Integrity Marketing

Order Your Estate Planning Workshop Handouts

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Now's the time to start preparing for your upcoming February newsletter and consider ordering additional copies of this issue for your February and March Estate Planning Fundamentals workshops. This issue is also perfect to keep on file for prospective clients who may need that extra nudge to go ahead and schedule that initial estate planning consultation.

The deadline for making edits to your February issue estate planning newsletter is January 7 (due to the fifth being on Saturday) and the default articles we have scheduled for you are: Tomorrowitis and Finding Fiduciaries.

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.

This is Merry Christmas

By Jennifer Campbell Goddard, CEO
INTEGRITY MARKETING SOLUTIONS

Today is a day of mourning for our entire country, as we remember the innocents stolen from us last week -- the children, their teachers, and the innocence of a generation. Today also is our last work day before Christmas. We want to share our good wishes for you and yours, and yet our hearts are heavy.

How can I possibly wish you a Merry Christmas today? What could possibly be merry right now?

Parents fear for the safety of their children.
Taxpayers fear for the safety of their earnings.
Some people fear for the preservation of their "rights," while others fear those "rights" are bought at too high a price.

So, my Merry Christmas wish for you this year is a simple one.

Do not be afraid. In this crazy, scary, frightening world -- there is still good news of great joy.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

Whatever faith you abide, whether you have no faith at all -- my wish for you is the same: Do not be afraid. I wish you great joy. And however you celebrate them, Happy Holidays to all. Peace on earth, good will toward all.

Choosing a Domain Name for your Estate Planning & Elder Law Firm

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Choosing the right domain name for your estate planning, elder law or business law firm is a very important step in getting your law firm on the World Wide Web. There are several factors to consider before registering your domain name, such as …

Is it available?
How do you know if the domain name you like is available? You do a simple WhoIs search to check. And don't worry; your IMS Team is here to assist you with that.

Does it make sense?
Does the domain name reflect well on your estate planning or elder law firm's branding and / or legal practice areas? No inside jokes allowed! A domain that has a great college story behind it may not be the best choice for your current professional legal services.

How does it sound when spoken?
Say it out loud! How does it sound? How does it sound when you hear your staff saying it? You are going to be repeating this domain over and over again to promote your estate planning web site. It should sound good and be easy to pronounce. If someone says "Huh?" or "What?" over and over in response to your spoken web site address, then perhaps you should reconsider.

Is it easy to remember and type?
Remember to KISS it. Don't over complicate your domain to the point that it's hard for your end-user to remember it and even harder to type it. You don't want to cause frustration or lose a viewer because your domain is too long or difficult to type.

An extension of the above and with many factors to consider, it has to look good in print. If your domain is extensively long, it may not look that good when printed. You'll notice there is a tendency for your domain to break (to the next line) in copy where it appears.

You'll also want to consider ad spaces. If your domain is going to appear in an ad space and it has to be reduced to 5 pt to get it to fit, it's probably not going to be seen as much as the ad below where the domain is in 10 pt. Also keep in mind whether or not it look right if it's printed in all lower case? Sometimes we rely on a domain being easily read with strategically placed capitol letters, it should also be easy to when it's in all lower case. Tripple mmm's and lll's come to mind.

Could your domain possibly be misinterpreted? You'll really need to give it a good look and make sure you avoid the hazards found in some of these unintentionally inappropriate domains. [Really, check it out for a laugh and know your IMS Team is here to help you avoid such mishaps. If they had only checked to see if their domain looked good in all lower case letters, they may have avoided this altogether!]

Last Minute Greeting from Your Law Firm

By Alyssa Mahlberg,
Graphic Designer

A few weeks ago, Jennifer posted on Facebook about how important it can be to clients and customers to receive holiday greetings.

However, today is December 18, and Christmas is just 7 days (that's 4 business days) away! It may be too late to order Holiday cards, or make them yourself and address them and send them out before Christmas.

A good alternative to sending physical holiday cards in the mail is a special email with a holiday greeting. At IMS, we can design these for you and send them out to you email list. This can be a great way, not only to reach prospective clients and show appreciation for past clients, but also to drive traffic to your website and social media pages. Take a look at the Holiday greetings we designed and sent out for clients David Lefton and Patrick Kelleher below.

David Lefton's Holiday greeting

Pat Kelleher's Thanksgiving eCard.

Be sure to call James (1-877-352-2021) if you want to have IMS set up a special Holiday eCard mailing for your law firm.

Social Media Tips: Do Estate Planning Questions Work on Social Media?

By Dana Alley, Personal Account Manager
SEO Specialist

Do you have problems getting your friends to respond to your Facebook/LinkedIn posts or questions about estate planning? Maybe you aren’t using the right words…

A co-worker shared this very useful article about what types of questions get responses on Facebook. “New Facebook Data Shows How Questions Impact Comments, Shares & Likes”

They use an “infographic” to depict results from a study, that shows how different types of ‘words’ affect the amount of responses.

“Should” was the big winner, followed closely by “Would” and “Which”. Here are some very general examples of how you can incorporate this into your status updates. You should of course write your own in accordance to your knowledge.

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“Should you hire an Estate Planning attorney? Or is drafting your own Will enough? “

“Would you rather use a Living Will, or Trust? Click here to find out. “

“Which is REALLY better? Planning now or planning later? Click here to learn the real answer.”

You can share links to blogs, your eNewsletter, or parts of your website. The important detail is that you are SHARING elements of your website on social media platforms, and getting comments, likes, or shares.

Try this method for a couple of weeks and let me know if it works for you!

Get Social with Your Law Firm Blog

By James Campbell,
VP Sales & Practice Development

Social media is a self descriptive term. Literally it is a medium through which users can be social. Our Essential Attorneys are at a distinct advantage with our daily blog content. The information they provide is both educational and timely -- addressing issues relevant to current news. This combination leads to engagement with readers on Facebook, LInkedIn and Twitter. Using your blog as an avenue to be social is an excellent place to start.

The next level in being social yet staying professional is to post updates of your firm, community and even family (on occasion). These three elements are fool-proof and give your social connections a deeper look into the culture of your business. Recently Michael (my brother, best friend and awesome videographer for IMS) revamped our video studio with new paint, new sound proofing and new blue-screen ... for the blonds and more seasoned attorneys :-). We documented our progress and posted images to Facebook. These photos had substantially more views, likes, comments and shares than most of our blog posts. Folks got an inside look at our company and culture and wanted to know more.  Here are some photos that show the progress.

Look around you. There are tons of opportunities. Think of it as networking if that makes it easier. Checkout the local Chamber of Commerce Facebook page (I guarantee they have one) and "like" it. Start sharing their posts and being social with that group. The opportunities are boundless, you just have to make time to do it.

Be sure to LIKE our Integrity Marketing Solutions page, too! We are giving away an amazing tool to help you help your clients plan for their "virtual" assets - a Virtual Asset Instruction Letter (VAIL).

A 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 FREE VAIL:

• 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 for yourself and your clients!

Turnkey Mail Service for Your Estate Planning Newsletters

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Printing and mailing are two of the most mundane, complex, expensive and time-draining of all marketing activities! Have you ever ordered a print job for marketing, only to discover that actually mailing the pieces was much more difficult that you had expected? Or worse yet, had them sit around your office un-delivered -- a total waste of precious marketing budget?

No more and never again! Integrity Marketing Solutions is able to provide complete turnkey mailing service for your firm! If you have not been utilizing this important feature of your SELECT Print Newsletter system, there's no better time to implement this option than now.

What's included in turnkey mail service? Let's review:

1.    Folding
2.    Tab-sealing
3.    Addressing, including address correction and CASS Certification
4.    Standard postage
5.    Sorting and packaging (per postal standards)
6.    Delivery to the Post Office
7.    All this for the cost of a first-class postage stamp!

So, what's not to like about that?

Don't forget, this also means that your letters are actually getting sent out in a timely and consistent manner each and every month (or quarter) and all you have to do is maintain your mailing list and upload it once per month (or quarter).

If you are ready to start using this service, give me a call and I can train a dedicated member of your team on how to manage and maintain your SELECT Print Newsletter account to include your turnkey mailing service.

Just dial 1-877-352-2021 then 82 when you hear the greeting.

Be Aware of Your Law Firm Brand

By Alyssa Mahberg,
Graphic Designer

If you've been following my blog posts, you should definitely know how important it is to consider and maintain your brand image and identity. This is something that everyone needs to do, whether they realize it or not. And I mean everyone, from the largest corporate brands in the country to a recent college graduate trying to market themselves to land a job (this was me not even a year ago!) 

If you don't stay completely on top of where all of your marketing materials are going, or the nature of every marketing or social media message, the consequence can be pretty embarrassing. This is evident in an article posted by Design Taxi earlier this week "Classic Examples of Branding Fails". I've posted some of my favorites below, but you can see the full list here (http://designtaxi.com/news/354490/Classic-Examples-Of-Branding-Fails/)

Starbucks gives off some unintentional negative messaging in an oversight in the placement of their logo on a company van.

Toyota places an ad on a news website, apparently unaware of the accompanying story's subject matter.

And my personal favorite branding mistake, Yahoo!'s ad placement in a ballpark lands right next to the 404 ft yard marker (404 being the number of the most common web server error-- not a good connotation for an internet/search corporation) 

While any kind of message gone astray for an estate planning law firm, would probably not be as large of a scale as any of these mistakes, it is still important to stay on top of your brand messaging and marketing. This is a bigger task than it may seem because, as you probably know, marketing is a multifaceted component of a business. This is where IMS can help. As a team of marketing professionals and digital experts, we can make sure that all of your messages are going out as you intend. Through social media training, we can even help you put out the right messages on behalf of your firm and of your brand on social networks and all over the web. 

As it becomes easier and more instantaneous to release marketing messages (a simple status update or blog post is all it takes), it becomes more important to be aware of your brand and the messages you are putting out. The Essential Solution is a program you can trust with your brand, because it is designed to make sure all of your marketing is controlled, consistent and effective. 

Your Law Firm Video Experience -- We Make it Fun!

By Michael Campbell,
Videographer

I know many of you may wonder why you should fly into Kansas City for your website video instead of just working with someone locally -- and if you're considering scheduling a video shoot, you probably want to know what to expect. Because we shoot video everyday, it's sometimes hard for us to remember that scheduling a video shoot can be somewhat intimidating. To help put your mind at ease, this week I just wanted to highlight one of our client's experiences coming into Kansas City for video.

Ken Vanway is from Austin, Texas. Ken's video shoot included a professional photo session, the "bullet video" package, and an audio voice-over for Educational Template Videos. I invite you to check Ken’s website out and see it for yourself. http://www.kenvanway.com/index.php  

His Educational Template Videos cover a variety of subjects. I recently checked up on how his videos are performing and I’m happy to report that they are all on Google’s Page one for key search terms like…  

• Austin TX Asset Protection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx5QV6YTrcA
• Austin TX Business Succession  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXw8ikxecPg
• Austin TX Long Term Care http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-RhYbnQ08
• Austin TX Charitable Planning  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO0H9I-3QEQ  

If you’re interested in learning more about how to utilize video to it’s full advantage then please give us a call and let’s discuss.   877-352-2021

Get Personal with Your Estate Planning eNewsletter

By Dana Alley, Personal Account Manager
SEO Specialist

Your estate planning e-newsletter is an excellent marketing and relationship-building tool. However, on a month-to-month basis, the same opening email message can start to get a little stale. Mix it up every month or two by including a brief short story or message. A personal message to current or prospective clients will increase reader satisfaction and brand awareness, and also associates your law firm with a pleasant thought.

Your message will go at the top of your eNewsletter email.The message can be seasonal or generic, but the important part is that it’s changed on a regular basis. This way, email recipients don’t just think you are sending out the same message each month.

If you are an Essential Attorney™, you can email your messages dirctly to me at dana @ estate planning partners.com (without the spaces). As long as you get them to me by the 20^th of each month, I’ll make sure they are included in next month’s edition.

Here are some real messages our Essential Attorneys™ have used in their eNewsletters:

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Building wealth is only half the job. Protecting wealth for your loved ones and yourself is equally important. Through estate planning and corporate, real estate and elder law, Ball & Stuart, PLLC will help you protect everything you love – family, friends and favorite charities. For more information be sure to visit our web site at www.ball-stuart.com where you will have access to our Blog, Newsletter Archives, a Free Newsletter Subscription and a Free Report on Trusts!

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Our Mission: To provide peace of mind to you and your loved ones. We strive to earn your trust and confidence by offering you personal counseling and unique planning strategies. Building a long-term relationship with you enables us to meet your needs, exceed your expectations and to create an estate plan that works. Through our commitments to one another, we realize our personal goals by helping you, achieve yours.

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A special greeting at Thanksgiving from our Family to yours.

We are deeply thankful for your confidence and loyalty in us and we extend to you and your Family our warmest wishes for a Happy and Healthy

Thanksgiving Day! Patrick and Barbara

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LIVE LIFE AND LEAVE YOUR LEGACY BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
How you live your life impacts everyone around you. How you leave your legacy has even further consequences. When we take the time to think through our values and goals and live (and die) by them, we have a greater opportunity of having a positive influence that can impact many generations. And when we are not intentional about our lives and legacies, unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

At Sundvick Legacy Center, we help you develop and build your life, your business, and your legacy according to your vision.

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