked and what didn’t. Be sure to ask good questions and follow your gut. If a part of your analysis sounds too good to be true or doesn’t pass the sniff test, double check your numbers.

What were your most effective marketing channels this past year? What worked for you? What didn’t?

This article originally appeared in the Small Firm Innovation blog by Clio.

Featured image courtesy of INTVGene licensed under creative commons.

A Good Web Site is Not Enough

Posted by Samuel Ballen on Dec 16, 2011 in Marketing, Social Media | 3 comments

The Disconnect Between How We Use the Internet and How We Advertise on it

Nearly every law firm needs a good website. This has been true for years and will remain true for the foreseeable future. Whether your firm is a large, international, legal powerhouse, or something you run in your spare time out of your house, a good website is essential. A modern and well maintained website projects an air of professionalism. Many of today’s clients will judge you by how your site looks and behaves. However, no matter how much work you put into a site, no matter who builds it, and no matter how much it cost you, it is useless if potential clients do not see it.

It is useful to think of a website like an office lobby. Once inside, it should be modern and convenient while projecting your law firm’s personality. The most important part of the lobby, however, is getting clients to walk in the door. A website works in the same way.

How Lawyers Advertise

Lawyers have traditionally just built a website and hoped for the best. Some lawyers also optimized their sites to increase search engine results. The internet is unfathomably large. Building a website and just leaving it there is not enough. Traffic needs to be driven to your site. You also need to interact with potential clients and others in the legal community outside the confines of your own website.

How Clients Use the Internet

Clients are rarely looking for your specific website. Think about your own use of the internet. You are generally looking for an answer, a product, or a service. You often want a quick and easy solution. Clients are the same way. They are not trying to look though pages of search results or legal directories. Clients will generally click on one of the first things they see that seems to answer their question. On the internet, Ricky Bobby’s mantra stands true. “If you’re not first, you’re last.” Being on the third page of Google search results is almost useless. When is the last time you skipped the first 25 links that seemed to answer your question?

There are many traditional tactics for getting potential clients to visit a website:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Building your site in such a way that it shows up well in search engine results. The hardest, and most productive, thing you can do for your website is to have it show up in the first page of Google search results. Competition can be extreme, but the results are often worth the effort.
• Legal Directories – By joining legal directories and paying high fees, you can have your name and a link to your website show up on a legal directory. In this case, your site may get increased traffic, but it is directly competing against many other sites.
• Paid Ad Placement – Search engines like Google allow you to pay to have your firm’s site show up in search results. This can be a great tactic, but can get expensive quickly. It also requires you to figure out what your clients will be searching for.
• Traditional Advertising – Anything from billboards to radio commercials can drive internet traffic your way. Unfortunately, this type of advertising is unlikely to reach a focused group of potential clients.

Maximizing referrals for your law firm

Posted by Sean McGinnis on Dec 13, 2011 in Marketing | 1 comment

New technologies have transformed many business disciplines in recent decades. Marketing, more than any other seems to be continually on the verge of reinventing itself thanks to this or that new technology. Forums and bulletin boards, web sites, social media, Twitter, Facebook, mobile, Foursquare check-ins, QR codes – you name it and marketing seems to be on the cutting edge of the digital technology revolution.

With all these changes, it’s exceedingly easy to fall prey to the shiny object syndrome. Like a hyperactive 14 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert, it’s easy to continually chase the next shiny object, our attention flitting from this new find to that. Unfortunately, these new technologies rarely match the marketing power of some of the tried and true disciplines. There is no doubt that they are all very powerful tools. However, ask most lawyers where the majority of their business comes from and they will likely answer either word of mouth or referral.

You might find it strange that a company focused on driving leads to lawyers online would be blogging about offline business generation tactics. We don’t. We believe in advocating things that work. And referrals work – plain and simple.

Here are some tips and tricks to ensure you are getting the best referral bang from your relationship buck.

1. ASK! The biggest area for improvement for most lawyers and law firms is to simply ask your clients for referrals! Ask them when they are on-boarding with your firm. Ask them again when you are concluding their matter for them. “Hey John. Thank you for your business. I’d like to remind you that referrals are the lifeblood of our practice. If you run across anyone that could benefit from our services, I’d be very grateful if you would send them our way.” It really is that simple.
2. Stay in touch. Lawyers are in a bit of a pickle because most people need your services once every decade or two, unless you’re a criminal lawyer who happens to represent a high strung wide receiver. So how do you stay in front of your former clients so they will refer their friends and colleagues your way? I recommend a quarterly email newsletter. It’s an effective and inexpensive way to stay top of mind with your client base.
3. Say thank you. Be sure to remember to thank your current referral network. Everyone remembers to say “thank you” at the time of the referral. What about at quarterly touch base phone call or e-mail?
4. Add value to your network. Don’t just take, take, take. Remember to reciprocate by referring your clients to back to your referral sources. Another good idea is to host a small group lunch once a month that includes multiple people inside your network of referral sources. Introduce them to each other! Become a conduit through which even more referral business flows. You’ll stay top of mind and be an even more valuable resource to your network.
5. Add new referral sources. It’s important to continually be adding new and viable referral sources to your network. I recommend contacting service providers who offer a complimentary service to your own. Financial planner, real estate agents and other consultants and counselors make great referral sources, depending on your practice area.
6. Update your Signature Line & Business Card. Business cards and signature lines are great opportunities to remind people what you do. Be as descriptive as your state bar will allow you to be. “Attorney at Law” doesn’t communicate your experience. You might also consider carrying multiple different business cards depending on your various practice areas.

With these six tips, you should be ready to accelerate your referral base as we head into 2012. What about you? What have you found effective at generating new referrals for your practice? Any tips you’d like to share?

Image courtesy of OliBac licensed via Creative Commons.

The Weakest Link in Law Firm Marketing

Posted by Sean McGinnis on Dec 6, 2011 in Marketing | 0 comments

Do you have a perfect marketing program? Is your brand strong enough to make up for your mistakes? Are you the weakest link in your marketing efforts? I’m willing to bet that you are the weakest link in your marketing plan.

Over the last 13 years, I’ve seen far too many lawyers assume that a well-crafted marketing program would be enough to win them cases. Not by a long shot. Even if your web site is beautifully executed, conveys your expertise, shows up prominently in the search engines, and drives prospective clients to contact your firm there’s a good chance you’re losing cases you should otherwise be winning.

Act on leads with urgency

When a consumer contacts your firm, that’s not the end of the process. In many ways, it’s just the beginning. When a phone call is made, or an e-mail is sent, or inquiry form filled out, it’s the very first step in a process.

In today’s “always on” society, another lawyer is just a phone call away.

Consumers are more demanding than ever before. They want answers and they want them NOW. They want to speak to an expert. They are scared. They have questions. And if you’re not available to answer those questions and put their mind at ease, then another lawyer surely is.

If you’re intent on growing your law firm, there is no better advice I can provide than to get a dedicated, always on phone line and tie it into your marketing. Keep that phone with you at all times, and answer it no matter what. Ensure that phone is answered 24/7/365 – preferably by you.

I realize this may sound extreme. What if you’re in the middle of a meeting? What if you’re at a romantic dinner with your spouse? What if you’re on vacation? At worship service? Funeral? Wedding?

Answer the phone.

Period.

This can be frustrating. It can be infuriating to family members. Help them understand. Of course, there’s always your staff – that’s why you hired them, right? They can handle this, don’t you think?

Absolutely not!

You’re a lawyer. Your time and advice is your stock in trade (apologies to Abraham Lincoln). These people are calling to talk to YOU! It is your reputation they are reacting to. If you pawn them off on a team member, it’s setting the tone and may very well result in another phone call to another lawyer in search of answers.

I also get that you may wind up talking with a LOT of people who simply have no case. That’s the price of an effective marketing program. Every such program by its very nature is designed to capture as many leads as possible. You’re bound to bring up some junk inquiries as you haul your nets aboard your fishing boat. Deal with it.

The alternative is business as usual.

Are you willing to go the extra mile and be as “always on” as your prospective clients expect you to be?

Images courtesy of Tiffa130 & raindog808 licensed via Creative Commons.

Avoid Legalese: Write for Clients, Not Law Partners

Posted by Samuel Ballen on Nov 30, 2011 in Marketing, Social Media, Writing Style | 0 comments

Law school forces you to change the way you write, the way you speak, and even the way you think. Lawyers are expected to be able to speak precisely and understand complicated legal nuances. Clients, on the other hand, are known to tell wandering stories instead of relating a coherent set of facts. The slightest difficulty in understanding legal terminology or concepts can cause them to shy away. It is for this reason that you must always beware of the tone and complexity of anything you direct towards clients.

Often, a client’s first interaction with you might come from reading your website or a blog post. A client is looking for someone who understands them and their problems. It is important that you come across as human, and not a scholar sitting in an ivory tower. At the same time, care must be taken to avoid insulting your readers’ intelligence. These principals are true for all forms of writing directed at clients, whether it is a letter or a Facebook post.

In Torts class during my first year of law school, I came across the most needlessly complicated sentence I had ever seen. It came from an old British case about animals falling off of a boat, Gorris v. Scott. This may be the most convoluted thing a judge has ever written:

This sentence does not sound like it was written by or for a person who has ever been outside. This passage, re-written for human consumption, could simply read: “In order to use a statute against a defendant in a negligence per se case, that statute must be intended to protect the type of victim actually hurt from the type of harm actually incurred.” When writing for public consumption, I recommend reading this absurd passage from time to time to remember what to avoid. If your client is ever forced to parse the meaning of “it is otherwise; that if, therefore, by reason of,” they will quickly find another lawyer.