Integrity Marketing

Add Fireworks to Law Firm Marketing Budgets for a Bigger Bang

Marketing budgets vary by sector, and nowhere is that difference more evident than in law firm vs. consumer packaged goods marketing budgets. One survey showed that consumer packaged goods devote 24% of their total company budget on marketing. That number includes national companies who spend millions on television, print ads and promotions. By comparison, law firms spend about 2-4% of gross revenues on marketing.

Law firms don’t necessarily need to spend nearly a quarter of their revenue on marketing, but the difference in spending is a dramatic one, and is worth a closer look. Product companies think of their marketing as an integral part of doing business. In the face of massive competition, the on-going battle for shelf space in retail brick and mortar stores and top-of-mind consumer awareness, they have no choice.

Competition among law firms and online legal services and the rise of legal marketing has transformed the legal services sector. It is no longer sufficient to be a highly skilled and caring practitioner, just as being the tastiest sirloin alone does not sell a steak. You know what’s coming next: the sizzle.

Does your budget have room for sizzle? Digital marketing means that legal marketers can do more with limited resources, but there comes a point where budget size has a negative impact on results. Try running a law firm without billing software. It can be done, but the cost in time and staff resources becomes a losing proposition.

Where are law firms spending their marketing budgets?

• Website development and maintenance
• Marketing software—E2-CRM, CLIP^SM
• Social media—your time, staff time or outside agency
• Creative—branding, graphic design
• Digital advertising—AdWords, Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns
• SEO—Search Engine Optimization
• Print advertising
• Public relations
• Special events
• Promotional imprinted items
• Collateral materials (brochures, client materials binders/folders)
• Stationary, labels, business cards

When conducting a mid-year review of the law firm’s financial performance, look at the budget for marketing in relation to the firm’s six month revenues. It won’t be 24%, but if it’s too low, perhaps it’s time to consider what opportunities are being missed. Go back three or four years and be sure to compare apples to apples. Is there a connection between your marketing spend and the firm’s performance? What events occurred that spurred more income for the firm?

Does Your Law Firm Have a Plan?

We think Yogi Berra had it right: “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” That’s why we encourage you to have a law firm marketing plan and well-defined goals. This strategic planning is necessary for any successful professional business or practice, regardless of size or sector. Maybe 2017 will be the year that you’ll visit our offices for a strategic planning retreat, when you’ll dedicate a solid block of time and your full attention to figuring out where you want to go next.

Strategic planning just makes sense.

Setting goals for the quarter or the year doesn’t happen in a vacuum. How do you measure success? In some firms, it is in the number of people who come to your office and become clients. For others, it is a mixture of the number of matters and billable hours. Others count only billable hours, especially if theirs is a litigation-oriented practice.

What is your goal for your practice and your personal life? One attorney came to us because he wanted to have a law firm that made more money than any other estate planning attorney in his town. That was important to him. Others are concerned with striking a balance between a healthy law practice and being active in their professional community. There’s more variety than you might expect in what law firm leaders what to achieve, but without articulating these goals, it’s awfully hard to get there.

What do you want from your partners/colleagues/paralegals/admins? If you are surrounded by a dedicated team, that’s terrific. They have goals also. Are they with you for the long haul, as your office is a perfect fit with their lifestyle, or will they take years of training with them when they leave for greener pastures or retirement?

What do your clients want/expect from you and your practice? Are they “trained” to expect to hear from you throughout the year, either by snail mail or email blasts that arrive more than once a year? Do they see your name in the local newspaper, giving a presentation or heading up a local not-for-profit? Could this be the year that you distinguish yourself from other estate planning attorneys by raising your public profile? If so, how do you plan on doing that? Can you do it with your current staff, or do you need additional help?

These are just a few of the issues that are clarified on the way to developing a strategic plan. One thing we know for sure: every lawyer and every law practice is different, but they all benefit from having a plan in place!

Is There A Difference Between a Salesperson and a Professor?

We see a profound difference in professional services that sell, versus those that educate. Those who sell are focused on price points, razzle dazzle, high volume and thin profit margins. Compare that to those who educate: they focus their marketing efforts on helping clients understand what estate planning means, how it can help them achieve specific goals, and why it is important to do.

While we’re not judging, and we understand that there is a place for both kinds of professional services, we do believe that for estate planning attorneys, educating clients creates a far better, longer-lasting relationship based on mutual respect and value. A client who is looking for a quick and inexpensive will is generally not the client who is going to come back to your practice in four years for a revision, even if they really do need it.

How do you educate your clients?

Blogging. Our Essential Solution™ law practices are heavily vested in educating clients through providing them with weekly (if not daily) blog posts that educate non-lawyers about the ins and outs of estate planning and elder law. We know from more than twenty years of experience that this is an excellent marketing method.

Lawyer Videos. People do still read, but we live in a culture that loves to watch videos. We produce a lot of lawyer videos because our clients understand the power of video on their websites. Visitors are engaged and will be more at ease when they meet you in person, having met you already on your website.

eNewsletters. By bringing useful news and important information to your clients and prospects on a regular basis, you have the opportunity to enhance your position as an educator. Knowing that they are going to learn about new developments in estate law from you in a timely manner puts your client’s minds at ease. They may not like the changes, but they DO like feeling like you are looking out for them. Sent on a regular basis, the eNewsletter will keep you top-of-mind, increasing the likelihood that when a problem arises, your office gets the phone call and the appointment.

Talking to the press. We hope that you are already on local reporter’s short lists when it comes to being a source for estate planning issues. If not, you can put yourself there. Connect through LinkedIn, start following the right reporters on Twitter and when you are reading the local papers, online or in print, make a note of the reporter who covers estate planning and/or personal finance matters. Stay in touch with changes to the law, comments when the next celebrity dies without a will, and build a relationship with the reporter. When you are the source in a newspaper article, you become the ultimate educator!

What's New With You?

Everyone has news. Some news is bigger than others, like being on the state bar committee that launches new legislation or being honored by a local not-for-profit for your good works. And there’s always news about seniors, estate planning and the law.

The question is, what are you doing with that news?

It’s not news if you don’t tell anyone. And if you don’t tell anyone, they will not know that you are among the leading elder law attorneys in the state, or that your office has been recognized by a respected organization that conducts thorough peer reviews to rate attorneys.

Your only news should not, by the way, concern your ratings. That’s too limiting and doesn’t reflect everything about you and your estate planning law firm.

There may be other people in your office who have news that is worthwhile sharing. Let’s say your office manager volunteers with a local community chest and is named to its board of directors. That’s good news, and one that you should be eager to share with local media.

Remember, clients connect with us in a variety of ways.

Someone reading your website and learning how your office is involved in the community is going to feel good about that, and it may be the little push they need to make a phone call. When they come into the office, you’ll know that this was a factor because your E2 CRM report will show that they went to your media page and read the article about your office manager and her local involvement. You’ve got a positive community effort to talk about and bond over.

So don’t hide your news – share it with the media around you!

Public Relations and Your Law Firm Practice

Why are we offering this topic in our series of practice development webinars?

Because PR in general and media relations more specifically, can be very useful to your marketing efforts. Here’s how:

Press coverage is good for your SEO. In most cases, articles that appear in the media bearing your name will also show up on the media outlet’s online properties. Your name or your practice name appearing on another website is good for your quality rankings

Press coverage is good for your practice development. An interview that showcases your knowledge and ability to solve problems for clients or generosity with your time and resources to the community is another opportunity for people to get to know you before they even meet you.

Press coverage enhances credibility. It is understood that you wouldn’t be quoted as a source by a reporter or asked questions on television if you were not qualified and knowledgeable.

Consistent press coverage creates name recognition. The food industry spends billions promoting products because the endless repetition works. The more often your name or smiling visage is seen, the more familiar people will be with your name and you as an established authority figure.

Want to know more?

Register today and join us tomorrow!

Are You an Expert?

Legal professionals are not supposed to call themselves experts, and we lean far away from ever using the term. But if you have a focus in estate planning, you have developed an expertise and can discuss any number of topics with local reporters. For some of you, national reporters are a worthwhile effort, as appearing online in a national media outlet is a great boost to your social media program.

Just don’t call yourself an expert.

First, how are your credentials? Are you a member of the local or state bar association? Best candidates for media coverage have leadership positions with their peers. Journalists are more comfortable when they know that you have these positions, as they set you apart from your colleagues. If you have been considering getting more involved with the bar or any related organization, we suggest jumping in. With both feet. It will also help your professional development and your practice.

Next, what topics are you most qualified to discuss? If you have never met a trust you didn’t like, that’s your bailiwick. If you work with high net worth clients who own real estate and a good chunk of your practice concerns helping transfer real property from generation to generation, you have a different topic to cover. For attorneys who work with business owners where the family business is a farm business, you have insights and experience to share with farm media also. A more traditional personal finance columnist might not be that keen on your topics. In other words, know thyself and know the media.

Have you reached out to local media in the last year or so? Depending on whether you are, in a major media market or a mid-sized city, you might have even gotten a call from a reporter asking questions about a story they are working on. Do yourself a favor: make a note of the reporter’s name, email address and phone number. If they are not a personal finance reporter, they will be able to tell you who is. Start adding a media list to your E2 CRM.

Did you ever send out one press release and then complain that it didn’t do anything for you? Does Coke run one ad a year? One of the keys to media relations success is being in the right time, at the right place. That means sending out press releases or story ideas or lists of facts on a regular basis. If you are sending out a steady stream of useful, substantive information, reporters will come to know that you are a “working” source that is trying to get their attention.

This is just a taste of what you need to know about building a successful public relations program. IMS will present a webinar on public relations scheduled for April 5 – stay tuned for details!

“Are You a Lawyer or a Person?”

This is a real quote, uttered by a legal secretary in a large New York City municipal office many years ago. She was given to unexpected moments of brilliance, and kept an overworked and understaffed team of 30 attorneys in line, so no one was offended. If they were, they kept it to themselves. The office laughed about it, and she heard it repeated many times over the course of her long career.

But let’s think about that phrase, and what it means for your office.

In one sense, it’s true. We treat other attorneys in a different manner than we do people who are not attorneys. Our paralegals know there is a difference. Even when another attorney calls your office in a fighting mood, your default response is to be calm and professional. There is some deference paid to colleagues.

When clients and prospects pick up the phone or send an email, estate planning and elder lawyers and their paralegals need to remember that you are getting a phone call from a person who has a problem that they need you to solve. They may never have spoken with an attorney before, or they may have only spoken with an attorney during times of great stress.

You can do something before they even get to your office to assuage their fears and make them more comfortable. Give them an opportunity to see you as a lawyer AND a person. Here’s how:

Get out of your office and into the public eye. If you are not already involved with your community’s senior centers, office of the aging or whatever kind of senior services organizations exist in your community, you are missing opportunities for people to get to meet you and see you as a person.

Get to know local media. Whether you are in a one-traffic light town or a busy city, there are journalists writing about issues that concern estate planning. You can get to know them via social media, send them ideas for articles or, best of all, keep them up-to-date with changes in the law that impact your clients. They are always on the look-out for news and good sources.

Create a lawyer video with our team. Doing so gives visitors to your website an opportunity to meet the real you, talking about what matters to you and why you are in this area of the law.

Here’s an adage we like: we do business with people we know, like and trust.

If you don’t have time to get out into the public, and don’t want to take the time to speak with the media, a video will give prospects a chance to “meet” you. And once the video is done, there’s no limit to the number of people who will see you, the real you, as they do their research to find an estate planning attorney who can help them.

A Thoroughly Modern Santa

Does Santa Claus have a website? If he does, you can be sure its mobile friendly.

If you can’t find Santa’s personal website or Facebook page, you may want to learn about the real story behind the Santa tracking website from NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command).  

The NORAD website says that the tradition began in 1955 when a Colorado Springs based Sears store used the wrong number for the store in a print ad. Instead of the store number, it used a phone number for the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD, later NORAD) hotline. In response to the calls, Colonel Harry Shoup had his staff give children who called updates on Santa’s location. 

But if you dig deeper, you’ll find an article from The Atlantic, which reports that the military has a long tradition of using media and Santa to promote a positive image. During World War II, Eisenhower’s headquarters issued a press release about Santa. In 1948, the State Department sent a diplomatic dispatch to Kris Kringle. And in 1950s, during the Cold War, a media savvy Colonel Shoup got a call from a child who had reversed two digits and accidentally called CONAD. The first misdial was not met with great warmth, but a savvy Colonel saw the potential for a great story. The public relations campaign grew, and decades later, NORAD has a very sophisticated website dedicated to Santa’s travels from the North Pole.   

We like both stories. The first one is heartwarming, even if it is disingenuous.

We also like the second one, because it shows what can happen when someone in a leadership position is open to seeing possibilities that might not be immediately apparent to everyone.

And we do have to add this final note - if your website is not already upgraded to a responsive design, i.e., mobile-friendly, that should be the first thing on your marketing to-do list for 2016.

Could You Be An Expert Source?

 

We love digital marketing. It’s what we do. We reach targeted prospects with the right information, open the flow of conversation and deliver leads to your door.

But we also like the power of the press.

If you read the news, you know that there are many reporters covering topics that speak directly to your targeted prospects. Every day brings a look at celebrity estates gone sour, ever-changing rules and regulations from federal and state governments that change how we prepare for retirement, and information that helps seniors as they grapple with financial challenges.

Are you part of that dialogue? Could you be?

There are many sources vying to be the experts quoted in the press on estate planning and Elder Law issues, so it’s a not a quick or instant event. But, if you want to see your name in print, here are a few suggestions:

1 – Start a list of reporters who write on issues that you could be a source for. Your local newspaper likely has a personal finance reporter and a reporter who covers senior issues.

2 – Send an email introducing yourself, and make sure to provide your cell phone number and website address. Include the topics that you feel comfortable speaking about, and if appropriate, the top five issues that you see in your practice.

3 – Don’t be a pest, but do be persistent. If an article is written on a topic that you know well, and if there is information that you can add to the conversation, send the reporter a follow up email.

4 – If a reporter calls you, remember that they are super busy and need to get information on a timely basis – so call back right away. They will appreciate it if you do.

5 – If there is anything you do NOT want to appear in print, don’t share it. This is especially true regarding any client matters. There is no such thing as ‘off the record.’ You never, ever want to reveal information that is confidential. 

Seeing your name in print is fun – having prospective clients see your name in print is another piece of marketing your practice. 

It’s All about YOU – Why You Need a Professional Website Bio

As a digital marketing firm, we’ve seen our fair share of websites. Each client coming on board brings their own set of marketing goals, so each website we create is different. But, there are a few areas that we feel each attorney needs to have as a website staple. One of these is the Bio Page.

What Is a Bio Page?

The bio page of your website is all about YOU. Your bio needs to let your potential clients know your story: your education, how you became an attorney, your work experience, awards … you get the idea. If you are part of a larger firm, they’ll want to know more about the practice as a whole.

Why Do I Need a Bio?

Research shows that website bio pages are one of the top searched pages overall – sometimes only second to the homepage. In fact, The Legal Intelligencer says that “Various surveys and other research over the past three to five years indicate that more than 90 percent of general counsel believe that law firm websites play a key role in influencing purchasing decisions for legal services, and that lawyer bios are the single most important section of a firm's site. In fact, lawyer bio pages generate between half and three-quarters of all the traffic on firm websites.” Wow!

And it’s not only potential clients or firms that are looking to use your attorney services. Other colleagues looking to make a referral, associations, trade groups and even judges will often go to your bio page to review your credentials and experience.

What Should My Bio Say?

With a bio being one of the most important pages of a website, you sure do want a good one! Often, attorneys may not spend a lot of time crafting the perfect bio – so here are some ideas to spruce it up:

• Show what type of law you focus on. Get to the key areas quickly and be specific!
• Answer “what can you do for me?” Sure, awards and accolades are important to list … but your bio should be client-focused overall. Share how you can help solve your clients' issues.
• Share your brand story. Your marketing should have a consistent brand message, and that also applies to your bio page. Everything from the writing tone down to the font and format of staff titles – make sure your brand message is clear.
• Be aware of state rules. Each state has different ideas of what is or is not ok for legal advertising, and this goes for websites too. Make sure you are aware of what is allowed and what needs to be left off of the bio page.
• Make updates. As your practice changes and your experience grows, you need to reflect these updates in your bio. If you haven’t changed your bio in a few years, it’s probably time to review and edit.
• Show some personality. When people think of a “professional bio” they may assume it should sound like a resume. But you don’t want to come off as stuffy or boring – you work with people, and they want to feel comfortable with you. Let them in on some of your personal interests and community involvement. Attorney bios should not be “cookie cutter”, they should be unique for each attorney.

Haven’t updated your bio page recently? If it’s time for a review, send your edits directly to the IMS Team via our Online Support Ticket.

Reference: The Legal Intelligencer (June 23, 2015) – “Autobiography of a Lawyer: The Most Important Part of a Firm's Site”