This is not your father’s law practice

February 17, 2014 by
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Every few weeks, a real estate agent in my area sends me oversized postcards describing her listings. The other day, she mailed me a calendar for the fridge. I’d had enough. I wrote to her and told her, “Take me off your list! UNSUBSCRIBE!”

The nerve of some people.

Okay, that never happened. I told my wife I was going to do it, thinking I would at least get a charity laugh, but she’s endured my warped sense of humor for 34 years and this was probably too much to ask.

But it did make me think about how the world has changed since I first opened my law practice, or my father did before me.

Before email, if you wanted to communicate with prospective clients (real estate or law), you could put something in the mail. It worked before and it still works today. In fact, it works better today because so few do it anymore (and because nobody accuses you of spam when you do.)

You may have never done any direct mail, but if you want to bring in new business, this is a viable choice for many attorneys.

Advertising works.

If you don’t want to do direct mail, there are alternatives. Display ads, ezine ads, pay-per-click ads, classified ads, and more, can drive traffic to your website and clients to your office.

If you don’t want to advertise your services, you could advertise a book or report or audio. You could advertise a charity or cause you believe in and include your firm’s name (and web link) as sponsor.

Writing articles, blogging, social media, speaking, networking–they’re all forms of advertising. You may not write a check when you do them, but you’re doing something to get your name in front of people who can hire you or refer others. When you write to former clients, you’re reminding them that you’re still available to help them and the people they know. Yep, advertising.

A PI attorney in Georgia, Jamie Casino, ran a local two-minute TV spot during the Super Bowl. Perhaps you saw it. It’s received over five million views on Youtube. We can debate whether the ad is ethical or in bad taste, or whether he did it as a stunt or truly believes in his message, but one thing is certain: the ad and the buzz it has created will put more than a few shekels in Mr. Casino’s pockets.

I’m not saying that if you advertise, you should look to this as a model. I’m saying, it’s a tough market for attorneys today and if you’ve never thought about advertising before, perhaps you should. Even if all you do is mail out some calendars.

Don’t want to do paid advertising? Here are the best alternatives.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Legal industry, Marketing legal services, Publicity Tagged With:

Ron Burgundy promoting your law practice?

December 11, 2013 by
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Advertising works. Even silly campaigns like the one Dodge is running featuring fictional newscaster Ron Burgundy, played by actor Will Farrell, as spokesman. Sales of the Dodge Durango were up 36% in November versus last year, thanks to these ads and the tie-in with the upcoming sequel to the 2004 hit movie, Anchorman.

Why do these ads work? There’s nothing new being said about the Durango. And the Ron Burgundy character isn’t a car expert, fictional or otherwise. It works because people recognize the character, talk about the ads, and think about the Durango when they are in the market for a new vehicle.

Most lawyers don’t use celebrity endorsements in their advertising, but they could. It’s not as expensive as you might think to hire a former sports figure or B-list actor. In fact, there are agents who specialize in booking their clients for just this purpose. I recall seeing former Los Angeles Dodger’s stars Steve Garvey and Ron Cey doing local TV ads long after they were retired from playing.

Also, you don’t need someone whom “everyone” would recognize. You can hire someone who is well known in your niche market. The former head of a trade association, for example.

But let’s say you don’t want to hire anyone. Hell, let’s say you don’t want to do any paid advertising, (or aren’t allowed to). What then? You can still leverage the celebrity of famous people.

My friend, attorney Mitch Jackson, regularly interviews famous people for his video podcast. These videos bring traffic to his website and bolster his reputation as someone who is successful enough to have famous people willing to “take his call”. In essence, their appearance on his “show” provides an implied endorsement for his practice.

How did he get some of these folks to agree to an interview? I’m sure he’ll tell you he just asked them. Celebrities, speakers, authors, professionals, and entrepreneurs need exposure. I love being interviewed. It free advertising, easy to do, and lots of fun.

If you don’t have a podcast, video or otherwise, you could interview well known people for your blog or newsletter. Who do you know who is famous, if not to the world, within your target market? Do you have a famous client or friend? If not, do you know someone who does?

If nobody comes to mind, ask yourself, “Who would I like to know? Who might my market like to hear me interview? What semi-famous person has a list of followers or fans who would be good candidates for my services?’

Another thing you can do is piggyback on a charitable cause. Invite celebrities to come to an event you are involved with, lend their name to it, or promote it to their social media channels. Celebrities love to be seen associated with causes they believe in.

You don’t need a direct endorsement for your services to benefit from a celebrity’s name recognition. Even mentioning that you met a well known person at an event you attended has value. Hey, you don’t even need to talk to them. Just take selfies with famous people and post them online.

Do you have a marketing plan for next year? Start with this.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Blogging, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Publicity, Web traffic Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Advertising for attorneys who don’t advertise

November 21, 2013 by
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It’s raining and there was a collision in front of my house this morning. Naturally, I grabbed some business cards and ran outside. Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore. Just kidding. I just put on my tee-shirt that says, “Auto accident lawyer” in big print and asked if everyone was okay. Just kidding. I don’t own that shirt anymore.

Yikes, I just remembered, when I passed the bar someone gave me a tee-shirt that said “Da Lawya” on it. For realz.

Anyway, it’s good to let people know what you do for a living. The more people who know, the more chances there are that someone will want to hire you or refer someone they know.

So let’s talk about attorney advertising.

Not the usual kind of advertising. Not the kind you may not like or may be forbidden from doing. Something different. Easy. And free.

There are two steps:

Step one: Contact two people today you don’t know, either online or in person, and ask them what they do for a living.

Step two: Repeat step one daily.

That’s it. Approach two people a day, introduce yourself, and ask what they do. They’ll answer. Then, they’ll ask you what you do. You tell them. Done.

After that, who knows. Someone might need you right away, but it doesn’t matter. There are lots of things you can do to continue the conversation and build a relationship.

So maybe that’s not really advertising, it’s networking. Whatever. It works. And it’s easy. And you don’t need a tee-shirt.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. Start here.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Business cards, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Networking, Social media marketing Tagged With: ,

Halloween attorney marketing ideas

October 30, 2013 by
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There’s a commercial running where a family is trick-or-treating and planning their route, so they can scoop up the best candy. The son says to stay away from a house where a dentist lives because he’s giving out dental floss. The father, dressed in a completely ridiculous costume, brands the dentist a “weirdo”.

I’ve heard stories about businesses and professionals passing out candy with their contact information printed on the wrapper, or dropping their business card or brochure in the bag along with the candy. So, is this good marketing?

No. It’s not. Creative, maybe, but not effective. This is a night for the children and you’re interrupting their fun with your commercial. You’re a weirdo.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to pass out items with your contact information printed on them. Things like pens, coffee mugs, key chains, calendars, and note pads are a great way to keep your name in front of clients and prospects.

“Advertising specialties,” as they are called, are common marketing tools for small businesses, insurance, and real estate. There’s no reason why they can’t also be used by attorneys.

Give your clients a coffee mug with your info on it and they’ll see your name every morning. If they need you, they’ll always know where to find you.

At seminars, make sure each attendee has a pad of paper and pen with your info printed on them.

In addition to your regular business cards, get a card printed with something on the back–the bus or subway route, the baseball schedule, or a calendar–so people will keep the card in their wallet or stick it on their fridge.

If you’re looking for low cost, effective attorney marketing ideas, this is it. Get something printed with your name, phone, and website and pass them out. Give them to clients, prospective clients, and anyone else you want to remember you. Just don’t do it tomorrow night.

Do you know The Formula? Check it out here.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Business cards, Marketing legal services Tagged With: ,

Simple, inexpensive, and oh so powerful marketing for lawyers

October 9, 2013 by
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How would you like to have five or ten local businesses or professionals passing out your report, brochure, or other propaganda to every one of their customers or clients?

Okay, here’s what you do:

  1. Make a list of categories. What type of business or professional has customers or clients in your target market?
  2. Make a list of candidates. Go online and find websites of businesses and professionals in those categories in your market. Put a star next to the names of those who have a newsletter, blog, mailing list, or social media followers.
  3. Contact each candidate and tell them you have a proposal that could be to your mutual benefit. Basically, you’re going to hand out their literature to your clients and prospects and they’ll do the same for you.
  4. Create a handout. This could be anything with your name and contact information on it–a brochure, report, coupon, gift certificate, free consultation offer, or anything else. Have them do the same.

Print the handout. Create a pdf version, too, for email lists and website visitors. On your handout, add a different code for each cross-promotion partner, so you can see which ones are sending you the most business.

Now, all you have to do is pass out each other’s literature. When your supply gets low, notify your partner so they can provide you with more, and of course, you want them to do the same.

Okay, that’s the idea. Simple, isn’t it? But very effective.

You may have to contact ten or twenty candidates to find a few who understand the power of this idea, but you only need a few. Why? Because a cross-promotion carries with it the implied endorsement of the cross-promotion partner (so make sure you choose good quality businesses and qualified professionals). A handful of partners passing out your information to hundreds of people every day could bring you more business than you can handle.

Marketing for lawyers doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Cross-promotions allows you to leverage the lists of other professionals and businesses, bringing targeted traffic to your website and hot prospects to your phone.

For more ways to get traffic and clients by leveraging OPL (other people’s lists), get this.

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Filed Under: Advertising, List building, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Online Marketing, Referral sources, Referrals Tagged With: , ,

Attorney advertising: don’t let this happen to you

September 25, 2013 by
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The other night I heard a radio commercial for a tax attorney. Not a “tax resolution” firm that does offers in compromise, a regular tax firm. At least that’s the way it was presented.

This was during “drive time” on a station that probably has many hundreds of thousands of listeners. Drive time radio is expensive, especially on a show with a big audience. How many listeners have a tax problem and can afford to hire an attorney?

I’m sure the attorney doesn’t need many clients to pay for the ads and turn a profit. But why not advertise on a Sunday “investor” show? Small audience, but much more likely to need a tax attorney. And the cost of that kind of show is a fraction of the cost of a “drive time” ad buy.

Anyway, I’m listening to the ad, waiting for the call to action. Now if you were running expensive ads on drive time radio, what would you want as the call to action?

You would want to offer a free report, wouldn’t you? So you could build a list of people who aren’t sure they need an attorney and need more information. A list of people who don’t have a tax problem right now but think they might soon.

Yep, that’s what you’d want. You are an attorney advertising genius.

But not this attorney.

This attorney made the same mistake most attorneys do in their ads. The call to action was to have listeners call the attorney’s office to make an appointment. (I don’t remember if he was offering a free consultation.)

The ad never mentioned the attorney’s web site. No “free report”. No way for the attorney to generate leads of prospective clients so he could stay in touch with them.

Call or don’t call. Those were the options.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with telling people to call for an appointment. But don’t make that the only option. Reach out to the “maybes” and get them into your marketing funnel. Build a list of prospective clients. Some of them are going to need your services at some point and you want to be “in their minds and their mailboxes” when they do.

One more thing. If you’re driving home from work and hear a radio commercial, what’s easier to remember a phone number or a website?

Exactly.

Anyone who advertises today and doesn’t include a website is really missing the boat.

You don’t have to advertise, but you do need a website. Find out what to do here.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Copywriting, List building, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Web traffic Tagged With: , , , ,

The problem with lawyer directories

September 4, 2013 by
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I got yet another unsolicited email from a new lawyer directory inviting me to list my practice. Aside from the fact that I no longer practice, why would I want to be listed with a company that does marketing through unsolicited bulk emails?

Anyway, I’ve got a problem with lawyer directories. Actually, several problems:

  • People searching for lawyers usually prefer to go directly to individual lawyers’ websites, rather than wading through a directory (which is another search engine, after all). If they do visit a directory, they’ll see little to help them narrow their search, other than practice area and location, and that’s not enough. (See next point.)
  • Directories make everyone look alike so it’s harder to stand out among your competition. Premium (paid) listings give you better placement, more room, and more features, but it’s still a directory and the kind of information found in directories usually isn’t enough to convince people to call. (See next point.)
  • What makes you stand out isn’t telling people what you do, it’s showing them what you do. Articles, blog posts, client success stories, YOUR story, photos of you and your staff successfully doing what you do, show people your capabilities, experience, and commitment in a way a rote listing of practice areas never can.
  • Therefore, a listing is only as good as the website it links to. Most people won’t call based only on a directory listing. They want to see more. They want to see your website.

The good news is that not only will a content-rich website sell visitors on you and what you can do for them, it will also bring them to your site through search engines and social sharing. In other words, you don’t need to depend on directories.

If a directory is free, sure, go ahead and add your listing. It will provide another inbound link to your site and yes, you may get some business from it.

Should you get a paid listing? Hey, you only need one case or client all year to pay for it. That’s the pitch, isn’t it? I won’t say never. But I’d rather see you put your energy into building your own website and getting some of that free organic traffic Google would love to send you.

If you want to learn how to build a successful website and get traffic, this is all you need.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Social media marketing, Web traffic Tagged With: ,

Lawyer advertising on Craigslist: Why You Shouldn’t (And How to Do it)

July 31, 2013 by
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Most people who look for a lawyer on Craigslist are primarily looking for “cheap prices”. The same is true of most classified advertising sites or publications targeted to the low end of the consumer or small business market. Experience, reputation, “customer service,” and other hallmarks of professionalism are secondary.

Offering “discount prices” is, for most lawyers, ill advised. You’re competing with other lawyers who will undercut you, as well as paralegals, form preparers, and others who troll in the lowest depths of the market.

Unless you wish to position yourself as a “discount lawyer” and offer rock bottom “prices,” stay away from Craigslist and publications like it. Clients who hire the best lawyers and are willing to pay top dollar for those lawyers usually don’t look for them on Craigslist.

There are exceptions. Some people who look on Craigslist do want a good attorney and are willing to pay top dollar. They may go to Craigslist out of habit, because that’s where they go to find other deals. But wanting to save money when buying a used car doesn’t necessarily mean you have the same mindset when hiring an attorney.

But how do you find these people unless you are advertising on Craigslist?

You find them not by advertising your services but by advertising your seminar. Or you book. Or your report.

You sell your book or give it away and build a list of prospects. Yes, most of the people on that list will have a “low price” mentality, but so what? Some won’t. Some will hire you and pay your regular fees.

In addition, some of the people on your list know people who aren’t “low pricers” and will refer them. Others on your list who today demand low prices may tomorrow find their circumstances (and attitude) changed and be willing to pay your “higher” fees. (Probably after they hire one of your low cost competitors and find that they got what they paid for.)

Lawyer advertising on Craigslist is possible. Just don’t advertise your services.

How to market legal services on the Internet. Click here.

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Filed Under: Advertising, List building, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

Contract work for lawyers

May 2, 2013 by
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In yesterday’s post, I wrote about how a new attorney should seek appearances and overflow work from other attorneys. This morning, I found some older articles I had written about contract work for lawyers

One article was my response to an attorney who asked for my advice in getting contract work. I suggested the following:

  1. Call everyone you know who is a lawyer and let them know what you are doing. Ask them to refer you to three attorneys they know who may need court appearances, research, etc.
  2. Call everyone to whom you are referred and tell them what you’re looking for. Ask them to refer you to three attorneys who may need court appearances, etc.
  3. Repeat this process, until you have personally spoken to 100 attorneys. Follow up with a letter reminding them about what you do. Stay in touch with them every 90 days.

A personal phone call is a great way to cut through the clutter. But you can also be successful by advertising, as I did, or by mailing, as the following email I received attests:

“I think that I was perhaps one of the first contract attorneys in LA County way back when (late 80s). It was unheard of to hire hourly legal assistance at law firms and I certainly didn’t think it would work. Nonetheless, I sent out 100 letters to a focused group of law firms offering my services. I received 30 responses, had approximately 10 meetings and got work from almost everyone that I spoke to.

I’m sure my early big law firm experience helped, as well as my education and other credentials. But mainly I think I owe my success to just being willing to do something that made no sense at all!”

Christine P.

To whom should you write?

1. YOUR COMPETITION

I got a lot of personal injury referrals from personal injury attorneys. They had cases that needed to be worked up for trial and didn’t have the time.

If an attorney is going to turn it away a case that’s too small or two weak for them, why not give it to you? Especially if you offer a referral fee (if allowed) or suggest that you will associate with them on bigger matters that may be over your head.

I also got lots of appearances. I remember one sole practitioner who had been ill and was essentially bed ridden. His wife was holding the fort in the office while he recuperated and hired me to do all of the court appearances, depos, and arbitrations.

Another time, an insurance defense firm had to do hundreds of depos in a short period of time and didn’t have the manpower. I was brought in, along with several other contract attorneys, and we worked every day for six weeks. I billed them thousands of dollars a week (this was a long time ago) and they billed their client. I’m sure they had a nice mark up.

2. LAWYERS IN OTHER PRACTICE AREAS

If they don’t do what you do, you have a chance to get better clients and cases referred to you. The challenge is that they may already have someone they refer to.

But they might not. Or maybe they don’t have someone in your geographic area. You won’t know unless you ask.

And, a lawyer who doesn’t have something for you today might have something for you two months from now when the lawyer they had been referring business to screws up or is too busy, the matter is too small, or there is a conflict of interest.

Also, the lawyer you contact may not have work for you but they may know someone who does. So, focus on building relationships. The work will come.

You might also send letters to lawyers and firms that are advertising to hire attorneys. They obviously have the work and are looking for help, and until they find it, you may be able to get some of that work.

Even the best and biggest law firms need help from time to time. There are temp firms that book attorneys, and you can certainly register with them. But I found that going direct to the source allowed me to get the best work and charge the highest fees. And, once a lawyer had used me once or twice and knew they could trust me and my work, they usually wanted to continue to use me, even though they could find much cheaper alternatives.

Like any kind of marketing, the hard part is getting your foot in the door. As soon as one firm hires you or refers business, ask them for referrals to other lawyers who might need contract work. One will lead to others.

Marketing is easier when you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services Tagged With: , , , ,

How does a new attorney get clients?

May 1, 2013 by
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Yes, how does a new attorney get clients? I remember when I was opening my practice this was something I desperately wanted to know. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good answer.

I was told that I should do the following:

  1. Send engraved announcements to everyone you know announcing your new practice
  2. Pass out business cards to everyone you meet
  3. Join groups where you can network and pass out cards to everyone you meet
  4. And, that was about it.

There was no Internet in those days. Yellow pages advertising was too expensive. Besides, I’d have to wait months for the book to come out and I needed business immediately.

I didn’t send out announcements, but I did tell everyone that I had opened my own practice. That brought in exactly zero business. I didn’t do any networking. I was 23 years old and looked it, and I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously. Hey, I didn’t take me seriously.

What I did do (on the phone and in classified ads in a bar journal) was contact other attorneys and let them know I was available for (a) appearances and (b) overflow work. And that actually worked. It gave me some breathing room until I could figure out how to get some clients of my own.

If you’re a new attorney today, opening your own practice, I suggest you do the same. It’s a great way to generate immediate income and get some hands on experience.

But the first thing you should do is set up a website.

Not a page in an online directory or a free website, but your own site. A domain name you own and a site that you host. You don’t need anything fancy. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. You can either do it yourself–if I can learn, you can learn–or pay someone $100 to set up the site for you. Monthly costs are less than $10.

Add lots of content to your site, to show people what you know and how you can help them. Educate people about the law and procedure. Show them what they need to know. Answer their questions, show them their options, and help them understand what to do.

Yes, you should also tell them about the services you offer. But fill your website primarily with information prospective clients want to know about their legal problems and the available solutions . Give them enough information and they will see that you can deliver those solutions.

Make sure your content has appropriate keywords so clients can find you via search. And make sure your site has social media sharing enabled so visitors to your site can share your content with their friends and contacts.

As you gain experience, update your site with additional content–articles, blog posts, reports, checklists–and stories of how you have helped your clients solve problems.

Start building a list. Not everyone who visits your site is ready to hire you. Capture their email address so you can stay in touch with them, notify them when you post new content, and remind them that you are still available to help them or people they know.

When you meet someone who might be a prospective client or referral source, send them to your website so they can learn about what you do.

What’s next? Well, that depends on you. You can continue to build your practice primarily online. You can join networking groups and do public speaking. You can create a free seminar or webinar and “allow” other professionals and centers of influence to invite their clients.

But here’s the thing. Your best source of new clients is referrals from existing and former clients. So, as soon as you have a few clients who are happy with your work, you should leverage those relationships to generate new business.

You can ask for referrals directly but you have another option: ask your clients to refer people to your website and the great content you have available.

How does a new attorney get clients? The same way an old attorney gets clients. Plus appearances and overflow.

The Attorney Marketing Formula. How attorneys get clients.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Business cards, Client loyalty, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Networking, Online Marketing, Referrals, SEO, Social media marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,
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