Law firm marketing- Influencing the press by making friends with reported and press men
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Some recurring questions often come to focus especially when law firms have to deal with newspapers publication reporters and press men. You always wonder why a particular attorney is often quoted on a news item , you may also wonder why press men and newspaper publications do not give you a call despite handling several successful cases, and even when a reporter calls you, how do you know the proper ways of answering his calls and giving him or her the right fact. It is ideal for a law firm to understand how effective it could be to deal with the press and make them your friends to use them for your law firm marketing strategies.
It is not enough to be a successful lawyer by the number of cases you have handled, you must be known through the media, and the media can get your message widely distributed than what you individual achievements can do and they do this through credible news items. The key for a law firm to become successful through the press is to become a good source of information for the reporters. One of the opportunities for being a news source for the press is that your law firm and attorneys name will become much more pronounced and potential clients will be generated from such.
Since a reporter will like to protect his valued source, he will try as much as possible to enhance your credibility also. Unresponsive lawyers are often ignored by press men and that is not good for the image of such attorneys and their law firms. When you respond adequately to a legal issue, your source for information will be trusted and the reporter will always want to work with you in the future.
Most press men and reporters are inquisitive and bright in nature with some of them having law degrees and are full journalist. They are highly trained individuals who can be thrown into an unfamiliar situations and then start to search for information. With this in mind a law firm should understand that it is dealing with highly intelligent professionals who will not take chances with their jobs. The best possible ways by which a law firm can make reporters their friends is by getting active on issues which are widely reported by local and international media and ensure that such relationships are sustained
Tags: Law Firm Marketing, Law Firm Web Design
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Marketing Communications & Media Relations In Law Firm Marketing
Monday, July 5th, 2010
The importance of an effective marketing communication alongside great media relations cannot be undermined in law firm marketing. These two effective marketing tools can drive a law firm to greatness. Marketing communication for law firms starts when an attorney publishes newsletters and for customers and clients, and develops brochures of services. Such materials should not necessarily be fanciful in nature, but should include postage-paid survey cards , law firm literature’s and check-off boxes which will help your potential clients provide feedback’s to you.
You must give your clients and potential clients two business cards- one for keeps and the other to give to another person. Likewise, include a brochure. Separate business cards and sales literature’s should be provided for each of your target market segments and that includes; Government, social clubs and associations, and corporate organizations, among many others. Your clients and prospective customers should have some posters and calendars of your law firm. Do not forget to print the slogan or one sentence description of your law firm on all invoices, leather head papers, and fax cover sheets among many other documents.
As a law firm attorney your email messages should have a signature file that will help you keep them. Key information’s such as your contact details and those of your potential clients must be included in the signature file, information’s such as your website and other necessary things must also be included to help your potential clients contact you easily. You should use colored or over-sized envelopes to send direct mails to your potential clients rather than using plain envelopes. This will drive the recipient’s curiosity as regards the content in the package. Your direct respond packages should also be used in announcing your special discounts rates and any other free package incentives you will like to offer.
When it comes to media relations, one of the best possible ways an attorney can optimize the benefits in it is by updating his media list in such a way that press releases are only sent to the right persons and media organizations. You must circulate prints, write articles in some columns of major local and regional publications. You should strive to appear in some major talk-shows and send timely and news-worthy press releases as at when due. You can occasionally take an editor of a newspaper publication for lunch and even write such editors for possible PR opportunities.
A good law firm marketing strategy will always strive on effective marketing communications and media relations.
Tags: Law Firm Marketing, Law Firm Web Design
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Effective customer services and , customer relations and Networking for law firm marketing strategies
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
The combination of an active law firm networking and an effective customer service for a law firm marketing strategy will ensure that you keep getting new prospects while you consolidate on the relationship between you and your existing clients. Returning all clients phone calls immediately and asking them to keep in touch is the primary source of creating the perfect relationship between your law firm and such potential clients. An email system or fax-on-demand system that will respond to all clients’ enquiries is also desirable, even when you are not around, such response facilities will help you out. After hours response should be used handled by answering machines and or voice mail message.
Little things such as a simple thank you note and birthday wishes can serve as the magic in your law firm marketing strategy. You can likewise send business gifts such as an interesting book on which you can attach an hand-written note , so also you can make photocopies of some interesting articles and attach your FYI note or business card on it and send such to your existing or new clients. As a matter of fact, you need to create an area on your website which will be dedicated mainly to the needs of your clients and potential clients.
Networking and using your word of mouth in wooing your clients should be taken seriously . First and foremost , you need to join as many organizations as you can , join a chamber of commerce as well, these are the avenues through which you can create great networks. You must mail your brochures to the members of the associations to which you belong, you should also strive to serve on city boards and commissions to enhance your professional value and relevance within your localized region and community, hold an open house and holiday ceremonies with the view of attractive as many professionals as possible. This will also increase your chances of creating new networks and referrals.
One of the possible ways of creating effective networks after a seminar or conference is to send letters to attendees with a view of creating awareness for your professional legal capabilities. You should also Endeavour to join a community list-serve or email lists on the internet. This will also generate some indirect prospects for your law firm business.
Tags: Law Firm Marketing, Law firm search engine optimization
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Market research will lead to a better law firm marketing strategy
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
You need to know how your law firm and law firm services are perceived by consumers in your target market to determine how strong and effective your law firm marketing strategies are. It is unfortunate that many law firms do make subjective marketing decisions or they just take a guess when making such law firm decision without consulting an ideal law firm marketing research. Having an objective market research will help you understand your true position in the market, s subjective market evaluation in which law form attorneys make a guess about market situation will not help your law firm market research in any way.
Law firm market research can be regarded as a scientific and systematic approach by a law firm to gather , record and analyze outside information about what kind of services the consumer wants as well as what is in high demand. Such researches are done for decision making purposes. The value of your market research will depend on the subjective information you have been able to gather from the market research surveys.
Law firm market research often involve a primary and secondary research methodology. A primary market survey is just a rough survey on the needs and demands of the people about several legal services, it does not necessarily include extensive market research. With primary research, information is collected directly from the respondent and it is regarded as a quantitative research. This kind of research can be conducted through mails, direct meeting , phone calls and many more, it often include more 100 or more people at a time. Primary research is a quantitative research which is done to measure clients’ satisfaction, primary quantitative research can also be used by an attorney in preparing for a litigation case.
The secondary research is a research that is used in collecting and processing information that has been processed and published somewhere else. Though secondary market research for law firm marketing is harder than the primary mode of research but it often represent the true feelings and mind of a bigger audience. It is less expensive as you can get free information on the internet and from a wide range of newspapers which you can make use of for your law firm marketing. One of the importance of law firm market research is to create a more defined service for their valued clients and at the same time entice potential new clients.
It is ideal to combine both primary and secondary research methodologies for better law firm marketing strategies , it will help a law firm build a more successful relationship not only with their existing and future clients but with the general public at large. Such research methodologies will help a law firm to serve the public better and at the same time the law firm’s reputation is greatly enhanced. Market research should be a periodic thing and not just an “ everyday” procedure. It is a perfect marketing strategy for a law firm that wants to grow.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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Defining your market and focusing your message for a more effective law firm marketing
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
One of the most prominent problems faced by attorneys is how to distinguish their own professional services and law firm from services rendered by other law firms. If you are no different from your competitors then you are just a jack-of-all-trades. Your own identity is your own unique message and you must strategically differentiate yourself from the rest so that you can brand yourself for your target market. The fact is that most clients often get confused when choosing a legal firm for their legal needs especially when all law firms are promoting themselves in a similar way.
Most attorneys often find it hard to narrow down their focus on some specific marketing plans. They often want to be all things to all people and little do they realize that the best possible way to attract the biggest business for the right prices is to differentiate themselves from the pack. To create a brand identity for your law firm, you have to start from your law firm web design . You need to make a research end understand what applies to other law firm web design just before you start to design yours. It is when you have researched what obtains for others that you can fashion out what will work best for you.
Differentiation based on service is another way of standing your law firm out from the crowd. Your differentiation service will stand you from the crowd because it is your message and clearly states what your potential clients should expect from you. Your law firm messages will target specific audiences and your branding should also highlight your responsiveness, speed of accuracy, experience, and client satisfaction abilities. The services you rendered for your clients should be done perfectly well that you don’t have to get negative feedbacks.
It is believe that lack of responsiveness is one of the main reasons why most clients are not satisfied with their legal representatives. For instance clients want attorneys who will respond to their initial enquiries on time and that is before they even hire them at little or no extra fees{ most attorneys do charge a consultation fee}.
Differentiating your law firm by focusing on one particular area is one way to stand yourself out from the crowd, though most law firms are “jack of all trades” , you shouldn’t be an expert in all areas, if you focus your strength in one area of practice then you will stand out from the crowd.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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Law firm marketing; The Importance of having an effective law firm change agent
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Many law firms have found themselves introducing concepts and policies outside their areas of jurisdiction, not because they wanted to but they are acting in response to the present competitive market. Learning the acts of being a law firm change agent can however help in bringing success to your law firm as well as your career in so many ways. Sales and service professionals know what they lack in a law firm but they are either not prepared to handle such problems or they are simply not aware of the kind of solutions they will give.
Effective law firm marketing and change agents will possess some qualities which will actually make them prepare for making such positive changes in their law firms and such qualities include; Strategic thinking and staging of law firm’s priorities, A strong work ethic, abilities to be patient in helping a law firm achieves its aims and objectives, Abilities to identify and understand the multiple perspectives existing in a law firm and ability to energize others and build a consensus with others. When an attorney possess these qualities then he or she can proceed and act as a law firm change agent and actualize his firm’s law firm marketing ideals for the general development of the firm.
There are several methodologies an efficient law firm change agent should employ in order to bring the right changes to a law firm. He must be able to establish an early and critical partnership with key leaders both within the law firm and outside, he must be able to identify the issues and challenges related to any objective, he must be able to identify the needs of the law firm as an organization and then needs of the individual staffs and clients, He should be able to communicate effectively, his plans and objectives alongside his visions and plans for the law firm and the clients, He must be able to develop a technical and systematic step-by-step mechanism for achieving the law firm goals, and he must be able to measure and communicate the results of his actions.
It is essential to make small and large changes to the policies in a law firm marketing strategy and share this result with other attorneys within the organization in order to convince them that you are indeed an agent of positive changes in the law firm. Many law firms are stocked to the successful marketing strategies of the past and they are not aware that newer challenges are being created on daily basis. A change is often the most needed law firm marketing strategy especially in periods of crisis, a law firm that is stocked to a failing marketing strategy will not be able to make any meaning changes when the need arises.
As a matter of fact, record keeping including database records are also essential when making necessary changes in a law firm marketing plan. This is important to keep records of market marketing successes and failures to make a much more ideal plan.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Advertising Strategies, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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Keys to a Successful Law firm marketing
Friday, February 26th, 2010
The keys to a successful law firm marketing strategies lie in the ability of a law firm to convince potential clients about its readiness to help them on their specific legal problems in a unique style. When it comes to the use of such marketing strategies, it is ideal to ensure that some key main marketing areas are focused upon. Domain name purchase{ especially if your law firm is operating or starting off a law firm website for the first time}, Search engine submissions, and Keyword optimized law firm website pages which should also include standard SEM audits to review performance of the law firm website are some of the keys to a successful law firm marketing strategy.
Putting legal information on the web should be aimed at satisfying the curiosity of individuals who are looking for law firms with great reputation and special abilities to handle their peculiar cases. Aside this special abilities, a law firm is expected to have a unique market differentiator, and must be located close to the potential client. A good law firm optimization strategy on the internet will draw qualified traffic from different parts of the world just like submission to top search engines will continue to yield positive feedbacks for a law firm.
The four major aspects of law firm Search Engine Marketing{ SEM} solutions include; Keyword research, law firm website Performance monitoring, Search engine submissions and a perfect law firm web design. Keyword research is a tool in law firm SEM strategy which involves the use of the most prominent law firm marketing keywords which will generate the widest traffic for a law firm on the web. It involves the identification of the right keyword phrases which are carefully crafted into law firm web contents . The use of the most popular keywords on your law firm website will ensure that your law firm website motivates potential clients in contacting you. You can make use of free keyword research tools online for this purpose.
Search engine submissions involves all forms of Search engine optimization techniques that will launch a website to the top of search engines including Google, Yahoo, MSN, and the likes. Search engines often change their mode of operation and ranking and search engine experts must follow this trend to ensure that law firm websites remain at the top despite the varying conditions used by these search engines in ranking websites. Search engine submission will also include the periodic evaluation of a law firm website contents{ this includes the updating of web contents and checking out for broken links, damaged files }. Search engine submission ensures that a website remains valuable online at all times.
Performance monitoring is the last stage in law firm marketing or SEM. It is a constant thing to continuously monitoring the performance of a law firm search engine on the internet . A hosted web analytics solution for instance is used to analyze visitors data on a law firm website . The monitoring of visitors data will ensure that you have a knowledge of the particular location from which your most valuable traffic are coming from. Performance monitoring ensures that you keep your law firm marketing strategies effective online.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Advertising Strategies, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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Identifying Prospects through your law firm marketing strategies
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Identifying where to start your law firm marketing strategies especially when identifying the right clients within a specified market often becomes difficult for most law firms. A good contact list is the one of the most potent tools for marketing and selling efforts . You contact lists include the names, addresses and any other contact information of people you have met, those you know and those you are about meeting. Such categories of people are potential clients, prospects and good referral source and they include; Friends, families, neighbours, Other lawyers, communities, religious organizations, acquaintances, charity organizations , school mates from college, high school or universities, and Business people.
You need to capture as many information on your prospects as possible { emails, phone numbers and addresses are most critical}. Do not forget the situation that brought you and the contacts together and how well you were able to related with them on your first meeting especially if they were introduced to you by another individual. Categorizing your prospects as clients, referral sources and prospects is one of the best possible ways you can memorize them. You must invest your time in organizing your contact lists to help you with making references when they are needed.
Using your list to identifying prospects is the next step after creating the list. You can do this by identifying which of such contacts have direct and indirect influence on other people and organizations that will benefit your law firm marketing and services. You must be as inclusive as possible in identifying the strength of your individual contacts to help you determine the areas where they will be needed more.
One of the questions often asked is that of How to define the limits of searching for clients. If you are operating a law firm basically with attorneys that specialize in family law for instance, you should streamline your contact lists to those who are able to find prospects, clients and referrals in that area only. You don’t have to be a “jack of all trade”. Depending on a realistic assessment of yourself, attorneys and law firm, you should be able to find out how valuable your referral network can be in helping you find the right market for your law firm products and services. Creating a narrower niche will help your law firm have a firm grip on your targeted market.
To identify a prospect worth pursuing, Lawyers need to streamline the kind of people that will be included in their contacts . Though this might look quite hard to do especially when a law firm has invested time and money in getting all the contacts, it does become difficult removing those contacts that might prove unprofitable to the law firm. Prioritization processes will help you review and build your law firm business and it is important that you stick with people whom you can stay in touch with for a long period of time to come.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Advertising Strategies, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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How to Create your own personal sales and Law firm Marketing plan
Friday, February 26th, 2010
With all demands placed on attorneys especially from Clients, friends, community work, business partners and families, it is ideal to develop a concrete personal sales and law firm marketing plan that will incorporate all these integral parts of your law firm success. Each associate has various needs to meet and that depends on several different variables. You should not under-estimate the kind of person you are, your goals and objectives and where you are heading for. The most important thing is that you remain focus and you understand how well you want to spend your marketing and selling time.
A simple business plan which must be reviewed periodically is very essential. First of all, your plan is all about you. When you draft your personal sales and marketing plan, you must emphasize on your strength and the areas of expertise. Doing this will naturally boost your self confidence and you don’t have to push yourself too fast. You should not see your life and career as a sprint , therefore you can always review your plans when you are being slow down. Your personal sales and marketing plan should contain elements that are appropriate for your experience level, firm size, area of practice, the time you are willing to invest, and your comfort zone. You need to understand the starting point which you can easily personalized for your own usage.
After planning your activities, you must include deadlines and important dates on your calendar which will serve as valuable source of support and guide when executing your plan. You can work with administrative assistance to help you become more organized and in control of the situation. Your administrative assistance will also be in the best position to offer suggestions and best practices that will apply to you.
Having a smart plan for your personal sales and law firm marketing strategy does not mean you have to create a formal document of such. Your smart goals should contain facts and strategies that are specific, measurable, Realistic, Attainable, Tangible, and Timely. In order to stay focus and maintain a steady execution of your plan, you must essentially define what exactly you want to do . Though the simple steps look simple but in the real sense some of them becomes tougher than normal. Your plan must be measurable so that you can manage it effectively. Evaluating such plans is essential for you to remain focus.
Your personal sales and marketing plans must be attainable especially when you identify your goals and begin to figure out ways by which you can realize them. This means you are developing a vision . You will definitely need to reach and stretch yourself to attain this level of achievement.
Your plan should be realistic in the sense that you must take some time to develop a network and client base which are those that need your service most. You don’t have to incorporate every individual in your plan, just take a realistic approach and your personal sales and law firm marketing plan will be successful.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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How to integrate marketing and law firm business development for a more effective law firm marketing strategy
Friday, February 26th, 2010
One of the most critical step you can take in the integration of your marketing strategy and business development is to have a generally skilled personnel in managing large scale law firm programs and events – an individual who can act as a project manager of your law firm service campaign. Secondly, you will need a public relation expert who can effectively communicate your law firm’s point of view to the appropriate media and analysts. Next you deserve a digital media experts who will help your law firm leverage all Internet channels which include SEO marketing , online law firm marketing and several other law firm advertising channels.
As a larger large law firm, you will need the services of business developers who will sell services covered by your law firm campaign or those that can act as your liaison officers to the broader business development community. Most law firms do not understand the importance of an integrated contact management database in their law firm operations. This database will help your marketing and business development team managers to manage and track their interactions with prospective clients especially during the tenure of the campaign. Doing these things will ensure that the integration of a law firm marketing strategy and its business development ideas are in order and will bring more effective law firm campaign.
It is important to note that if your law firm’s campaign content is weak, such a campaign will naturally become ineffective, opinions based on few facts will make your law firm marketing strategy very weak, but compelling points of view will naturally make an irresistible appeal to your targeted clients. A law firm campaign that has no superior point of view regardless of how well such campaign is packaged will make no meaningful impact in the minds of your targeted audiences. But, if you legal team can create a powerful point of view to promote , then it can develop a consistent and integrated campaign which the bigger professional clients can subscribe unto.
A law firm should understand that professional legal clients will need some high degree of trust before they select a law firm for their legal representations. They know that much is at stake for such a decision maker and his company when selecting the most suitable legal representation. Therefore, professional legal services and sales campaign that can steadily increase trust should poccess some three important phases which will also correspond to the phases that will influence a potential client’s decision. The first phase is that an organization will start to look out for the law firm that can adequately cover a critical situation in its legal demands, secondly , the organization is looking for a law firm that can be an essential part of its own development, and lastly the organization wants a law firm that can permanently take care of its legal needs.
The success of law firm marketing strategy depends on how well a law firm can integrate its marketing strategy with a good business development plan that can adequately take care of its clients needs.
Tags: Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Advertising Strategies, Law Firm Marketing, Lawyer Marketing, Legal Marketing
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