Dec

13

4 Reasons The Media Does Not Cover Your Case

Filed Under Marketing Strategies & Tips, PR & Media, Social Media | Leave a Comment

Are you wondering why your case(s) are not getting coverage? You won the case, got a big verdict… but still no coverage. The media must have it out for you, right? That is probably not the case. Below we discuss four reasons why you may not be getting media coverage/exposure on your cases:

1) LACK A PR STRATEGY & PLAN - Every law firm should have a PR plan, devised in advance, for handling each potential newsworthy case. For each case, attorneys should identify: The goals and objectives, the target audience, the appropriate media outlets, and the appropriate distribution format (video, on-line, social, press release, press conference, etc.). Attorneys and clients must also be prepared for potential interviews and follow-up.

2) MISSED DEADLINES - All media outlets are deadline driven. Letting a journalists, producer or reporter know about a story as it is happening or when the latest edition has gone to press can limit your chances for coverage. Advance notification is critical for the accurate gathering of information and timely release of the story. Realize that you may not get TV coverage, but may get exposure on the outlet’s website, blog, Twitter account, etc.  No matter the coverage you receive, media outlets need attorneys to provide timely and quality information.

3) IT’S NOT NEWS – Reporters cover stories that are newsworthy. They cover stories that their readers and viewers want and will grab their attention and interest; not a story that is self-serving and for your own benefit or gain. Build relationships with your local reporters, journalist and producers. Get to know their coverage area (state or federal courts; business news, real estate news, court news, etc.; geographical location). If you invest the time, you increase your chance to become a reliable source (expert in your field/a-go-to-person) when the news media is doing a story that pertains your practice/experience.

4) CHANGING NEWSROOMS – Newsrooms and staff are shrinking. Staff is doing more with less—in some cases a solo reporter is now the producer, writer, reporter, editor and cameraman. They are also covering multiple beats (coverage areas); with some media outlets (former competitors) banning together to share stories and reporters. Fewer reporter means there is only so many stories they can cover at one time. To accommodate this shift, attorneys must not overlook the value of new technology and platforms (social media, mobile devices, on-line, video) which consumers are using to access news and information daily.

Don’t wait for the last minute to issue your press release and then berate the media in hopes of getting them to cover your case. Instead, develop a PR plan that clearly states your media objectives and goals, customize a press release for each case that highlights what is truly newsworthy, and take the time to build relationships with your local reporters. Building relationships with help you and your firm develop credibility and often times will translate to visibility in the news. 

BARD Marketing can help you create and execute the right PR strategy. Call BARD today at 1-888-922-7398 or send an email.

 

Nov

17

Are You A Rainmaker

Filed Under Business Development Strategies | Leave a Comment

Legal Networking is the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other professionals (legal, medical, business), potential clients and referral partners. Networking can also used for the exchange of business information, ideas, and support.

To be successful at networking focus on those who are good at what they do. Work with those who understand networking and are willing to develop an effective networking relationship with you. Finally, work with those who have business contacts that can help you.

How to Build Your Legal Network

  • Have an objective. Always identify a goal or purpose for your networking. What is it that you want to achieve (clients, referral partners, resources, social, etc.)? Are you in the right place and are you in front of the right target audience?
  • Know whose listening. Do your homework. Know your audience and use the right elevator pitch. Can you get your point across in 30 seconds or less? Also, remember to be a good/active listener.
  • Existing contacts. Your network of friends, family members, colleagues, and acquaintances is one of your most valuable resources. Reach out to former clients and vendors, professional associations and community groups. Rely on your existing contacts to expand your network. Ask for their referrals and recommendations to their connections in order to help build your network. Build and maintain your contact list(s).
  • Attend industry gatherings. Engage in meaningful conversation and exchange business cards. Join committees and communicate through their e-lists. Write articles within your areas of law expertise for their newsletters and websites. Mentor a new member and/or a less experienced professional.
  • Follow-up. Maintain your legal network and nurture relationships by staying in touch. Call just to say hello, with no hidden agenda. Send birthday, anniversary, and holiday cards. Email them with links to blog posts and articles you know would like to read. Let them know about upcoming industry events and other community events of interest. Stay top-of-mind with your connections by following up regularly, it shows you are serious and demonstrates commitment. Also, show gratitude and appreciation by thanking people those that help you.
  • Invite people out. Going out for lunch, drinks, or coffee is an opportunity for maintaining communication casually. You can also invite people to do things related to your interests (tennis, golf, the arts, etc). The objective here is to establish a connection beyond your initial meeting. Preferably, this should be one-on-one.
  • Be generous. Since you're looking to create mutually beneficial relationships, a good way to start is by thinking of ways in which you can help others. It's not all about contacts, job offers, etc.; you can offer compliments, good listening skills, and other less tangible (but valuable) gestures of kindness and generosity. Giving often precedes receiving in networking.
  • Connect on a local level by volunteering. Tap into your areas of expertise to lead and/or participate in community events, PTA efforts, organization Boards of Directors, fundraising efforts, sports activities, etc. Build visibility by speaking at professional events, publishing articles online, blogging, etc.
  • Use the Internet. Social Networking has evolved over the years to become a powerful business networking tool. Social networks are dynamic and offer instant communication with users, and could be utilized to leverage business by building relationships with friends-of-the firm, clients and referral partners.


Benefits of Networking

  • Referrals/Increased Business

Building strong relationships will naturally gain new business/client as people will recommend your services. People will pass business to those they know, like and trust.

  • Build your Brand

By expanding your contacts you are raising your profile—people will know of you, your services, and you will more likely to be thought of if your services are required. By developing your own brand, you’ll have control over people’s initial perception.

  • Free consultancy and advice

As you build relationships, the value of the help that is passed to you formally or informally will exceed any costs incurred by developing the relationships in the first place.

  • Reliable Contacts

The benefits of networking are not just about generating leads and referrals. By getting to know reliable contacts who can provide information/resources you want, or who can be trusted to recommend others is worth so much in terms of time and money.

  • Share Experiences

Develop contacts who have experienced similar problems or situations and who can point you in the right direction. They can help to answer questions through the effectiveness of their process or their own experiences and vice versa.

  • Increased confidence

The more you network the more you get used to explaining what you do and how you can help others. Clear communication of how you can help is crucial to getting business and this will only improve the more you do.

Legal Networking offers one of the strongest business development tools for attorneys. Networking requires long-term consistent effort as trust and track records do not happen overnight. When done correctly, networking can bring in business; when done poorly, it is a waste of time. BARD Marketing has the experience and know-how to create and execute the Right business development strategy. We can help with sales training of your attorneys and provide you with elevator pitches that captivate and that are differentiated. Call BARD today at 561-637-2575.
 

Nov

5

The Benefits of a Business Facebook Page

Filed Under Social Media | Leave a Comment

Facebook is an opportunity for attorneys to network for referrals, research defendants and potential jury members, market their law firms, and vet potential legal hires and current associates. Lawyers who use Facebook solely for personal reasons should reevaluate their use to consider the site’s possibilities for marketing and the development of professional relationships.

Top six reasons why lawyers should have a Business Facebook Page: yellowpages

1. Facebook can bring you referrals and clients by helping you to reconnect with old classmates, colleagues, friends, events, and interest groups.
2. Facebook can help you strengthen relationships with colleagues, both those at your firm and others. Facebook does this by fostering open communication about shared interests, activities, family life, and by offering opportunities to connect through groups and events.
3. Facebook Pages are great marketing tools. Pages allow you to post videos, photos, notes, blogs, and other interactive and community-building applications. Once you have created a Facebook page, you can promote it through Facebook’s Social Ads, although you should make sure to stay within the ethical rules for client solicitation in doing so.
4. Facebook is often used by jury consultants to evaluate potential jurors before and during trial. This internet vetting can disclose juror’s associations, interests or past statements that may make a lawyer want to strike them from the jury pool or prioritize keeping them on the case, and can provide a lawyer with insights into specific jurors, which may be beneficial in crafting effective closing arguments.
5. Facebook can be an effective tool for investigating defendants, witnesses, and prosecutors. Evidence revealed from Facebook searches has been used to prove that a defendant had no remorse after committing a crime, to prove a defendant’s motive, as evidence of the crime itself or of an individual’s participation in a crime, and to show the extent of plaintiffs’ injuries after an accident.
6. Through Facebook you can research potential job applicants’ public statements, photos and questionable social activity. A search of the site may also reveal statements by current employees regarding your firm or their workload. However, since Facebook may also reveal otherwise unknown protected information (race, religion, political affiliation) about job applicants or employees, be careful not to take adverse action based on that information.

If your Firm does not have a Business Facebook Page, let BARD Marketing create and Monitor your Social Media Account.

Give us a call at 561.637.2575 or visit www.bardmarketing.com.

‘Become a Fan’ of BARD Marketing’s Facebook Page

BARD Marketing encourages you to visit and ‘Become a Fan’ of our Facebook Page. Our page highlights our services, our team, firm announcements, our community involvement, legal events and updates, and conveniently allows visitors/fans to engage and ask questions.

We look forward to being a part of your social network!
 

Nov

5

Benefits of Email Marketing Campaigns

Filed Under Business Development Strategies, Marketing Strategies & Tips | Leave a Comment

With a better response rate than direct mail, e-mail marketing has become one of the most effective marketing efforts to increase a firm’s visibility and ultimately drive traffic to a website. If targeted correctly and message crafted aptly, e-marketing can help you deliver the right content to the right prospect at the right time, and continuously achieve high response rates from quality prospects.

Benefits of email marketing include:

Immediate action.
After an email is opened, it doesn't take long for the recipient to take immediate action. A simple click of the mouse can direct a recipient to the firm’s website, an informational link, the firm’s Facebook or Twitter account, or the firm’s contact page. For this reason, conversion rates are better with email marketing.

Keeping top-of-mind with clients and prospects.
Sending periodic emails helps you to stay top-of-mind with clients and prospects; and when a need for your services may arise, they are more likely to remember your firm and seek your legal assistance. In addition, your prospects are able to create an inbox/folder and archive your emails for future reference.

Supports segmentation.
Email list segmentation allows sending topic-specific email campaigns to a target audience. Optimal results of email campaigns depend on how relevant the campaign is to the recipients.

Measurable results.
Email marketing makes it possible to determine the effectiveness of your campaign; as services report the number of sent emails, opened emails, recipients who opened, recipients who clicked, and which links were clicked. This data can help improve your approach for future email campaigns.

Forward option.
With email campaigns, your audience can be extended due to the forward option. Emails can be designed to provide a trackable forward link to track who is being forwarding your emails.

Contact BARD Marketing at 561.637.2575 or visit www.bardmarketing.com to learn more about how we can customize a strategic email marketing campaign for your firm.

 

Nov

5

Five Marketing Mistakes Law Firms Make…And How to Recover!

Filed Under Marketing Strategies & Tips | Leave a Comment

When marketing efforts are not successful, many law firms wonder why…They sent out direct mail, or refreshed their website, initiated Google Adword campaigns, or attended a networking event, but are often left disappointed and frustrated asking “Why aren’t the phones ringing?”

Marketing efforts must be more than a disconnected series of tasks. Effective marketing is not a single activity, but an ongoing, synchronous effort that takes planning, consistency, and vigor to accomplish. Understanding marketing effectiveness comes from analyzing five of the most common marketing mistakes we've seen law firms make.

1. No Marketing Plan or Strategy – marketing efforts are ad-hoc and inconsistent
2. Little Branding or consistency in the Branding – the message is neither consistent nor memorable.
3. No integration or consistency in the marketing efforts- each effort is stand alone and there is no coordination of activities
4. No Measurement/Tracking and Analysis – there is no way to truly track effectiveness
5. Usage of the wrong marketing mechanism to reach your target audience and objectives – there are many different mechanisms and mediums but care must be taken to ensure that you use the right mechanism given your target group.

Are you making one or more of these mistakes? Visit BARD Marketing at www.bardmarketing.com/hot-topics to learn how you can recover from these common marketing mistakes and see positive results from your efforts.

Nov

5

Measuring Marketing Effectiveness

Filed Under Marketing Strategies & Tips | Leave a Comment

A recent BARD Marketing article focused on 5 marketing mistakes frequently executed in law firms. Failure to measure or track the effectiveness of marketing programs was number four on the list. Below are suggested means to measure and test the effectiveness of your marketing efforts:

1) All past, current and new clients should be asked, how did they come to call your firm, AND the answers should be recorded in a way that they can be analyzed globally. This means recording the answers in a computerized format (client management software, spreadsheet, etc.), and periodically evaluating the responses.

If you advertise in specific mediums, a follow up question when the client says “I saw your ad, ” ask, “where”? A little probing may reveal what drove them to call. Recording the responses will require a system that will permit each contact to be registered.

2) Evaluate the ads. Advertising evaluations should be done before any one of the following: beginning of ad campaign, before revising/updating ads, and after an ad campaign has been implemented to see if the intended message was effectively received and how the ads/campaign compared to competing firms’ ads. Advertising, especially on television, is very expensive. Using focus groups and/or surveys to test the effectiveness of your ads can ensure that you get the most return for the advertising investment.

3) Test your firm’s image. By polling past, current and new clients and a community (or target audience) the impact of your advertising efforts/marketing programs can be evaluated. For example, conducting a telephone survey about “lawyers in the area” can help determine whether your ads are being seen, and if so, how people are reacting to the message.

Another approach is to conduct focus groups of those individuals who have hired attorneys to determine the cause of their hiring decision and to assess how they perceive your firm in comparison your competitors.

Another method is to invite clients who have finished engagements with your firm, within the last 6 to 12 months, to participate in a discussion about your legal services. This can build goodwill and lead to referrals. If your clients are businesses or busy executives, one-on-one interviews or telephone calls can be valuable alternatives.

Profile Your Target
Building on part 1 of this topic, creating a profile of your clients, and determining who you want them to be, can help define your marketing efforts and increase success by improving selectivity.

Profiling your target audience involves categorization by demographics or by specific type of practice area. Knowing the needs of your target audience can help to better allocate limited time and the firm’s marketing budget/resources. Further, the profile can help build referral networks because you will be able to discuss what is a desirable client/case type and find attorneys to whom to refer.

Over time, by continuing to evaluate who your clients are, you can determine whether your marketing efforts are reaching these audiences Aligning the message and your marketing efforts to the target audience is critical to efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing program.

Client Satisfaction
Client satisfaction can be measured through the use of post engagement interviews and surveys. The information collected can help to ensure repeat clients, obtain referrals, and help to build your practice. Ensuring that you have satisfied clients is also a way to make your marketing cost effective. If satisfied clients are making referrals, this offsets the need to constantly look for fresh clients.

Measuring satisfaction begins by asking the clients about their experiences. You will undoubtedly learn what they expected and if you failed, met, or exceeded their expectations. The survey can be conducted by your firm or a third party source. And, as with other parts of this series, the final key is developing a way to analyze the results and archive the collected data. This is important so that you can monitor trends and evaluate how each attorney is working toward client satisfaction.

Successful Results
As practicing attorneys you wear many hats in addition to practicing law, which includes operating and marketing your business. Though each attorney defines success differently, for trial lawyers getting good trial or settlement results is the top of the list.

Using the tools and resources available to you from litigation support professionals can improve the outcomes of the cases being handled. For example, mock jury research is extremely helpful in identifying problems with a case and the ways to solve case problems, thus leading to better settlement decisions and trial results. Using those resources to get good results is, in a way, partially a marketing effort. By sharpening your skills, your knowledge, and outcomes, clients understand that you are striving to obtain the best possible results. This improves their satisfaction, and depending on how you use public relations and marketing programs, you can also communicate to prospective clients, opponents, etc., that you are successful.

David Fauss is a partner at Magnus Research Consultants, Inc. Magnus Research provides trial and jury consulting services, and Law Firm Image and Client Satisfaction Study services. Magnus works with marketing firms, such as BARD Marketing, to increase case and client intake through a strategic, customized marketing program tailored specifically from the data collected through surveys, interviews, research and analysis.
 

Nov

5

BARD Marketing´s Guide to Social Media for Law Firms and Lawyers

Filed Under Social Media | Leave a Comment

The rapid growth of social media is creating information overload for many Internet users, and instead of ignoring it, attorneys and law firms must embrace these new technologies and learn how they can help develop your business and client relationships. Social media is not a magic bullet, nor will it replace your traditional marketing activities. It is, however, an important part of your strategy, and lawyers must understand how these social media tools operate to better your business and law firm.

A
Advanced Advocates – A social network strictly for law students
AVVO – An online directory for attorneys. Clients and users can rate attorneys, seek legal advice and participate in a forum for legal dialogue.

B
BARD Marketing – Your legal marketing and social media experts
Bebo – A popular social networking site that is more popular internationally than in the U.S.
Blawg – Slang for “law blog”
Blog – Short for weblog. Blogs are websites with that contain self-published content on specific topics, updated frequently. Blog posts are dated items of content in reverse chronological order.
Blogosphere – The totality of blogs on the internet.

C
Connected – A professional networking site solely for lawyers and produced by Martindale-Hubbell
Craigslist- A central network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements divided by city with jobs, internships, housing

D
Del.icio.us – One of many websites that allows users to bookmark websites and share these bookmarks with others.
Digg – An online community where users share content and vote on their favorite content, whether it’s a blog, video, article or other. The most popular content is featured prominently.
DAO – An acronym for digital asset optimization, which is the process of getting search engines like Google to pick up all of your content, from videos, podcasts, blogs, images, newsletters and more

E

F
Facebook – The largest social networking website in the U.S. that was originally used solely by college students, but it is now open to anyone over the age of 13.
Flickr – An online gallery for photos and images where you can create a profile and upload your images to share with other users
FriendFeed – Central repository that allows you to create your own and subscribe to others feeds of various networks, including Twitter, Facebook, etc.

G
Google – A popular search engine. Google can also be used as a verb when searching for information on the internet with this particular search engine

H
HARO – An acronym for Help A Reporter Out. It’s a system created where journalists submit queries for sources, and emails are sent to thousands of public relations, marketing, and media professionals around the world

I
Instant Message – An immediate way to “talk” with someone online. Also known as an “IM.”

J

K

L
Lawyers.com – An online attorney/law firm directory from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell that is designed specifically for individuals and small businesses
Lawyrs – A social / professional networking site focused on the legal community
LinkedIn – A professional networking site that is open to anyone in any profession. Shows you how your contacts are interconnected and allows you to make new contacts through your existing network
Listserv – An email list software application that manages your email addresses for contact lists

M
Mashable – Online publication that provides readers with all that is new in social media
Metafilter – Also known as MeFi, it is a community weblog whose purpose is to share links and discuss interesting content that users have discovered on the web
MySpace – A popular social networking website that offers users the ability to create a personal profile and interact with other users in the network

N
Newsreader – Software that collects updates from websites to which you subscribe and aggregates them into a news feed
Newsvine – A social news website that allows users to submit articles and ranks them based on votes, comments and readership
Nolo – A publisher of legal “self-help” information and a consumer website providing legal information

O

P
Podcast – An audio broadcast that has been converted to an MP3 file or a similar audio file format for playback on a computer, iPod or other mobile device
PopURLs – A website that aggregates up-to-the-minute headlines from the Internet’s most popular news and social media websites

Q

R
Reddit.com – A website that gathers information that is new and popular online. Users can cote for links they like or dislike and help decide what’s popular. Users can also submit their own content.

S
Scribd – A document sharing website where users can upload content to share
SEO – An acronym for Search Engine Optimization, or the science behind getting your website to rank well in search engines
Snapfish – An online gallery for photo and photo album sharing
Social Media – A term for the tools and platforms people use to publish, converse and share content online.
Squidoo – A website designed to make it easy for anyone to set up a single page on a topic he or she knows or cares a lot about, for free
StumbleUpon – An online service that helps users discover interesting new websites by suggesting sites based upon personal preferences

T
Tags – Keywords that help search engines find specific content such as a video, blog posting or web page
Technorati – Search engine for blogs
Twitter- A social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates, which are known as tweets

U

V

W
Web 2.0 – A term used describe blogs, wikis, social networking sites and other Internet-based services that emphasize collaboration and sharing, rather than less interactive publishing Webinar
Wiki – A web page or set of pages that can be edited collaboratively
Wikipedia – an online directory of user-generated content that can be edited by anyone

X
Xanga – A website that hosts weblogs, photoblogs, and social networking profiles

Y
YouTube – A website exclusively for sharing video. Users can upload, view and share video clips

Z

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt Marketing is experienced in developing and executing strategic marketing (including social media) programs for law firms of all sizes and varying budgets – and learning more costs you nothing but the time it takes to contact our agency. Contact us online or call us at 888-922-7398.

Contact us at 1-888-922-7398 or through email.
 

Nov

5

Top 10 reasons to call BARD Marketing to develop your law firm website

Filed Under web strategies | Leave a Comment

1. I need my website to reflect my law firm's brand image and not just be a generic website
BARD Marketing is a leader in law firm branding and we understand how to brand your website, whether you deal with plaintiff law, business law, defense, etc. We understand that it's not just about how pretty your site is, but also what your website says.

2. I don’t have time to worry about my website or writing the content, I have other things to worry about
Our websites are delivered complete include branding, content writing, hierarchy creation, look and feel, hosting, etcetera. Our content writers understand the legal profession and your brand. We write great content so all you have to worry about is your law firm ….not your website.

3. I don’t want my site to look like everyone else’s site
Our sites are totally custom. No canned copy or canned images. This is your firm's site, not a generic template. Your website will fit your brand.

4. I don’t want to wait months and months for my site to go live
We will create your website and have it live in an average of 6 weeks.

5. I want to be able to easily manage the content on an ongoing basis
Our sites use our exclusive content management system. The easiest way for you, your secretary or anyone else in your law firm to update every part of your website. Whenever they want. If you like, we can do this for you. View a screenshot for our Content Management System here.

6. I want to be found on the web
We design our sites to be found by search engine (Search Engine Optimization – SEO). Our copywriting leverages key words, and unique title tags. We create Google site maps and register the sites with the major search engines. If need be, we also offer a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) package.

7. I want to be able to create blogs, podcasts, and syndicate my newsletters
We have experience in all the new technologies including blogs, streaming videos and podcasts. We even teach a CLE in how to use technology to improve your marketing. If you want to use these tools, we can make it happen and also train you to be successful.

8. I don’t want a website from someone who doesn’t understand what I do
All we do is work with the law firms and the legal profession. We understand the state BAR rules, and understand how to effectively brand and market your law firm, whether your target audience is consumers, businesses or other attorneys. For more information on our other offerings, contact us.

9. I want to use a web developer/web specialist that I can trust
We have done websites for many prestigious law firms. The bottom line – you are in good hands. See some of our recent websites here.

10. I don’t want to have to get my website from one vendor and my other marketing services from other vendors
BARD Marketing delivers web development, along with Branding, Marketing Communications, PR, and Advertising in a Synchronous fashion. Read more about our other services.

Click here to contact us and get started. Or call us direct at (561) 637-2576.

 

Nov

5

5 Low Cost Ways to Market Your Law Firm

Filed Under Business Development Strategies, Marketing Strategies & Tips, PR & Media, Social Media | Leave a Comment

When the subject of marketing and advertising come up, most law firms instinctively think of TV ads, billboards, newsletters and the like – i.e. marketing tools that while effective, are usually expensive. These expensive techniques have their place, and when done correctly, can offer strong payback for firms that can afford them. However, not everyone can, especially in a slumping economy. Still – law firms need to aggressively market themselves, because competition is fierce. The good news is – there are several marketing techniques that are low cost, that can be used by firms who are trying to save money in a down economy or by any firm as part of a larger marketing program.

BARD’s Top 5 Low Cost Law Firm Marketing Tools:

1. eNewsletters
A newsletter program has an important role in marketing to potential referrers and past clients. Plain and simple, newsletters keep you and your law firm top-of-mind with the recipients – as long as you are sending them on a regular basis, and following some basic rules of newsletter production. eNewsletters perform a similar role. They also can keep you top-of-mind with referrers and potential referrers.

eNewsletters have a few very significant benefits over printed newsletters. There is a larger chance that they are read by the intended recipients, and they cost much less to distribute. The downsides are that they don’t enable as strong branding as a well designed newsletter, and their distribution is regulated by Spam guidelines. But good eNewsletter production and implementation can address these issues.

2. Blogging
Blogs may have been overhyped during the past couple of years, but the fact remains that a well-written blog tailored to a specific audience will be found and will be read. A well-written blog is viral – it will be read by others, many of whom have blogs of their own. These bloggers will link to your blog, and people will link to their blog. Blog syndication along with the viral effect of a well- written blog can lead to several thousand (if not more) interested readers. And blogs are very low cost.

3. Networking
You probably run into dozens of people every day, some of which may need your services today, or will need them in the future (or have clients or friends that need your services). Are you maximizing these encounters? If you go to a Bar function or other meeting, make an effort to talk to people other than those you know and always talk to. Work on your ‘elevator pitch’, bring business cards, and be outgoing. Above all, offer to help people that you meet. Whether it’s providing an introduction to someone that you know or providing advice to help solve their problem, meeting someone new and demonstrating that you can provide value is a surefire way of making a positive impression and being remembered.

4. Focus on Past Clients
As many attorneys will attest, past clients are often the best referral sources. This said, it is amazing how many law firms do not focus on past clients – other than sending the ubiquitous holiday cards. For those law firms, now is a good time to update your client database. Verify their most recent addresses and phone numbers. Gather their email addresses.
Develop a strategy of meaningful, consistent communication with past clients (2 to 4 times a year). If you have not done so recently, it is a good exercise to survey your past clients. You might be amazed at the R.O.I. that this exercise provides in terms of new referral cases for your law firm.

5. Public Relations
PR has two strong advantages as a marketing mechanism for many law firms. First, it can be substantially lower in cost than most forms of marketing or advertising. (While PR strategies can be quite elaborate and expensive, for the typical law firm, PR is a low cost alternative.)

Secondly, whereas advertising is a message created and paid for by the advertiser, PR coverage is generated by independent parties who typically have high credibility – the media (whether television, radio, print, or online). Consumers do not see media coverage as advertising, yet you are being promoted.

These tools and many others are low cost and can be used to great effect by almost any law firm. Like all things that can bring value, success requires a plan and consistent follow-through. Beyond All Reasonable Doubt Marketing is experienced in developing and executing strategic marketing programs for law firms of all sizes and varying budgets – and learning more costs you nothing but the time it takes to contact our agency.Call BARD at 1-888-922-7398 or send an email. Thank you.

 

Oct

24

Law Firm Advertising, the New York Bar Association, and the First Amendment

Filed Under State BAR Marketing Regulations | Leave a Comment

I just read a hysterical “fake news article” in Litination (www.litination.com) that states that the New York State Bar is delaying bar exam results for one year due to the saturated legal market in New York. This article was obviously written in jest, and in fact the disclaimer of the site reads:

“…As the author of this site, my goal is to provide an entertaining diversion from the regularly scheduled billable hour or law school seminar. I’ll provide the fake legal news and some links to real headlines…”

This being said, there is real truth in the underlying premise. According to the ABA, there were 1.18 million attorneys in the U.S. at the end of 2008 and J.D. enrollment continues to grow. In 1988, there was 1 lawyer for every 400 people. By 2000, that number grew to 1 lawyer for every 300 people and in 2008 that number grew to 1 lawyer for every 258 people. While it’s true that some of this growth can be attributed to lawyers focusing on new and developing areas of law, it’s also true that competition is much greater in the core practice areas than ever. Add to this the fact that more and more firms have websites and are proactively advertising and marketing themselves, and it’s easy to understand why many firms (even those not directly affected by our current economy) are struggling and their phones aren’t ringing.

Now I’m not advocating that every firm must rush out and start spending a lot of money on needless or ineffective marketing, but I do believe that law firms, now more than ever must have a strategy and a plan if they are to be successful. Gone are the days that just being a good lawyer guaranteed a successful and fulfilling career, or when marketing meant taking a prospect or prospective referral partner out for lunch once a month. For most, success now requires that you look at your law firm, not just as a Practice, but also as a Business.

- John Sailer, BARD Marketing