In our legal world, first impressions are crucial. As we all know, increasingly these first impressions are being made online, long before a potential client ever steps foot into your office. Your website, and particularly your blog content, often serves as the introductory handshake, greeting, and initial consultation all rolled into one. Research tells us that over half of your potential clients are doing their own investigation into the attorney they need, and drawing their own conclusions!
Knowing this, are you putting your best foot forward?
Let's delve into how the content of your blog, and your website, can set the tone for meetings with potential clients and why it needs to be a living, breathing component of your client-acquisition strategy.
First, we want to discuss the power of first impressions. The content on your blog is often the first substantial interaction a potential client has with your law firm. It reflects not just your knowledge and expertise but also your approach to clients and cases. It should not be overlawyered, in fact most search engines read at a 3rd grade level, and quality, informative, and engaging blog content can take critical actions including, but not limited to, the following:
The topics you cover in your blog can also influence what potential clients want to discuss in their initial meetings. Well-crafted posts can guide the conversation. For example, if you write about particular legal issues, clients may come to meetings with those topics in mind, allowing you to prepare more effectively. You can also discuss various services or successful case strategies, so you can steer clients toward considering these services for their needs. Your blog's content can enhance your credibility and increase the comfort level of potential clients by allowing you to explain complex legal processes or potential outcomes demystifying the legal process, which can reduce anxiety and make your potential new clients more comfortable in meetings.
We know you may have questions on how to ensure your blog effectively sets the tone for potential client meetings. When it comes to creating a marketing blogging plan that you can follow consider these tips:
In conclusion, the content on your law firm's website blog is a powerful tool that can significantly influence potential client meetings. It sets the tone for your firm's image, demonstrates your expertise, and begins the important work of building a relationship with clients before you ever meet them. By strategically crafting your blog content, you can ensure that this first impression is a positive one, laying the groundwork for successful and fruitful client interactions. If you have questions about your blog, or any part of your law firm marketing plan, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a free 30 minute Strategy Session to discuss your practice needs.
You look around you and see that some attorneys seem to be thriving while others seem more to be just surviving. It can be frustrating to look at those around you and wonder just what they are doing to get the results YOU WANT! You may find yourself asking, “what sets those who get stuck in the day to day drudgery from the successful attorney leaders?”
Believe it or not, this is one of the most frequently asked questions at Practice42. Let us take a look at 6 habits of attorneys who excel in the professional field.
1. They put in the work. Let’s say that again, THEY PUT IN THE WORK. Often it is either first thing in the morning or late at night. This might not be the tip you hoped to see on this list, but here it is. Putting in the work before the office opens or after it closes, or alone on the weekends and on the holidays, can be essential to succeeding as an attorney practice leader. It is the time when the phone is not necessarily ringing nonstop. Email traffic goes down to a minimum. Distractions of a seemingly ever-growing to-do list are never lower than at these times of the day. Take advantage of this and reap the benefits of starting or ending your day by checking off some of those things you have been meaning to do, but never get around to doing during the day.
2. They pay themselves and take time off. This sounds crazy, we know, but taking care of yourself can be an essential part of being an effective leader. Energy stores can be quickly depleted and charging your batteries must happen from time to time. Pay yourself for the work you put in. Take those vacation days. Treat yourself to these periods of renewal so you can get back to work with a clear head, a fresh perspective, and the drive to take on that to-do list.
3. They have a handle on the data they need. How are you tracking employee productivity? Tracking marketing ROI? Do you have an effective and efficient way of tracking firm costs and workflow? Having a handle on this kind of data means you know what is working and what is not working in your organization. Does there seem to be a barrier to growth? Look to the data and it will likely be there to highlight potential bottlenecks.
4. They have a mission and use it as a touchstone each and every day. Starting each day (and each week, month, and quarter) by reviewing your to-do list from the vantage point of how it serves your professional goals and practice’s mission can help keep you on track and continue to push you forward. It will help you prioritize your tasks and make sure those items with the highest return on investment get the attention they deserve.
5. They continue to find ways to evolve and improve. The mastering of a profession or practice is elusive as the world is ever growing and ever changing around us. Successful attorney practice leaders invest in pursuing professional and personal growth. Take the time to focus on the areas that are integral to not just sustaining success, but growing success and invest your energy in cultivating them.
6. They remember that success is multifaceted. Professional success and personal success are not mutually exclusive and this is something successful attorneys come to understand. Working hard and living a well-rounded life are both important and can both be achieved through effective time management and prioritization of goals. Although it may not feel like it at times, being professionally successful and living a fulfilling life of time spent with loved ones and on the hobbies that you are passionate about is possible!
We get it, along with the challenges you face. This is just one way in which a performance coach can help you create a firm culture that people want to be a part of and stay a part of. Whether you are looking for a mentor coach or a performance coach, Practice42 has your back. Our coaching programs are specially designed to meet your needs and help you work through your challenges so you can reach your full practice potential. Let us help you grow and succeed! Call us to schedule a free Strategy Session at 850-933-5072 or fill out our Contact Us Form and we will call you!
Do you remember when Google My Business was simply Google Maps? And then it added photos… and reviews… and wanted you to participate weekly… and added rankings?!? We know! This strategic marketing campaign, which must be a part of your local marketing efforts, seems to be evolving at a breakneck pace.
First of all, we hope you claimed your GMB profile. If you did not, you need to do this ASAP to avoid a “helpful” Google Local Guide, who hates lawyers, doing it for you. If you have not taken this critical initial step to protect your business, or need advice on this, we recommend you contact us today.
Second, has your Google My Business been stressing you out since you claimed it? While maintaining your business listing is important to staying relevant in the Google universe, we know managing it can be stressful. Many lawyers share with us that they struggle to access accounts, verify business listings, combat fake / negative / unfair / biased reviews, and much more.
Let us focus on reviews here and share a few different steps you can take for Google My Business help.
1. Check your state bar rules. What does your state bar say about reviews? Does it tell you how to respond? What you should or shouldn't say in your response? Is it silent? This is the first step to take.
2. Respond to the review. Even if it does not reflect your firm, especially when it does not reflect your firm, you want to respond. With the advice of your bar association that guides you on how you can proceed, write your answer internally first. Good or bad, do not respond emotionally and remember to only disclose what ensures you maintain privacy with your client. Be sure to also use this as a marketing opportunity. Share with clients and prospects how they can contact you and how you can help.
If it is a negative review and you believe it should be taken down, be sure to flag it. Use the platform itself to let GMB know if this review is not appropriate.
3. Want to do more? Especially for a less than 3 star review? Make a call to Google My Business support. Yes, the wait times can be long. Yes, the phone number can be difficult to find. As of the publishing of this article, it is 1-844-491-9665 Getting an actual Google My Business support team member on the line, however, can end up being an efficient way to get the assistance you need.
4. Take to Twitter. Like almost all platforms and businesses, Google takes its social media presence and reputation very seriously. Tweet @GoogleMyBiz about your questions and concerns and you should get a personalized response from a Google team member in about 30 minutes.
5. Send Google My Business a Facebook message. You can send the Google My Business Facebook page a direct message and you should hear back within 30 minutes or so.
6. Make use of the email support form. While you may not get an immediate response, it may take up to a day to hear back, you can always make use of the Google My Business email support form on their webpage. This can be a good way to get help when you may not have a more immediate need for answers.
7. Hire us! At Practice42, we can help you educate your clients on why reviews are another key form of education for others and maximize your Google My Business reviews presence. Do not forget that GMB is just one of the places you need reviews. We can do this for you, as well as monitoring your reviews, so we can step in and provide you with the answers you need when it comes to your reviews without needing to pull out your hair from the stress of it all.
Do you need Google My Business help? What about other social media platforms? Are you finding it difficult to access your reviews or respond to your reviews? Need the website architecture in place to pull it all together? The Practice42 Team is here to help! Call us to schedule a free Strategy Session at 850-933-5072 or fill out our Contact Us Form and we will call you!
We are now in a digital law practice era where there are rapid technological advances which can be overwhelming for many. There are new products that are released everyday, on top of the information that follows. Whether you stay up on the latest news sources or testing new products, you may think you are never going to cover it all.
You will not.
No one can.
And let us start by reassuring you. It is alright.
It is so easy to become lost in the vast world of information and products that we often forget what is truly best for us and our team. Once we see or hear something new that worked for someone else, we want to run with it. We want it to work immediately, and easily.
Often, we launch this new idea with no forethought. There is no time for discussion, second opinions, or taking a moment to consider if it is right for the practice. Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting recommendations from others. There is nothing wrong with “throwing something up” but, you know as well as we do, this strategy can be fraught with challenges. Just because the process or software or shiny new distraction was a success story for one firm, does not mean it will be a success story for all.
We can learn from others while also taking into consideration that it is going to most likely be a different journey. Keep an open mind about differing opinions, whether they are from referrals, colleagues, or clients. You will find as you listen that many will think one product or service may be significantly better than another. Take the time to think about the key question that drives our law practices:
What do you need and what do you not need from a product or service you are considering?
This will then allow you to narrow down exactly what you are looking for in a new digital law practice era where almost anything is attainable.
Here at Practice42, we can help you find the bottlenecks in your practice areas, find processes that are right for you, and attain goals you thought were not possible. So, while there are many considerations to think about, you do not have to do it alone! Let us help! Call us at 850-933-5072 or fill out our contact us form to schedule a complimentary Strategy Session.
When you implement your marketing campaign it gives you the opportunity to interact with your audience. Social media for law firms can help you do this! Your custom social media strategy can include campaigns that reach out to your clients, potential clients, local professionals, and your community as a whole.
One of the best parts for law firms using social media is it is a way to interact with potential new customers and help ensure your current clients are more loyal. Unfortunately, without social media, the only interaction you may have with your potential clients and professional network may be if they are already familiar with you or if your law practice. You need to be there when your audience has questions that only you can answer!
Need some tips on how to do this the right way in your social media campaign for your law firm? Let us share three tips for law firms using social media with you right here!
Tip 1: Answer questions! Your potential clients are looking for answers to their questions. Makes sure you are answering them. Keep a running list each week of the most frequently asked questions. Each week, post both the question and the answer on your law firm social media pages.
Tip 2: Stay engaged when it comes to social media for law firms! Don’t let more than a day or two go by without engaging with your audience. They want to hear from you, even if it is just a quick tip!
Tip 3: Keep your contact information current! Most importantly, never make it hard for an existing client or a potential client to reach you. There will be frequent software updates to your law firm social media accounts. Make time to ensure all your accounts are up-to-date at all times because you always want your clients to be able to reach you.
Nowadays, consumers interaction matters more than ever. Therefore, when we talk to law firms, we are always quick to point out that you can use your law firm’s social media to gain insight on what your clients are thinking. What are they interested in seeing or learning? Social media for law firms allows us to gain more insight into the important data we need in our firms!
The age of the internet changed the ways that law firms function. Law firms need real results that can be generated from custom law firm social media campaigns. Are you doubting whether or not your potential clients and professional network actually use social media? Did you know there were over three billion social media users in 2018? We have seen tremendous growth in this area since 2000. That year, it was reported that only one hundred people had access to the Internet. In 2018, 77 percent of Americans have a social media profile.
These numbers matter. They stress the importance of social media for law firms and the influence on your clients, potential clients, and community.
Nowadays, it is a mistake if a business is not taking advantage of social media. Not only are they missing out on marketing opportunities, they may be behind their local competitors that are taking advantage. In today’s marketplace, more studies show that consumers do not trust a business that do not have a social media presence.
Social media allows your law firm to create brand awareness and educate your potential clients by answering their questions. Your social media can act as the face of your law firm. This channel allows you to communicate as a brand and develop a voice that educates your local audience. Further, this visibility gives your firm the opportunity to acquire new customers and gain loyal followers. In fact, according to a recent study, 53% of Americans who follow brands online are more loyal to those brands.
Your law firm’s visibility through social media helps gain client support. When someone is looking for a new doctor or lawyer to go to, the first thing they do is research. They’ll look for a law firm’s website but also at the social media. Creating great social media law firm profiles and consistently posting to it will help build trust with your prospective consumers.
We know that as a busy attorney, law firm social media may be the last thing on your mind. You’re in the midst of trying to manage your clients, your employees, and generate new business. Although it may be hard at times, we encourage you not to ignore law firm social media in your firm! We encourage you to learn more from our team on how to make a difference with law firm marketing. We provide custom solutions to firm’s just like yours and want to support you in your journey to success.
Most attorneys we talk to spend an average of 90 minutes per legal blog post. First, let us say there is nothing wrong with this strategy. Second, we encourage well-researched, in-depth blogs. The problem is, however, that this amount of time spent on a law firm blog post significantly limits the amount of content the firm can publish in a month, let alone a week.
Over the last year, we’ve been working with some of our favorite lawyers to develop a law blog style that both fits their marketing needs and works for them. Blogs are a great platform to get the law firm's message out there and we guarantee that you can find the time to write them over the lunch hour.
Let us share with you Practice42’s 9 Minute Guide to Writing Great Blogs.
Minute 1
Brainstorm as many topics as possible. Record them so you have all your terrific ideas on file.
Minute 2
Pick one topic. For that topic only, develop three bullet points.
Minutes 3 – 5
Write two sentences per bullet point, spend one minute per bullet point.
Minute 6
Give each bullet point a one sentence call to action. (Think: What do you want your reader to do?)
Minute 7
Read your law blog backward to proof it.
Minute 8
Make corrections and format.
Minute 9
Create a title and post your custom blog.
Try this out this week and let us know how it goes. Need help getting started or simply don’t have time? Let us know – we can help.
Happy writing!
