Miami Legal Business Development | Branding | Lawyer Coaching | Paula Black

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Did I mention repetition?

This week we asked: Are your marketing ideas, efforts and materials separate entities or a united front?

1) Separate. - 12%

2) Unified. - 9%

3) Half and Half. - 79%

My Thoughts: Only just under 10% of you are convinced that your marketing efforts are working together to create a seamless message. Not great. In order to achieve the best (and fastest) results you have to present a united front.

Quick Test! Lay out on your desk the following items: your bio, your brochure, a print out of your firm website (homepage is good enough), two presentations and a PowerPoint template. Now step back and look at them. Do they all LOOK like they came from the same firm? Now read them. Do they all SOUND like they came from the same firm?

Staying true to your firm language and visuals is an important part of being “seamless.” You have to build brand recognition and keeping a consistent look and feel to your materials is a key factor. Even firm announcement and ads should feature the same language, logos, fonts and colors as your other materials. Think REPETITION.

The best part? It will make your marketing and business development efforts even EASIER. Yes, easier. Once you have a strict set of guidelines you need only pull from other materials to create new ones. Pull brochure headlines to use as marketing statements in presentations or on folders. Hand out articles or blog posts during speeches or presentations to punctuate your points.

Remember…Be Seamless!

Black Pearl: For those of you who use social networks and E-mail in your marketing and business development, here’s a great post (http://www.jeffbullas.com/2010/07/01/10-ways-to-integrate-your-social-media-and-email-marketing/) by Jeff Bullas (http://www.jeffbullas.com/bio/) on integrating the two for maximum results.
 

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Recently I’ve been working with a client whose company prides itself on the idea of being “seamless.” In their case it means bringing together various aspects and teams within a project, but in the world of marketing it can be just as powerful an idea. Many times we compartmentalize our marketing efforts: the brochure, the website, social media, e-mail marketing… the list can go on and on, when, in reality, they all need to work off of each other. They need to be seamless. Not sure yours are? Check back on Thursday and we’ll discuss the topic further. But first...

Question of the Week: Are your marketing efforts seamless?

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It may seem strange, but translating your blog to video is much easier (and more sophisticated) than you think.

This week we asked: Would you use video to reach out to potential clients and colleagues?

1) Yes, it sounds like a great idea. - 71%

2) No, too much like a commercial. - 6%

3) Maybe, it depends on the video. - 23%

My Thoughts: It seems as though almost all of you (about 94%) are open to using video as a medium to connect to with readers. It’s an exciting prospect. Video is a fantastic way to help readers get to know you better—provided you stay true to your content, your brand and your audience. The easiest way to get started is to use content you already have.

Have a great power point presentation that you use on a regular basis? Translate it into a video and post it on your blog (Instructions and Tips here). Now you’re giving readers even more value via your online presence. Just remember:

                     • Keep it short.
                     • Make sure its branded (your firm name and website/blog should be on all slides).
                     • Speak clearly.
                     • Address a need or subject that hits home for your readers.

Connect with your readers, give them something they can use and see the results!

Black Pearl: Interested in learning more about video? Find some interesting information and quick tips at The Lawyer's Video Studio.

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In my quest to constantly improve and update the blog, I often do my own research on new ways to think about content. One of the things my team and I have been talking a lot about lately is the idea of making your content come alive. In other words, how to bring the reader into your world beyond just words on a page. Recently we came across an interesting solution—using video. Now, I’m not talking about commercials, I’m talking about using video online to reach out to your readers and give them even more value. How do you do that? Check back Thursday and we’ll discuss.

Question of the Week: What is your opinion on lawyers using video for marketing purposes?

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He may have only started last year, but Jim Walker has built his blog into a must-read for the cruise line industry. How did he do it?

As I mentioned on Tuesday, Cruise Law News has been a huge success for Jim Walker. In fact, he estimates that  firm inquiries are up about 5 times what they were pre-blog. Have they turned into cases? I would say so. From a single accident he blogged about he got 8 cases--that my friends is results. But his journey is not without effort. So how did he get to where he is today?

My Thoughts: Don’t be fooled, blogging is a full-time commitment. If you want to be successful (really at anything, right?) you have to first put forth the effort. Here are a few ways I think Jim built his blog into a vehicle that gets results:

• Consistency--Rather than post when he felt like it, Jim made a commitment to his readers to post on a regular basis. With 356 posts in 365 days, I’d say he proved himself a reliable source for industry news
• Timeliness--Jim writes about real, of-the-moment industry news and information. If something happens that involves a cruise line or ship you can be pretty sure he’s going to cover it. That drives people to return to his blog over and over again for fresh content.
• Focus--By picking an industry he knows well, Jim created a niche for himself. His background gave him unique insight into his readers and he stayed true to what THEY want to read about.
• Conversation--Instead of being simply a source of information, Jim engages with his readers through the comments section. By reaching out to them he’s connecting—and talking WITH them, not AT them.
• Passion--Jim’s interest in the subject and enjoyment in writing the blog comes through in every post. When you truly enjoy what you do it shows…and it draws others straight to you.

Kudos Jim! Keep blogging…getting cases is proof that it works!

Black Pearl: Almost as if on cue, this post from Cordell Parvin arrived in my Inbox. “If you need to, got to or have to-You won't,” is a great wake-up call for those of you who see marketing and business development as a burden. Change your attitude, change your future!
 

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Last week marked the one-year anniversary of my friend Jim Walker’s blog “Cruise Law News.” What he has accomplished in the span of a year is truly amazing…and should be an inspiration to all you attorneys out there who don’t think they have the time or energy to blog. In 365 days, Jim has:

• posted 356 articles;
• become the #1 maritime law blog in the US;
• become the #2 personal injury blog in the US;
• become the 50^th most popular law blog overall in the US;
• averaged 25,000 unique visitors a month;
• and has been cited in regional, national and international media.

He has also created a community of cruise ship passengers, crew members, travel agents and others who look to HIM for news and commentary on their industry. So what can we learn from his success? My thoughts on Thursday…

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If you have the time, the focus and the desire, a law firm newsletter can be your first line of communication with long-lost clients and colleagues.

This week we asked: Do you send out a newsletter?

1. Yes, and I truly think through the content – 12%

2. Yes, but it’s somewhat thrown together – 19%

3. No, I don’t have time – 41%

4. No, but I would like to start – 28%

My Thoughts: More than 65 percent of you don’t send a newsletter and the ones who do admit to not giving it the attention it truly needs. Not surprising.

Here’s the key- If you’re going to create a newsletter, create one that gels with the rest of your marketing materials... and with your firm. Better to send out 4 great newsletters a year than monthly communications that go straight into the trash (digital or paper!). Your clients should have a common ground (something we discussed long ago when creating a marketing plan) so cater to them. Give them a great article on something of importance to their business or personal life. Give them important updates on news and laws that affect them. Profile an attorney every other newsletter to give it an editorial feel. Enlist a good graphic designer to make it inviting and professional. Give it the attention it deserves.

So what got me focused on newsletters? I was browsing Copyblogger, and came across a great post that included this gem:

“There may be seven thousand reasons why your newsletter won’t get the response you’re looking for. Most of those reasons have the same common problem, though: readers just don’t like it.”

Simple but true.

Black Pearl: The post I came across “5 Reasons Why No One Is Reading Your Email Newsletter,” is full of great information. And don't forget to read the comments!

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I’ve never been a big advocate of the newsletter when it comes to law firms (digital or paper). Why? Because in reality, most firms don’t have the time to truly focus on making it a useful marketing and business development tool. Instead, they simply throw together some content and send it out to their mailing list. The key to making your newsletter work is time and effort, and, when executed correctly, it can be a huge help in connecting with clients, encouraging referrals and sharing your knowledge and expertise. But before we go on…

Question of the week: Do you send out a newsletter?

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Even if you can’t hire a Chief Value Officer, appoint yourself to the position and start thinking seriously about providing value to clients.

This week we asked: Do you need a Chief Value Officer?

1) Yes, I bet it would be helpful - 29%

2) No, we provide great value already - 28%

3) Possibly, I need to know more about it - 43%

My Thoughts: Usually my questions have no correct answer. This week it does. Yes. Yes. Yes. Everyone needs a Chief Value Officer (only about a third of you got this right!). Should you run out and hire one? No. But someone in every firm needs to take responsibility for making sure clients are getting the value they want and need.

That doesn’t mean lowering rates or adding more services to the menu. It means looking at client service in a new way. For example: in-house training for associates, alternative billing structures, client feedback interviews. The best way to envision the difference between a CMO and a CVO comes directly from Tuesday’s article:

“The firm wanted to divide its client relations department into one group that "gets the trains in on time" by handling the day-to-day management of filling out RFPs or updating the website, for example, and a second group that focuses on how the firm needs to change to better provide value. That second function, he said, has implications for how the firm hires and trains attorneys and how it staffs matters. Though Sudholz won't be taking the lead on project management training at the firm, it is something she will be involved with as part of the CVO role.”

See the difference?

Black Pearl: Want a few more tips on adding value? Click here and download the Association of Corporate Counsel’s “51 Practical Ways for Law Firms to Add Value.”