Marketing legal services Archives - Page 33 of 131

When was the last time you took inventory?

September 3, 2020 by David M. Ward

Of all the things you do, in your practice and personal life, some things contribute more value than others. By taking inventory of everything you do, you can identify your most valuable activities, so you can do more of them.

You’ll have the time to do that, of course, by curtailing activities that contribute little or no value.

Taking inventory starts with choosing an area of your life where you’d like to be more productive or successful. Let’s say that’s your practice.

The first step is to write a list of everything you do in that area–all of your tasks, projects, habits, and routines. For your practice, include the different kinds of client work you do, all of the admin, and all of your marketing.

Add a number to each activity on your list. If there are 50 activities, number them 1-50, so you can identify each one separately.

Next, make a second list. Write down all of your successes in this area of your life. In this case, your practice.

These successes might include things like winning one or more big cases, getting a lot of traffic from a profile of you that appeared in a prominent publication, meeting a well-connected professional who helped you get a spot on a speaking panel, a successful ad campaign, or things you did to reduce your overhead without hurting your bottom line.

These could be one-time wins or things that bring you ongoing benefits.

When your “success” list is done, go through it again and next to each item, add the number of each “activity” (on your first list) that contributed to it.

For example, you might connect “reading blogs in your target market’s industry” and “writing articles for your target market’s publications” with the positive result of being introduced to a major center of influence in your client’s niche, which led to several new clients.

By connecting activities with results, you can see where the things you’re doing are working.

Whatever is left–activities you can’t connect to significant results–should either be eliminated, minimized, systematized, or delegated.

Finally, look at your success list and identify things you didn’t connect with an activity. Ask yourself what you could do to make results like these happen more often.

For example, maybe you met someone accidentally who hired you for a lot of legal work. Ask, “What can I do to meet their colleagues or counterparts?”

When you take the time to link your activities with your results, you’ll be able to see where you should spend more time and resources, and what you should do less of, or not at all.

How to meet and get referrals from other professionals

Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services, Productivity

The ultimate marketing metric

August 28, 2020 by David M. Ward

You want more new clients. You focus on traffic, visits, clicks, friends, follows, likes, comments, and subscribers. In an online world, these are the metrics that count.

You focus on growing your list because you know that the bigger it gets, the more new clients (and repeat business) you’ll get. You create more content for the same reason.

Or, maybe you keep things simple. You note the number of calls or email inquires or leads you got from prospective clients this week, how many make an appointment, and how many signed up.

If you are an experienced networker, you record the number of prospective referral sources you met this week, or how many phone calls or online chats you booked.

It’s all good. These numbers are valuable. They give you a way to track your time and your dollars. They let you make better decisions and improve your results.

I’d like to suggest another metric, however. Something else to look for and add to your spreadsheet.

At the end of each day or week, record the number of opportunities you found for helping people.

Brian Tracy said, “Successful people are always look for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are asking, ‘What’s in it for me?'”

Corny? Impractical? Imprecise?

Maybe. Or maybe it’s the answer to everything.

It keeps you focused on speaking to people with legal problems you can solve. How many did you find and talk to this week?

It keeps you focused on prospective referral sources–professionals, business owners, bloggers, and others who need your referrals, your introductions, or your knowledge to share with their readers or listeners.

More than this, more than counting their numbers, when you focus on finding people you can help, it changes the way you think about marketing.

And, continually asking yourself, “What can I do for them?” instead of “What’s in it for me?” will also change what others think about you.

Which means instead of needing to look for clients and opportunities, you’ll begin to attract them.

Which is the ultimate measure of marketing success.

If you’re ready to take a quantum leap in your marketing, go here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

How to loosen your marketing sphincter

August 27, 2020 by David M. Ward

Many attorneys are uptight about marketing. So they put forth a token effort and see poor results, or they don’t do it all.

If you’re in there somewhere, this is for you. Marketing can become your best friend if you let it.

Start by letting go of bad memories–ads that bombed, speeches that flopped, networking that left you cold. Let go of all the time you wasted and the money you flushed down the drain.

Also let go of negative feelings you may have about about marketing making you uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to. And it won’t, once you realize that marketing is merely a conversation you have with people you know or people who have expressed interest in what you can do for them.

Marketing doesn’t mean shoving anything down anyone’s throat. Marketing is answering questions, something we both know you’re good at. It’s sharing information, something you no doubt you have plenty of. It’s providing examples about other people you helped, and letting their stories persuade people that you can help them, too.

You like helping people, right? Marketing lets you do more of that. It helps the people who read or listen to your words to better understand their situation and find their way to a better outcome. Without this, their pain might continue, or they might choose the wrong attorney, making things worse.

You don’t have be great at marketing to be effective. In fact, a little clumsiness can be a good thing. People don’t want “slick,” they want “real” and down to earth.

You don’t have to do all kinds of marketing. You can focus on what you like and what you’re good at.

I like writing. I like doing interviews. I like advertising. I really like email. So, that’s what I do.

How about you?

You have a lot of options. Find one that feels good and start there.

If you’re not sure, I suggest starting with your website or blog. Post some information about the law, about your services, and what you can do for someone who visits your site and needs your help.

You know, the kinds of information you already share with people who ask what you do.

My course, Make the Phone Ring, shows you what to do.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Online Marketing

Choose wisely

August 26, 2020 by David M. Ward

Let’s say you want to grow your practice so you ask yourself, “What can I do right now to move my practice forward?”

You have many options.

You could. . .

Contact old clients (stimulate repeat business and referrals)
Start an email newsletter
Write a blog post
Run some ads
Create a new lead magnet
Talk to other professionals about doing a cross-promotion
Work on a new presentation
Find some (online) networking opportunities

And so on.

Which do you choose?

Choose the right option(s) and you might quickly get more leads and inquiries, speak to several prospective clients, or meet someone who is willing and able to send you referrals.

Choose poorly and you may waste a lot of time and money.

Yes, there is value in trying lots of things–to see what works, and what works better, to see what you like and are good at, and what turns your stomach, to see what you can scale and what is likely to work only once or twice.

Try everything, and keep trying until you find what’s best.

But there’s something else you can do. You can ask yourself another question:

“What should I NOT do right now to move my practice forward?”

This can actually be a more valuable question to answer, because it can help you avoid making mistakes or overwhelming yourself with too much to learn and too much to do.

Knowing what not to do can save you a lot of time.

To answer the second question, look at what most lawyers in your field are doing to build their practice and. . . do the opposite.

Most lawyers, even successful ones, don’t get marketing right. They might be successful because they’ve been at it for a very long time. They might have contacts who give them an edge. They might have gotten lucky. And they might have no idea how they did it.

So don’t take what you see at face value.

Some lawyers are very good at marketing, however. When you find them, study them, reverse engineer what they did, and if they’ll talk to you, try to get the complete story.

You could also hire someone who knows what they’re doing and ask them to tell you what NOT to do.

“Start with this ONE THING. . .” or “Don’t waste your time with that right now, do THIS instead. . .”

It can help cut through the clutter and give you the direction and clarity you crave.

You may already know what to do, and what not to do. Sometimes, it helps to get a second opinion.

If you don’t know, talk to someone who does.

If you’d like to talk to me, contact me here

Filed Under: Coaching, Marketing legal services

What if you’re not different or better than other lawyers?

August 21, 2020 by David M. Ward

I just read an article about marketing that points out something you and I already know:

“Competition is fierce. . . consumers are inundated with options and may develop decision fatigue. So. . . they tend to [rely] on referrals and reviews from friends,” she says.
“Highly competitive spaces breed the “who you know” type of purchasing decisions, or can drive you to offer a lower price as a competitive edge.”

She makes it sound like referrals are a bad thing. Hey, that’s where we part company.

Then she makes a good point, stressing the value of “offering a novel and truly innovative product or service” to stand out.

We agree. Marketing is easier and more effective when you do something most attorneys don’t.

Then the author makes another good point. She says that being different keeps you from focusing on your competition, and makes you more likely to focus on your client or market.

“There’s only so far ahead you can get if all you is follow or copycat a competitor.”

Preach, sister.

But, alas, most attorneys are in the copycat game. Most attorneys don’t innovate or do things differently.

We use the same forms, the same process, and follow the same timetable. We offer the same services and charge the same fees.

We look alike, because we are alike. (Okay, some of us have better jokes.)

What’s the solution? How do you stand out when you’re not different or better?

The thing is, you don’t actually have be different, or better, at least not demonstrably. You can “be” different by appearing to be different.

That’s where marketing comes in.

To wit:

You and 1000 other attorneys in town all begin the case by interviewing the client, getting all the facts and details, and asking the same questions to flesh out what happened.

Boring, isn’t it? Not to the client.

Clients want an attorney who is thorough and works hard to get all the facts, so they can do a better job for them. Yes, other attorneys do the same thing, but if you’re the only one describing this process in your marketing, in the eyes of your market. . . you are different. Or better.

And that’s why it’s a good idea to study your competition, what they do and how they market their services.

It’s how you find ways to differentiate yourself.

For more ways, get a copy of The Attorney Marketing Formula.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: differentiation

Your mind to my mindâ€¦ your thoughts to my thoughtsâ€¦

August 20, 2020 by David M. Ward

When was the last time you had a mind meld with your clients? And by that I mean, when did you spend time studying your target market and ideal client?

To learn what they want, how they think, and what they already know?

Do you know what they read? Who they listen to? What ideas are roaming around in their head? Do you know how they talk? Are you up-to-date with the legal and non-legal issues in their industry or market?

I ask this because understanding your client is the single most important element in your marketing, and most attorneys spend very little time studying their market and the people in it.

But you should.

It will make your marketing more effective, by allowing you to show your clients, prospects, subscribers and followers, that you understand them.

Other lawyers show them they know the law and can provide solutions to their problems. When you show prospective clients you understand their market, and them, they don’t have to be convinced you can help them, they know it.

When you tell them something, they’re less likely to doubt it. When you offer them something, they’re more likely to accept it. When you ask for their help, they are more likely to comply because they know, like, and trust you and want to help you.

They’re also more likely to forgive your errors and omissions, less likely to stray, and less likely to second-guess your judgment or your bill.

Knowing your market also makes your marketing easier. In a few minutes, you can dash off a short email or blog post, for example, without having to figure out what to say or how to say it–you already know.

Knowing your market also helps you develop deeper relationships with the professionals and advisors in that market. When they know someone who needs an attorney, they’ll be more likely to give you the referral.

So, what are you waiting for? Start (or re-start) studying your market. The first step is to write down what you know about your target market and ideal client.

Then, start asking questions and getting some answers.

This will help.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: ideal client, Niche marketing, target marketing

Podcasting for your supper

August 19, 2020 by David M. Ward

In the last few weeks, I was a guest on a couple of law-related podcasts. I told my story, shared some ideas, and got my name and links promoted to an audience of lawyers interested in marketing and productivity.

When you’re the guest on a podcast, good things happen. You get traffic to your website, subscribers to your newsletter, and more clients or customers.

And, that podcast lives on the net forever, which means you’ll continue to get more business from it–indefinitely.

Not bad for less than an hour’s work.

I say work but it’s really a lot of fun. You’re the guest of honor, the host says nice things about you, and you get to pontificate about your area of expertise.

So, how do you a piece of this sweetness?

In my case, by publishing a lot of content. Eventually, you get noticed and invited.

But you can make “getting discovered” more likely to occur.

Here’s one way:

Identify podcasts (video channels, blogs that do interviews) in your niche. The bigger their audience, the more credibility and influence they have with your target market, the better. But don’t ignore the little guys and gals. They may be big some day, and some of the big boys follow the little guys, looking for ideas and. . . potential interviewees.
Follow them, listen to them, read them, get to know them.
Engage them. Email them and compliment what they’re doing. Add comments to their posts and episodes. Ask questions/offer suggestions for additional topics. Suggest other individuals who might be a good guest.
Share their content with your list(s). Make sure the podcaster knows this, and provide them links to your website, blog, and socials, so they can see what you do and what you might offer them as a guest.
Consider interviewing them for your podcast, channel, blog, or newsletter.

Eventually, you’ll get noticed and invited.

This isn’t as much work as it sounds. You should already be reading, listening, and following these folks–to get ideas for your content, to find potential networking and joint venture partners, and to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in your niche.

Getting invited to someone else’s podcast is also a lot easier than starting your own.

Yes, starting your own podcast is a great way to build your brand, get more subscribers, and bring in more clients–but it takes a lot of time.

More time than what I spend on marketing, which consists primarily of writing a simple daily email (and speaking on other people’s podcasts.)

How to use email to get more new clients, repeat business, and referrals

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: interviews, podcasting

Marketing legal services made simple

August 18, 2020 by David M. Ward

Marketing is complicated–but it doesn’t need to be.

In fact, all you need to do is answer 2 questions.

These are the questions prospective clients want you to answer. Answer them well and you’ll be on your way to signing up a new client.

The first question won’t surprise you:

“Why do I need an attorney?”

Yes, many prospective clients know the answer to this question, but not everyone.

Some think they need an attorney’s help, but they’re not sure.

Some know they probably need an attorney, but tell themselves all kinds of stories to avoid admitting it, or avoid spending the money.

Some think that given enough time, the problem will resolve itself. Some think they can fix it themselves. And some think that if they do nothing, things won’t turn out as badly as they’ve imagined (or been told).

Your job is to answer this first question–on your website, in your presentations, in your articles, and in your conversations with prospective clients and the people who can refer them.

Tell people why they need an attorney and what can happen if they don’t hire one.

Now, as important as this is, an even better marketing strategy is to focus your efforts primarily on people who already know they need an attorney.

They know they have a problem, they know they can’t fix it themselves, and they know that bad things will happen if they don’t have an attorney by their side.

Target people who are in pain, who fear what is happening, or about to, and are actively looking for an attorney.

They make much better prospects, and clients.

Which leads to question number two:

“Why should I choose you?”

People know there are other attorneys who can help them. Your job is to convince them to hire you instead of your competition.

Show them why you are better. Show them how you are different. Show them why they should immediately stop looking and book an appointment with you.

Because when you’re the best, you’re in demand. There’s a long line or people at your door, ready to sign up, but you’re busy and not everyone will get in.

Lots of people want you, but not everyone will get you.

That’s why they should choose you. And that’s why they will.

If you need help answering question number two, start here:

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Uncategorized

You’re not in the information delivery business

August 7, 2020 by David M. Ward

Prospective clients visit your website and dig through your articles or posts. They watch your videos or listen to your podcasts. They consume your FAQs.

They have questions. You have answers. And I’m sure you do a good job of providing valuable information.

There’s just one thing.

If all you do is give people information and answer their questions, you’re dropping the marketing ball.

Prospective clients want information, it’s true. They visit your site, read your article, or watch your presentation because they’re curious about the law, their rights, their risks, and the solutions that are available to them.

If you satisfy their curiosity, however, by explaining the law and telling them everything they need to know, you’re not giving them a reason to hire you or take the next step in that direction.

Basic information? Sure. General guidelines? Of course. But anything you do beyond that is antithetical to the purpose of your marketing.

Which is to convert prospects into clients.

Look at your website. Look at your email sequences, brochures, ads, and other marketing communications. Are you satisfying curiosity by telling people everything, or building curiosity and inspiring them to call or write?

You’re not in the information delivery business. You use information to attract people who are looking for solutions, tell them enough to show them they’ve come to the right place, and persuade them to contact you.

Because if they don’t do that, they don’t get the help they need, and you don’t get the clients you want.

Marketing is easier when you know The Formula

Filed Under: Copywriting, Marketing legal services

Timeless or Timely?

August 6, 2020 by David M. Ward

If you produce content for a blog, a newsletter, a podcast, or anywhere else, one question you need to answer is how much of that content should be evergreen.

Evergreen content is important because that’s what first-time visitors to your blog and new subscribers to your newsletter are looking for. They have questions or a problem and they’re looking for answers.

If you’re starting a new blog, make sure you have at least 10 or 15 evergreen posts to start out.

Talk about the kinds of things clients typically ask you about. Talk about problems and solutions, risks and benefits, frequently asked questions about your services, and the like.

These serve as the foundation of your blog, attracting visitors though search and sharing, and helping them to understand their situation and learn what you do and how you can help them.

Once you have some evergreen content posted, you can write about anything else, whether timeless or timely.

Write about your interesting cases or clients, news in your target market’s industry or niche, trends, ideas, and more.

Yes?

One more thing.

On a blog, you have the option to indicate the date each post was published, something I’ve done since I started and still do today. Some visitors, however, see an older date and conclude that the information is out of date, even if it’s not.

Omitting the date, on the other hand, as many bloggers do, may cause visitors to wonder how current the information is, and reject it if no date can be found.

If you’re wondering what you should do, take a gander at what Darren Rowse of Problogger.com says about the pros and cons of timestamping blog posts.

And, for more about the kinds of content to include on your blog or website–what to write about, where to get ideas–check out my course on online marketing.

Filed Under: Blogging, Content creation, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing