Many lawyers say they want to start a blog or newsletter but are afraid they won't have enough to write about.
If you think your prospects don't want to read all about case law and procedure, you're right. There will always be exceptions, but most clients have their own lives and businesses to run. If they were that interested in the law, they would go to law school.
Here's a heads up: PI lawyers, nobody wants to read for the umpteeth time what to do in an accident or how to maximize the value of their case. I'm not saying this isn't important information–it is. You should write about it. Once. And link to so those who want and need this information can go read it.
So, what do you write about if not about your field of expertise?
Actually, the answer to this question is incredibly simple. And yet, not one in 10,000 lawyers does it, at least not consistently. When you hear what it is, you may just slap your forehead and have one of those "of course!" moments.
Now, I should also point out that when you do this, you will have a never-ending supply of fresh content and a huge surge in reader involvement and viral traffic. You'll have people talking about your blog and about you. Other blogs will mention your posts and link to them. Reporters may call to interview you.
Have I got your attention?
Here's the secret: don't write about the law, your services, or your cases, other than occasionally. When something interesting happens. Instead, most of the time, write about the niche market or markets you are targeting.
Did I just lose you? Well, if you don't have a target market, maybe so. If you think "anyone who gets injured as a result of someone else's negligence" is a target market, you're wrong. It's way too big. And every other PI lawyer says the same thing.
You want to target smaller sub-sets of the entire market. In a niche market, the people know each other on social media and in real life, they attend the same meetings, and read the same blogs. There is strong word of mouth in niche markets. And it's easier to identify the key people in them.
A niche market would be something like "health care professionals in Los Angeles County". Not too big, not too small. As a matter of fact, this happens to be a good target market. When a physician is seriously injured, there's usually some serious damages. But I digress.
So, you write about health care in Los Angeles. You write about who's doing what–promotions, speaking gigs, published articles. You write about trends and issues that affect this market. You champion their causes and support their charities.
You interview people who work in this niche. You read the popular blogs and comment on their posts.
So, you might write about some changes in policy at XYZ hospital. Not legal issues, necessarily. It could be anything that people want to know about.
Here's more good news: you don't have to do all the writing yourself. Other professionals who target this market will be happy to supply content. Consultants, sales people, other lawyers, accountants, hospital administrators, insurance brokers, medical supply reps–dozens of informed people with big networks of their own and they would love to provide a guest post or supply some tips or let you interview them. All you have to do is ask.
Guess what will happen? The people in your posts and those affected by this information will talk about them and share them with their colleagues and co-workers. They'll post them on Facebook and link to them on their blogs. Your blog will get noticed and so will you.
Writing a blog about your target market is one of the smartest things you could do. You're learning about this market, aren't you? Take what you learn and turn it into content.
Use your blog as a platform to stay in front of your market. You will become the attorney in this niche, the one that everyone thinks about when they think about personal injuries and the one they call when they need your services or know someone who does.
This is not rocket science. Choose a niche market and dedicate yourself to it. Learn everything you can about the market and the people in it. Subscribe to their blogs and newsletters. Attend their meetings. Become an expert in that market and then write about it.
And if something law-related occurs in that market, go ahead and write about that, too.
Filed under Blogging, Networking, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Publicity, Social media marketing, Web traffic by 
I'm sure you read the story about the blogger in a defamation case who got hit with a $2.5 million judgment because, the judge said, she is not a journalist and was not protected by the state's shield laws.
Interesting story. Important subject.
You read the story but did you make any money with it?
Attorneys can easily leverage a story like this to get more media attention, more traffic to their web site, more prospects, more referral sources, and more clients. And I'm not talking about the attorneys who handled the case itself, I'm talking about you.
Interested? Here's all you have to do.
First, write a two or three page report summarizing defamation laws in your jurisdiction. You don't have to practice in this area to do this, Uncle Google will help you, or you can ask an attorney friend who does (and tell him about this idea so he can do it, too).
In your report, mention the case about the blogger. Offer your opinion. Include a few citations, maybe a few resources.
Now, go back to Uncle Google and ask him to give you a list of bloggers in your target market(s) who are in your state or province.
Next, contact these bloggers (a personal email will do) and tell them you wrote a report for bloggers about how they can protect themselves against lawsuits like the one in the news. Offer to send it to them, free of charge. Tell them they are welcome to send it other bloggers they know and care about. (If you know the blogger, you could just send them the report in your first email).
In one day, you can get your report into the hands of dozens of people who every day write and influence the people you are targeting for your services. You have provided value to the blogger on a personal level, and asked nothing in return.
Where can this lead? Interviews, hosted webinars for their readers, guest posts, referrals, introductions, you name it.
It doesn't matter if you don't practice tort law. If you do, that's an added benefit, but the point of this effort isn't to show these bloggers you can help them in this particular area of the law, it's to meet them.
Now, what else could you do with your report? Here are a few ideas:
- Send it to local media with a cover letter letting them know you are available for interviews.
- Call or email your clients and contacts: Who do you know in (your area) who writes a blog? Tell them you have a report that can help them.
- Offer it through social media; post a video on youtube, opining on the story and linking to your report; offer it via forums, chat groups, listserves, and other areas where bloggers and people who know bloggers congregate.
- Contact local blogger groups, business groups (anyone who has a blog), and offer a lunch talk.
- Write about it on your blog or in your newsletter.
- Take out ads and offer the report, as a "public service".
- Send it to lawyers in your practice area in states or provinces where you don't practice. Tell them what you're doing with the report in your area, invite them to do the same in theirs. (If you have to ask how this could help you, forget about this idea.)
- Do a presentation at your bar group's next function on how you used a news story to market your services.
You get the idea.
Oh, and you don't need a news story to do this, you can write about anything that affects people in your target market or they people who influence them.
It's about providing value in a leveraged way. It's simple and it works. And if your report goes viral, it could help you take a quantum leap in the growth of your practice.
Most lawyers go from case to case, client to client, never stopping to use the successful outcomes they create as marketing leverage for bringing in more clients. That's because they're thinking like a lawyer, not a rainmaker.
Instead of rushing from one case to the next, take a few minutes to think about how you can use the successful outcome (verdict, settlement, closing the deal, estate plan, etc.) to get the story told to the people who can bring you more business.
Here are five ways you could do that.
- Your client. The best time to talk to clients about referrals is right after a successful outcome. When you hand them a check, sign papers, or otherwise bring things to a climax, it's prime time to ask for referrals, for a testimonial, or for other help.
Ask consumer clients to refer you to their friends and family or to other professionals they know. Ask your business clients to introduce you to their vendors or distributors, to write about the case in their newsletter or blog, or submit an article to their local paper. (You can write the article for them).
The favor you ask your client doesn't have to be related to their case. They're happy and willing to help, so ask them to distribute your new report, "like" your new blog post, or invite their friends to your upcoming seminar. And ask them to ask their friends to do the same.
- Your other clients and prospects. Write about your successful outcome in your blog and newsletter. Post it on your web site. Do a little bragging on social media channels. Take advantage of the win to let others see you doing what you do, helping others "just like them" achieve the same benefits they seek.
- Other parties/witnesses. Send a quick note to the other parties and/or their counsel, thanking them for their professionalism. Send a thank you note to experts and other witnesses, for a job well done. It's not uncommon to see the losing side hiring the winning attorney or sending referrals or opposing counsel referring clients when they have a conflict. By the way, do the same thing when you lose a case or settle for less than hoped.
- Your colleagues. Tell other lawyers you know about your case. Send a letter, speak about it at Bar functions, write an article, point them to your blog post. Tell the story and share the legal nuances, give them tips about the judge or arbitrator or experts. Help them do better on their next case and they will appreciate you, reciprocate with good information on their next case, and send business your way when they have a conflict.
- The media. Find something newsworthy or otherwise interesting about the case, your clients or their company and issue a press release or write an article for publication in their trade journal or home town paper. The media are starved for good stories; don't assume there's no news value to preparing a living trust for your blue collar client. In the hands of a good writer, there's always a story to be told.
Leverage means getting more results from the same effort. From now on, leverage your successful outcomes to get more publicity, more speaking engagements, more traffic to your web site, and more new clients.
Getting exposure via published articles has long been a marketing mainstay for lawyers. In the age of the Internet, there are even more opportunities than ever as the need for quality content has multiplied.
Many books have been written on writing and publishing articles. If you are serious about promoting your practice this way, I recommend reading a few books and learning to do it right.
The basics of getting published never change. The first step is to identify those publications that are a suitable outlet for your articles. Offline, the venerable "Writers Market" (from Writer's Digest) lists thousands of magazines and newspapers that accept outside submissions.
Online, numerous directories list electronic newsletters and web sites that accept articles. Go to any search engine and type in
Once you have determined which publications you are interested in, the next step is to obtain their "writers' guidelines". This is a description of the kinds of articles they want, how many words, the rights they purchase (i.e., "first publication"), and the procedure for submitting the article for consideration.
You'll probably find writers' guidelines on the publication's web site. If not, contact the editor and ask if they accept articles and if so, what they are looking for.
Once you know the guidelines, the next step is the "query". Some publications want you to submit your article idea in outline form, along with a sample of your other writing, some publications want to see the whole article first. Whatever the guidelines, your query needs to sell the editor on three things:
- Why their readers would want to read your article
- Your credentials for writing it
- Your ability to write it
Your query letter should be well written and to the point. It should demonstrate that the article you propose will be relevant to their readership and interesting to read. Editors read hundreds of queries and sort through them quickly; if you want to be considered, you need to get their attention and immediately make them see the value in your article.
Getting the first article accepted is the hardest. Once you have built up a list of publications that have accepted your work, you should find yourself getting published more frequently. Until then, don't assume that being a lawyer is enough of a pedigree to be accepted for publication. Actually, being a lawyer could work against you. If an editor assumes you "write like a lawyer," you'll have to work harder to show them that you can write something real people would want to read.
Don't hesitate to start with small publications. It will give you experience in writing and submitting articles. You'll also get a list of publishing credits and that will make it easier to get other editors to give you the go ahead.
Don't be concerned about payment for your articles; most publications pay little or nothing anyway. But do negotiate a listing of your web site or other contact information at the end of the article. You want readers to be able to reach you.
Be patient; it will be worth the effort. Even if they don't allow you to list your contact information in the article, just being able to say you have been published carries weight. Reprints of your articles make excellent marketing hand outs that can be used for years. And you can re-cycle your material (make sure you retained the right to do so) in other articles, speaking engagements, web/ezine articles, blog posts, reports, and so forth. Also, having been published can lead to interviews and speaking engagements and could also provide material for press releases. For example, your published article might be referenced in a press release where you offer a free report that amplifies the subject matter of the article.
Writing for publication will give you exposure and credibility as an expert in your field. It can also lead to even more exposure in the form of inquiries from other publications, joint venture partners, meeting holders, teleseminar promoters, and the like. Getting published will help you grow your mailing list, develop new referral sources, and create more clients. It will also make your mother proud.
A personal injury attorney wrote and asked me if I have a strategy for bringing in bigger cases. I was a personal injury attorney for most of my legal career and when I look back at what I did, I have to say that I did not have that strategy. In fact, I intentionally focused on bringing in a volume of smaller cases.
My thinking was that quantity would bring quality. Bring in thousands of clients over a period of years and you are bound to have some big cases in the mix. And that was certainly true for me. But I also recall thinking, as every personal injury attorney does, that one day, I'll get a case that will bring me millions of dollars in fees and I'll be able to retire if I want to. But in twenty years, that never happened. Big cases, yes, but not a single practice-making monster.
But there's something else I understood and that was that I was not one of the big boys. The biggest cases are almost always handled by the biggest names and most of the time, they are referred there by other attorneys. I wasn't prepared to compete in that arena. I didn't have the expertise and, more importantly, I didn't have the passion for developing it.
The best strategy for getting the biggest cases is to become one of the best lawyers. Win bigger and bigger verdicts, develop your skills and your reputation amongst the bar, and when you have the respect of your colleagues, you will get their referrals.
Another way to get big cases is the one adopted by a lot of attorneys who aren't one of the best and that is to appear to be. They swing a big stick with multiple full page yellow page ads and TV commercials, they sponsor charitable events attended by centers of influence in their community, they network with the right people, send press releases celebrating their victories, and otherwise promote themselves so that they appear to be one of the biggest and one of the best. And by and large, it works.
To do this, you need money and some marketing skills, but most of all, you need drive. The biggest promoters have big, healthy egos. They are driven as much by the desire for attention as the desire for money. I'm not taking anything away from them. They are usually good enough to serve their clients well and smart enough to bring in one of the best when they aren't.
If you're not one of the best and you aren't willing or able to become one, and if you're not willing to do what the big promoters do, there is an alternative: target niche markets. Become the biggest fish in a small market where word of mouth is strong and limited resources (and hubris) can go a long way. Become the attorney everyone in that market thinks of when they think of injuries. Network in that market, write for that market, serve that market and the centers of influence in it, and over time, you'll get big cases. Do it well enough and long enough and you may even get one of the very biggest.
Filed under Advertising, Image, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Networking, Press release, Publicity, Referrals, Specializing by
Q: How do I bring in quality clients fast? I think the best way to bring in a steady stream of [type of] clients is to find a good referral source. What should I do?
A: Referrals are the BEST source of quality clients, but they are usually not the FASTEST. It takes time to build relationships, earn trust, develop a reputation.
If you can compensate those sources (i.e., referral fees to other attorneys, if permissible), or work out other kinds of alliances (paid advertising, cross-promotions) where the source has a more immediate incentive for working with you, then you could get some quick business.
Of course your clients are the first place to look. They should be willing to refer, but they may not be able.
Generally speaking, nothing is faster than advertising (except publicity, but you have limited control with that). Cost is obviously an issue. You could try writing for targeted publications and speaking and networking at targeted events. You'll get access to the right markets, at no cost, plus the unspoken endorsement of the meeting holder or publication, and if you get your message in front of the right people, you will get clients.
Remember that you are always marketing to at least two separate markets: prospective clients and prospective referral sources. One is not necessarily better than another, nor faster.
Q: How do I know if I'm targeting the right market?
A: A market is only as good as your ability to communicate with it. Do prospects have an organization you can join? Meetings you can speak at? Publications you can write for or advertise in? Can you find centers of influence in that market with whom you can network?
Most lawyers look at their services first and then look for people who need those services. Better is to find a market with a need, then look for ways you can satisfy that need.
Start with professionals and business contacts you already know. What markets do they serve? What unresolved needs do those markets have? Find the market first, then work backwards.
You'll have greater success giving people what they WANT, which may or may not be what they NEED. Find out what people want and then look for ways to help them get it.
Filed under Advertising, Networking, Publicity, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing by
A few years ago, a staff writer from the ABA called and asked to interview me for an article on marketing. When the interview was done, I asked her if a "resource box" would appear at the end of the article. Typically, this includes the name and email address or web site of the interviewee. It might also list the title of a recent book they have authored. A resource box is important–it gives readers a way to find you, dramatically increasing the number of leads or subscribers to your newsletter and, ultimately, the number of clients for your services.
The writer told me no, there would be no resource box, no email or link to my web site. ABA policy.
I asked her why. I mentioned that if someone liked what they read and wanted to contact me or find out more about how I could help them, they would have no way to do that. She said they could enter my name in a search engine and find me the same way she did, or, if they contact the ABA, they would tell them how to reach me.
"Wouldn't it be simpler to put a link at the end of the article?" I asked. "Doesn't it makes sense to make it as easy as possible for your readers to find the resources they read about in your publication? Why make them take extra steps?"
She said if they did that, it would be a "slippery slope". I had no idea what she meant, either, but I let it drop.
I let it drop because even if nary a reader goes to the trouble of figuring out how to find me, the interview has been of value to me:
1. I have the ability to SAY I have been interviewed by the ABA. This has value in my bio, in my introduction at speaking engagements, and as a credit in landing writing assignments (or interviews) with other publications.
2. I can get REPRINTS of the interview and enclose them with my marketing materials.
3. I get my name in front of hundreds of thousands of ABA readers. A paid ad of comparable size would cost many thousands of dollars and would not have the same cache.
Considering that the interview took all of 15 minutes and didn't cost me a cent, I'm a happy camper. I just feel bad for all those readers who won't take the time to find me, and, as a result, be denied the benefits I offer.
If you're interested in marketing your law practice online (and you should be) there are two resources I want to recommend. The first is a new book, "The New Rules of Marketing & PR" by David Meerman Scott. The sub-title is, "How to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing & online media to reach buyers directly." That about says it all. I've just started reading it and can tell you, it's excellent. Highly recommended.
The other resource is a free ebook from consultant Brandon Cornet at websmartlawyer.com. It covers web sites, blogging, search engines, lead generation, and has links to oodles of resources. Valuable stuff.
Cornet's ebook is itself a fine example of viral online marketing, in that it is a free download from his web site (you don't even need to supply an email address to get it), coupled with good content that demonstrates his knowledge and experience. Sure enough, here I am "distributing" it to you, and thus, this strategy could quickly generate hundreds of qualified leads for Cornet's consulting services.
It illustrates another key marketing concept, niche marketing. Cornet could hold himself out as, simply, an Internet/website consultant, hoping to appeal to "everyone" but, like so many others, he would find his voice drowned out by his many competitors. Instead, by targeting lawyers, he narrows his focus, which should make it easier to both generate leads and close them, since clients (and that includes lawyers) prefer specialists.
Both books agree, the Internet has forever changed the rules of marketing. Those who ignore this, do so at their peril.
Filed under Blogging, Book review, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Press release, Publicity, Specializing, Technology, Web traffic by
I just sent out a press release announcing the re-opening of The Attorney Marketing Center, the re-naming of the newsletter, and some background about me.
There are several free services available for sending a press release. I chose PRLog.com because it was easy to open an account and easy to send the release. They had also been recommended.
There are many paid press release distribution services. Two of the best known are PRWeb.com and BusinessWire.com. Why would you choose a paid service? One reason is that busy editors are, arguably, more likely to read a release coming from one of these services than one of the free ones.
The paid services also allow targeting, and since I want to reach lawyers, using the free, untargeted services would seem to be pointless. Not so. The free services do a good job of distributing your release to search engines and directories where they will take up permanent residence and point to your web site, and this provides immediate, tangible value. Sure, I'd like a writer or editor to pick up my release and run it or contact me for an interview, but that is unlikely given the tepidness of my "news".
Check out some of the services available. Search "press release distribution". Most provide good tips on writing press releases and other valuable information.
And here is my press release.
Filed under Press release, Publicity by
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