Integrity Marketing

February Print Newsletter Deadline

The deadline for making edits to your February issue estate planning newsletter is January 6, and the articles we have scheduled for you are: Is There an Oscar for Best Estate Planning? and Is Justin Bieber a Grinch?

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.

February Animated & E-Newsletter Deadline

If you are not scheduled for a February print newsletter, please don't hesitate to submit your message for inclusion in your February electronic newsletter.

Turnkey Postage Rate Increase Notice

With the upcoming scheduled USPS rate increase, effective January 26, 2014, Turnkey Newsletter Postage will increase to 49 cents.

Happy New Year

The team at IMS looks forward to serving you in 2014. Happy New Year!

- April

New Year, New You ... New Website?

How many of you are pondering your New Year's Resolutions? The ball will drop in Times Square before long, marking another 365 days of "This year, I'm going to accomplish XYZ." Maybe you're going to get back to the gym and start eating healthier.  Or you promise yourself you're going to pay off those credit cards bills. More family time, less distractions, more volunteering, time to read and so on -- a new year marks a new start to a new YOU.

And what about your marketing? Resolutions aren't just for your personal life, as there are always things to be done in your practice.

Let me give you something to consider: You already have a nice website, maybe even created with the last few years.  You've got the blog, the social media, newsletters and your site has been optimized for search.  You're on Google Page One and life is just dandy.

Then it happens.

Google decides to update its search algorithm (yet again). Boom, just like that -- your website falls off Page One.

Stressful, we know! Keep in mind, just as the years are always changing, so will technology.  And we really can't prevent that from happening.

What we can do is to resolve to keep up with the latest changes, make adjustments when necessary and treat our websites as ongoing marketing projects.  There is no one-and-done marketing process.

So maybe for you, that change is Essentials 2.0 -- an all-new upgrade that recognizes evolving search priorities and online user habits, and will keep your law firm marketing ahead-of-the-curve. Or if you're not there yet, even a redesign/revamp of your current website can make a huge difference in your marketing performance.

Whatever stage you feel your marketing is in, be sure to consider your goals for 2014 and beyond. We are ready to help you make those resolutions a reality!

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

This month's quote is: "But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." — Benjamin Franklin

To use this month's inspirational quote, download one of the following graphics and share it to Facebook (along with a simple comment if you desire). It really is that simple to get social. You can also share this graphic on other social media accounts such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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

1. Navy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/1213Quote1_Benjamin-Franklin.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/1213Quote2_Benjamin-Franklin.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/1213Quote5_Benjamin-Franklin.jpg

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

Christmas Traditions: Social Media Sharing

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Norborne K-5 Christmas Program, where my children, Cash (11 years old) and Avi (6 years old), attend school. It was a great performance that included the 5^th grade band, songs sung by all the students together (a great feat!) and narration from the Director and students that told about Christmas and Holiday traditions from several different countries, cultures and religions. I learned about the Boar's Head Feast and found that very interesting.

Do you have any traditions with your team and staff at the office? Be sure to share them and let your social media followers join in on the fun through photos you can easily post. And if you are participating in any community activities, use your social media accounts to encourage others to join you.

Merry Christmas!

- April

Marketing Pawspectives: Create Weekly Topics & Themes for Social Media

Marketing Pawspectives: Insider Tips & Hints To Get Your Marketing Working for You
By Bandit – Office Dog

Woof! Welcome to my weekly column! 

Social Media can be a bit tough to manage sometimes, especially if you don't have a plan. One tip I recommend is to set certain topics for each day. A client of ours has specific themes like CEO Thursday (which appeals to business owners) and Golden Wednesdays (which targets the elderly or their adult children). Write a quick post or comment relative to your theme for the day. Social media users tend to take to this strategy very well, and your posts typically are liked, commented on, or even shared!

I'm starting to use this method with my own page. Each Friday I post a favorite "Dog Shaming" photo, which is usually a mug shot of a pup holding a sign next to their most recent "shameful" act (here's a great one!).

Once you have certain topics assigned to certain days, it's very easy to schedule the posts for the whole rest of the month. Take 30-45 minutes to write four posts, and then schedule them weekly for the next month. Simple as that! Make sure you call your account manager if you need any help. Have a barking good holiday season!

     

Networking for the New Year

Are you attending any holiday parties this month? Any New Year's Eve plans? The holiday season is full of events, both family and professional.  So make sure you take the opportunity to network while you are out and about!

Networking in person is still one of the best ways to spread the word about your law practice. If you get the opportunity to attend local events, it would be wise to make an appearance -- and don't forget your business cards! Here are a few tips to help build upon your marketing for the New Year.

Holiday Networking Tips

• Business Card Swap: Not only should you hand out your own business card when you're networking, but also ask for others' cards so you have some information to take away from the event.
• e-News Schmooze: Let others know about your monthly e-Newsletter and ask if they want to be added to the email list. Being part of your e-News list allows them to keep up with what's going on in your firm.
• Facebook Friends: If you make a great connection, why not "friend" the prospective client or referral source on Facebook? This allows them to stay connected with your social posts and offers another line of ongoing communication. You can also find them on LinkedIn or other social networks if you feel they would be a great addition to your contact list.
• Return the Favor:  And no, I'm not talking about returning party gifts - ha! Now that you've made new connections, consider extending invitations to your own holiday parties or workshops. Or if you know of additional events coming up in the industry, you might suggest those to your new acquaintances.

Don't forget to exercise holiday party etiquette during your networking events, and if you need some ice breakers check out the Business Insider article "7 Holiday Party Conversation Starters" for ideas on how to get the dialogue going.

By January 2014 you'll have plenty of new contacts and professional relationships to start the year off right!

 

 

References:  News & Observer (December 9, 2013) - "Ask the Experts: Maximize networking opportunities at holiday parties"
                    Business Insider  (December 8, 2013) - "7 Holiday Party Conversation Starters"

 

Excel Tutorial: Creating a String of Text with Concatenate

Concatenate is a function in Microsoft Excel that can be used to string multiple data cells together – for example, adding spouses' first names together for a mailing list. Additional text may be included in your formula by enclosing it in quotation marks. This handy trick could save you some time getting those Holiday Cards out the door! 

Once you have your string of text combined the next step would be to copy the formula down your column, then highlight your entire column, right-click to Copy; now highlight an empty column, right-click to Paste Special and choose Values. It's that easy!

- April Leabo

Marketing Pawspectives: Update Your Attorney & Staff Bios Yearly

Marketing Pawspectives: Insider Tips & Hints To Get Your Marketing Working for You
By Bandit – Office Dog

Woof! Welcome to my weekly column!

Several IMS staff recently updated their bios on our website, including myself! When I was asked to write this column on a weekly basis (a great achievement!), I added a short piece to my bio.

When is the last time you updated your attorney and/or staff bios?

Time can fly by, and biographies become outdated quickly. If you've joined any new memberships, experienced staff transitions, or taken up a new hobby, chances are you should probably freshen things up. It's a good rule of "paw pad" to update your bio yearly. Take a few minutes now to check out what's on your website. If you have anything to add, remove, rewrite or replace, contact your account manager today! 

Tips for Law Firm Holiday Cards

With December upon us (Yikes! How did that happen?!), it is time to start thinking about sending for your firm’s holiday cards. Sending a holiday card is a great way to show clients that you appreciate them and are genuinely interested in them. I know I always appreciate when my favorite companies send me a card, even when I know I’m one of many people to whom they send cards.

Here are some tips that will make the daunting task seem a little more manageable:

Order as early as possible. It will take longer than you think to pick out the perfect design, double check your mailing list and get everything in order. Start brainstorming today!

Personalize. If you have the time to add a hand-written note to each card or hand-address each envelope, that’s fantastic! That will really make each of your clients feel special.

Don’t forget about your brand. Carefully consider the message and images you use. Make sure they fit well with your firm’s brand. The message doesn’t have to be fancy either. Just include the recipient’s name, a couple sentences expressing your gratitude and well wishes for the holiday season and New Year, and your firm’s name or your signature. Consider using the same colors as your website. Don’t worry, I promise colors other than red and green can look festive!

Stay professional. It’s probably a good idea to send separate cards to business contacts and personal friends. Make sure the message, imagery, and paper used are professional and high quality.

If you miss Christmas, don’t stress! A New Year’s card is great too. In fact, that will help your card stand out from the multitudes that are sure to flood mailboxes in December.

Want to send a card custom-designed by the IMS team? Contact us today! 

Now is no time to rest on your laurels!

In today's fast-paced business world, there is no time to rest on one's laurels. To be satisfied with past success is to welcome future failure!

We have been blessed in 2013 with terrific clients whose successes have helped catapult us to one of our best years in our 18-year-history. To every single Essential Attorney, we say thank you for trusting us with your marketing. Your success is our success, and we are so proud of all that you have accomplished.

But rest assured, we are NOT resting on our laurels! Behind-the-scenes, we are working feverishly to launch the next-generation of The Essential Solution® -- Essentials 2.0.

This all-new upgrade recognizes evolving search priorities and online user habits, and will keep your law firm marketing ahead-of-the-curve with:

• A robust social media manager, where you can access all of your social connections, schedule posts to each platform, and view your social performance statistics from one easy-to-read, easy-to-access dashboard;
• Responsive website design that "flexes" for any device -- whether tablet, smart phone, laptop or desktop;
• Workshop calendaring and online registration tools; and
• An online Client Relationship Management (CRM) system to power your Essential 2.0 marketing!

And yes, there's more ... but you'll have to wait. Santa's elves are still working on delivering Christmas toys for all the children of the world ... when they finish their work at the North Pole, we expect them all back on the job here to help us deliver Essentials 2.0 just in time for the New Year!

Year-End Marketing for Your Law Firm

Now that we are in the last month of 2013, time will start to fly by with the rush of the holiday season.  And there is a lot to cover for your marketing!

Here are some year-end topics for your marketing messages, to be included in your e-Newsletter, Social Media posts, and firm Blog posts:

• Charitable Giving, Gifts & Year-End Donations - Let clients know how you can assist them in their year-end giving, what tax deductions are available, and how to plan for next year.
• Estate Plan Review - Encourage clients to review their estate plans for any changes that have occurred this year, or any that will be coming up for 2014.
• Changes in the Law - Notify clients of laws that will be changing next year, but are still relevant for the last month of 2013. One example would be lifetime gift and Federal estate tax exemption amounts.
• Year-End Workshops - If you plan to hold any workshops this month, let your clients know with plenty of time to plan as the holiday season is jam-packed with other events.
• Holiday Greetings and Well Wishes - Don't forget to order and send out those holiday cards/gifts, as well as scheduling a Christmas/Holiday message on Social Media.
• Holiday Office Hours - It is helpful to post your holiday office hours so clients are aware of when you will be closed during the season.

In addition to your year-end marketing, now is the time to start thinking about your 2014 marketing strategy and developing a plan.  If you need assistance, please contact your IMS Team!