The Millennials are Coming. Are You Ready?

As of 2015, the millennials, defined as those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, outnumber both the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers in sheer volume. (Pew Research http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/) By 2020, 46 percent of the US workforce will be millennials. And, it is reported that these individuals account $1.3 trillion in annual spending, which doesn’t include millennial—influenced spending by their parents and grandparents.

Who are millennials?

For some of my readers, they are your children and grandchildren. Studies show they have the following characteristics:

                                                                   

•  They work and play online, mostly on mobile devices.

            •  They welcome access over ownership in a new “sharing” economy, think UBER, bike sharing.

•  They expect media, information, services and purchases to be available on demand.

•  They are socially aware and assume that companies, firms, individuals will be active in the community and give back.

            •  They know more about technology than any other generation; they live in a world of sharable information.

What legal issues could millennials, aged 18-34 in 2015, have?

They are buying houses, estate planning for their children, starting businesses or helping their aging parents. And some are having criminal problems. MADD reports that the 26-29 year olds (20.7 %) have the highest rate of drunk driving. Think about how your services can be of use to this younger audience.

How can lawyers reach millennials?

Millennials are never out of touch—they live by their mobile phones and expect the information they need such as reviews, social media commentary, price comparisons to be instantly available. For law firms, that means their website, profiles and blogs must be mobile friendly. Your law blog should be informative, short, engaging and easy to read on a smaller screen.

Being active on social media such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn is an effective way to ensure millennials see your firm, interact and engage with you, learn something from you and eventually employ your legal services.

In the interests of hands-on research, I texted my millennial grandson, Collin, 22-year-old, bio-molecular engineer living and working in New York city, asking one question—How would you find lawyer? He texted back, “I would ask one of my fraternity brothers who are lawyers.” And “I would Google my geographic area and the kind of service I needed. Then I’d check their website and then try to find some sort of review or blog post written by a past client.”

Two marketing concepts are at work here. He began the usual way, asking friends for referrals, showing the importance of face to face marketing. Then he used the millennial way—going to the Internet to find and investigate lawyers in his area. And, it’s reasonable to assume he would do this on his phone.

Would millennial Collin find your mobile friendly, easily accessible website?

-->

LinkedIn--The Professional Networking Tool in Your Toolbox

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the professional networking tool in your marketing toolbox. It is a business oriented social networking service. Think of it as a tool to help you organize all the networks of fellow lawyers and clients who refer work to you. And it does so in a way you can understand with results you can see.

To be effective on LinkedIn, you need a marketing plan for its use.

Start by asking yourself “What do I want to accomplish with LinkedIn?” 

Do you want to:
• Build your client base
• Cultivate relationships with particular businesses
• Search for a position
• Create your own web presence outside that of your firm or
• Establish your expertise?

Whom do I want to attract?

If you’re searching for a position in a law firm, you want to attract the attention of law firm managers, recruiters or human resource departments. On the other hand, if you want to build your client base, your profile and publications should address potential clients’ needs. Tailor your message to fit your intended goal.

Your Profile:

Now you know why you’re on LinkedIn, you can create an effective profile, one that uses some of the keywords that your reader uses to search for a lawyer such as “Traverse City Elder Law Lawyer.” Write your profile in first person (“I”) as if you were talking to that client in your office. Add to your profile using LinkedIn sections. Upload your video, write a short blog for the publications section, and, if you volunteer, add volunteer organizations. Remember to include a picture, your skills in the skills section and make sure your title states clearly the type of law you practice.

Marketing Toolbox

Build a network
Remember that LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Its purpose is to build relationships. Start by connecting with people you know. Send invitations to connect on LinkedIn as part of your follow-up after you meet new people at an event. Add something personal to the standard invitation such as reminding them where you met.

Use LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn offers groups for every situation one can imagine and while some may be of little value, some are helpful. If you search the profiles of the people you want to meet, you will find the groups they belong to. You can join the group and follow the discussions, commenting and adding articles or links.

Updates

Updates are short messages you share with your network. You can send an update directly from your home page using the update box. Experts say that 80% of updates should be news or information for your readers and 20% about you. Review the updates posted to your home page and comment when appropriate.

LinkedIn is about networking and building relationships. Check your homepage or read the update e-mails for news about others in your network. Respond with a congratulatory note or information that can help them further a project. Taking a few minutes to scan your home page, respond to updates and send comments can bring good results when done with your goals in mind. And, remember to include a link to your LinkedIn home page on your SBM enhanced Profile page in the Member Directory and your website.

Build a Better Blog, Readers Will Come

Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. Ralph Waldo Emerson

     The phrase, attributed to Emerson in the late nineteenth century, is actually a misquotation of a much longer statement that has morphed into a metaphor about the power of innovation. It means that if you develop something superior to a device that is widely used, you will succeed.
     The same is true of Blogs. Create a blog that offers quick and useful information your clients and potential clients can use, written in a format they can understand, is fresh and interesting and gives them a reason to return and you will have built a better blog and consumers will beat a path to your door.

How to build a better blog:

A Better Blog=More Readers

     Understand why you’re writing it. Do you want to be seen as an expert, build an awareness about your firm or simply add fresh content to your website? Maybe it’s all three. A well-defined strategy will keep you and your reader interested.
     Decide what you want to say. Think about the clients you have. What type of problems are they experiencing? Perhaps, there has been a surge in questions about the Health Care Law or the change in the formula for child support. Define your subject matter clearly and the post will be easier to write.
     Start with an engaging title. Effective titles are short. Titles that ask a question, use numbers such as ‘6 ways to peal an orange’ or solve a problem such as ‘how to peal an orange’ are attention grabbers.
     Compose compelling copy. A story with facts that set up your topic will get the reader’s attention. Write clearly using plain English and keep it short. A 300 to 500-word blog is sufficient. Blocks of text are tiring. To keep the reader on the page, break up text:

• Use bullets to emphasize key points,
• Add images, videos and graphics, and 
• Bold or underline material.

     Review and revise. Write it, set it aside and come back in a few hours or the next day. You’ll be surprised at what needs changing.

Now you’ve built a better blog. What next?

     First, publish it on your website’s blog page and your blog hosting site. Second, let the social world know it exists. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and an e-mail blast to announce its posting. Third, market it on Social Media; let your followers know of the new publication. Soon fellow lawyers and clients looking for the information offered will beat a path to your door.

Write a Book for Clients

     “Let’s write a book,” said Dick to partners Sally and Jane sitting across from him at the oblong walnut conference table of SDJ Law, LLC. 
     Both women lifted their heads and stared at him. 
     “Yes, a book,” he said, “a book for our corporate clients. A book will establish us as experts in our field, encourage the right clients to call and provide helpful information to our clients and colleagues.”
      Dick is right. A book, written by you for the benefit of your clients and colleagues, is an innovative marketing tool. Your book can be given to attendees at your next seminar, displayed in your lobby and featured on your website. It is concrete item that prospective clients take home and refer to when they have a need. And, it puts your name and contact information in their hands. 

6 Easy steps to put a book together.

Write a Book for Clients

     First, consider that a book of this type doesn’t have to be a 300-page tome. It can be about 40 to 75 pages or 10,000 to 20,000 words. If your firm has been writing weekly blog posts on your practice for several months, you have a good start on content for a book. Twenty weeks of roughly 500 word posts gives you 10,000 words or enough for a 40-page book. 
     Second, know your ideal clients and what they need. Most blogs are far to wide-reaching. They try to do too much in too little space. To be effective, you need to narrow the topic down to one small part that is the greatest concern to your clients. 
     For example, SDJ’s practice handles a wide range of legal matters affecting corporate clients such as contracts, copyright and trademark, annual reports, corporate meetings, employee relations, mergers and acquisitions, etc. They need to narrow the focus of the book to one topic; one that they care about as that will improve the writing. They select contracts as their topic.
     Third, now that there is a topic, create a working title and theme for the book. If the topic is annual reports, a title—Understanding the parts of a contract—might work as a start. The theme is: Helping clients understand some basic contract principles.
     Fourth, outline your book. You can probably use some of your blog posts from the past and create new ones in the coming months. For our example, SDJ could focus on the various types of contracts clients may have to review. 
     Fifth, compile your chosen blog posts into one document, add a cover, an introduction, a table of contents and a conclusion and you’re done. Using Amazon Kindle for an e-book or their Create Space for a Print on Demand book takes time to set up, but is free. Other services are available to take over the whole formatting and printing process for a cost.
     Sixth, once the book is available, put some in your lobby, link to it on your website and social media and post it under publications on your SBM Member Directory
     You now have a book that is helpful to prospective clients and your colleagues and can establish you as a thought leader in your area of practice. 

The Wonderous World of #Hashtags

Definition of hashtag: word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text, such as a tweet. (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

     For most of us, the # icon is a symbol of measurement. It stands for a pound as on 1#. But, for many, it is type of label used in social media to make it easier for users to find messages with specific content. The hash (#) character is placed in front of a word or phrase (tag) used for description and placed either in the main text or at the end of the message. 
     Historically, the pound sign was first used in information technolo

how to use #hashtags

gy to identify a special meaning. Over time, some suggested using it on microblogging sites such as Twitter and it took off in 2007 after it was used in tweets relating to the San Diego forest fires. Internationally, it became a writing style for Tweets during the 2009-10 Iranian election posts. Now #hashtag is also used on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest and many more. 
     Hashtags are not registered or controlled by any one user or groups of users. They live in perpetuity and don’t contain any set definitions, which means that any hashtag can be used for any purpose and by anyone. It is also important to think about which hashtags to include with your post since they can have a huge influence on who finds or fails to find what you are writing about. Going to the wrong audience can cause great content to be lost in Internet land. 
     Keep your hashtags short. Limiting them to one or two words is best. #thisisaverylonghashtag is too hard to read. 

Hashtags on Twitter

     Because of their expanded use, hashtags have become valuable. Adding a hashtag in your Twitter post will make your content noticeable by anyone with an interest in your topic or word. For example, #unbundling. If it is mentioned and hashtagged in your Tweet, anyone searching for that word in Google or in Twitter could find you regardless of whether they are a follower or not. 
     Hashtags can appear anywhere in your Tweet—beginning, middle or end. Tweets with hashtags get more retweets and favorites than those without. Keep it simple, however, don’t use more than two hashtags per post. In other words, don't #spam #with #hashtags and only use hashtags that are relevant to the topic.  
     Clicking on the hashtagged word in your Tweet shows you all the other Tweets marked with that keyword. Twitter reports that hashtagged words that become popular are often included in trending topics. 

Hashtags on Instagram and Pinterest

     For those who like to post and tag photos, Instagram and Pinterest are the places to be. Unlike Twitter, use as many hashtags to categorize your photos as you want since using them will increase your followers. 

Hashtags on Facebook

     Hashtags are not as popular on Facebook. When you add a hashtag to your post, the people you’ve shared your post with can also see it in that hashtag's feed. For example, if you share a post with a hashtag with Friends, they can see your post in that hashtag’s feed. Remember, if you use a hashtag in a post you share to Public, and allow people to follow you, your post will appear on your public profile and in that hashtag's feed.

Hashtags on Google+

     Google+ is not Twitter so it’s important to remember that a Twitter approach will not net the same results. Google recommends that you pair your hashtags with images since photo sharing is the most popular activity on Google and limit yourself to 2-3 hashtags per post.  
     Hashtags are an organizing tool. Using them well on your social media sites can identify your content, bring more readers to your posts and expand your network of possible clients. 

Your Website, 2016

      There is an age old adage, often expressed by my grandmother, that “fish and relatives go bad after three days.” While websites don’t “go bad” that fast, they do become stale is left to vegetate over long periods of time. If, for example, your competitor’s website simply looks better than yours, your content doesn’t give clients information they can use, there are no or broken links or the site is not mobile-friendly, it’s time for a new website. 

Websites and Digital Marketing

      In 2016, a website and web presence is both a convenience and the standard by which consumers judge your business. If you can’t be found on the Internet, you may be considered unprofessional by potential clients.

How can you make your website the best it can be?

      First, consider the goals for your website and then look at which are working and which need help. Some of the issues will be technical and some will be content, which, for 2016, is king. Clients and potential clients want profiles that contain the most important and interesting facts about you and useful, informative online content. Next, while you can work out the technical issues yourself, it is often more cost effective and less stressful to consult an expert. 

The Nitty-Gritty              

      An effective lawyer website will have your profile, contact information and the basic description of your practice. You should include an online form to request an appointment and articles about new developments in your area of law that might affect consumers such as tax regulations, changes in immigration or family law. There are endless topics in your practice area always remembering your ethical obligation to provide useful information, not legal advice. 

Social Media and Websites

Link your website to social media which includes LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Social media is becoming increasingly relevant in the communications between lawyers and clients. Used wisely and carefully, social media can raise awareness about you or serve as a way to discover more about your practice. And, like Hansel and Gretel, your social media activity can leave a trail of breadcrumbs back to you.

      Your website should present a clear message identifying your practice, whether it is a general or niche practice. Photos can help consumers understand the material on your site. For example, if you’re posting an article about how the Frost Laws in Michigan affect truckers, a calendar with the effective date circled will help as reminder for your readers. And, of course, your professional picture will accompany your profile. 

      Adding a video is an effective way to explain your practice. Readers can’t resist the urge to push the play button; many would rather watch than read. 

      Be sure your law firm website is distinct to your practice. The design, font, colors, photos, video and content should all reflect your brand and the message you are trying to convey.  And, if you have ethical questions about any part of your website, contact your local bar association. 

How to Make Time for Online Marketing

        “I know we said we would do an online marketing activity every week,” Sally said to partners, Dick and Jane sitting across from her at the oblong walnut conference table of SDJ Law, LLC, “but, it seems impossible. We have to serve our clients, manage our administrative responsibilities, maintain our continuing education and meet the billable hour requirements we set for ourselves.”

Finding time for social media

“I know,” Dick said, “but if we don’t market there will be no clients to serve and no reason to worry about billable hours. I’ve come up some ideas.”

    SDJ Law is not starting from ground zero. Their website and each of their profiles are up to day and their new video “About our Firm” is ready.

        The major problem for SDJ Law is keeping up with their other Internet sites—the blog on their website and their Facebook and Twitter presence.

The Blog 

        Effective blogs that attract clients and potential clients offer quick and useful information are posted regularly. But, how often to post? 

        Establish a schedule you can keep. Once a month or once a week or once a day—the secret is consistency. Once you decide frequency, help yourself stick to your resolution by scheduling time to research and write on your calendar. Topics are not a problem in law. Every week, the SBM e-journal posts important case decisions and the SBM NewsLinks publishes legal news daily.

        Dick and Jane decide to share the writing duties each writing one blog post a month. They pull up their electronic calendars and set aside the time for writing and posting. Sally, who prefers the social network, will use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and an e-mail blast to announce the posting.

The Social Network

        The social network is a more frequent task. Set aside a time on

your calendar for daily or twice weekly postings, whichever fits your busy schedule. Since you could be posting on Twitter, a Facebook Page or LinkedIn, it could mean a daily task. Remember, it is consistency that counts.

Sally, Dick & Jane were always busy.

        Sally decides she will post to Twitter and the Facebook Page twice a week and weekly to LinkedIn. She adds the times to his calendar. SDJ Law will also want to know how effective the new marketing commitments are working, they agree to keep track of:

       1. The number of people reading their blog,

           2. The number of new followers and shared tweets on Twitter, 

           3. Whether people are contacting them mentioning something they published.

         Sally, Dick and Jane, like you, are busy lawyers. They realize,however, the importance of setting aside time to market their business. Putting it in their calendars like all their other important dates will help.

        Feedback will determine if their plan is working. They will change course as necessary or, perhaps, reaching more people is not as important as reaching people who are really interested in what they have to offer.