Integrity Marketing

Don’t Commit These Four “Out-of-the-Office” Offences This Summer

Ahhh, summer. It’s just around the corner. As Olaf from Disney’s Frozen knows, summer means, “Bees, they’ll buzz, kids’ll blow Dandelion fuzz…” For big kids, summer may just mean a little less traffic on our morning commutes. Although it’s not two full months off for us anymore, hopefully at least a couple of those summer days are reserved on your busy calendar for a vacation. Taking a break away from work is important, especially for business owners!

Believe it or not, you can take a few days to rest and recharge. The company will not completely crumble in your absence. However, before you hop to that Hawaiian hiatus, here are four ways that will make your reality re-entry really rough.

Not Having a Pre-Out-of-Office To-Do Checklist

Whether it’s for one day or one week, if you are away from your desk, your role and responsibilities may be on hold which impacts other functions within your company. Without a set list of the things that must be done while you are out, it’s very easy for things to slip through the cracks and be missed, creating errors or causing inefficiencies for staff and clients alike.

Best practice? Write up a list of essential tasks. Whether that’s unlocking the front door in the morning, paying bills or updating your eNewsletter list, make sure that another employee is cross-trained in that function.  If at all possible, starting this training a few weeks in advance so they can attempt the task with you still around to answer questions is helpful.

No Out-of-Office E-Mail Message – Missed Marketing!

What’s worse than e-mailing someone something time-sensitive only to be answered four or five hours later by constant and utter silence? Nothing. Sigh… That’s frustrating. Did they get your message? Do they have questions? Did the attachment not go through? No clue.

To avoid this scenario with your staff or clients be sure to set an appropriate automatic reply within your e-mail provider. But don’t stop there! You might not be working, but your e-mail still is, so why not take advantage of the recipient’s attention and tell them more about your company, products and services?

While this particular article is geared for how marketers can spice up their sentiments, the overall concept of Hubspot’s “7 Clever & Effective Out-of-Office Replies to Try” can be carried through to other professionals.

After the basics have been covered (the date you’ll return, other staff they can reach, etc.), perhaps you can close with a reminder to read your most recent blog post? What about including a direct link to your workshops registration website, inviting them to join your next event? A really good idea would be to ask for reviews on your particular social media platform of choice. Even use education and show one of your practice area videos.

Add “Setting your e-mail auto-reply message,” to your checklist. You can and should make your e-mail keep working for you, all the while, you reapply your sunscreen.

No Out-of-Office Phone Message – More Missed Marketing!

Similar to an e-mail message above, you have another opportunity to carry your branding over to your telephone answering message. You will have to be a bit more careful here, though. You can’t expect callers to hang on the line for 10 minutes while you spell out the URLs of all of your social media pages they could check out.  They’ll hang up and likely be annoyed.

After the basics have been covered in your message (the date you’ll return, other staff they can reach, etc.), perhaps you can close with a reminder to visit your website, www.bestwebsiteever.com, for answers to frequently asked questions. Again, “Visit Our Facebook Page and Leave a Review,” is another good way to go. Give them some sort of action step to take. Another task to add to your checklist.

No Scheduled Social Media Posts

You’ve been inviting people to your page all month and are finally seeing some momentum building. You’re getting “Likes!” You posted an interesting article last week and have been consistently commenting back to the conversation that has emerged. Don’t throw all of that hard work away!

Some of the social media platforms allow you to schedule posts well in advance.  Even if you are going to be gone for a week, read up the week before and ready some articles and website links to share. Schedule them now so you can still be “social” while soaking up some sun somewhere else.

It’s really a best practice to have articles and links back to your website scheduled out as far in advance as you can, anyway, but if you aren’t already doing this, at least make sure it gets added to your checklist, too.

Taking some time off is really great! Removing yourself from the daily grind, even if for only a few days, can reenergize and rejuvenate your work, making you more efficient! Just make sure you do your best to make your time away as painless as possible for everyone involved. Get your task list put together, start some cross-training and don’t forget to set your auto-responders with valuable information and hyperlinks, and you’ll be welcomed back with warm smiles after vacation, instead of hot fires to put out.

Reference: HubSpot – “7 Clever & Effective Out-of-Office Replies to Try"

Personalize Your Marketing: Sign It!

With the rapid progression and advancement of technology, it can sometimes seem like our marketing efforts are becoming less personal. But even though we have come to expect more out of our hand-held devices, we still want to feel like we are communicating with real humans. How do we bridge the gap between technology and the comfort of human interaction?

One great way to make your marketing messages more personal is to sign it! While you can’t actually grab your favorite pen and sign each email you send out, there are a few ways that you can emulate the same idea: use a font or use an image.

Use a Font

There are lots of handwriting-like fonts available these days. If you are typing a document and then printing it or sending it as a PDF, using a handwriting-type font is a good solution. Just type your name at the end of the document (like you would if you were actually signing it), and change the font to one of the many handwriting fonts available. If those available on your operating system aren’t appealing to you, try searching through the free fonts available through Font Squirrel and installing one of those.

Use an Image

For applications where you can’t pick the font, like email, using an image is a better solution. To get an image of your signature:

1. Grab white paper (not lined or colored at all – stick with plain computer paper to be safe) and a pen. A thicker pen like a permanent marker or ball-point pen will work best.
2. Write your name on the paper, leaving a border of blank paper around it. The bigger you write it, the better. You can always make an image smaller, but you can’t make it bigger, so it’s best to start out larger than you think you’ll need.
3. Use either your smartphone or a scanner to digitize your signature.  If taking a photo with your smartphone, hold the camera as perpendicular to the paper with your signature as possible. And try to keep the lighting bright so that the paper shows up as white (not yellowed by dim lighting). Email the photo to yourself so you have a copy on your computer.
4. Open up the image in your favorite photo editor. No need for fancy software, just the program that comes pre-installed on your machine is fine. Crop the photo so that your signature is centered.
5. Save the image and insert it where needed!

A Word of Caution

While adding your signature is a great personal touch, identity theft is a real and ever-present threat. Especially as an attorney, you want to exercise caution. Instead of using your full, “official” signature, use just your first name or use a hand-printed version of your name, instead of the loopy, cursive signature you use to sign checks or official documents. Besides, if your signature is anything like mine, your “real” signature is illegible! No point in signing your message if your readers can’t read the name of the sender!

That Old Double Space

Do you double space after a period at the end of a sentence? If you answered: Yes, I ask: Why?

Let me guess – because your high school typing teacher told you to! Okay, I get it. You're just doing what you were told (and taught) to do. Albeit, perhaps 30 or more years ago AND you were learning on a typewriter! Well, unless you are the only one in the office still using a typewriter, it's time to stop double spacing!

Seriously – stop! Even your typing teacher uses a computer now and single spaces at the end of a sentence!

Monospaced vs. Proportional Spacing

So what's the difference you may wonder? With a typewriter font, i.e., Courier, the letters are monospaced, meaning each letter uses up the same amount of space whether a W or an I. So the extra space at the end of a sentence was necessary to help break up and provide a visual guide within the open letter spacing.

Today, I have feeling most of us are using a computer with modern fonts that use proportional spacing. That is, the letters take up a proportionate amount of space based on the width of the letter itself and the surrounding letters – and to double space after a sentence creates unusual gaps of white space that may also appear proportionate to the length of the line. This is especially true if you are using full justification (but that's another story!).

Have a great week!

- April

Reference: Strizver, Ilene (fonts.com) - "Double Spaces Between Sentences – NOT!"

It’s Time for a Content Marketing Makeover

Change is inevitable, no? I think Bob Dylan’s song "The Times They Are A-Changin'” hits the nail on the head … no matter what decade we are in.

Think about marketing for a moment. Has your law firm marketing strategy and execution changed since you started your practice? Some firms who’ve been around for 20 years would obviously say yes, but even newer firms of only 1-5 years would have to admit that marketing changes all the time. What works today may not work tomorrow.

What Influences Changes in Marketing?

There are many factors that influence changes in your marketing, but here are a few key players when it comes to changes in law firm marketing:

• Demographics/Target Market – Who you want to market to/where your firm serves clients.
• Consumer Behavior – How your clients or prospects engage or respond to marketing.
• Technology – How your marketing message is distributed and received.
• Changes in the Law or Practice – Federal or state law changes/changes in your practice areas.
• Competition – What “the other guy” is doing to attract more business.

All of these will influence the way you market your own practice, and all of these can change at any given moment. Regardless of how you adapt to these changes – through digital marketing, internal staffing, networking, etc.  – there is one tool you can use to address all of these issues that often gets left in the “olden days” – and that is CONTENT.

Your content strategy is very important, so if you 1) don’t have a content strategy or 2) haven’t updated your content in years, you may be missing the mark and falling behind.

Forbes shared great advice this week on updating your content marketing in an article titled “5 Ways Your Content Marketing Needs To Grow Up.”

Get a Written Content Strategy

Verbalize and write down what your content strategy is going to be. As the article says:

Most businesses can’t afford to continually create new content just for the sake of creating content; a mature content strategy will ensure that content is being used effectively as a way to achieve pre-determined business goals.

It’s not enough just to have practice area content any more. There is so much information being pushed out on a daily basis that people just do not have the time to read it all. Your content has to be effective – it has to have a purpose. If you have a strategy in place, you can refer back to it each time you are ready to push out another communication or make changes to your marketing. This keeps your messages consistent and streamlined.

Think Mobile

Yes, you need a mobile-friendly website. But the “think mobile” concept doesn’t end there. You need to understand how mobile affects your marketing content. Remember how Consumer Behavior influences marketing? How does a mobile-user view and interact with your marketing? Consumers now are viewing information on mobile devices, scrolling and tapping along as they go. Make sure your content is legible, easily accessible, engaging from the get-go, and conveys your message right away. Otherwise, they are going to move to the next thing in one swift swipe of their screen.

Content Has a Life Cycle

This is not a one-and-done thing. Although you can reuse content (and you should), you still need to address the life cycle of your messages. Plan, create, publish, distribute and then analyze your results. Was it effective? Should you make any tweaks to it? Can you reuse this message, or is it outdated now? Remember, your content needs to have a purpose. And once that purpose is fulfilled or no longer applies, it’s time to move on.

How Are Consumers (or Clients) Using Your Content?

This goes beyond how they are viewing your content (such a mobile above), and dives into the reason they are looking. Where are they in the buying process? Are they researching information or ready to set up an appointment? If they are ready to call you, are you making it easy for them? Does your message help guide them down the right path? Make sure your content complements the consumer’s place in the Customer Journey.

Be conscious of preferred content format too, such as inclinations to watch video, view information on social media, or the need for a consistent touch-point via email.

Tell Your Story

Why? Your story creates the emotional connection that a client or prospect needs. Have you heard of the phrase “show, don’t tell”? This is key when it comes to law firm marketing. Legal terms often leave people confused and overwhelmed. But if they can understand your story, this form of communication passively sells your practice without a direct plug. I think the article said it best:

“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the minds stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal

So, what is your story? How can your content marketing strategy change your practice?

Reference: Forbes (May 19, 2105) - "5 Ways Your Content Marketing Needs To Grow Up"

Want More Google Reviews?

Many of our clients want to know how to get on Google's good side. Not a surprise, considering 3.5 billion searches are done per day through Google -- and counting!

So what can you do to make sure your website is coming up in the mix?

There are several ways to make sure you are in Google's good graces. We "preach" about these Essentials often, such as having a responsive and mobile-friendly website, top-notch SEO coding, relevant keyword-rich content, branded blog with daily posts, and active social media accounts.

In addition to the Essentials, there is one more thing you can do to help land your website on Google's radar -- and that is asking for Google reviews.

Why Are Reviews on Google so Important?

Well, because Google says so. Google's algorithm -- or way of ranking which websites are going to show up for online search -- pays close attention to online reviews. You see, Google caters to the consumer or searcher. They want to make search as easy and efficient as possible. Google knows that people want to see reviews when searching for products or services, so a review goes a long ways in your local SEO results.

And besides pleasing Google, having good reviews of your firm helps attract potential clients who are trying to decide if they want to work with you. Think about it -- if you are searching for a dentist online and notice one that has several good reviews (and lots of "gold stars"), would you consider that dentist over one that doesn't have any feedback online? Probably so.

Asking for Google Reviews

So, how do you get more reviews on Google? It's simple. You ASK. 

Some attorneys aren't sure how to do this, so I found a great article from Foster Web Marketing that offers some tips. Here are a few to try: 

The Do's and Don'ts of Asking for Online Reviews

• Do politely ask for reviews in person when you are finishing up a case. Make it part of your protocol at signing.
• Don't offer an incentive or gift in exchange for a review. You want real reviews with no strings attached -- no fluff!
• Do include a suggestion in all newsletters that clients review your practice.
• Do set up an account for your business on the most used review sites in your area. So it's not just Google -- think Bing, Yelp, Avvo, Lawyers.com, Facebook, LinkedIn and other review sites.
• Don't set up a computer in your office for people to use to review your firm. This puts too much pressure on the client and doesn't give them time to really think about what they want to say in their review -- which could result in generic reviews that don't give potential clients enough information.
• Do encourage potential reviewers to use the review format they like the best. Give them options, but let them choose the one they are most familiar with. You want to make this process as easy as possible because clients are doing this on their own time.

As an example of the last "Do" above, I received an email from my realtor last week asking for a Google review. It was a very nice email with simple instructions and even a link I could click on to add my own review for the realtor online. And even though we sold our home last year, I was happy to provide the review for our realtor! Don't feel like you can only ask your most recent clients for reviews, reach out to your entire database and just ask. You'd be surprised at how many clients are happy to help! Afterall, you have already helped them with their own estate planning or elder law issues and many clients are forever grateful for your assistance.

So whether it's an email to clients, part of your signing protocol, a request on your email and/or print newsletter (or ALL of the above) -- start asking for reviews and you'll be sure to add more muscle to your local SEO results.

Reference: Foster Web Marketing - "Why Your Local SEO Efforts Better Include an Online Review Strategy"

Save the Sticky Notes and Get It Together!

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m “Type A.” I love lists. Like some of you, I add things I’ve already done to my lists, just so I can check them off.  In college, I used to write out my plan for nearly each and every moment of the day: 6:30am – Wake up, 6:35am – Shower, 6:55am – Breakfast, 7:11am – Brush Teeth… (My college roommate still hasn’t let me live down “Brush Teeth” yet…).

My co-workers have mentioned being mortified by my Google calendar.  If you ever want to know what I worked on yesterday, last week or month, what I am currently doing or plan to do in the future, check my calendar.  It’s all on there.  (Almost) Every. Single. Thing.

Although it stresses some people out, for me, it makes sense to have a plan and be as prepared as possible for the day.  I know the top three or four things that I have to accomplish for the day and I (generously) allot the required amount of time to do so. 

Anything that doesn’t make the cut this morning still gets taken care of, just perhaps tomorrow.  If someone calls and wants a meeting, I can clearly see when I am next available, or, if it’s a higher priority than my current task, I can easily adjust my calendar to accommodate the new task.

It takes a bit of elbow grease ahead of time, but streamlining my tasks frees me of (some) stress.

I was listening to Build Your Tribe, a personal and business development podcast by Chalene Johnson, and I don’t remember the exact episode of her quote, but on a daily basis people now take in as much content as reading about seven newspapers front and back each day. 

We don’t have the time or space in our minds to try and remember all the little tidbits that pop up over the course of a day. One thing I’ve learned that works for me is, whatever it is, write it down. Better yet – save the sticky notes and organize it on a calendar.

Still, honestly, there are a couple of things that are on my calendar that stress even me out.  One being writing this blog.

While I actually really enjoy writing and am excited to have the opportunity to share what I’m learning and what our company is doing within this industry, I usually have 5-10 client projects going at once.  It’s tough for me to just sit down, focus in and think, “Hmm… what should I write about this week?”

My current method could use some work.  I’m on about 30 marketing trends e-mail lists.  Over the course of the week, any new messages I receive are filtered together in a folder.  Then, when I’m ready to write my weekly blog, I read through the ones that appear interesting and decide what might be helpful to share with our clients. 

Another approach is to answer questions from clients that I see come up a couple of times or more. Or, if we know there is going to be a major change, like Google’s “Mobilegeddon,” I try to write something in line with the associated marketing implications. 

Regardless of my approach, it’s very challenging for me to have to come up with ideas week after week after week.

Maybe you feel this way when your account manager asks you to share a page of your website or an interesting article weekly (or more!) on all your social media platforms?

Maybe you feel like your marketing message is a bit random and you’re not sure how to keep those engaging with your online presence moving down the steps of the Customer Journey toward becoming clients?

It’ll take some effort, but here’s something we can all try together. In the marketing world, it’s called an Editorial Calendar. 

Garrett Moon of CoSchedule.com put together some really great background information on content marketing and tips for creating your very own plan in a recent blog post, including free, online, interactive calendar templates.

An editorial calendar will help in so many ways:

• The team will be working together to drive toward the company goals = GROWTH!
• Your marketing message will be aligned, more cohesive and, therefore, more effective.
• Events will be promoted well in advance to boost your attendance.
• You’ll have record of your marketing efforts to compare with your success.
• Clearly identify what works (to continue more of) and what doesn’t.
• Increased efficiency lead by a guiding direction of goals, instead of guessing.
• You can delegate and assign tasks and set deadlines.
• Team members can easily see what has already been written about or what is already scheduled – no more staff covering the same information twice.

To begin your Editorial Calendar, start by outlining a rough draft of activities and goals for the rest of the year.  Are you hosting any upcoming events? What are things that you hope to accomplish before 2016? Do you want more clients coming to your workshop, downloading your eBook or “Liking” your Facebook Business Page?  Whatever it may be, grab a pencil and some paper and start making your timeline.

Now get with the other members of your team and brainstorm some ideas of how you can accomplish those goals.  You may not be able to come up with a plan for your entire year right now, but you can at least start with what’s coming down the pipe and meet again next month.

If you have an upcoming workshop, research some articles or take note of in-house resources that would provide people with information about that topic. Find photos, songs or videos that you can share (legally) to engage your users. Or perhaps gather client testimonials of those who attended a similar event.

Then, mark on your calendar the dates you would like to start your “campaign” or promotion.  For the workshop example, you can share an article on Facebook weeks in advance about the topic you’ll be speaking on. 

Continue to think through different ways you can provide information to your readers and set dates on the calendar.  You’ll need to allow time for researching as well as time actually on your social platforms posting, etc.

Important!

1. Always include a “Call to Action” when sharing articles.  Introduce the subject of the message you are trying to convey and wrap it up with, “Click here to register for our upcoming workshop on [Topic],” and link back to your website.
   
2. Be sure to note on the editorial calendar who is responsible for gathering the content and posting it online.

Is this something you and your company already have in place? Do you have any questions?  This is really right up my alley, but did I just create more stress for you?

If you need help getting started, please feel free to contact Integrity Marketing today.  It may be that the goals you outline could be incorporated into your Essential Solution pieces as well – including your e-mail or print newsletter, website, or video. 

We would be happy to discuss your ideas – and maybe even host you here at our office for a Private Firm Retreat!

Reference: CoSchedule Blog - "Create Consistent Content With A Content Marketing Editorial Calendar"

Why Your Next Year of Blogs Will SMASH the Last One

I’ve been getting this question quite a bit from our clients lately:

“Can you give us some better blog photos to use?  These are boring.”

I definitely understand.  There’s only so many articles that go with grandmas in the flowery swimming caps …

I wish I had the eye to be a photographer.  I am absolutely pleased with everything being centered in a frame.  I also have no understanding of the proper lighting elements needed to perfect a picture.  If I did, I would have a blast running around town snapping shots to provide for you to boost your blogs!

Luckily for (all of) us, our good friends at HubSpot already took that task upon themselves.

You’re going to need to bookmark this article by Anum Hussain in your browser, “550+ Royalty-Free Stock Photos You Can Download Now.”  (No really, save it – you’ll thank me later!)

Here you’ll find:

• miscellaneous images,
• corporate / business pictures, and then
• some really great options for the holidays as they roll around.

If you are you thinking to yourself, “This is too good to be true. Nothing is ever really free,” it’s possible we need to get you outdoors to see the sun or at least caffeine to perk up that pout … but after that, you’ll be glad to hear that HubSpot knows all about the concern around using “free” images from personal experience (noted in the article). 

They decided to offer people like you a way around all of those issues and provided free photos minus the hassle.  Thanks, HubSpot!

I think the swimming Grandmas would approve ;).

Reference: HubSpot (April 17, 2015) - "550+ Royalty-Free Stock Photos You Can Download Now"

Connect with Your Audience through Social Media

Some small businesses feel they do not have the time to engage with their followers on Social Media.  Some do not see the value in it or simply do not want to learn how to use this “foreign” marketing platform. Maybe it is because they think their target audience is not active on social media?  Or they don’t realize that it takes 4-6 touch points to actually get a potential client to inquire about your business.

If you are a small business it is your benefit to engage in social media, if not on a daily, but weekly basis.  The automatic post from your blog feed is a great source of organic content.  Content is more valuable when users are engaging with it. 

Here are a few tips on how you can build engagement with your Social Media audience:

(1) Show your personality – The Facebook platform is a great informal way to build a relationship with your prospective clients.  This gives them a chance to get to know and connect with you before actually becoming a client.

(2) Interact with your community – Use Facebook to interact within your existing networks, if you are a part of non-profit or social organizations.  Facebook is a great way to share articles, comment on events or like posts.

(3) Share Media – Through videos and photos.  Users are more likely to respond to imagery than text.  Facebook is a great way to showcase photos of your office or share informational videos about your services.

Ultimately, interacting within your Social Media account and posting organic content is FREE advertising and it should be incorporated into your existing marketing strategy.  

IMS President Kyle Krull Sworn into Bar of United States Supreme Court

Our very own IMS President Kyle Krull was sworn into the bar of the United States Supreme Court on Monday. Kyle was part of a group of Washburn University School of Law alums appearing in open session before the justices.

Kyle highly recommends the experience to any attorney admitted and in good standing before any state or federal court, regardless of practice focus.

An avid blogger, Kyle took to his blog this week to inform readers of his absence from the blogosphere last week and shared his experience in Washington, D.C.:

I was sworn into the bar of the United States Supreme Court on Monday, as part of a group of Washburn University School of Law alums appearing in open session before the justices.

Following the ceremony, we all enjoyed a private reception with Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Ginsberg and Justice Sotomayor, lunch at the Army and Navy Club, a tour of the Pentagon, and an evening reception with Senator Bob Dole.

What a day.

The experience of being sworn into the court in open session is open to any attorney admitted and in good standing before any state or federal court, regardless of his or her practice focus.

Congratulations, Kyle!

Read Kyle's full post at: http://blog.kylekrull.com/kansas-missouri-estate-planning/2015/03/my-tuesday-absence-explained.html

Facebook Insights Tell Time for Social Media

Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly when you should schedule your blogs and social media posts so as many people as possible see them?  Now you can!

Facebook Insights allow you to see more in-depth information about your fan base.  Utilizing this information will allow you to pinpoint the proper plan for posting.

Check out this Social Media Examiner update and scroll down to #5: Post at the Right Time.

How Do I Check My Facebook Insights on My Business Page?

1) Log into your Facebook account

2) Access to your business page is available in a couple of locations:

• In the left-most column, under “Pages”
• In the very top, right-hand corner, the tiny down arrow

3) Administrators of your page can click on “Insights” at the top.
    Your fans do not see these options or information.
      

4) Click on “Posts” in the second row of buttons.

5) Below, you can see the how many people you are reaching each day of the week and at what time of the day that you have the most engagement.

      

For this particular client, they have a relatively consistent viewership throughout the week.  Posting their blogs Monday – Friday will reach the majority of their fan base regularly. 

In regard to timing, generally, engagement is high in both early to mid-morning and early to mid-afternoon, but it’s important to find out when YOUR fans are online.

According to this client’s Insights, there is a bit of a spike later in the evening, around 9pm.

Please take note: This data is for the past seven days.  I recommend checking on your Insights once a week for at least a month before making any drastic scheduling changes. Gather data about the days and times you have the most engagement.  Look for a trends.  Then, plot out your plan.

Seeing that a few more readers stop in on the weekends may encourage this client to throw in a manual (not IMS provided) blog sometimes, scheduled for Saturday and/or Sunday. 

Or, this client could possibly schedule their posts around 7 or 8 o’clock at night.  While the spike is at 9pm, you want to send your content a little in advance.

Facebook Insights is still making its way to all business pages. It’s possible that, if you do not see the “Insights” option, it is “Coming Soon!”