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Archive for the ‘Law Firm Marketing’ Category

Lawyers Feel the Need, The Need to Blog

Posted by redactic on December 23, 2009

We came across this article recently, detailing the increased pressure on attorneys feelings compelled to blog.  To put it simply, most lawyers don’t have enough time in the day to blog and practice law.  It’s a growing problem, especially as more and more attorneys and law firms realize the need to keep up to date content on their websites.  Though the importance is recognized, that doesn’t do anything about the time constraints.

Because we offer legal blogging services, we too see the value in blogging.  And not just for our income, but because it is a very cheap way to get your message across.  Even if you don’t hire a blogging services company like Redactic, you should understand how effective and efficient blogging can be for lawyers.  (And any other profession.)

Let’s take a hypothetical situation:  A medical malpractice attorney St. Louis starts a blog.  She writes about her day to day experiences two to three times a week.  Sometimes she writes about winning a case, sometimes she talks about her frustration with a personal injury settlement.

Unbeknowst to her (yet knowst to others) she has been marketing herself with every post.  And not just marketing, but indelibly leaving a record of herself to scatter to the internet winds, traveling all over the world.  Some of words she used in her writing are subsequently picked up by search engines.  They drive traffic to her blog.  A client might search the internet for “St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer” and bingo, her blog posts pops up.   That potential client reads it, like it, and clicks on the “contact me” button on her blog.

And that’s about it.  One post, one new client.  And that one post isn’t like a radio add that only airs for a certain amount of time.  It isn’t like a ad in the yellow pages you have to keep paying for every  month or year.  It’s there.  Out in the ether.  Floating around until someone finds it and follows it to your firm.

Nifty, isn’t it?

Posted in Law Firm Marketing, legal blogs, Social Media | Leave a Comment »

Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Legal Marketing

Posted by redactic on December 14, 2009

If you’ve been alive recently, you know that social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and linkedin are the end all be all of existence.  Everyone who is anyone is using them at all hours of the day and becoming fully realized human beings capable of super-human feats.

Well, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration.  But the emergence of these tools has brought up a lot of questions when it comes to attorneys and law firms.   Ethical considerations aside, are there practical benefits for attorneys who use these sites to find new clients or business?

Some attorneys don’t think so.   Many believe the short messages and updates posted on sites like these don’t attract clients.  The thought is that people aren’t going to Twitter to find a lawyer or any other kind of professional.   Is someone going to log onto Facebook and try to find a good plastic surgeon?

They have a point.  These sights may be great for socialization, but for finding the attorney that’s going to help you with your DUI?

Then again, we’re not so sure that using these sites is a lost cause.  Since a lot of (if not most) new clients find their attorney through recommendations from a friend, and these sites make it easier to contact friends, why wouldn’t they use it?  Is it difficult to update your Facebook status and say “I’m looking for a lawyer.  Can anyone recommend one?”  It’s not unreasonable to assume this has, and is, happening now.  (We know from personal experience that many of our Facebook friends often send us questions about legal situations they’re in.)

It’s also not unreasonable to believe that social media friends could then direct the potential new client to the lawyer’s Facebook page.  (Or Myspace, or Twitter, etc.)

We once read that attorneys are much more likely to be pessimists than any other profession.  (Yes, shocking, we know.)  This attitude may serve them in their work, but when it comes to taking advantage of new opportunities, they may be on the tail end of things.   As far as social media goes, like the internet, we don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.  It has potential, and though still in its early stages, we think it is at least worth looking at.

(Photo courtesy Damien Basile via Flickr.)

Posted in Law Firm Marketing, Social Media, Technology | 1 Comment »

ABA Top 100 Legal Blogs (or Blawgs)

Posted by redactic on December 11, 2009

Just a quick catch up on a news story we missed a week or so ago. The ABA Journal has published its list of top 100 legal blogs, which you can find here.

No, we’re not on it.

Yet.

Posted in Law Firm Marketing, legal blogs | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Law Firm Sponsors Bicycle Helmets Giveaway

Posted by redactic on December 7, 2009

A law firm in Springfield, Missouri recently teamed up with local TV station KODE-TV to give away bicycle helmets to the local community.

Aaron Sachs Associates, P.C. issued a press release marking their annual giveaway.  In its 10th year, the firm claims to have given away about 18,000 bicycle helmets to children.  Their press release gave some sobering statistics about children and bicycle accidents;

  • 800 children are killed every as a result of colliding with a vehicle.
  • Only 5% of children regularly wear properly fitted helmets.
  • 75% of those killed die as a result of brain trauma.

As far as we’re concerned, Aaron Sachs Associates made a great move with this giveaway.  (Not to mention a truly excellent website and superb domain name.)  By providing the helmets for free, the firm positions itself as a community benefactor and keeps its name in the public eye.  Assuming the bicycle helmets cost $20 each, and assuming they are responsible for the entire sum, the firm has spent approximately $360,000 over ten years, or $36,000 per year.  Of course, that doesn’t take into account KODE-TV’s role, tax breaks for charitable giveaways, or any price break or product deal the firm may have been able to get from the helmet manufacturers or retailers.

Assuming the firm received no help from anyone and put up the $36,000 out of pocket, that’s still not a huge number .  As the firm specializes in the kinds of injuries prevented by these helmets, and most likely uses a contingent fee model when handling a personal injury case, they wouldn’t need to take in very many new cases to recover expenses.  Further assuming a 1/3rd contingency fee structure, they’d need a case that resulted in a $110,000 settlement (not including expenses and costs) to recover their helmet giveaway price.  That number is probably a lot lower given the tax benefits and co-sponsorship.  We don’t know what the numbers for an average settlement are, but if the firm takes on a single new personal injury client as a result of the giveaway, they have probably made a wise investment.

Oh yeah, and they’re giving away bicycle helmets to kids.  At Christmas.  How cool is that?  We initially thought that Christmas might not be the best time for a bicycle helmet giveaway, as kids probably wouldn’t be doing a lot of riding in the cold and snow.  (Perhaps a spring-time giveaway?)  But, given that a lot of kids probably get their first bicycle for Christmas, we can see the merits of the timing.

On a side note, the firm has also taken full advantage of multiple media sources, offering a free brochure, free DVD, and web videos through their website.   We don’t know whether these materials were produced in-house or outsourced to freelancers, marketing firm or their web designer, but no matter how they did it, we think it’s the right move.  The firm knows its market, knows to focus on local keywords in its press releases and blog posts, and understands the importance of keeping its name out there in a positive, benevolent light.

Great marketing, preventing kids from getting hurt,  helping the community and making a living all in the same package.  Excellent.

(Photo courtesy indywriter’s Flickr page.)

Posted in Law Firm Marketing, Personal Injury | Leave a Comment »

A Car Accident, Your iPhone and Your Attorney

Posted by redactic on December 4, 2009

You can play games, auto-tune your voice, and even make phone calls with it.  But the iPhone isn’t just for fun.  A new application now allows you to assess your legal needs immediately after a car crash.

The Car Incident Assistant app was recently released courtesy of Bott and Co., a law firm in the U.K. specializing in personal injury cases.  The app allows users to automatically pass their crash information on to their attorney (solicitor), and advises them on how to take photographs and record relevant information.  It piggy backs on the iPhone GPS functionality by allowing the user to record the exact location of where the accident happened, and will automatically send the information to the attorneys via e-mail.   It also has a contact list full of roadside assistance operators, rental car companies and health care professionals.   There is even a YouTube video (that you can watch on your iPhone) to help you learn how to use it.

It has apparently led to some success, having already received many 5-Star reviews from users on iTunes.  (For those of you playing at home, iTunes UK is a separate site, and not normally accessible to US users.)

As a free application, the Car Incident Assistant can be seen as a gimick, but we don’t think so.  Even if no one uses the program to record the details of the accident, clients (and potential clients) of Bott and Co. can only be impressed by the firm’s embrace of technology and their desire to help clients at the earliest stages of an accident.

As far as we’re concerned, Bott and Co. is way ahead of the game with this one.  By allowing a client to gather information as it happens, send it to the firm and get a prompt reply, they ensure they stay involved in the case from those crucial beginning moments onward.   A great marketing tool, a wonderful way to give clients an outlet when they are in need, and a pretty cool app to boot.

Well done!

(Photo courtesy William Hook’s Flickr Page)

Posted in Law Firm Marketing, Personal Injury, Technology | Leave a Comment »

 
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