Solo and Small Firm Marketing » Lawyer Marketing Tips http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com Effective (but oftentimes unusual) marketing of your law firm Fri, 28 May 2010 19:07:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 A Frequent Mistake Attorneys Make in Their Ads http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/a-frequent-mistake-attorneys-make-in-their-ads/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/a-frequent-mistake-attorneys-make-in-their-ads/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 19:26:46 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=325 You can’t expect that you will place an ad in the Yellow Pages or throw together an attractive website and people will start hiring you on the spot.  It just doesn’t work that way.

I have seen too many lawyers make the mistake of trying to get someone to hire them just from their ad.  They cram as much information as possible into a small Yellow Pages ad in the hopes that they will be able to convince a potential client that they are the right lawyer for the case.

The purpose of your initial lawyer advertisement should be to build your list of prospects, also referred to as your herd.

Your herd is the group of people you have come into contact with, such as your past and current clients, friends, business colleagues, prospects and acquaintances.  You have to spend time cultivating this group and letting them know that you have something interesting and valuable to offer.  If you are able to accomplish this, they will become immune to other attorney advertisements.  They will think of you first when they need legal help or know someone who does.

Your ads need to motivate people to raise their hands to request more information or make contact.  You don’t have to get them to hire you then and there.  You can encourage contacts by offering a free book, video, report or some other helpful information.

You have to understand that building your list doesn’t stop with your attorney ad.  You have to set up a system to keep track of who responds and keep in contact on a regular basis.  That is how you will reach the right people at the right time.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/a-frequent-mistake-attorneys-make-in-their-ads/feed/ 0 Think About Lawyer Marketing in an Entirely Different Way http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/think-about-lawyer-marketing-in-an-entirely-different-way/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/think-about-lawyer-marketing-in-an-entirely-different-way/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 13:24:50 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=305 Attorneys who are looking for marketing advice often contact me looking for a magic bullet to solve their marketing problems. They will visit me at my office and I will show them all of the things I do to get clients.  I walk them through the steps of my marketing system and show them all of the books and materials that are sent out.  These lawyers sometimes leave our meeting feeling disappointed, because they were looking for an easy marketing fix. They are also surprised that I don’t meet with every potential client who contacts my office.

There are no simple solutions to complex problems and this applies to lawyer marketing as well.  As a lawyer, you need to start thinking about marketing in an entirely different way.  You have to get rid of the mentality that you need to meet with everyone who calls you or walks through your door.  It’s okay to use complex marketing to reject potential clients.  My experience, which is the same as hundreds of lawyers across the country, is that you will still have new cases, even if you weed out some of the ones you don’t want.

Here’s how to use complex marketing to attract the types of cases and clients that you want to represent:

(1) Start with a different message. Don’t say the same thing as everyone else in your attorney ads.

(2) Become an author. A book is the greatest business card ever created.

(3) Create an audio CD and/or a DVD of information about your practice niche. Answer questions that you know are running through your prospects’ head.

(4) Teach the prospect how to shop for a lawyer. Provide them with the right questions to ask (that lead them right back to you).

(5) Prepare a brag book. Compile your verdicts and settlements, testimonials, newspaper articles about you or anything else you have that would be impressive.

(6) Write as many special reports or booklets as you can. It shouldn’t be difficult, because you already know the topics.

(7) Design a multi-step, multi-media response to anyone who initiates contact by requesting free information from your law firm.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/think-about-lawyer-marketing-in-an-entirely-different-way/feed/ 0 Use a Complex Lawyer Marketing System to Get Cases http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/use-a-complex-lawyer-marketing-system-to-get-cases/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/use-a-complex-lawyer-marketing-system-to-get-cases/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 14:03:24 +0000 Ben Glass http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=312 Getting more cases is a complex problem and you can’t expect that you will be able to find ONE thing that will provide you with a solution.  There isn’t a small tweak to your Yellow Pages ad that is going to make the phone start ringing.

You are competing with a lot of people in your industry.  Your potential clients aren’t going to be able tell a good lawyer from a bad one.  Plus, ethical rules often make all attorney marketing look the same, which forces your marketing message to compete with 3,000 to 5,000 other messages each day.  Before you get too discouraged, you need to know that there is an answer and it comes in the form of a multi-step, multi-media marketing system.

Here is why this type of complex lawyer marketing system works:

(1) It makes you stand out from the other attorneys who use the old-fashioned two-step marketing approach, which is comprised of buying an ad and offering a free consultation.

(2) You are viewed as the wise man or woman at the top of the mountain.

(3) Those “C” and “D” clients will be discouraged from contacting you.

(4) It increases the transaction value of each client, so you can reduce your caseload and make more money.

Read my blog post, Think About Lawyer Marketing In An Entirely Different Way, for tips on how to create your multi-step, multi-media marketing system.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/use-a-complex-lawyer-marketing-system-to-get-cases/feed/ 0 Avoid Random Chance Marketing in the Yellow Pages http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/avoid-random-chance-marketing-in-the-yellow-pages/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/avoid-random-chance-marketing-in-the-yellow-pages/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 13:05:47 +0000 Ben Glass http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=300 Yellow Pages sales reps often tell us that in order to stand out, we need buy a bigger ad and maybe even add color.  After all, there are sometimes up to 70 pages of lawyer ads in the Yellow Pages and you have to stand out somehow.

Making your ad larger and adding a splash of color isn’t enough to get someone to call you.  Your ad has to have a headline and content that is different than all of the other competing law firms.  Flip open the Yellow Pages and you will find that the ads basically make the same statements, such as “Free Consultation!” or “ We will fight for you!”  How is a potential client going to be able to tell the difference between lawyers, if they all say the same thing?

When you create ads that are like every other law firm in town, you are engaging in random chance marketing.  It becomes mere chance if someone chooses you over someone else.

There is a better way that you can advertise in the Yellow Pages that will help you stand out from the crowd of lawyers.  I have had success with the Yellow Pages by using ads that are centered on my consumer books.  Our ads do not mention anything about our law firm; instead they contain interesting headlines and information about the books.

You have to remember that the goal of your advertising should be to offer something that looks different.  Plus, you need to make it easy for your prospects to obtain the book or report.

For more information regarding lawyer marketing, read my article, A New View of Yellow Page Marketing.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/avoid-random-chance-marketing-in-the-yellow-pages/feed/ 0 If You Don’t Have a Company Spokesperson – Use Your Blog http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/if-you-don%e2%80%99t-have-a-company-spokesperson-%e2%80%93-use-your-blog/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/if-you-don%e2%80%99t-have-a-company-spokesperson-%e2%80%93-use-your-blog/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 13:13:17 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=291 Things have changed in the world of lawyer marketing, which is probably not news to you.  Your prospects are looking for legal services differently than before and the majority of them are gravitating toward the Internet.

Prospects aren’t the only ones looking for information online, as reporters often turn to blogs and other online sources to find what they need.  That means there is opportunity to boost your public visibility.

If you don’t have an in-house publicist or spokesperson (and really what attorney does), you can gain publicity using your blog.  According to an article in The Wall Street Journal titled, “Companies Increasingly Look to Blogs as Spokesmen,” major corporations are starting to use blogs to fill the role of spokespeople.

The Wall Street Journal reported that about one-third of Fortune 100 companies are utilizing blogs to share their views and comments regarding current events.  As a lawyer, why not follow the example of these Fortune 100 companies and start blogging your thoughts and opinions? You just might be able to capture the attention of reporters.

What is great about blogging is that it doesn’t take a lot of time and is well worth the effort.  Not only can you gain credibility, but you can also get in front of more of your potential clients.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/if-you-don%e2%80%99t-have-a-company-spokesperson-%e2%80%93-use-your-blog/feed/ 0 Do You Really Know How Clients Will Find You? http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/do-you-really-know-how-clients-will-find-you/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/do-you-really-know-how-clients-will-find-you/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=285 People who are in need of legal assistance will look for an attorney in two places – the Internet and Yellow Pages.  The exception is if they already know a lawyer or have been referred to someone by a friend or family member.

Think about how you search for products and services.  If you are like the majority of the population, you probably conduct some research online.  There have been a lot of studies regarding how many people look for local businesses on the Internet and while the numbers vary, the one thing that is the same is that more and more prospects are gravitating toward the Web.

Keep in mind that people tend to search for lawyers differently than other services and goods.  They are not going to sit through hours of attorney commercials they have recorded on the DVR and they are not going to try to read every billboard along the freeway.  Instead they are going to turn to the computer.  In some areas, they will use the Yellow Pages as a guide.

When you create your website or Yellow Pages ad, you need to think about what will attract the attention of your prospects and get them to stop their search. Your ads and website need to be so compelling that someone will think that they would be a fool to do anything else before contacting you.  Free offers, such as books, reports and CDs, are great ways to make your law firm stand out from the crowd.

Order a copy of my book, Attorney Web Marketing-Free Report Reveals the Biggest Errors, for more lawyer marketing tips.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/do-you-really-know-how-clients-will-find-you/feed/ 0 Making the Same Offers & Statements As Everyone Else Isn’t Very Effective http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/making-the-same-offers-statements-as-everyone-else-isnt-very-effective/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/making-the-same-offers-statements-as-everyone-else-isnt-very-effective/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 22:11:35 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=281 How is making a statement in your advertising, such as “We Care For You” or “We Will Fight For You,” really going to help you stand out from all of the other law firms in your area?  These types of statement don’t really say anything about who you are as an attorney.  Your prospects aren’t going to be impressed, because they already assume that you care about their case and that you will fight for them.  You need to come up with something better.

The goal of lawyer marketing should be to get the conversation started.  You are not going to convince someone to hire you solely based on your ad.  The most important thing is to just get them to contact you, which can be done with a free offer.

Now, when I am talking about a free offer, I am not referring to a free consultation.  How unique is that?  Instead, I mean something that is of value to your potential clients, such as a free book, CD or report.  Your offer should be educational and lead your prospects right back to your law firm.

Focus your attorney advertising on building the relationship with your prospects, who will eventually turn into clients.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/making-the-same-offers-statements-as-everyone-else-isnt-very-effective/feed/ 0 Direct Response Marketing Works for My Law Firm http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/direct-response-marketing-works-for-my-law-firm/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/direct-response-marketing-works-for-my-law-firm/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 21:01:57 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=276 In my previous blog post, Get More Clients By Providing Them With Something Useful, I talked about using a different approach when marketing in the Yellow Pages.  Basically, the point was to stand out from all of the other pages and pages of lawyer ads by providing something useful to your prospects.  Now I want to go into more detail about direct response marketing and how it has worked for my law firm.

There are three basic steps to my direct response marketing campaign:

1.    Attract prospects’ attention with a unique headline (such as a book title) and enticing bullet points
2.    Make it simple for them to request the information
3.    Stop their search

I have found this method to be successful for many reasons.  People can request the information without having to feel pressured or intimidated by an aggressive salesperson.  They learn that in most cases, they don’t have to rush out and hire an attorney right away.  Therefore, they take their time in learning more about how to hire the right lawyer for them.  The result is that I end up with a group of higher qualified potential clients who want me to take their cases.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/direct-response-marketing-works-for-my-law-firm/feed/ 0 Get More Clients By Providing Them With Something Useful http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/get-more-clients-by-providing-them-with-something-useful/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/get-more-clients-by-providing-them-with-something-useful/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 20:32:06 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=272 If you advertise in the Yellow Pages, you need to find a way to stand out from all of the competing ads.  Standing out doesn’t mean dropping more money on your ad, by making it bigger or adding color.  You don’t need to shout louder, you just need to shout something different.  That means you need to have useful information to offer your potential clients that will make them stop their search and contact you.

Our law firm has been successful with this technique.  We focus our Yellow Pages ads on our free consumer books.  These books are so simple to write and provide helpful information to prospects.  Plus, you are able to use your books to educate your potential clients on how your law firm is the obvious choice for their case.

We make it easy for people to obtain the free books, by using a recorded message line and through one-page websites that we have created.  This approach allows prospects to request the information in a non-threatening environment.  It is also good for our office, because no one has to be there “live” to answer these requests.

So here is a summary of what you need to do if you are advertising in the Yellow Pages – offer something that is different and make it easy for people to get it.

]]> http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/get-more-clients-by-providing-them-with-something-useful/feed/ 0 What Does Your Law Firm Ad’s Headline Say? http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/what-does-your-law-firm-ads-headline-say/ http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/what-does-your-law-firm-ads-headline-say/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 09:46:50 +0000 Ben Glass http://soloandsmallfirmmarketing.com/?p=258 As you read the newspaper do you read every article?

Of course not. You look at the headlines first and if the headline is interesting you start reading.

People look at lawyer ads the same way.

I’m reading a book about David Ogilvy, one of the masters of modern avenue. He is described as talking about “headless” ads–ads without headlines. In his advertising agency he made it a rule that they would never again create an ad that didn’t have a headline.

Now, look at what doesn’t count as a headline–silly things like your name, your firm’s name or “Personal Injury” lawyer.

These aren’t headlines…they are symbols of laziness on your part (or its all a part of the Yellow Page rep’s scheme to keep all ads the same.

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