Integrity Marketing

Get Your Law Firm Ready for Summer!

It's time to start thinking about summer and preparing your print newsletter. Use page four to connect with your clients and referral sources. Need some ideas? There's plenty to choose from!

1. Flag Day is June 14, how about a report or story about a community service project you have been or will be involved in?
2. Father's Day is June 16, you could share a favorite memory of your own time with your father or perhaps a note about the day YOU became a father or grandfather.
3. Summer begins June 21, the day with the longest period of daylight! How about an update of your summer vacation plans or sharing a memory of a past camping trip? You know – the one when you went camping, it rained all weekend and the only meal you could prepare in your leaking tent was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
4. Take Your Dog to Work Day is June 21. Do you have an office mascot? Introduce your furry friend, be it dog, cat, bird or (?), and plan on uploading a photo. Your clients are sure to enjoy the introduction! Or how about a guest article from a local shelter or veterinarian about the importance of planning for your pets? Would be a great time to plan a workshop.
5. My birthday is June 28. You can send me cash in lieu of gifts! Or an update on recent office celebrations would be a great way to connect.

Utilizing page four of your law firm's print newsletter to include a personal and fun message can improve your newsletter retention and word of mouth referrals from professional advisors and existing clients. And if the above topics don't make it to your print newsletter, they are certainly topics you can use to keep it real in your social media and email newsletter distribution.

June Print Newsletter Deadline

The deadline for making edits to your June issue estate planning newsletter is May 6, and the default articles we have scheduled for you are: A Legacy of Efficiency and Searching Without A Map.

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

If you would like assistance customizing your SELECT Print Newsletter, please feel free to contact me (April) at 877-352-2021 x82 for a quick walk through. Be sure to have your message prepared and saved to your computer or network for easy access. Around 150 to 220 words.

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12. Recognize the mothers in your family and friends list by sharing a special memory, photo or inspirational quote through your Social Media platform.

This month's quote is: “Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” — Barbara De Angelis.

To use this month's inspirational quote, download one of the following graphics, share it to Facebook (be sure to include a simple comment or call to action) and include a link to your law firm's website.

You may choose from three different color palettes: (follow the link, view the image, right-click and save; then share to your Facebook profile!)

1. Navy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_1DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_2DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_5DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg

If you have a quote you would like to submit for consideration, feel free to pass it along to [email protected].

How to Use Hashtags to Expand Your Law Firm Marketing Efforts - #AttorneyMarketing

Just when you were finally getting used to internet slang such as “LOL” (laugh out loud) and “LMAO” (laughing my …well, you get the picture), a new symbol started showing up across Social Media at the end of posts. Say hello to the “#hashtag” – it’s here to stay and making its way across several Social sites.

What is a hashtag anyways?

A hashtag is the “#” symbol placed before a particular keyword or keywords that are used to categorize Social Media posts by topic.  Hashtags were made popular by Twitter where users can search by hashtag keywords to find other posts that relate to those particular topics.  This allows users to search by hashtags for specific content, posts, and other users with similar interests.  Google+, Instagram, and LinkedIn also have made use of the # symbol, and word is out that hashtags will be coming to Facebook soon.

What can hashtags do for your practice?

Well, for starters, it’s a great way to place SEO rich keywords into your posts to make them more searchable for your target audience.  If you have a post about estate planning, you can add “#estateplanning” to your post and others searching for that topic will be able to find yours easier and faster.  This increases the reach that you get from your Social Media efforts.  Can you imagine what this will do if integrated with Facebook?! Hashtags are another great way to increase online visibility and grow your follower base.  Let’s hope Facebook gets on board soon!

What’s the best way to use a hashtag?

If you want to start using the # sign on Twitter, or even on Google+, here are a few tips to get started:

• Search existing hashtag keywords to find others you want to be associated with. Are there organizations you belong to that are talking about the same topics? Find out what they are posting and coordinate your hashtags. If there is an upcoming event you are attending, see if the organizers have a specific hashtag they are using to promote the event and use it in your posts.
• Keep your keywords short and sweet. If you have something like #estateplanningelderlawattorney, more than likely you aren’t going to have users searching for that long of a keyword.  Try #estateplanning #elderlaw #attorney instead.
• Use SEO rich keywords and sift through the competition. Use your hashtags to put SEO rich keywords into your posts that are relevant to what you do (i.e. #attorney, #law, #estateplanning, and so on). Some of these words may be used a lot, so the competition could be fierce.  Do your research and choose words that will draw followers directly to you. For example, if you live in Kansas City, you may want to use #kansascityattorney. Or maybe your post is about a particular topic such as trusts, so you could use #trusts, #grantor, and/or #trustee to narrow the search terms.
• Use your hashtags on ALL Social Media platforms. Hashtags are likely here to stay.  So why not get ahead of the game and use them on ALL Social platforms? I have already seen Facebook users post hashtags in their status updates, and even though you cannot search on those hashtags just yet, it certainly is eye-catching and followers are taking notice.

Online communication is always evolving, and hashtags are yet another tool you can use to leverage your law firm marketing efforts. #goodluck!

Social Media for Your Law Firm: Debunk These 3 Myths!

Believe it or not, I get A LOT of push back from attorneys when it comes to Social Media marketing.  A large part of my job as account manager is to take time with new and existing clients and actually train and coach the best Social Media strategies to pair with their website. Many excuses are presented to me during this process, and most of them seem to resonate from fears or failures: fears of wasting time, not being read or ‘”noticed”, annoying people, or even just not believing or not understanding how it works.

I’d like to outline and refute the most common myths about law firm Social Media.

1. Social Media takes too much time.

If Social Media takes too much time, you’re doing it wrong. Most of the time spent working with Social Media is while you are learning how to use it. It’s my fault, actually. I take up nearly an hour on the phone teaching you how to blog … and then you think it’s going to take you 1 hour for each blog post. That’s understandable, but not true in the least. Perfect practice makes perfect. Learning Social Media (as with everything) will take more time in the beginning. BUT, the process will get faster, and faster, and FASTER as you do more and more.

Blogging should only take you 30-40 minutes a WEEK to schedule out five optimized blog posts. If you hire or delegate it out to your assistant, this takes you zero minutes a week. Heck, I’ll even train your assistant!!

Posting status updates (asking questions, promoting legal articles or pages on your website, etc) to your Facebook and LinkedIn page should take five minutes per day, or less.

2. No one reads my status updates.

This is not true. Even if your readers do not spend time everyday reading your blog posts or browsing your website, one thing is happening – awareness! Branding is easy to do on Social Media. If a social acquaintance, friends, family, etc., see your logo/blog showing up in their news feed once or twice a day, they will notice you, and they will remember you.

When that same client talks to a friend or family member who needs non-immediate or immediate planning, chances are they think (and speak!) of your brand.

Besides, if you think no one is reading your status updates, maybe it’s time for you to write more interesting updates.

3. Social Media doesn’t work.

One of the most popular myths, to boot! Social Media DOES work, and we don’t make you do it just for fun (although it can be thrilling!). Social Media provides powerful inbound linking to your website. When you post/link to your blog, your website, workshops page, eNewsletter, sign-up page, contact page, etc, you are providing inbound links to your website. Google wants to see that websites are alive and active among the favored Social Media platforms. If you can get readers to like/share/comment on these status updates, those inbound links become even more powerful.

If you would like to work with Dana on how you can better improve your Social Media strategy, feel free to call or email her today!

877–352–2021 Ext. 88

[email protected]

Getting Strategic with Estate Planning Workshops

Workshops can be great marketing tools to help build your estate planning or elder law practice. But, if you're still trying to conduct mass-marketing workshops on vague topics like Revocable Living Trusts, Medicaid Planning, or Protecting Your Estate -- you face an uphill battle to get qualified attendees.

Think for a moment about how marketing has evolved, especially over the past four to five years. Relevance is the buzz word today -- delivering relevant content to people who are interested, at the right moment in time, and even in the right locale. Today, you need a more sophisticated marketing strategy. You can't just pick a broad topic and announce it in the local newspaper ... well, you can, but please don't expect to generate revenue from those efforts!

Take one broad-topic workshop, such as our Top Ten Fatal Estate Planning Mistakes. Now let's make it strategic.

Think of ways to tweak this broad topic so it resonates with members of your target audience.

1. Top Three Estate Planning Mistakes Parents Make When Their Kids Graduate High School.
2. Five Critical Estate Planning Mistakes that Almost Every Single Woman Makes.
3. One Estate Planning Mistake That Could Kill Your Business.

Now you've got some attention-grabbing topics. Your next step is to think about how to attract people to these workshops. You want to think about both how and where to reach them.

Parents with children about to graduate and go off to college: Think about some of these opportunities: college fairs, parents' association meetings, church groups ... even Parents' Weekend at a local university or community college. Not only do these parents need to know about health care proxies and durable powers of attorney, but you'll likely uncover estate plans that are, oh, about 18 years old, and need updating!

Single Women: You might consider teaming up with a family lawyer to offer this workshop. Banks and financial institutions/ advisors are other good potential allies. Think about the college campus and any women's advocacy groups, as well as women's groups such as Business & Professional Women (BPW), American Association of University Women (AAUW), etc.

Business Owners: You'll find business owners almost everywhere in your community,from the local Chamber of Commerce to the bank (yes they all have business bank accounts!) to the directory listing on your office building. Just remember that business owners are very busy people with hectic schedules. Frequently you can catch them right after work if you ply them with alcohol (think the Business After Hours type of reception), during lunch hours, or at the Golf Club.

Here's another hint, just in case you didn't notice: You can take one of our estate planning workshops like Top Ten Fatal Estate Planning Mistakes, and tweak it to reach almost any target audience.

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Being Human with Your Social Media: What Impression Are You Leaving Online?

As I am sitting here typing this blog, I know that I am hiding behind my computer when it comes to these posts.  You can’t see me, you don’t know how my office is decorated, and you have no clue about the activity in my surroundings. So all you really have to go on is how I portray myself through my typed words. That means that if I want you to connect with me, I have to be human in my writing.

I think leaving a human impression is something that can easily be missed when using Social Media to connect with your friends, clients, and colleagues.  It’s just words, right? Well, yes.  And no.  It’s actually your chance to connect with your audience.  And you aren’t going to do that by simply stating facts and using your “corporate voice.”

Think about when a client calls you at your office.  You pick up the phone and speak in a professional manner, representing a knowledgeable attorney.  And two seconds after that conversation, your friend calls and you transform into your casual self, the “after-hours” voice comes out, and you kick up your feet while discussing the big game.  This happens in a split second!  And surprisingly, both of these “voices” are you … just representing different aspects of your life.

Talking out loud is one thing, but typing your thoughts and expressions online is a whole other story. The best thing you can do with your Social Media is to be authentic about who you really are and what you are passionate about.  Now, that doesn’t mean that you post slang and rude comments without a second thought if you are having a bad day … it just means that you can meld your corporate self with your casual self to connect online in a human way.

Mashable.com has a great article on this called “Why Brands Should Be Human on Social Media.” My favorite quote from this article: 

Being a humanized brand means learning the art of authenticity. It means being genuine, being passionate about whatever it is your brand is and does. Just like in everyday life, people respond most to others who are perceptibly and consistently real. And that's why it's an art, not a formula. Authenticity, in the long run, can't be manufactured or faked.

So don’t be afraid to be real online, your audience is ready to connect with you!

Growing Great Referral Sources

Referrals are the lifeblood of your estate planning practice. Yet many of you also say that managing referral relationships is the bane of your marketing efforts.

So, how do you get great referral relationships?

Sometimes, you just have to grow your own.

I was visiting with a client earlier this week about this very problem. Let's call him Louie. Like many of you, Louie has frustrations about his referral relationships. He is particularly concerned about a couple of young financial advisors with whom he is working now. According to Louie, these Young Guns don't have a good grasp of even fundamental estate planning.

"I really worry about what they are telling their clients."

Perhaps you have been in Louie's shoes? It's tough to correct someone diplomatically, and yet you really do not want them to pass along inaccurate information.

You could walk away from the relationship. And, sometimes that may be the appropriate response. But if you genuinely believe the relationship has potential, consider another option.

Instead of correcting their misunderstandings, invite these Young Guns to join you for brown bag lunches in your conference room. Pitch these as strategy and learning sessions to help identify estate planning opportunities. Remember your goal must align with their goal ... which is to find new business. They probably are scrambling, and you can show them a wide range of opportunities among their current clients and prospects. It's the acres of diamonds in your own backyard concept.

Then, walk them through the fundamentals from how property is owned and titled to beneficiary designations, incapacity and death probate, back-up parents for minor children, wills, durable powers of attorney and revocable living trusts. Move on to the versatility of life insurance in estate planning, asset and creditor protection, Medicaid planning, and etc. 

By investing in these energetic young advisors, you'll be growing your own great referral sources.

To quote Bogey, "Louie, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Law Firm Websites and Google Page One

Every attorney and law firm wants their website to be the first listing on Google's Page One for key search terms. Even when your firm's site lands on Page One, we often hear complaints if you are not in the number one position. The complaint usually goes something like this, "Why is XYZ firm listed ahead of me? Those guys are not even decent lawyers, they are not nearly as good as me!"

First, I want to assure you that Google does not award Page One position based on any evaluation of your -- or your competition's -- lawyerly skills. The algorithms that determine search engine results do not take into account your advanced degrees or certifications, the prestigiousness of your law school, whether you were editor of the Law Review, or even your record at trial.

No, Google runs complex mathematical evaluations of the following four types of factors:

• Website structure: Google looks at things like URLs, heirarchy, and efficient and compliant code. Information that is hidden deep in sub-directories will be considered less important. Code errors tell Google that you're not credible. These kinds of structural mistakes can penalize your website.
• On-Page Factors: From meta descriptions, title tags and header tags to relevant, updated content, Google considers the quality of your web pages relative to the user's search.
• Off-Page Factors. Yes, Google is increasingly evaluating off-site factors to determine your  placement in the search results, including things like your blog, directory listings, Google Places listing, and inbound links. If your blog is weak or under-populated, bolstering it should also bolster your Google position!
• Social Media. This is perhaps the most often-overlooked aspect of your law firm's SEO. Google is watching your social interaction on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Of note, this is one instance where your lawyerly skills might have a small impact on your Google placement: online ratings and reviews. 

All things being equal (and of course they never are) a website with efficient, modern code, well-organized structure, and relevant keyword-rich content that is updated regularly will out-rank websites that are not as well put-together. Having said that, however, you can now see there are other factors at play. Your competitors may excel at some of these other factors ... which should motivate you to work harder at being an active member of the social web!

And remember, there literally are thousands of attorneys vying for that number one position, and only one law firm gets it. There are only ten spots on Page One. If you've got one of those spots, you're doing great -- but you also have a big target on your back. Those other guys -- the ones on Page Two or Three -- they want your spot, too!

 

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My Blog Should Be Doing What …Where??

“Where should I be sharing my estate planning blog?”

So you have this amazing blog, and you post to it every day. That

However, you can give your blog a major boost by making sure it shows up on other websites, like Social Media! Your blog posts should automatically share to these three places … is wonderful! Blogging every day is a big deal to us at IMS. It increases your website’s total number of pages, which increases your Google Rank and general searchability.  

1. Facebook Page or Profile
2. LinkedIn Profile Page / Public Feed
3. Twitter

What does sharing to these places do for my marketing?

• Blog will show up once in a friends feed; establishes awareness of your brand.
• Shows the search engines you are serious about this content; provides Inbound Links (helps SEO).
• Encourages likes, clicks, or shares from friends; they count as “votes” in the eye of search engines.

Automatic sharing makes it easy for you and saves you time out of your day. Integrity Marketing has discovered a great tool called www.IFTTT.com. This is a great site to check out if your blogs are not already sharing automatically to these three websites.

If you need help, contact your Account Manager ([email protected]) today!

Spring Cleaning for Your Law Firm Marketing

It’s that time again – Spring Cleaning!  Time to dust, sweep, organize, purge and freshen up the home after a long Midwest winter here in Kansas City.  And although all of these things need to be done, I am not excited about it one bit.  I’m not one of those super “type A” clean freaks – deep cleaning is more agitating work to me than it is stress relief.  Anyone else with me on that one?

As I started checking cleaning items off the list, I landed in my office area and was suddenly jolted with some inspiration – does Spring cleaning also work in business?  What about marketing? If you think about it, as soon as one year ends we are launched right into a new year with a new set of business and marketing expectations or goals. We stockpile ideas left and right, but as time goes on we encounter challenges that prevent us from staying 100% on track.  So why not do some Spring cleaning with your marketing too? It’s time to sift through those ideas, proposals, and schedules to see what is working for you – and what’s not.

Here are some Spring Cleaning tips for your marketing:

• Go through those emails. Take some time (even if it’s on the weekend) and read the emails or print material you’ve been filing away on ideas that were “tabled” at one point. Read. Read. Read.  And anything that is out of your scope, DELETE and TRASH.
• Check your marketing plan for the year (you do have one right?).  Are you on schedule? Has it been too long since your last event or workshop? What about a postcard mailing? Re-evaluate what you’ve done and start making plans for the next campaign. If you don’t have a marketing plan for this year, it’s not too late – write one up or call your team at IMS!
• Check the calendar.  What conferences or events do you have coming up? Are you prepared for these events? Make sure you tie up any odds and ends for your upcoming trips, including ordering enough print material to take along for firm representation.
• Purge your current marketing materials. Do you have tons of print newsletters sitting in your office? Grab a stack and head out the door – get those newsletters and brochures in the hands of financial professionals, insurance agents, retirement homes, etc. Make sure all the information printed is up to date and accurate.  And then …
• Order new marketing materials.  The seasons are changing, and people are ready for new topics.  It’s time to create a fresh campaign to get the word out about your firm!

These are just a few ways you can “clean up” your marketing, make it fresh, and get it back on track.  Call your team at Integrity Marketing Solutions for assistance (1-877-352-2021) or email [email protected].