Do lawyers need a blog?

January 10, 2011 by
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The Attorney Marketing Center web site launched in 1998 and transitioned to a blog in 2007. At that time, I wrote an article detailing the change, David’s Website Diary, and promised updates. To be honest, I forgot about the article and didn’t update it until today.

Sorry, but you didn’t miss much.

From a technological standpoint, not much has changed since I switched to the blog format. I’ve changed the color and layout and added some new plug-ins, mostly having to do with social media integration, but not much else.

My site has grown because I focused on creating content, not on the latest bells and whistles. Content creates value for visitors, allows you to demonstrate your expertise, and brings traffic from search engines and from word of mouth. And so the number of subscribers to my newsletter has grown and the number of blog subscribers has grown and I have continued to sell products and services.

Do you need a blog? If you want to get more clients online I think you do.

A blog has several advantages over a static web site. As you update your content, search engines are notified and they bring visitors. As those visitors see the solutions you provide, they may (a) take the next step toward hiring you, (b) connect with you by subscribing to your newsletter or your blog feed or commenting on your posts, or (c) tell others about you via social media.

Your blog allows prospects and referral sources to see you “in action”. Your content is not just puffery about how great you are it is an exemplar of your abilities. As visitors become familiar with your style and hear your “voice,” as they get to know and trust you, your preeminence grows, your traffic grows, and your client base grows.

You can set up a blog yourself  in about an hour. WordPress makes is easy. There are many free and inexpensive “getting stated” videos available and you can hire people inexpensively to do it for you. Contact me if you would like some referrals.

Once you have your own blog, you control it; you don’t have to wait for tech support to do updates for you, you can do them yourself. It’s as quick and simple as using a web browser. And, other than paying for hosting (under $10/month), it’s free.

What about content–do you have enough to say? Trust me, you have enough. There is an endless amount of material you can supply. Everything from posts about the law and procedure in your practice areas, success stories you helped created, general business (or consumer) advice, guest posts from experts (referral sources) in allied fields, and much more. A post can be as short as a few paragraphs and as simple as you commenting on something you found on another web site or blog or in the news. And you can outsource content creation, too.

A blog may seem to be a big commitment but think of it as the front door to your online office. You won’t be there 24/7 but your presence will be. If you write an offline newsletter, publish articles, or do any public speaking or networking, you are already doing the things that are done online through a blog.

If you have a web site, you have something you can point to and that’s good. But you have to do the pointing. If you want free traffic, you need a blog.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Communication, Email, List building, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Social media, Social media marketing, Technology, Web traffic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You wouldn’t be reading this if I didn’t have a blog

May 19, 2010 by
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I talk to a lot of lawyers who tell me they don’t have time for blogging or marketing on the Internet (or any marketing, for that matter). You’ve heard me say it before, marketing is the most important part of building a law practice.

I don’t care how good you are at practicing law, if you don’t have (enough) clients, you’re going to starve. And while your reputation and the natural referrals that flow to you as a result of doing a good job for your clients cannot be discounted, if you aren’t regularly engaging in marketing-related activities, you’re making a big mistake.

Marketing will bring you

  • More clients
  • Better clients
  • Better paying clients
  • More time (by hiring and/or outsourcing more lawyers and staff)
  • Writing and speaking assignments (that further build your reputation and bring you more clients, better clients, etc.)
  • Do I need to go on?

In the online world, you need (a) quality content, in (b) sufficient quantity, to attract (c) more traffic to your web site. People come, they see you as an authority who offers value (good content), and they (a) hire you, (b) refer clients, and/or (c) opt-in to your newsletter or other lists whereby you can stay in touch with them until they are ready to (a) hire you, or (b) refer clients.

But that’s just for starters. The traffic you generate to your blog who like what you have to say will tell others about you and your blog and those others will, in turn, (a) hire you, (b) refer clients to you, and (c) opt-in to your lists whereby you can stay in touch with them until they are ready. . .

And (and this is the big point) those visitors do the same. On the Internet, the growth of your web site and your practice is geometric, as this recent article explains. More begets more and if you’re not leveraging this opportunity for growth, you are missing out.

And so instead of saying, “I don’t have time. . .” you should be asking, “How can I find the time. . .”, because once you’ve made that transition, you will find the time. We all have 25 hours a day (God gave lawyers one extra hour) and we cannot manage time, all we can do is manage our priorities. When your priorities change, so will your schedule.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Increase your income, List building, Online Marketing, Referrals, Time Management, Web traffic

Is social media a fad?

September 3, 2009 by
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[mc src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8″ type=”youtube”]The social media revolution[/mc]

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Filed Under: List building, Networking, Online Marketing, Referral sources Tagged With: , ,

What is the key to success?

February 15, 2008 by
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Bill Cosby is purported to have said, ""I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." Have you found that to be true? I have. I’ll give you a recent example.

I just launched a new website, PassiveIncomeForLawyers.com. Passive income is a hot topic and in a very short period of time, the site got a large number of visits and subscribers. Several attorneys have already joined me in the program. I’ve heard from many others who have said nice things about the program itself and about the way it is presented. The feedback has been very positive. Of course you usually don’t hear from people who don’t like something. They usually just quietly go away. But I did get the following email from one attorney:

"Please take me off of your miserable site. At first I thought you were legitimated, now we are getting the mass marketing crap. Passive income my ass! You wouldn’t know passive income if it hit you in the face. And what’s with the long winded motley fool type advertising site. Un professional. Get lost."

I didn’t reply, I simply removed him from the subscription list, and deleted his email. But then I got to thinking about what could be learned from his response and I retrieved the email. After all, this is not just anybody; according to his email signature, this individual is a partner in a firm of at least five lawyers. I presume he is influential. He may or may not be interested in something I offer, but I’d like to think he would reject the offer, not the person (me). But not only is he not a fan, he was so angry, he took the time to embarrass himself with this email.

From a marketing perspective, what should I do? He was turned off (to say the least) by the sales-y copy on my web page, although I have to wonder why he filled out the form to subscribe if he was so offended. Should I assume that others would be, too, and change it? Should I try to please the ones who don’t like what he calls "long winded motley fool type advertising," even though most people find it acceptable and the site is successful? The Motley Fool folks seem to be doing okay.

But if I create something that is less of what he does not like and it dramatically reduces the number of subscribers, I haven’t done myself any good, have I? So no, I shouldn’t try to please everyone. That truly is a formula for failure, and it’s an important marketing lesson.

Marketing is about metrics. You do something, measure the results, and compare those results to something else. It’s called testing, and it’s crucial to the success and profitability of any marketing campaign. So, I will create other versions of the web page and compare the results to the ones produced by the current one. Whichever version produces the highest percentage of conversions (subscribers) will become the "control," against which I will continue to test, seeking to best that control. But one does this to improve results, not in an effort to please anyone, let alone everyone.

You can’t please everyone anyway, and you’ll only hurt yourself if you try. So, as you design your marketing messages, intelligently consider the ethical standards of your bar association and your own sense of propriety, and perhaps the concerns of your spouse or partners, but beyond that, do what works best, and what works best is what brings in the most results.

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

13 ways to get web traffic without search engines

October 23, 2007 by
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At last count, 564 subscribers to The Prosperous Lawyer newsletter have downloaded the free ebook from websmartlawyer.com I mentioned a few days ago. Apparently, a lot of lawyers have or want to have a web site to help them build their practice. If you didn’t get your copy, here is the link.

In reading the author’s discussion of search engines, optimizing web pages, and generating search traffic, I started thinking about how all lawyers should have a web site but many undoubtedly hesitate to get one because of the enormity of the task of generating search engine traffic. If you feel that way, forget about search engines for the time being and get a web site anyway because it provides other valuable benefits.

A web site is a mechanism for prospective clients and referral sources to get to know, like, and trust you. It sells you and your services and operates 24/7, at almost no cost to you. Browsers can spend as much time as they want, getting to "know" you through your web site, learning more about what you do, and for whom you do it, and discovering everything else they might like to know that could bring them closer to calling and making an appointment.

Your web site can be (should be) a resource of valuable information, helping clients and prospects to better understand their legal situation and the options that are available to them, as well as demonstrating your experience in helping others with similar issues. This can result in new business, repeat business, and referrals.

Your web site allows you to "cross sell" your other services to clients who may not know "what else" you do.

It provides a mechanism for building your email list, allowing you to communicate more frequently (and at less cost) with clients, prospects and referral sources.

And it is a resource for networking with other professionals. Your clients may be among the 25% of Amercians who don’t use the Internet, but I assure you, your prospective referral sources are not. Your web site and online newsletter give you a reason to reach out to those professionals, perhaps to have them write "guest articles" for your newsletter or blog, or to participate in an online survey.

Now don’t get me wrong, you do want search engine traffic. It’s free, it’s targeted, and it’s a brilliant way to build your practice. But there are other ways to get visitors to your web site, beyond search engines. Here are a baker’s dozen:

  1. Put your website on your business card, stationery, brochures, and in your email signature. (I hope you’re not still using your personal email address. Instead of lawyerjoe[at]sbcglobal.net, it’s much more professional looking to use yourname[at]yourdomain.com. It also allows you to "brand" your domain with every email you send. If you don’t already have your own domain name, get one immediately.)
  2. Use a "resource box" at the end of articles you write; list your contact information, including your web site
  3. Put your web site address in your bio, and your introduction for speaking engagements
  4. Write articles and post them in online article directories (e.g., www.ezinearticles.com, et. al.)
  5. Post comments on others’ blogs or in online forums or list servs, and link to your web site
  6. Write press releases and submit to www.PRlog.com or www.PRWeb.com
  7. Advertise offline: newspapers, magazines, TV/Radio, direct mail, etc.
  8. Advertise online: ezines, Google Adwords & other PPC, www.craigslist.com, etc.
  9. Provide an appropriate testimonial for a product or service you use, with a link to your site
  10. Submit your site to online niche directories
  11. Buy a domain name related to your niche that is already receiving traffic and forward it to your site.
  12. Create an Amazon.com profile and submit reviews for books and other products
  13. Create an ebook and list in on the free ebook sites; contact others who serve your target market and offer to provide this as a free resource to their clients (just like the author at websmartlawyer.com)
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Filed Under: List building, Networking, Online Marketing, Web traffic Tagged With:

How to build your prospect list: just ask three questions

August 31, 2007 by
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This Labor Day weekend, many will attend parties and meet new people. Social (or business) gatherings are an opportunity to expand your network of contacts, all of whom could be potential clients or referral sources.

If you have something planned this Labor Day weekend, before you go, I know you’ll check your wallet or purse, making sure you have plenty of business cards on hand. But if you’re like most people, the opportunity to connect with new people will come and go. You will neither pass out cards nor collect any.

You’ll meet people and politely discuss sports or the weather or how tasty the hamburgers are, but you won’t get their contact information and they won’t get yours.

But you don’t have to squander this opportunity. All you have to do is ask three simple questions:

First, introduce yourself and ask for their name. "I’m David, what’s your name."

Easy enough. Now you know their name and they know yours. Use their name a few times so you don’t forget it three seconds later, as we so often do.

Second, ask them what they do. 

You can first ask how they know the host or how they are otherwise connected with the event, but then ask them what they do for a living.

"So, what do you do?"

Also easy.

Ask a follow up question or two and let them tell you all about what they do. When they are done, most people will ask you what YOU do. On the rare occasion when they don’t, just go on to the third question.

Third, ask for their card. "Do you have a card?"

When they give you their card, give them yours.

Voila, instant contact.

If they don’t have a card with them (and many won’t, especially at a social function), give them one of yours and ask them to write their information on the back.

"Write your contact information here." At least get their email address or web site.

It will help if you offer them a reason you are asking. If appropriate, tell them you might run into someone who could use their products or services. Or, simply tell them you would like to stay in touch.

Any reason will do.

Your objective at any social or business function is not to pass out your card (although that’s good, too), it is to find out something about the people you meet and capture their contact information so you can stay in touch with them.

To accomplish that, all you need to do is ask three simple questions.

Have a great weekend!

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Filed Under: Business cards, List building, Networking Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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