Integrity Marketing

Feed Your Taste Buds and Your Marketing

By Anneliese Krull

I like meat. I LOVE barbecued meat.

If you were to cut me, I would bleed barbecue sauce. Why? In Kansas City, barbecue is what we do and, consequently, what we eat. A lot.

If you were to ask me my favorite barbecue, I am not sure I could tell you. I love so many. Whether the BBQ is smoked at a restaurant like Joe’s Kansas City (formally known as Oklahoma Joe’s), B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ, Jack’s Stack or from the smoker of a family friend, you can’t go wrong.

After choosing where to eat, the most difficult decision is what meat to eat. Will it be the juicy slices of beef brisket? The tender pulled pork? Or the perfectly succulent and crispy burnt ends?

The dry-rubbed meat is wonderful, but so is the sauce. I mean seriously, barbecue sauce tastes good on anything: burgers, fries, baked potatoes, and even salads! Not even ketchup can do that!

Our delicious tomato-molasses sauces range from fiery hot to mildly sweet based on the blends of spices and sugars added, leaving your taste buds wanting more!

Is your mouth watering yet?

If you have never had the pleasure of eating Kansas City style barbecue or if you love it but hardly ever make it down to the heart of the Midwest, our Legal Marketing Boot Camp may be a tempting idea for you. Not only will you be able to feast on KC Barbecue at our President’s Dinner, but your marketing will be receiving the nourishment it needs to adapt and establish your firm as a leader in client service. In turn, you will be uniquely positioned to have a more profitable and enjoyable estate planning or elder law practice.

To keep Boot Camp focused on you and your practice, space is limited to ten firms – and we are almost at full capacity. Call James now at 877-352-2021 ext. 80 to secure a spot for you and your firm.  Register online to receive the early bird discount. Hurry, the early discount offer expires April 30^th!

What's at the End of Your Website?

They say there’s a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, and good luck finding it!

At the end of your website is the Contact Us form and that should be your pot of gold.

But it’s not always.

If your team is not giving website leads the responses prospects expect, those wonderful Contact Us pages could be a disaster for your reputation and another source of disappointment for people who really need your help.

What happens to those Contact Us forms? Are they sitting in a stack on someone’s desk, waiting until they have a spare moment to review?

Worse, are they sitting on a corner on YOUR desk, where they get pushed further and further away as your own deadlines and appointments keep edging the forms further and further way from the “first-thing-when-I-get-into-the-office” tasks?

If those unanswered forms are keeping you awake at night, you have a problem.

And if those unanswered forms are NOT keeping you up at night, you have more than two problems.

 Either way, we have solution, at one of the sessions at the IMS Legal Marketing Boot Camp, June 8, 9 and 10. You still have time to get in, and you can even get the Early Bird special discount if you register online.

Today’s social media means that anyone can post an online review on sites like AVVO. If one person posts a review that they tried to reach your office and got no response, this will influence others who are checking out your online reputation before they try to reach you. You may have lost not only the original prospect, and many more – and you won’t even know it!

Want to know how to fix it? Register today!

What is a SWOT and Do I Want One?

It sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss, doesn’t it?

To answer the second question first, yes, you definitely do want a SWOT.

Now, the first question: SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

A SWOT analysis is a structured and strategic means of evaluating a law practice that yields a large amount of insight and information. It’s something we do early on in our Legal Marketing Boot Camp (June 8, 9 and 10) because it clarifies critical issues for your law practice and guides your marketing.

Before you read another word – Early Bird Registration ends on May 1, which is right around the corner. Register today to lock in an Early Bird discount and make sure you and your team get into Boot Camp. We only take ten law firms, and seven spots are already taken.

Here is the link to register:http://www.essentialattorney.org/Legal-Marketing-Boot-Camp.php.

What can you expect from your SWOT analysis?

Insight It is more difficult than you can imagine to see your own practice clearly when you are busy with day-to-day activities. Getting out of the office for a few days and experiencing the SWOT analysis in a small group setting will provide you with new perspectives that could otherwise take years to be seen.

Fresh Actionable Ideas You’ll come away from Boot Camp with a host of new ideas, and ones that you can really put into action. We promise not to send you home with pie-in-the-sky. Doesn’t do you any good, doesn’t do us any good!

If you still aren’t convinced, take a look at the schedule of events planned for Boot Camp. We’ve got three days of great programs, we’ve built in some downtime so you are not on overload and you will enjoy the company of like-minded attorneys from other cities who share your concerns and challenges.

Got questions about Boot Camp? Call James at 877-352-2021 ext. 80, but don’t wait – May 1 Early Bird Registration is only days away!

Got Boots? Why You Should Attend Legal Marketing Boot Camp

Do you know that prospects that come to you through your website are totally different than those who have been sent to you by colleagues?

Does your team know the difference, and understand how to handle them to ensure that prospects are converted from website leads to clients?

If you are ready to make the most of your digital marketing and ready to take your practice to the next level, we suggest that you and a member of your team join us on June 8 – 10 when we host the next Legal Marketing Boot Camp.

There are only FIVE slots left.

If you want to be part of this amazing and energizing program, you better register today!

Why are we already at half-capacity?

Boot camp fills up fast because IMS clients know that they will be coming back to their offices with a wealth of actionable information and insight.

We keep our program limited to ten law firms because over time we have learned that this is the perfect size – big enough to have different viewpoints, and small enough to provide everyone with the attention they need.

Can’t make it in June?

Then talk with James about a private strategic retreat, which we can schedule at your convenience. The private strategic retreat will help you clarify goals and directions and help you find the strategy that will work best for your firm, in your market.

Not sure which is best for you and your team?

Call James 877-352-2021 ext. 80 to determine which retreat will work best for you.

Measuring Your Marketing Part 5

By Kelly Myers

The fifth and final post to my Measuring Your Marketing blog series will discuss the AWR report you receive monthly along with your Google Analytics.

AWR stands for Advanced Web Ranking. AWR is also the exact name of the third party platform Integrity Marketing Solutions uses to run these reports for you. Your AWR report should help you gauge where you and your firm stand in terms of keyword and local search among search engines, mainly Google and Bing.

Inside the Dropbox folder provided to you monthly by IMS, you will find a list of previous AWR reports and a fresh report for the current month. Think of this report as a snapshot of your web rankings and how search engines view your website. The information provided shows your rankings on the day the report was run, which can be found at the top of your PDF. The results from that day are then compared to the previous month’s report. The comparison can be deciphered by the key of icons shown at the bottom of your report.

Again, keep in mind that the AWR report is an overview of how you are ranking for keywords on search engines. Search engines, especially Google, are constantly changing their algorithms on how they perceive search results. In addition, personalized search results will be presented to each searcher based on where and when the search is conducted. This allows for multiple variations of any combination of keywords. These reasons will cause your rankings to change frequently and vary greatly. IMS provides these reports to give you an idea of where you stand by comparing your rankings and visualize your progress over time.

I see many clients focus too much on the rankings report rather than looking at their marketing performance holistically. Along with rankings, IMS tracks website visits, which pages are most popular, conversions and much more. You’ll definitely want to take your rankings into consideration, but don’t put too much weight on any one single factor in your marketing.

So, when viewing your AWR report, consider the terms you are ranking well for. Are these keywords high quality terms? Have these keywords been progressing positively? If not, we may need to consider redirecting your optimization. A redirection is also important if you have changed or updated your firm’s services. Please reach out to IMS through a support ticket if you have questions or concerns regarding your AWR reports.

Lessons from Ancient Castles for Marketing Your Estate Planning Practice

By Anneliese Krull

If you have ever been to the UK or really any European country, chances are quite good that you have seen a castle or two. While I was on vacation, I couldn’t help thinking about how the castles I saw in Scotland reminded me of marketing and my work here at IMS.

These castles had different functions and varying degrees of longevity. Similarly, each of our clients has a different practice model and needs a different marketing strategy to reflect that model.

Consider the following “castle” analogies:

Design and function. The Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace had significantly different purposes. The Edinburgh Castle was set high atop an extinct volcano with access available on one side and a clear rocky cliff on the other. It served well its strategic military purpose as a formidable defensive base. In contrast, the Holyrood Palace was built for comfort and luxury. This Palace is now used by the royal family for meetings with foreign and domestic dignitaries and as their summer home.

Each design is suitable to achieve its unique purpose. If you primarily practice elder law, your website and strategy will be different from that of an attorney who strictly limits his or her practice to estate planning. Consequently, if your ideal client is a successful executive preparing for retirement, then you will market differently to him or her than to a family in need of Medicaid crisis planning.

In for the long haul. Unlike the still functioning Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle, several of the fortresses I observed were in ruins, neglected and useless except as relics of the past.

Marketing is constantly evolving. In “ancient times” (e.g., a few years ago), having an internet “castle or palace” was considered unnecessary by many estate planning and elder law attorneys. However, now both are required. You need a website that is a “castle” to protect your position in an increasingly competitive marketplace and a “palace” to welcome, motivate and convert prospects into clients.

But even more than a website, you need a “responsive” website that is mobile device friendly and a robust social media presence. In addition, client on-demand expectations necessitate that you have a 24/7/365 integrated CRM to be ready when they are ready to engage your services.

If you want your practice to flourish, grow and remain relevant, you would be wise to strategically evaluate where you are and where you want to be and to fully harness the strength and vision of Integrity Marketing Solution by scheduling a private strategic planning retreat or registering for our marketing boot camp June 8-10. Call James at 877-352-2021 ext. 80.

Networking for Success

We get it. Networking is hard if you are not accustomed to doing it on a regular basis. It’s a challenge to stick your hand out and say hello, especially if you are more comfortable sitting in your office drafting documents and meeting with clients.

But networking is a really useful tool for the attorney who needs to meet new people on a regular basis.

Here are our top tips for networking success:

Join a group that meets regularly. Networking is a learned skill that gets better with practice, and once a month might not be enough. The more you are forced out of your comfort zone and into a networking mindset, the better your networking skills will become. Try a weekly group to gain the most traction.

Attend different events. Be adventurous and go to events where you do not know anyone. This will force you to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know – the whole purpose of networking!

Don’t rush to hand out your business card. Successful networking is more about building real relationships rather than a superficial swap of cards. Have real conversations and ask about the person, their business and how you might help them.

Make a commitment. If you are not on a board or a committee with a local not-for-profit, start searching for a group that has a mission that means something to you. Many law firms require their young associates to join at least one group and get involved on a committee. That’s because it’s good for business, excellent for networking and a wonderful way to be of service to your community.

Travel solo in your field. Your best bet will be organizations where you are the only estate planning attorney. You can meet all of your peers/colleagues/competitors at the local bar association. Use networking to meet professionals who are in complementary fields to yours.

The next time you receive an email blast inviting you to a networking event, don’t delete it – sign up and go!

Measuring Your Marketing: Part Four

By Kelly Myers

All the blogs in the series this far have been based on Google Analytics and your Raven Tools account. However, for this post, I want to chat about your outbound marketing through MailChimp. Or, if you’re an E2 user, I’ll briefly touch on what outbound marketing through E2 looks like.

MailChimp is the default platform Integrity Marketing Solutions uses for your monthly email newsletter (eNews) to be sent out. We believe MailChimp is the best route to sending eNewsletters because of its clean layout, easy to read reports, customizable templates and automated campaigns, which are all free of charge! As mentioned, your eNews is sent out monthly and automatically. All you have to do is approve your eNews template during the on-boarding process and submit your Welcome Message in a timely manner, if you so choose to have a custom welcome message.

After each eNews is sent, a report will be generated by MailChimp. To access this report, start by logging into MailChimp, then simply navigate to the Reports page which can be seen in the top navigation bar. From the Reports page you can view Subscriber Quantity and Open and Clicks for each month's eNews distribution. To view more details, click the View Report button to the right of the campaign. Then, you can view individual information about who opened, clicked, bounced and unsubscribed, as well as the top links clicked through the eNews and the subscribers with the most opens.

The legal industry standards for performance in a monthly eNews are as follows:

% Opened               22.42%

% Clicked                  3.08%

% Unsubscribed    0.83%

If you meet or exceed the % Opened, % Clicked and % Unsubscribed, then we know your email campaigns are performing well! If not, they might need some work.

Without an effective eNews list, your marketing will not perform effectively. It’s important to add new quality emails each month to grow your list slowly and make up for unsubscribed or bounced emails.

If you’re an E2 User, much of the previously stated information can be applicable to you too! However, your information can be found in the Blog Digest and eNews groups of your E2 account. Simply hover over the Communicate tab on your top navigation and select Track Email. From there, you’ll be able to select which Blog Digest or eNews you’d like to track from the Drip Campaigns tab.

Outbound marketing, such as a monthly eNews, plays a large role in in your overall marketing performance. An eNews can drive traffic to your website, inform clients about Estate Planning and Elder Law and possibly lead to a consultation request. Because outbound marketing is impactful, you’ll want to keep an eye on these reports and track your results.

Do You Know What Your Next Task Is?

Ernest Hemingway describes his writing methods in The Paris Review (1958), which include a chart of daily word output and a stand up desk. In his own words:

You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again.

Do you have a fixed time when you begin wrapping up things up for the day?

Many of our clients leave their offices by 5:30 or 6:00 every day. Sometimes they take work home, but not often. With efficient systems in place, including document management, calendars, time billing and of course, a full suite of IMS marketing tools, their offices run smoothly. They are able to be involved with their family, active with their communities and lead balanced lives.

Yes, there are occasionally client emergencies or unexpected issues that come up, but these are the exceptions, and not the rule.

What does it take to run a successful estate planning practice?

Clients A steady flow of appointments of new clients and current clients who understand the value of keeping their documents up to date.

Staff Paralegals and administrative assistants who care about clients, quality of work product and presenting a unified team to your public, whether they are in the office or attending events in the community.

Systems Technology and office equipment is your infrastructure. If you are using out of date computers or software, you may lose a tremendous amount of time. Cybersecurity and automated backup systems should also be in place.

The Office Parking lots, reception areas, entry halls, bathroom facilities, conference rooms and offices all contribute to how your clients see you and your practice. If you bought an expensive coat from Neiman Marcus, you would expect the packaging to be perfect. Your clients notice, even if they are not conscious of it, or they notice and don’t say anything, but a frayed carpet or outdated décor has an impact on what they expect from you.

If you are finding yourself working past 7:00 PM more often than you and your family would like, you may need to make a change. Do you need another associate? A better work flow? We work with estate planning offices across the country, and our unique perspective and experience means that we can provide guidance in many different areas of your practice. Call James at 877-352-2021 ext. 80. If we can help, we’ll tell you how. If we can’t, we may know someone who can!

What’s On Your Calendar This Week?

Today, April 18, is the deadline for filing 2015 taxes. Tomorrow, many CPA offices are closed, or will be lightly staffed, as CPAs and their administrators catch their breath.

Why should you care about CPAs?

If they are not already part of your networking, CPAs should at least be on your radar. They work with business owners and high net worth individuals throughout the year, and are often asked to make recommendations for estate planning attorneys.

How you go about developing a network of CPAs depends on your market, but there are a few basics to bear in mind, wherever you are:

Do your homework. Make sure that any professional you develop a relationship with meets your standards for professionalism, integrity and service. You are known by the company you keep. Make sure their values are aligned with yours.

Don’t go overboard. You cannot be best friends with everyone in the playground, not with any kind of depth of relationship. Same for a referral networking. If each attorney at the firm has ten strong relationships with referring CPAs, that should bring in a steady stream of new clients. If not, increase the number of referral sources. Use your E2 CRM to gather and analyze data to set the right metrics.

Expect this to take time. Grow your network of referral sources realistically and with care. You are asking another professional to place their clients’ and their own trust in you. It will take time and effort to accomplish, but will be worthwhile.

Always give more than one name when asked for a recommendation This serves to give your clients more choices and increases the likelihood that more CPAs know that you are sharing their information. Just be thoughtful about which clients you recommend to which CPAs. You know your clients well – the better a match you can make, the better you look.

Keep track of everything. You might get a call a few months after you make the recommendation, with a client asking “who was that CPA you said I should call?” Look like a genius when you can instantly find that information in your E2 CRM without hesitation. And when your CPA colleague tells you that they have a new client because of you, add that information to the system as well. This way you will know who is sending clients your way, who is not, and can make the necessary decision about whether or not to continue the relationship.