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.
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!
