Facebook Page—It’s for Lawyers

The next time you’re standing in line at the movies, or sitting in a restaurant or waiting in a court house hallway, look around at the people on their smartphone, laptop or tablet. How many are checking their Facebook account?

Since there are 1.591 billion monthly Facebook users and 65% of those users use it daily for 20+ minutes, it’s save to assume many of those around you are on Facebook reading and responding to others.

Facebook is a social network. All are welcome, including lawyers. It can, however, cause problems for lawyers. Your personal and professional life should be separate. Posting the latest link to a news article of interest to your clients or potential clients shouldn’t be posted next to a picture of your daughter’s birthday party.

Facebook has a way to avoid such conflict. Set up a Facebook Page for your law firm and keep your personal posts on your home page.

What is a Facebook Page?

A Facebook Page is a distinct site for businesses, brands, and law firms. You create a page from your personal account, customizing it by posting articles, videos and photos and adding links to items of interest. People who like your Page and their friends can get updates in News Feed.

Create a page with your professional profile picture, a picture of the firm members in the cover photo and your logo.

How to find followers:

• Invite friends and email contacts to like your Page,
• Include the name of your page on your marketing materials such as a business card or an email,
• Add a link on your website, and
• Announce your new page with link on your Twitter account.

What do I post on my Page?

Keep followers engaged with interesting content. Include links to posts written by others in your area of the law, to your blog or to news items in your field. And, be aware that Facebook pages are public. Anyone who can see the Page can see your comments or posts.

Marketing experts recommend that half of your posts should connect readers to interesting and informative online content, thirty percent should be responding to others’ posts and twenty percent can be divided between self-promotion and your personal interests.

Photos and videos are important in 2016. Use them when you can—they foster the greatest response. Include pictures of the people from your law firm or events in the community—posting them helps humanize your firm. And, most of all, determine to be active on your Facebook page with interesting content. If you believe you can’t keep up with it, don’t start.

Remember the ethics rules. Don’t give legal advice or answer complicated legal questions--stick with news and posts in your area of practice. If you have a question about a post, check with your local bar association.

Marketing ROI and Why You Need It

We’re into the third month of 2016, Easter is coming, the time change is a few days out and the urge to spring clean is upon us. For lawyers, the urge to clean means looking back at your business development aka marketing strategy to determine its cost and results. Do you need to clean out the non-producers?

Generally, a marketing strategy consists of promoting the firm online, in print, on radio, TV or at in-person events. In order to determine what is working, you need to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for each aspect of your marketing.

While not all marketing is equal, meaning some efforts take longer to produce results, the following three steps will give you information you can use:

1. Track the leads generated from the Web, print ads, radio, television, lectures and event sponsorships,
2. Determine the costs of those leads, 
3. Decide which efforts produce quality prospects and which need fine-tuning. 

For example, to calculate the ROI for mailing or e-mailing information to clients:

• Count the number of pieces being mailed or e-mailed.
• Determine the cost for producing the piece including cost of graphics, lawyer time to write content and staff time to distribute. 
• Divide the costs by the number distributed to determine cost per item.
• Now, track responses from recipients. Divide this number by the total distributed to provide percentage of impact. 
• If work is generated, estimate the revenue versus the cost to produce. This is your ROI.
  

Use one of the web analytics programs to track the results of your website, your blog and social media. The software can provide details such as how many visited the site, how many of those visitors were new, how they came to the site, how long they stayed and what links they clicked on to read more. With this information you can determine ROI and under-performing site content that needs changes.

Assessing the impact of your efforts is vital to planning. One method is to ask your receptionist to keep a record of telephone inquiries, including how they came to call the firm. Also include a line on your new-client information sheet for identifying referrals. Capture the same information from all prospects no matter how they come to your office. In this way, you can easily compare results to the costs of your business endeavors to determine the ROI.

Be aware that some marketing strategies such as volunteerism, sponsorship of events, pro bono work or sitting on boards may score low in immediate financial results but still generate brand awareness and plant seeds for future business. Keep them as part of your long-term planning.

It’s not easy to evaluate the marketing return on investment for a law firm, but it is worth the time and effort. Using the information, you will be able to make educated marketing decisions; investing more time where results are good and reworking those areas that don’t produce as well. 2016 could be the year where you are on solid footing for your marketing plan, which will bring in more clients and a better yield on your marketing costs.

Finding the Legal Needs in Your Community

If you’ve decided to add a new legal service to your practice but aren’t sure what that service should be, your first step should be to analyze the people and businesses in your community. Second, determine their legal needs. Finally, decide which of those legal needs you wish to satisfy.

A good place to start is with the information available from local, state and federal government. The US Census through the American Community Survey provides data on household income, age distribution, education levels and languages spoken as well as information on area businesses and geography. These facts can help you decide what areas of law are needed. For example, if the population is aging, elder law may be the right choice while a rise in birth rates could foreshadow more family and juvenile law needs.

If your area has a large number of immigrants such as Spanish speakers and you want to attract that business, you might add a bi-lingual lawyer and translate a portion of your website to Spanish.

To find your community’s’ business needs, check your local Chamber of Commerce directory for local listings. Businesses wishing to use an assumed name must file with the County Clerk who periodically posts those new business listings on-line. If your community has a number of new businesses, it may be you want to focus more of your legal practice on their issues, such as taxation, business plans or other business transactions. If there are a number of writers or publishers, adding intellectual property could bring in new business.

If new industries are coming into the community that will be hiring more employees, there could be a need for an employment or worker’s compensation lawyer. Crime statistics are important to those wishing to practice criminal law.

When there are a number of local, county, village and city communities in an area, there is a need for a municipal lawyer who can help with a wide range of issues, including everything from police power, zoning, education policies, and property taxes. A look at the map of your area and a check on the websites of the municipalities will give you the information you need.

Volunteering at local events, sitting on Boards of corporations and non-profits or doing Pro Bono work through your local Legal Service organizations is a way to give back as well as learn more about your community. Listening to the citizens will enable you to learn of their concerns.

Whether you plan to add a new service or are just starting out, spending time researching the composition your community and assessing the resultant legal needs will enable you to make well-reasoned plans for 2106.

What is Legal Marketing?

Marketing: A management process through which goods or services move from concept to consumer. (Business Dictionary.com) 

You are a lawyer providing a legal service. You are also a business. As a business you have all the management problems of every business owner including marketing your business. With a well-planned marketing strategy, your law business will grow over time. 

The process of marketing includes four elements:
• Identification, selection and development of a product or service.
• Determination of price.
• Selection of distribution channel to reach your ideal client
• Development and implementation of a promotional strategy

Identification, selection and development of a service:

Your first consideration is to decide what type of law you wish to practice. Often this became evident in law school as you studied the various areas of law or you accepted an internship and spent hours researching personal injury or civil rights or criminal and you became fascinated. 

Another approach is to study your town. Research the census statistics, join the Chamber of Commerce, study the businesses—determine the composition of the area to determine what legal services are needed. Use that information to start a practice or add a new needed practice area to your list of services. 

Once the area of practice is identified and selected, develop an expertise by attending conferences, ICLE seminars, teach or write articles for your state or local bar association. 

Determination of price:

Pricing is a complicated issue worthy of study. Prices should be based on the client’s subjective value placed on solving his or her problem. Because it’s subjective, it can be hard to figure out. Don’t quote over the phone, have a meeting with the prospective client, analyze the information and offer to send the quote the next day. You may also decide to offer some services at a fixed price, a price that is attractive to target clients and profitable to the law firm over time. 

Selection of distribution channel to reach your ideal client.


Take some time and decide who will buy your services. Once you know who you want to attract, then decide how to reach that person. One way is the Internet—PEW research says more than 75% of consumers use the Internet to find a lawyer or to learn more about the lawyer recommended to them. A website creates a good first impression and helps build trust and credibility. More consumers are turning to legal directories, so update you profile on the SBM Member Directory. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help build relationships. 


Face to face networking is another way to meet people and expand your client base. You can join volunteer organizations with goals you support, sit on boards, teach a class, give a speech and network with other lawyers. 

Develop and implement a promotional strategy.

First, establish what marketing strategies you will use; second, determine how many hours a week you will be able to devote to your plan and last, establish a budget for estimated costs. Always ask clients how they came to you, ask them for referrals in your closing letter and use an analytics program to determine how your on-line presences are doing. 

Marketing is more than selling. It as a way of thinking in terms of your clients’ needs and their satisfaction. If you turn your thoughts to them and not yourself, you’ll get more referrals and your business will grow. 

The Importance of One

Joe Girard, a car salesman, is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the #1Retail Salesperson. How did he get this title? Simple. He sold more cars than any other car salesman. 

What was his secret?

Early in his car selling career, he attended a Catholic funeral. The funeral director was passing out Mass cards to all those in attendance. 

“How do you know how many Mass cards to have printed?” Joe asked the man.

 “I print up about 250 each time since that’s usually how many people show up for a funeral,” he answered. 

Soon after that, Joe sold a car to a Protestant funeral director. When he asked how many people attended his funerals, he got the same answer “About 250.” He soon learned from another minister that about 250 people usually attended the weddings in his church. 

From this informal research, Joe developed his “Rule of 250.” The basic principle is that most people have about 250 people in their lives that will show up at their funeral or wedding. There are exceptions, of course. Some have more, some less. But the average seems to be 250. 

How did he use this information?

He realized that if he did a great job selling a car to one person, he could potentially gain 250 more customers. But, if he did a crummy job, he could possibly lose 250 customers.

Joe sold cars. You, on the other hand, are selling a legal service, not a product a client can touch like a car or a toaster, but a vital service they need but may not be pleased about purchasing. The concept, however, is the same. 

Each time your service produces a satisfied or accepting client; you could potentially gain 250 more clients. How does that happen? With referral and repeat business. Satisfied clients come back for more work and refer others to you. 

Some referral related tactics include:

• Follow up with your clients. You can do this with a thank-you card, a call to see how things are going, ask if they have any questions and, if all is well, ask them to remember you when their friends ask ‘if they know a good lawyer.’ If there is a problem, attempt to fix it. 

• Keep a file on each client listing personal information such as names of children, what they did for a living, birthdays, etc.--there are software programs that will help you with this. You can use this information when you talk to them. 

• Stop by their business or take them out to lunch. Your goal is to keep and maintain a relationship with this client.

• Make sure they know every service your firm offers. Ask for their e-mail address and get permission to send them the firm newsletter or occasional updates.

• Send cards for holidays and thank-you notes for referrals. Send information they can use, not a sales pitch. They will need legal work someday and they will turn to you. And refer you to one or two of the 250 people they know.

Remember the Rule Of 250 every time you meet new people, whether at an event or standing in line at the coffee shop line. (I once acquired a great client standing in line at Target.) Every person you meet could be a potential client. And they could bring in 250 more. Keep this in mind and soon you have a thriving business. 

Why have a logo.

Each law firm has a brand, whether it is one you create and control or one imposed on you from the outside world. A logo or symbol representing your firm can be the cornerstone of your brand. A great logo comes to identify your firm to the world. Clients look for it and new clients searching on the web will be drawn to it.

Some products are known by a symbolic logo. Think McDonald’s golden arches, Macintosh Apple or the Nike Swoosh. Most products, however, like law firms, are known by their name. The name is the basis of the logo. They use a particular color and font to distinguish their name and identify their brand. Coca-Cola (red), Ford (blue), Amazon (black, orange) or FedEx (red, blue) are examples.

If you use the founding partners as the name of your firm regardless of the addition of partners over time. To turn that name into a logo, ask yourself:

What does your law firm stand for?

What separates your law firm from others?

Does the name say it all? If so, that’s the logo.

Could the logo benefit from a design treatment or color?

Fonts, colors and symbols:

A font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. The right font not only makes reading easier but also can create an emotional reaction. The font can be silly, old fashioned, modern, business-like or traditional. You want to select a font that reflects your firm.

Color affects the reader also. If you add color to your logo, be aware that each color creates an emotion. For example:

                          Red--active, aggressive             Orange--creative, joy

                          Black--serious, strong               Blue--trustworthy, wise

                          Brown--reliable                         Yellow--energetic

                          Green--relaxed, hopeful

    

For attorneys, the traditional symbols used in logos are usually gavels, scales of justice and columns. They stand for justice and law and order and are powerful, however, if used be sure they reflect your practice. Don’t just use stock images, ask the designers to incorporate the symbol into your name.

Be sure to share your new logo with a good selection of people you trust. Pick lawyers and non-lawyers. Usually someone in the group will see any problems. Don’t try to design the logo yourself, select a designer. And don’t over-think it. Trust your intuition. You’ll know which logo reflects you and your practice.

Logos can evolve over time. As your firm grows and changes, the logo may have to change to reflect the newer firm. Handle the change wisely and your logo will continue to serve you well.

Once you have the logo, use it on your webpage, social media accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and every piece of correspondence that goes out of your office.

Video in 2016

“I think we need some videos for our website and other marketing,” said Lance, sitting at the long, walnut table in the conference room of L & L Law Firm. Linda joined him as he continued. “The marketing experts say that video can improve our Internet Marketing results.”

“You want to go Hollywood? I’m not so sure about that,” said Linda.

“Well,” said Lance, “I’ve been looking into it and I think it’s the right addition for us.”

Lance is right. L & L Law can use video to market their practice and establish authority in their area of expertise, elder law. With video marketing, L & L Law can create content that will make new and old clients more likely to try, buy and refer more of their services over time. Video can highlight individual attorneys giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise.

And, video is popular. YouTube reports that 1 billion people used its services in 2014. It’s hard not to click the button to see action.

How can you use video?

1. Add a welcome page to your website. Show the firm and introduce attorneys and staff members.
2. Answer questions--pick general topics such as “5 Things to Consider Before Hiring an Elder Law Attorney.”
3. Create a video library on topics related to your firm--keep the topics short--1 to 3 minutes.
4. Add videos to Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube; use Twitter to share links

DYI or a Pro?

While it is possible to create your own video, it’s not advisable to do so.

If your video has poor sound, bad lighting and looks sloppy, the viewer can assume the firm is the same. It’s better to use a professional. Make a plan or list of the type of videos you want to create so you can do several in one day. Keep the topics short--3 minutes at the most and have the editor add an intro, title and closing.

Using video can help attract more clients and grow your law firm by establishing your expertise online. It's also a popular trend for 2016. Might be worth giving it a go.

Excerpt from Clear & Convincing article first published in the SBM e-journal, October 5th issue.