If you're serious about marketing for attorneys or internet marketing for attorneys, I recommend that you click on the following link: http://www.stompernetnow.com/. The renowned Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts at StomperNet finally released this evening their new SEO course and allowed sign ups for their new magazine, Net Effect Journal. I'm not currently an affiliate of StomperNet and will receive no compensation if you purchase, but I suggest you at least watch the video on the site.
Since StomperNet could take this offer down at any time, I recommend that you peruse the site as soon as you can. The materials being offered can provide a competitive advantage in the marketing for attorneys space.
Facebook has become dominant in the area of social networking, but does it have a role in marketing for attorneys? While Facebook profiles are generally limited (in theory) to individuals, Facebook "pages" are intended for businesses and can be used by law firms. In fact, some law firms have already set up pages on Facebook. One such law firm is New York City-based Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle. As of today when I looked, Curtis Mallet had 90 "fans" on its Facebook page. Curtis Mallet's Facebook page appears to focus on recruiting of attorneys, showing the summer associate class, interview schedules at law schools, information on diversity, awards and rankings, and assessments from former summer associates.
Could a law firm use a Facebook page in its client development and marketing efforts? Absolutely. More and more people of all ages are flocking to Facebook. Having a presence on Facebook is one more way for law firms to be found by potential clients. In addition, Facebook pages are searchable on the Internet. Thus, if a law firm has a Facebook page and links back to its own law firm home page, there can be positive search engine optimization (SEO) consequences. As Facebook becomes the dominant Internet experience for more and more Internet users, it pays for law firms to have a presence on Facebook.
The world of marketing for attorneys and marketing for law firms should not overlook the cutting-edge potential of Facebook pages.
I welcome your comments on Facebook pages as a tool in marketing for attorneys.
The Harvard Alumni Association announced today that it is again offering Michael Sandel's course entitled "Justice" to alumni around the world via both streaming video over the Internet and via podcast. Thus, Harvard alumni can "take" the course via virtual means. In addition, alumni can interact with other alumni on the course blog and can participate in "online office hours" with Professor Sandel. Last year, over 4000 Harvard alumni participated in the course via podcast or streaming video.
What does a Harvard virtual course have to do with marketing for attorneys? A lot. Law firms and lawyers should take a hard look at the model of podcasting and streaming video and decide how they can use it to better serve existing clients and to reach prospective clients. For example, if a law firm is already providing in-house training for clients (or even for their own attorneys), why not podcast the same presentation for the benefit of clients and prospective clients? Podcasting and streaming videos have come of age in the world of marketing for attorneys and marketing for law firms.
I welcome your comments below.
In a previous post, I wrote about the Obama campaign's plan to individually notify his supporters of his vice presidential running mate via e-mail. Obama ultimately used a text message to alert his supporters that he had chosen Joe Biden to run with him. Although CNN apparently beat the Obama campaign to the punch by first revealing the identity of Obama's vice presidential nominee, a senior advisor to Obama has stated his belief that most of Obama's supporters first learned via a text message about the selection of Biden.
What are the implications of the Obama campaign's strategy in the marketing for attorneys arena? New media and social media are officially mainstream. Although traditional media would have liked to be the first to report the selection of Biden, they were generally shut out from having the privilege to which they had become accustomed; most of Obama's supporters learned about the selection through a text message. Attorneys should become familiar with Twitter and other micro-blogging services and study how such services and new media can be used for keeping in touch with clients and potential clients.
Marketing for attorneys and marketing for law firms are no longer confined to traditional media like TV, radio and the print media. Lawyers and law firms should embrace new media and figure out how to apply it in promoting their services.
I welcome your comments on the role of new media in marketing for lawyers.
Although Wordtracker's free keyword search tool is helpful and provides a good start in marketing for attorneys, I recommend - if it makes sense within your budget - upgrading to the paid Wordtracker service. Whereas the free tool provides up to 100 related keywords, the paid service provides up to 300 related keywords. The paid Wordtracker service also provides an estimate of the number of searches on the Internet for each of those 300 keywords.
One of my favorite features of the paid Wordtracker service is the Keyword Effectiveness Index, or KEI. The KEI compares the number of searches for a term with the number of competing pages on the Internet for that term, then provides a score regarding the competition for that keyword. Using Wordtracker's KEI can help a law firm or lawyer focus on keywords and terms for which there is less competition in terms of search engine placement, but for which there is still a respectable number of searches. Of course, one can obtain some of the same information through comparing keyword information from Google's free keyword tool, with the number of searches on Google for a particular keyword. However, Wordtracker simplifies the process. In the world of marketing for attorneys and internet marketing for attorneys, Wordtracker can provide a competitive advantage. For a little over $300 per year, http://www.wordtracker.com/ may be worth the investment.
One final advantage of the paid Wordtracker service for those interested in marketing for attorneys and marketing for law firms: it provides daily reports of the most popular 1,000 terms on the Internet. Although many of the terms are useless in marketing for lawyers, the reports can help lawyers and law firms spot and be at the forefront of trends.
I welcome your comments below on the services and strategies you've found most helpful in keyword research as it relates to attorney marketing.
As mentioned in my last post, marketing for attorneys on the Internet should begin with keyword research. Any law firm should base its website, and specific website pages, on carefully targeted keywords. Those keywords should relate to the lawyers' specific area or areas of practice. However, the terms for which corporations or individuals are searching may not always correspond with the terms on which a law firm may be focusing. Thus, attorneys and law firms need a tool or tools to discover the actual terms or keywords for which potential clients are searching in large numbers.
In addition to the free Google keyword tool referenced in my last post, I highly recommend a service called Wordtracker. Starting out, you should try Wordtracker's free keyword search tool at http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/. Try typing in some terms from which you would like to obtain new business or new clients. The tool will provide you with a daily search volume for that term and up to 100 related keywords. More in the near future on the role of Wordtracker in marketing for attorneys and marketing for law firms . . . .
As you can see, the focus of this blog has shifted from billable hours/alternative billing/lawyer burnout/lawyer well-being to marketing for attorneys. The bulk of my future thoughts on billable hours/alternative billing/lawyer burnout will be located at http://www.6minutelife.com; please visit yesterday's post at that site and subscribe to that blog, in addition to this one.
When it comes to marketing for attorneys via the Internet, strategic use of keywords is essential. Any law firm or lawyer website that is not based upon carefully chosen keywords is missing the mark in terms of attracting organic search engine traffic from Google and other search engines.
How should a law firm choose the keywords on which its website will focus? Research. Although there are multiple sites that will allow such research, a logical starting point is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. I recommend experimenting with the Tool by typing in potential keywords (e.g., "products liability," etc.) to see how many searches are occurring in Google for that keyword. More on keyword research and marketing for attorneys later . . . .
It was reported today that Barack Obama's campaign manager sent e-mails to supporters offering them the chance to be the first to know who Obama will choose as his vice presidential running mate. Obama's strategy of opening up a dialogue with his supporters and potential supporters almost rises to the level of web 2.0 - even if it is based upon the "old" technology of e-mails. It seems clear that Obama is trying to expand his "list" of e-mail addresses and contacts. In fact, Obama's e-mail to his supporters goes so far as to ask them to forward the e-mail to co-workers, family and friends - similar to the "tell a friend" script concept espoused by such marketers as my colleague, Alex Mandossian.
What can those in the business of law firm marketing and lawyer marketing learn from Obama's strategy? It is clear that law firms and lawyers should develop a large list of e-mail contacts, then supply that list with an abundance of fresh, useful content. The key in law firm marketing is for clients and potential clients to know, like and trust you and your firm. The provision of useful content - like early notice of Obama's running mate - is important in developing and strengthening client and potential client relationships. Those involved in attorney marketing should follow the example of Obama's campaign - regardless of one's political beliefs - in expanding their e-mails lists and increasing the value of content provided via e-mail.
I welcome any comments you may have on this important law firm marketing topic.
Many lawyers are disillusioned, dissatisfied, or at least not enthused with the practice of law. One commentator has concluded that lawyers are less than happy, and that their source of unhappiness is the work that they do as lawyers. According to a study by the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, only half of surveyed California lawyers said they would become lawyers again, if they had the chance to start all over. The study found that California lawyers were very pessimistic about the current state of the legal profession and its future. A 1992 survey from the California Bar Association revealed that 70 percent of the responding lawyers would choose a different profession if they could, and that 75 percent would prefer that their children not become lawyers. (See Carl Horn III, LawyerLife at 32-33; Amiram Elwork, Stress Management for Lawyers at 3; Patrick J. Schiltz, 52 Vand. L. Rev. at 881; Steven Keeva, Transforming Practices at 4; Mary Ann Glendon, A Nation Under Lawyers at 85.
Many lawyers at large law firms are simply biding their time until retirement. It is typical for lawyers to wish that they were doing something else and to be envious of officers or employees of their corporate clients. Many lawyers proclaim that they would not go to law school again, if given the choice. Numerous lawyers also state that they would not recommend that their children attend law school. One senior lawyer in a commercial law firm has been rumored to tell new associates in the firm that they should have chosen a different job and profession.
It is important for lawyers to evaluate their happiness periodically and take steps to increase their level of satisfaction if it is lagging. Students considering careers in the law should carefully consider their motives, be aware of the causes that contribute to career-choice regret among lawyers, and plan carefully to avoid frustration down the road. Being aware of risk factors and trends can help lawyers and would-be lawyers take care to implement and protect healthful lifestyle choices in the face of professional pressure. There are important steps that lawyers can take to make individual health and personal relationships a priority despite the demands of the work they do.
