If you have a smart phone, the chances are you've seen more than a few law firm apps coming through the app store. A lot of law firms are getting them and you may be tempted to do the same. With all the smart phones out there, it's got to bring you some business, right? Hey, even one new client will pay for the app.
Before you get out your checkbook, there are some things you should consider.
Most apps fall into two categories. The first is of the "digital brochure" variety. This may do a great job of showing your firm's capabilities but you're not going to bring in much business with an app that nobody downloads and if a brochure is all you've got, not many will.
The second category of app falls into the utilitarian category: it does something useful. Personal injury lawyers seem to have a preponderance of this kind of app, of the "what to do in case of accident" variety. There are places to fill in information about the other parties, witnesses, insurance information, and also some pointers on what to do.
This sounds good but think about it: when you're in an accident, nervous, waiting for the police or ambulance or tow truck, will you really want to launch an app and start typing with your thumbs?
Some of these apps have audio recorders, but still, in the heat of the moment, most people aren't going to use it.
"Ah, but the point isn't that they use it, it's that they have it so that when they get home, they'll remember they have it, look through it, and call us."
This is true, but you don't need an app for that. An old fashioned booklet in the glove box will accomplish the same thing. A booklet is a lot cheaper (free if the client prints it themselves from your pdf) and a booklet is something people might actually use.
Another form of utilitarian app is one that contains information. It might be a summary of bankruptcy laws, divorce options, or tips for protecting your small business. If a prospective client is browsing through the app store and sees an app that promises to inform him about something that's currently on his mind, this could get his attention. The big question is, "will he see it?"
When an app is released, it appears in the list of new apps for a few days, and then it's no longer "new". Unless an app is extremely popular, very unlikely for a law firm app., the odds are that nobody will ever see it again in the app store.
What good is an app that nobody knows about?
It will be up to you to promote your app via your web site, newsletter, and social media. If it's good, people will download it and promote it. But you can accomplish the same thing without an app. All you need to do is put your information into a report or ebook.
Can an app bring in some business? Yes, it can. But before you rush into having one made, lest you be "left behind" by your competition, remember that getting the app made is just the beginning. If you're not willing to invest in promoting the app, don't bother getting one. If you are prepared to promote your app, you might simply write a report and save yourself several thousand dollars.
Does your law firm have an app? Has it brought in any business? Please share your experiences in the comments.
Filed under Advertising, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Referrals, Social media marketing, Writing by 
The ABA is asking you to vote for your favorite law-related blog in this year's annual "blawg 100".
There are some interesting inclusions on this year's list, and some interesting omissions. Of course any list will have a bias that reflects the ethos of the organization and it's readership and the ABA is no exception. But even though The Attorney Marketing Center's blog isn't on the list (maybe next year), the list has value to me. It does for you, too.
It's important to know which blogs in your niche are the "most popular". Why? So you can study them, learn from them, and "steal" their best ideas.
The ABA lists 3,500 blawgs in it's directory, ranked by the number of readers' clicks on their profiles. Justia has at least that many with a similar ranking mechanism (and I am one of the top blawgs on their list in the legal marketing category).
Go find the blawgs in these or other directories that are the most popular in your niche and bookmark them. Study them. Learn from them. While they may not have the most traffic overall, or the most clicks, or come up first in search engines, reader popularity is an important metric, even if those readers are other lawyers and not your prospective clients.
If more lawyers were reading your blog, do you think you might get more of their referrals?
Find the top blawgs and "brief" them. What are they writing about? How long are their posts? How frequent? Study their titles (headlines), layout, and graphics. Ask yourself, "why is this blog so popular?" and then see if you can answer that question.
But don't stop there. Reach out to the top bloggers in your niche and build a relationship with them. Add comments on their posts, link to them on your blog, and share their posts through social media.
Let them know who you are and that you appreciate their good work. Ask to interview them. Offer them a guest post on your blog. Offer to write one for theirs.
Make friends with the top guys and gals in your niche and soon, you might be one of them.
Filed under Blogging, Online Marketing, Referrals 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.
Prospective clients visit an attorney's web site to get information. They want to know what you can do for them and how they will be better off as a result. If you've done a good job with your web site, they will learn enough to either make a decision to hire you or to take the next step, e.g., call for an appointment, opt into your list, or contact you with questions.
Often, visitors have questions but don't contact you for answers. They may be intimidated by speaking to an attorney or afraid you will pressure them. A page of frequently asked questions and, of course, your cogent answers, can get more visitors to take the next step.
A FAQ page also allows you to sell yourself without appearing to do so because you're "just answering questions". Your answers can demonstrate your experience, your patience, and your personality. They can show that you are thorough and professional and give readers a sense of what it would be like working with you. Ultimately, they can show why the reader should choose you instead of any other attorney.
I encourage you to create a FAQ page for your web site. Alternatively, you can incorporate FAQ's into your "About" page. Your FAQ's can also be used in a brochure or handout.
Ask your staff to help you brainstorm. What do prospects and new clients always ask you? What do you think they would want to know but may not ask?
I recommend starting with the following:
- Practice areas (by name, i.e., estate planning, and features (documents you prepare), and benefits (what happens when you do it, what they get, i.e., protect their family, help them make better decisions)
- Legal/procedure (what are my rights, what are my options, what are the risks, what's the first step?)
- Why you/your firm (why you are different, better)
- General (office hours, directions, parking, appointments, payment options)
- First appointment (what to bring, what will happen, what is expected of them, what they get from you)
Add a call to action to your FAQ page, directing the visitor to "Call for an Appointment" or "Subscribe to Our Newsletter".
A FAQ page is also helpful for current and former clients, as well as referrals sources. An attorney in New York may be looking for an attorney in California. Keep this in mind as you create your page.
Once your page is live on your site, ask your clients directly or via a web poll if there is anything that is unclear and if there is anything you should add. And ask your staff to make a note of any questions clients and prospects routinely ask and add these to the page.
Your FAQ page will evolve over time, and eventually could turn out to be one of your most effective marketing tools.
Filed under Online Marketing, Referrals by
When I opened my own office shortly after law school, I had an abundance of free time and a lack of clients or experience. Once or twice a week, I volunteered the day at a legal clinic for women. The clients had mostly domestic violence and other family law issues. When I began, I knew very little about family law but I quickly learned. I was able to use those skills in my private practice.
Last week was "pro bono" week. This article presents the "Top 5 Reasons to Do Pro Bono Work". I'm sure I can lay claim to all five. The article misses a reason, however. My pro bono work helped me to build my practice.
The clinic I worked at allowed us to offer our paid services to the clients. Granted, most of them had little or no money, but I did get some paying work. And little or nothing was definitely better than nothing. It allowed my nascent practice to stay afloat, which allowed me to continue to volunteer.
I also got some referrals from those clients. Yes, most of them were in the same financial shape as the clients who referred them, but not all of them.
I was also able to network with the administrators of the clinic, their benefactors, and the other attorneys who volunteered. I met people who introduced me to others and as my network grew, so did my practice.
I'm not ashamed to admit that growing my practice was one of the reasons I volunteered at the legal clinic. I don't think any of the hundreds of clients I saw for free or almost free would have any objections.
Filed under Attorneys fees, Career satisfaction, Image, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Networking, Referrals by
I've represented thousands of clients in my career. As far as I know, only one prospective client interviewed me and chose not to hire me. The rest I either signed up or I chose not to.
I say "as far as I know" because there may have been others who interviewed me and I wasn't aware of it. But the woman who thanked me for my time and was never seen again stands out in my mind because the experience was so unusual.
New York criminal defense lawyer, Scott Greenfield, says that in the Internet age, things are different. People read articles and blog posts that provide lists of questions a well educated consumer should ask lawyers before retaining them, and that's what they do. Questions like, "how many cases do you have," "how many have you handled in the past," and "how many have you won?" are now common.
The problem, Greenfield says, aren't the questions but the prospective client's inability to interpret the answers. Greenfield quotes Matt Brown's original post at Tempe Criminal Defense:
They want numbers about my experience, my practice, the system, and their case. It’s because numbers make an unscientific decision like hiring a lawyer seem somewhat scientific. It’s a complex decision, and the idea of boiling the process down to comparing statistics comforts some people.
Unfortunately, a little knowledge can be a bad thing. A numbers-obsessed prospective client can easily end up worse-informed than someone who doesn’t ask any questions. The problem isn’t the information, but their perspective. Information, especially numbers, can be misleading without context.
Greenfield says this is a relatively recent phenomenon, and I agree. "Rarely did people run around interviewing a dozen criminal defense lawyers whose names they found online. They sought recommendations and then acted upon them. Weeks and months weren't lost to interviews, not to mention many hours of both lawyer's and potential client's lives, in this strange new process."
Matt Brown wrote about the challenge of being interviewed by a prospective client with a list of questions:
They wanted an exact number, so I told them. At the time, the number was fourteen. I immediately realized they weren’t going to hire me.
The number startled them. They asked me how I kept them all straight. Fourteen seemed like a huge number to them. Without a frame of reference, I might as well have told them I was too busy to handle the case.
One client hears "fourteen," thinks that's a big number and that you won't have time to handle their case. The next client hears "fourteen" and thinks, "that's all; you must not be very good." This is an issue you must be prepared to deal with, but it's not a problem. It's an opportunity.
When a prospective client comes to see you, armed with a list of questions, it is an opportunity for you to educate him and give him the context they lack.
Show them what the numbers mean in the real world. Explain how attorneys work and how you are different. Tell him what he needs to know and give him credit for being intelligent enough to make the right decision. And ask him questions to find out what he wants and to make sure he understands what you are telling him.
You see, it's not his job to interpret the numbers, it's yours.
Most attorneys provide a proforma answer to these questions and cross their fingers. Some attorneys get frustrated and wish people would stop asking. Smart attorneys are not only prepared for these questions, they welcome them.
Questions from prospective clients open the door for you to demonstrate your knowledge, your experience, and your compassion. In teaching prospects what the articles do not, with patience and respect, you provide value to the prospective client that he doesn't get anywhere else. That value fosters trust and ultimately, clients hire attorneys they feel they can trust.
That's why referred clients ask so few questions. Because a friend referred them, they already trust you.
Yes, it takes effort on your part to earn that trust when a client finds you online. If you want their business, if you want them to choose you instead of the many other attorneys they find online, you need to give them a reason.
Take a few minutes to teach them what they need to know, answer their questions, and make sure they understand and are satisfied with your answers. The extra effort is worth it. Once they trust you and hire you, they will refer other clients to you and you won't have to work so hard.
Filed under Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Referrals, Salesmanship by
There are two kinds of referral sources: those who can refer and those who will.
If you've done a good job for your clients, most are probably willing to give you referrals. That doesn't mean they will. If they don't know people who need your services, they can't refer them.
Others — professionals, business owners, centers of influence — who are able to refer you a lot of business, often don't.
Understanding why people do or do not give referrals can help you get more of them.
So why do people provide referrals? Your clients are willing to send referrals for several reasons:
First, your clients want to help their friends and colleagues to the benefit of your services. They can save their friends the time they might have spent looking for an attorney, and help them avoid the risk of getting an incompetent one or getting overcharged. Their friends appreciate this help; your client's status is elevated. Being able to help their friends makes them feel important.
Second, when their friend retains you and is also satisfied with your work, it validates your referring client's decision to hire you in the first place. Any doubts they may have had about their experience with you are removed.
The third reason your clients are willing to give you referrals is that they want to help you. However, clients don't always know that you want their referrals. You need to tell them. Or, they understand that you want referrals but they just don't think about it. You need to remind them.
If you're not getting referrals from your clients, or you're not getting as many as you would like, there are only two reasons: either you don't deserve them or you're not asking for them.
Now, how about non-clients, professionals, business owners, centers of influence–why might they give you referrals?
For some, it is the expectation of quid pro quo. They give you referrals and you give them referrals, or so they hope.
Others will refer their clients and contacts to you for the same reason your clients do: to help their clients avoid the risk and effort of finding an attorney on their own. In helping their clients this way, they add value to their relationships and their status is also elevated. And yes, some also feel good about helping you, too.
When a professional is able to refer business but is unwilling to do so, it may be because they don't yet know, like, and trust you. It takes time for your relationship to develop. Eventually, they may turn out to be a big source of new business.
Many prospective referral sources don't send you business because they don't have it to give. They have a relationship with another attorney to whom they refer and they don't have enough referrals for both of you. Unless their regular attorney has a conflict of interest, is unavailable, or doesn't handle a given matter, your prospective referral source may be willing to refer, but not able.
In time, that may change. When the other attorney retires, dies or screws up, you could be next in line.
If you're dealing with a prospective referral source who cannot reciprocate, there are other ways they can help you. By the same token, there are other ways you can help them when you can't reciprocate.
Some people who can give referrals simply won't. They may see it as risky–what if you screw up and make them look bad? Others just can't be bothered.
Don't dwell on the reasons why people won't refer. If some clients won't do it, it doesn't matter; most will. With non-client referral sources, the numbers are reversed. Most won't refer and this doesn't matter. You only need a few who do.
Filed under Client relations, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing by
For many attorneys and law firms, newsletters bring in a lot of business. If you don't have a newsletter, here are ten reasons you should:
- To get more business from current clients. A newsletter is an effective way to let clients know about your other services and show them how they can benefit from those services, without being "salesy".
- To get repeat business from former clients. People who hired you once will hire you again–when they're ready.
A newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with them until they are. - To add value to your services. A newsletter can provide an added benefit for clients. Give clients "subscriptions". Put a price tag on the newsletter but send it free to current clients.
- To educate prospects. A newsletter that provides prospective clients with valuable information helps them make better decisions, allows you to demonstrate your expertise, and provides a mechanism for staying in touch with them until they are ready to hire you.
- To generate word-of-mouth referrals. Newsletters have pass-along value. A good newsletter will be shared with an average of three other people, even more online.
- To build your contact list. You can offer visitors to your web site a subscription to your newsletter in return for providing their email (and other contact information). When speaking or networking, you can offer to send your newsletter to people who provide you with their business card.
- To establish expertise and credibility. Your writing helps prospects, publishers, reporters, meeting planners, and referral sources see you as the expert you are.
- To provide content for, and traffic to, your web site. Your newsletter can drive traffic to your web site or blog. Your newsletter content can be re-used as content on your web site or blog, generating additional traffic from search engines and social media.
- To shorten the sales process. People who respond to your newsletter are better informed about what you do and pre-sold on your ability to do it, in contrast to people who come to you via advertising.
- To serve as a networking tool. Your newsletter is a tool to reach out to other professionals. You can interview them for an article, conduct a survey, ask them to write an article, or ask permission to put them on your mailing list.
A newsletter requires an investment of time, and possibly some capital, but the return on that investment can be substantial. If you want to grow your practice, a newsletter is one of the most highly leveraged marketing activities you can do.
Filed under Increase your income, Leverage, List building, Marketing legal services, Networking, Newsletters, Referrals, Web traffic by
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.
I hired an attorney recently. After I signed the retainer agreement, he gave me a copy of the agreement and my check. Nothing else. Nor has he sent me anything in the mail or email in the several weeks since.
No letters, no phone calls, no information.
It's true, nothing has happened yet that would require an update. Nevertheless, not sending me anything or communicating with me in any way is a big mistake.
Attorneys need to give new clients as much information as possible, and stay in touch with them as often as possible:
- To thank them for choosing you instead of any other lawyer
- To educate them on what you will be doing and how the client can help you do a better job for them
- To inoculate the client from doing or saying anything that could harm them
- To clarify and commemorate what you told the client and what the client told you
- To give them something to show their spouse or partner that explains what you are doing and why it is necessary
- To show clients you are organized and experienced and that they can trust you to stay on top of their matter
- To ensure the client knows what will be happening, and when, so they don't expect too much, too soon
- To let the client know that even though they haven't heard from you, you are working on their case
- To reduce the client's anxiety–about their case and about working with a lawyer
- To add value to the transaction and exceed the client's expectations; to give them a "wow" experience
- To clarify billing and payment requirements so there are no misunderstandings or unpleasant surprises
- To set the stage for cross-sales and referrals by educating the client about other services your firm offers
Every law firm should send new clients home with as much information as possible. Create a simple "new client kit" and supplement this with regularly scheduled letters and phone calls. Let them know what you are doing for them, even if what you are doing is waiting for something from them or from another party.
Many attorneys do this but too many don't. How about you? What do you send your new clients and how has this helped your practice?
Filed under Client relations, Law office management, Referrals, Thank you letters by
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