Integrity Marketing

Get a Sample VAIL (Virtual Asset Instruction Letter)

We'd like you to join our Facebook family by LIKING our page. As a thank you, IMS is giving away a popular client tool for your estate planning practice -- a sample Virtual Asset Instruction Letter (aka VAIL) -- as a free download when you LIKE our page.

Use this document with your clients to help them identify their digital assets, write out specific instructions for each, and designate an agent to manage that asset upon incapacity or at death. The VAIL lists all online accounts and assets, with web addresses, user names, and passwords to give a designated representative the ability to identify and access these accounts.

Here's how to get your copy: 

• Log in to Facebook and
  LIKE our page
• At the top right of the screen, click the RED box that says "Click Here"
• Click the BLUE button that says "Download File"
• Save the VAIL and offer it to your clients!

Thank you, and we hope to see you on Facebook!

Waking up to Mobile Marketing for Your Law Firm

By James Campbell, VP
Practice Development

Have you recognized the impact smartphones are having on business today? Did you know that 50% of all local search is now done on a mobile device?

An excellent article from Marketing Week discusses how "Brands have been urged to “wake up” and ensure their websites are mobile-ready or face losing billions in sales as new research finds consumer demand for mobile optimized sites is set to rocket next year."

Read The Full Article Here

Just because your business is estate planning and not selling books like Amazon or in telecommunications like Verizon doesn't mean your clients give you a free pass on not having a mobile site and catering to their mobile experience. Consumers expect that a qualified service provider will provide easy functionality and an optimized mobile experience.

    To quote the article from Marketing Week “More than two-thirds of customers (69 per cent) in an IAB and Crowd DNA study say mobile optimized sites are a necessity for brands next year, just behind the top-rated “appealing” technology: the mobile wallet (74 per cent).Every brand needs to get their head around the mobile web but they can’t just use that to stop there. ... There’s a real urgency for brands to wake up and realize the change towards mobile and ensure the experience is richer and slicker than it is currently.”

If you are ready to make your website mobile and capitalize on the mobile movement, you are in luck. Integrity Marketing Solutions specializes in creating mobile websites specifically for estate planning / elder law attorneys. Learn in this video:

Client Reminder: New Year's Estate Plan Review

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Have you sent your New Year's wishes? Be sure to take advantage of page four of your newsletter to send your New Year's wishes and remind your clients to schedule an appointment for an Estate Plan Review.

The deadline for making edits to your January issue is December 5 and the default articles we have scheduled for you are: Estate Planning for Singles and Premarital Planning.

To see the additional articles available for custom issue creation, download a preview of the article library.

Need assistance? Give me a call at 877-352-2021 and dial 82 when you hear our greeting.

Is Your Law Firm's Social Media Contagious?

By Dana Alley, Personal Account Manager
SEO Specialist

I found a great article that focuses on the “science/mental” side of social media. It’s called 9 Scientific Ways to Make Every Post More Contagious. It explains 9 simple ways to make your blogs and social media posts more contagious – which loosely translates to “make your readers feel like they can’t get enough!” There are a few points which I think could directly affect how you market your blogs, law firm status updates, and social posts, and I’ve highlighted them below.

1. Ask for a Share.
   
   If you’re a nice person, and you request someone to do something for you – they usually do it right? The same works for social media and blogging too. If you ask someone to share your post with a friend or family member because it’s important, they probably will.
2. Provoke Discussion.
   Post information about a legal topic, and ask for feedback. People love to discuss and be opinionated. What else is social media for? The more comments and likes on a post, the most friends and prospective clients are exposed to the topic – which points to you and your law firm!
3. Teach.
   People like to learn. Teach your followers why estate planning will make their life easier, better, happier, richer, etc.

Some of these strategies might sound silly. Just remember this: clients and prospective clients have accounts on social media platforms to be SOCIAL. They are ready to interact, respond, comment, like, share, you name it. So don’t be shy. Harness this social power and marketing your blogs and website!

Eight Websites to Help You Be More Social

Need some inspiration for your blog? These websites will help!

By Dana Alley, Pesonal Account Manager
SEO Specialist

A couple weeks ago, I shared with you an example of what a simple Social Media Schedule might look like. It’s important that you share good material, beyond the normal business updates. The information you share should be valuable, and useful, just like the services your law firm offers. While your readers and followers will find law firm updates and announcements useful, they will find other offerings just as valuable.  

Sharing inspirational and interesting articles with your social media followers can pair your business with feelings of relaxation, interest, professionalism, and even humor (the good kind!).

               To make this an easy process for you, I have compiled a list of websites that are usually sporting interesting and legitimate articles you may wish to share.

1. The Ultimate Life Guide
   The title says it all…
2. Google News
   While broad at first, you can narrow down your topics by using the topic list on the left side of the screen.
3. National Geographic News
   The first article I saw on here was “What lives in your belly button”? You know this has got to be good…
4. USA Today
   If you are able to sift through the not-so-desirable content, USA Today does have some great articles to share.
5. Discovery News
   Useful news nuggets on what’s going on in the world of science, culture, and meaning.
6. Scientific America
   Most people have some interest in science, pick through these articles to find a good one.
7. PsychCentral
   The latest buzz on all things psychological & mental health related.
8. The Future Buzz
   This has top a 10 list of some nice articles.

Well I hope this gets you off to a good start! Remember, part of Social Media has a business side, and you need to keep your readers up to date with important law firm news and information. The other half of social media is about being, well, SOCIAL! Let people know you exist on a social level, and your website traffic will soar!

Law Firm Branding Consistency: No Marketing Initiative Left Behind

By Alyssa Mahlberg,
Graphic Designer

If you've been following my blogs on branding, one thing I harp about is consistency. That is because being consistent may be the most important part of keeping a brand identity effective. After all, what is the point of developing a great brand image and identity if your marketing doesn't implement it in its every facet and initiative?

Lizette Sundvick, an Essential Attorney™ who consulted IMS to rebrand Sundvick Legacy Center last month (http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/2012/10/simple-changes-can-have-a-large-impact-on-your-law-firm-marketing.html), participates in the Laureate Center for Wealth Advisors Wealth Strategies Program. This program offers brochures and other materials that participating attorneys can hand out to their clients. However, these materials are designed with the Laureate Center's branding. While the content is excellent, the presentation does not support Lizette's branding.

Lizette recognized this problem and sought to present these services in a way that would support her brand, and making a stronger statement for Sundvick Legacy Center. IMS did a complete redesign of the brochure that relays the same information, but is brand-consistent and integrated with all of Lizette's firm marketing -- from her website to her print newsletters. There can be no question of the attorney or firm that offers the services advertised in the brochure. Along with the rebranding of the brochure, Lizette worked with IMS to better market the service through video and on her website. 

Think about the marketing materials, information or resources that you hand out to your clients and prospective clients. Have you taken visual ownership of these materials? Are they consistent with your website and branding?

The strongest brands are consistent brands, and that means that all of your public messages support and visually integrate your brand. Take ownership of your own materials. Every business card, workshop flyer and firm brochure should fit in with your brand identity. 

Shortcut to Building Your Estate Planning Contact List

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Are you wondering how you're going to get all those new contacts entered into your database? Perhaps you had several estate planning workshops or community events over the summer/fall and have a stack of response cards you've been moving from desk to desk and you just can't get them entered!

Stop delaying and use this nifty Data Entry process in Excel. It's much faster than entering record by record and tabbing through field upon blank field in Timematters or similar database managers. Once you are done you can Save As to create a comma delimited file (.csv) to import into your firm's database manager. Just follow your software's import wizard or instructions.

Then, of course, plan on following up with those prospects to turn them into new clients.

Now, for the good stuff! Download this file for a quick and simple tutorial on how to use Excel for Data Entry.

One more thing, for those of you who are still using a Rolodex (and you know who you are!), give this a try. You won't believe how much easier it to manipulate your mailing list when you have it in digital (spreadsheet) format with client type codes. Then, when it's time to purchase your database management software you'll be able to import your list and put it to work.

Avoiding Law Firm Social Media Disaster

By Dana Alley, Personal Account Manager
SEO Specialist

The last thing you want is a law firm social media disaster! It can happen to anyone, and like most disasters, it happens so quickly you have little time to react.

Last month around this time, KitchenAid Appliance Company found themselves smack dab in the middle of the “Social Media No-No” limelight. During the middle of the presidential debate, the head of the KitchenAid social media department, accidentally posted a rather crude and tasteless tweet (about a candidate) to the corporate twitter account. It was supposed to go to the employee’s personal account!

Even though the author removed it within minutes, they were not fast enough to avoid re-tweets, screen captures, and responses.

I talk about and encourage delegation a lot, so more than likely, another employee at your law firm might be managing your Facebook and Twitter accounts. That person, more than likely, also maintains their own account. It’s easy to lose track of what account you are linked up with at any given moment.

Here is a classic situation:

Jane logs into the company Facebook account to share a flyer about a local event they will be attending. Afterwards, Jane notices an article on an ‘iffy’ topic and starts to read (and by ‘iffy’, I mean anything you many not want to share on your law firm’s page, like a political topic). She finished reading the article, and hits LIKE for Facebook (sometimes it’s just automatic). BAM! ACME Law Firm now likes that article about that political topic, and it’s going to show up in the VERY PUBLIC newsfeed on Facebook.

Jane may or may not notice this. Even if she does notice, and goes to delete it; if another person likes or reposts that comment, you start to lose control. Most of social media is integrated like this – any sharing or FB activity you take part in on another website is posted back to whatever FB account you are logged into at the moment.

It takes a tiny bit of effort, but this is EASILY avoidable and worth the effort when you consider the costs. Train and require your staff to immediately LOG OUT of the firm law firm social media account AS SOON as they are done with their post.

Don’t let your social media get out of control! Delegation is an excellent tool and you definitely need others in on your marketing, but don’t be afraid to set up rules and guidelines. Don’t let social media disaster strike by accident!

Sometimes We Can Salvage Your Law Firm Video

By Michael Campbell,
Videographer

Last week I highlighted Lizette Sundvick's experience coming in to Kansas City for her law firm video shoot, and shared her great testimonial  about the process. Although I suggest that all of our clients do this, I understand that it is quite a committment to ask an attorney to fly in and spend a day or two with us. The truth is that there are a lot of different ways we leverage the power of video with a minimal committment on your behalf, and our client Kellen Bryant is a great example.

Kellen had a pretty good video shot, but it had a picture of his old website. Although the video looked great, we had three challenges to overcome: 

1. It needed to be updated to represent the latest version of his website, so his video made sense and there wasn't a disconnect representing an old design that didn't exisist anymore. 

2. His video was not search engine optimized for the Jacksonville Florida market. 

3. His video was not hosted in a strategic way to be found by visitors to his website. 

All Kellen had to do was have us re-work the video to address these three challenges. Now he has a great video that shows his latest website design, representing him, his process and his brand. He's on Google's page one for the key search term, "Jacksonville FL Estate Planning Attorney" and his video is getting views on a regular basis because it is hosted on the homepage of his website. 

If you have already invested in a locally-produced video that may not be working very well for you, all hope is not lost! Please call James, and let's get you geared up with an effective, strategic overall approach, using what you've already got. 

Law Firm Branding Case Study: Identity Inspiration

By Alyssa Mahlberg,
Graphic Designer

This week, one of my design projects was to create a brand identity & stationery system for a local client, Geoff Hetley.

Oftentimes, it can be a while before a law firm decides to nail down their logo and branding. In that time, some temporary branding or necessary design elements, such as window signs, are set. Sometimes, your branding needs to go in a different direction, and these elements will need to be replaced. However, sometimes you can draw inspiration from them and create new branding based on these set elements. 

Geoff already had a window sign when he consulted IMS to design him a new website and branding, but we were able to use the color and some style from this sign, so that the sign still has a place in his new brand identity.

Check out Geoff's new logo and identity design in his complete stationery set, including a letterhead, fax cover page, 2-sided business card and #10 envelope.