Integrity Marketing

Marketing Pawspectives: Tips for Effective Blogging

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

Woof! Welcome to my column!

My owner/mom spends quite a bit of time on the phone during the week talking to our great clients about blogging. I’m an excellent listener, so I’ve picked up a few tips to share with those who might need it.

Do you feel like your blog might be a bit ineffective? There is a big difference in “blogging” and “blogging WELL.” There are a few easy steps you can follow to spruce up your blogging habits. 1) Blog every business day 2) Optimize your blog titles 3) Use images in your blog posts 4) Make sure your blog is sharing correctly.

If you feel you might need help with any of the above steps to effective blogging, fill out a support ticket and get in touch with an IMS account manager!

April Print Newsletter Deadline

The deadline for making edits to your April issue estate planning newsletter is March 5, and the articles we have scheduled for you are: An Introduction to Long-Term Care Planning and Spotting Elder Abuse and Steps for Prevention.

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.

April Animated & E-Newsletter Deadline

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

Notice: Turnkey Postage Rate Increase

Turnkey Newsletter Postage has increased to 49-cents. Learn more about the rate increase, effective January 26, 2014.

Have a GREAT week! — April

Don’t Just Write Words ...Tell a Story Through Pictures!

Every business has a story to tell. It could be anything! How the law firm started/grew, a successful client case, a great client testimonial ... the results are endless. However, most businesses do not know how to share their stories effectively online.

Words are everywhere. Especially on a computer screen. What draws the most attention? Pictures! Photography, quick snapshots, and well done graphic design attracts the most interest from a computer user. Photos count for 93% of the most engaging content on Facebook (Social Media Examiner). They get more views, shares, likes and comments.

So instead of writing away a few sentences about your law firm, tell a story with pictures! Here are a few ways our clients are using photos to share their businesses story.

Old Photos

If you work at a legacy firm that has been in business for a quite a while, pull out some of those old nostalgic photos of the first attorneys, employees, building, etc. Write a short and informative description, but let the photo be the highlight of the post. More than likely, your current clients and followers will get a kick out of the throwback post. This will generate attachment and emotion with your followers, which is helpful to establish referrals and gain new clients.

Client Testimonials

If your client is up to it, take a photo of them with the attorney and staff who helped them. Post it online with their testimonial (make sure you get their permission first). This portrays that you help real people with real situations. It might open the eyes of those who see it, and remind them your services apply to everyone.

Workshops and Events

Take candid and group photos at your workshops and events. Use these photos when advertising for your next event. This shows that your events actually do happen and lets your followers see the kind of people who are walking through your doors. Similar to how the client testimonials work - they’ll realize that maybe they too should attend a seminar.

Birthdays, Parties, Extras

Did someone get flowers for their birthday? Has someone been with the firm for 10 years? Gain a new employee? Document these special occasions with your camera phone and post them on your blog and Facebook page. These types of posts show that you are a friendly, welcoming, and caring. Parties and other celebrations are always great to share.

Tips: Don’t overdo it. Share 1 or 2 pictures, not a whole gallery. Like a story written with words, you want quality, and not necessarily quantity.

Don’t forget to keep your photos appropriate and in good taste.

A picture really is worth a thousand words! Use it to your advantage, and engage your followers with stories of you and your law firm through photo sharing.

 

Design Myths BUSTED: Part 1

Design Myth: At the end of the day, design isn’t that important.

We’ve all heard it said: "Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  While that’s true, doesn’t it take you awhile to come to that realization? When you walk into a bookstore, what grabs your eye first? The unsightly, over-designed or overly plain covers? No! Your eye gravitates the one that is well designed and intriguing with a title and byline that are easily distinguished. We walk past the homely-looking book dozens of times, searching for something more exciting to entertain us. Only once we’ve exhausted, or grown bored with, the more thrilling books do we approach the plain book. It could take a matter of days, weeks, or even months until you discover that the worst-designed book actually has the best story.

With potential clients, you don’t have weeks or even days to grab their attention online. You have seconds. About 4-8 seconds to be exact. And that timeframe is getting smaller and smaller. According to this study the average attention span in 2013 is only 8 seconds (that's a decrease of 4 seconds from 2000). And only 4% of page views last more than 10 minutes. Yikes!

This is where design comes in. Great, intriguing content is important, yes. But if that content is styled more like the poorly designed book on the shelf, no one will ever know how great it is. Designers have the daunting task of convincing your viewers, in less than 8 seconds, that they should stay on your site and read the content.

Myth: Busted!

At the end of the day, design will be a deciding factor for viewers. A good design will organize the content logically, ensures that everything is easy to read and doesn’t strain readers’ eyes, and quickly and clearly leads viewers to the call to action item – exactly what you want! 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand ... Views?

Marketing has changed tremendously over time. Not only have we gone from print to digital, but the way we share content has changed significantly.

Sure, print ads are still important and some of the same principles of yesteryear apply today. Content is still "king", and good content is essential for successful marketing -- both online and in print.

But as we evaluate our techniques in the age of social media, we've come to realize that our audience is very visual-minded. We can still tell our story, but we do so by including images, pictures, graphics and video.

Take this photo for example. Here you see IMS CEO Jennifer Campbell Goddard in a photobooth with her two sons, James and Michael Campbell. IMS history in the making! James is our Vice President and Mike is our Director of Video. This photo tells a story in itself, a story of the "three musketeers" who have been a team well before their days working together in the marketing industry. It shows the roots of our company.  And people respond to this message! When we posted this photo yesterday as a "Throwback Thursday" post on Facebook, we had the highest engagement of any post this week -- even higher than our paid ads!

So what story would you like to tell in your marketing? How can a picture capture who you are, what you do and where you are going? It's definitely something to consider in your online marketing, your e-Newsletters and even your print newsletters and ads. Engaging your audience through visual marketing is going to help create a connection beyond what written content can do alone. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then it certainly is worth a thousand online views!

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

This month's quote is: "Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful." — Harvey Mackay

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). You can also share this graphic on other social accounts such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest. It really is that simple to get social.

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/0214Quote1_Harvey-Mackay.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0214Quote2_Harvey-Mackay.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0214Quote5_Harvey-Mackay.jpg

If you have a quote you would like to submit for consideration, feel free to pass it along to me, April at estateplanningpartners dot com.

Have a wonderful week!

April

How Social Media Can Save Your Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air (cue the romantic music). And your IMS Team wishes you a wonderful day filled with lots of love, chocolate and quality time with those dearest to you.

But we wouldn't be a marketing company if we didn't offer you a little social media humor on this heart-filled day.

After all, the internet has probably helped you in some way or another for your Valentine's Day plans. Did you post a loving message on Facebook? Did you order flowers online? Have you checked the web to see what movies are playing or what restaurants are close by?

Here is an amusing take on how "Social Media Saves Valentine's Day." But don't do what he does at the end of the video (that is a big social media "no-no"!). Enjoy!

 

 

Are Your Marketing Efforts Worthy of a Gold Medal?

We’re right in the midst of the Winter Olympic Games! I’ve always been a huge supporter and fan of the Olympics. The best-of-the-best from all over the world competing in one place? Yes, please! Watching the Olympics has not always been readily available to me as it is now. With no cable, DVR, or just a TV in general, I missed a ton of coverage! Nowadays, there is very little excuse for anyone to miss the Winter Olympics (unless you just don’t like them ... which is weird). You can watch it live in real-time streaming on the NBC website (and even on a smart phone!), or record the coverage with DVRs.

My point is, technology has made things easier.

I’ve watched as much coverage as I can (especially the Ice Skating!), and I’ve picked up on some vibes and techniques that remind me of the clients we (IMS) work with each day. Each athlete brings something new to the games, but they all have three things in common.

Do these Olympic qualifications apply to you and your online marketing?

They Go Big, or Go Home.

No one plays it safe. Not one athlete just meets the “status quo.” These athletes know, to get the gold, they have to take risks and go above and beyond the normal. If the quadruple lux spin toe kick (or whatever it's called) gets the Gold, they do it!

You: Don’t pick the easy things. Our marketing system has tasks that are super easy and tasks that take a bit more time. Take the advice and guidance of your IMS marketing team and make sure you are taking the high road when it comes to your marketing. You’ll see the results.

They Don’t Give Up.

This morning, I watched Jeremy Abbott (U.S.A!) skate his short program. He’s a beautiful ice skater, but he had a HORRIBLE fall which left him on the ground and slammed up against the barrier for a short bit. The crowd was shocked when Jeremy stood back up, wiped the ice off his pants, continued the rest of his routine perfectly and still took the lead among the 10 previous competitors.

You: Even if you “fall on the ice” - if you forget to blog for a month, or stop interacting on social media, or haven’t sent in new email subscribers in a while - it’s not a reason to give up. Put it behind you and start again! You may just end up on top again.

They Have a Strong Team Behind Them.

I’ve spent a few hours watching the mens and womens Half-Pipe (and other snowboarding runs) over the past couple days. Every competitor has a strong and supportive team behind them. Moms, dads, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends, grandparents, you name it. They don’t make it to the Olympics without them.

You: Manage expectations with your staff. They need to be behind you 100% of the way. If your staff is supportive, they do better work. Delegate monthly/weekly tasks to those who can handle it. This frees up time for you - and you’ll see better results all around.

Remind yourself of these basic requirements for success and your marketing efforts will really pay off. Oh, and don’t forget to watch the Winter Olympic Games while you're at it!

Best Practice Tips for Sending Bulk or Mass Emails

Have you ever needed to send an email invitation or notification to multiple email addresses? Are you tempted to send bulk email from your office email account?

BEST PRACTICE TIP: DON'T DO IT!

However, if you are still compelled – before you send your next bulk email – consider these questions and guidelines:

How many email addresses are you sending to? Many internet service providers (ISPs) have an hourly limit on sent emails. Going over this limit could cause your account to get flagged for spamming. The same is true for the ISP on the receiving end. If your IP address is flagged on a receiving server as displaying a pattern common with SPAM, your IP address could be blocked – preventing your clients from receiving ANY email from you!

Are you sending to a relatively small number of recipients? Say you are sending an invitation to fewer than 50 clients – you'll probably be fine sending to this limited number, but PLEASE do not list all of your recipient's email addresses in the CC field. Use the BCC field to hide the addresses from others on your list. Enter your own address in the TO field.

What if you do want to send to a larger number of email addresses? Then you should consider using an email sending software designed for mass emailing. Better yet, let your team at IMS take care of it for you. Just contact your Personal Account Manager (dana at estateplanningpartners dot com or 877-352-2021x88) and request a quote for sending an email newsletter invitation or notification.

Just for fun, here's a video with a few more tips: The Unwritten Rules Of Email.

 

Have a great week! — April Leabo

 

Photo Attribution: Spamfilter Copyright © Peter Eich (www.bodenseepeter.de) | Creative Commons | Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

 

February Marketing Plan for Your Law Firm

February is underway, and it's time for your marketing plan check-up! With one month already on the books, you can review your initial marketing efforts and make adjustments where needed for this month.

Here are some helpful tips to get you through the process:

• What did you complete from your marketing plan in January? Did you have any workshops? Did you get your print newsletter message customized? Review your "wins" for the month and evaluate the results.
• What fell through the cracks? If there were items on your plan that did not get fulfilled, you may want to move those into a different month of your plan.
• What can you do differently this month to ensure everything gets done? You may want to implement a calendar dedicated to your marketing tasks or delegate items to staff members.
• Are you on track with your budget? Review your marketing budget and make adjustments if necessary.
• What topics/themes should you use in your Social Media and Blog posts? Valentine's Day, Black History Month, Winter Olympics and Presidents' Day are a few examples of February topics.
• What's coming up? It's time to think ahead for Spring messages and events. March is normally a very busy month! Make sure you submit your custom e-Newsletter message ahead of time.

The start of a new month is also a good time to review your website content to ensure that everything is accurate and up-to-date.  If you need to make a change, you can use our online Support Ticket to submit your request.