Marketing Advice

The struggle ends up consuming us and we give up trying to change because it’s just too hard. What we thought would be efforts to lead us to a new life, end up being just a temporary change. We’ve tried before and failed again, and the conclusion comes down to a discouraged excuse - I just couldn’t do it, I didn’t have time, or it was too hard. The truth is making a successful commitment is nothing more than a making a choice to create a desired future outcome. You may say that people who stick to their commitments are an exception, and you are definitely not one of those people. Well, I’m here to tell you that commitments are not personality specific. Each of us has the capability to set successful commitments. So now you’re saying, if that’s the case, why do so many of us fail? Because most people don’t know how to make the decisions that create successful commitment. 1. Commitment Is Nothing More Than Choice You are choosing your desired future outcome over your current reality. If you really want to lose weight, then you choose to be fit. If you really want to save money for a down payment on a house, then you choose to budget. That’s it - you just made a choice! The chocolate cake and new shoes didn’t even enter your mind because they aren’t what you really want. What you really want is to be fit, or to own your own home. Once you choose your desired future outcome, you remove the struggle that leads to exceptions. 2. Instant Gratification vs. Future Outcome Do you want your new home or those new shoes? Successful commitment relies on the individual steps between your current reality and your goal. Make every step count, and you will get there faster and easier. Instant gratifications shouldn’t even enter your mind. The only thing you should be focused on is your future outcome, and it should mean more to you than momentary desire for instant gratification. By holding your future clear in your mind, you will make the right decisions to support your goals. 3. Success Relies on 100% Commitment It’s easy to make excuses and exceptions, but it’s harder to get back on track once you’ve made room for them. Successful goal achievement requires 100% commitment. Not 99%, not even 99.9%. Making exceptions sets you up for failure and makes it harder to stay on track. Decide what you can commit to and stick to it - no excuses, no exceptions. You’ll find that 100% commitment is actually easier than 99.9%, because you remove distractions, and the emotion around them. When you can focus solely on your goal, not your distractions, it will be easier to stay on track. 4. Casual Interest or Complete Dedication You might be interested in the study of law, but are you committed to becoming a lawyer? You might be interested in losing weight, but are you committed to being fit and healthy? You might be interested in saving money for a down payment on a house, but are you committed to a budget? These are all questions to ask when committing to a goal. Your level of desire will determine your results - period. If you only have an interest in something, it will be easier to let it go. However, if you really want something, you will be committed to creating it. 5. Visualize Your Goal Visualization is powerful and will support your efforts. Spend a few moments every day, in the morning and evening, visualizing your desired outcome. Imagine it as if you were already there. Feel how good you feel, and completely immerse yourself in the smell and sounds of the environment. When you are able to focus on the end result instead of momentary temptation, you will make the right choices that support your desired outcome. If you’ve tried and failed in past commitments, it doesn’t matter. The past is the past, and you are a different person today. Starting right now, you are now armed with the strength and the tools you need to successfully commit to creating your desired future outcome. “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”—Ken Blanchard, Author of over 30 books, including the best-seller, The One Minute Manager.

One of your goals is likely to improve the online visibility of your firm. If you’re already working on strategies like SEO, paid advertising, and social media, then you’ll want to add AEO to your arsenal. Here’s what legal marketers need to know about Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). AEO: The Basics Answer engine optimization is a method designed to help achieve more prominence in a search engine’s results by offering direct answers to a user’s inquiry. Most of the time, you’ll notice these sorts of answers in the form of carousels, snippets, packs, etc. What they all have in common is that they’re meant to deliver a better experience to users. At its core, AEO is intended to save time while seeking an answer to a certain question. AEO can be used across a desktop, device, or by voice command. If you search using a specific question, the search engine wants to provide a succinct and direct answer as often as possible. That’s great because people want to save as much time as possible. In today’s hyper-digital world, most people turn to the internet when they need information, and they want to get that information in as few steps as possible. How is AEO Different from SEO? AEO is meant to optimize your presence online, just as SEO is. However, AEO uses the intent, relevance, and context of your search query to provide a precise answer in the shortest amount of time. While the goal of SEO is to help your website rank higher, AEO has the goal of answering a particular question. Search engines assess things like backlink quality, domain authority, and mobile friendliness to assess your website’s overall position in rankings. AEO doesn’t have a negative impact on SEO, and it won’t affect the overall impact of SEO—SEO is still crucial for overall ranking. AEO and SEO should have a symbiotic relationship where both tactics work together to serve users the most accurate information and the best experience. Think of AEO as an extended version of SEO that aims to provide users with a concise and direct answer to their questions. Using AEO to Improve Your Outcomes Is focusing on AEO worth your time? There are a few specific advantages that AEO can offer, including: Immediate traffic— With AEO, searchers can find your firm’s site easily and quickly. AEO helps users find your information based on their intent, context, and topic relevance without using much effort. Enhanced conversions— You’re more likely to get qualified leads if you have a credible online presence that attracts prospects. When people are searching for legal assistance, they want to see extensive knowledge and experience. Having answers that position you as an expert online makes the decision of potential clients easier. Competitive advantages— Since users don’t have to dig for your site or browse a lot of search results, you’ll have a serious edge over other competitors on the search engine result page. It’s easier to spot the details that match a search inquiry and allows your site to reach more people. Lower advertising costs— Normally, if you want to appear at the top of a search engine page, you need to pay for advertising spots. With AEO, you can get more exposure without the advertising expense. By fine-tuning your web content to better mirror relevant keywords used in search, you can more quickly become available to people searching for your expertise. How Can Law Firms Improve Their AEO? To improve your firm’s answer engine optimization, start by focusing on structuring your content to provide concise and direct answers to common legal questions. This involves creating informative blog posts, articles, and FAQs that address specific legal queries in a clear and organized manner. Additionally, optimizing website content with relevant keywords and ensuring that it is easily accessible and understandable can improve the chances of being featured as a direct answer in search results. Finally, implementing schema markup plays a crucial role. Schema markup provides a way to give search engines more detailed information about the content on a website, enabling them to better understand and display it in search results. There are various types of schema markup that can be particularly beneficial for law firms, including “Organization” for detailing the firm’s information, “Service” for outlining the legal services offered, “Person” for team member profiles, and “Article” for publishing legal insights and case studies. Implementing schema markup not only helps law firms stand out in SERPs but also allows search engines like Google to better understand the context and relevance of the website’s content. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of the firm’s content appearing as a featured snippet, thereby boosting visibility and click-through rates. Takeaway AEO is a growing practice, and for good reason. It allows searchers to easily receive direct answers to the questions that matter to them. By analyzing the relevance and context of search queries, AEO helps search engines to deliver the best information while helping your firm to gain valuable exposure.

It’s like chocolate and peanut butter—you don’t have to pick, and they’re better together! Your offline and online ads can work better if you combine them into a mutually supportive campaign. Invest in both to enjoy the biggest returns on your investment. You don’t have to redesign your website every time you throw up a new billboard. But you do want to consider how your online presence can enrich your out-of-home (OOH) campaigns, and vice versa. Here’s how to marry online and offline advertising into a delicious and rewarding marketing strategy for your firm that will yield much better results than a one-prong approach. Attorney Advertising Is More Than Just Billboards and Cliche Ads... If you ask someone on the street what they think of when they think of attorney advertising, they may conjure up visions of towering billboards and aggressive television spots a la Better Call Saul. In part, that’s because of the proliferation of legal ads following 1977’s ruling on restrictions on attorney advertising. But on the other hand, billboards work! And although TV ads can be expensive, they are appropriate for some law firms. Traditional billboards and TV ads can be highly effective—but firms must steer away from cliches and take a nuanced approach that combines offline and online strategies. If someone’s first impression of your firm is offline, their second impression will be online. The opposite is true, too—if someone sees a digital ad for your firm online, they might recognize some of your OOH ads, too. Conversion tracking can help you keep it all straight so you’re making good investments. However, totally ignoring your digital presence in favor of OOH campaigns is a recipe for disaster. You can’t compete in spaces where you don’t appear, and you can bet that your competitors are working hard to earn business online. ... But You Also Need to Go Beyond Digital Campaigns It’s true that your digital reputation is a key differentiator when growing your firm. However, while online campaigns undeniably deliver significant impact, law firms actually exist in the tangible, real world. As online advertising is surging in popularity (for good reason), offline advertising is still very much a mainstay of attorney marketing. Offline advertising remains a cornerstone of attorney marketing strategies, even in the digital age. Offline avenues like community events, sponsorships and even strategically placed billboards contribute a personal touch that resonates with potential clients. Face-to-face interactions at local gatherings or industry conferences build trust and credibility. A thoughtful mix of both online and offline advertising helps create a comprehensive narrative for your firm. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being present in the spaces where clients seek assurance, fostering a holistic approach that transcends the digital confines of contemporary legal advertising. Offline Advertising Should Be Supported by Your Online Presence As with most things, our solution is nuanced and holistic. Lawyers should unite offline and online advertising, deploying campaigns in harmony to maximize their marketing power. Sounds nifty, but let’s see a few examples of how this could work in real life. Create a targeted online landing page for the offline campaign. Let’s say you have a billboard off I-96 talking about car accident recovery. Ensure that your online viewers will see something on your site that resembles your billboard. In this situation, you don’t want viewers of your billboard campaign to arrive at a home page that highlights your generalized personal injury expertise and work in criminal defense. Instead, work with your web designer to develop a specific landing page for this campaign. You could consider using the same CTA and carrying over design elements from the offline ad (like slogans, colors, etc.). We also recommend a simple vanity URL that is easy to remember. This can just be set up as a redirect to the landing page on your firm’s main domain URL. Try PPC ads to accompany the offline ad. Let’s go back to our billboard example. The most memorable aspect of this billboard may be a phone number or slogan. If your offline ad uses a slogan, consider a PPC campaign using those keywords. This strategy ensures that, if folks search for your slogan online after viewing your billboard, your site shows up front and center. If your offline ad uses a vanity phone number, make sure it’s properly configured to tie inbound calls back to this specific campaign. Ask your digital marketing agency to configure tracking in Google Analytics so you can easily pull reports on visitor behavior on this page. Don’t skimp on your web presence when you invest big offline. It’s true that some people will just call your number immediately after seeing your billboard. But for many others, a billboard is just one piece of the attorney selection process. Your website still plays a critical role in convincing and converting potential clients, even after viewing your billboard. If you neglect your web presence in favor of splashing out on a big offline ad, you may be wasting your money. Use social media to amplify your offline tactics. Don’t forget social media! Social channels can be a great way to serve up more timely advertising messages that can extend the reach of your billboards. Think of it this way: Leveraging social media is like turning up the volume on your offline tactics. It’s not just about visibility; it’s about creating engagement. While billboards and events set the stage, social media platforms allow your audience to tune in, share and participate in a dynamic conversation. This can transform a static OOH strategy into a vibrant, interactive campaign, ensuring your legal presence resonates not just as a visual but as a compelling and participatory experience. Review and Next Steps Here’s the winning formula for reaching, resonating with, and converting diverse clientele: Combine both offline and online strategies. Whenever you invest in one, invest in the other to complement it. 

It’s like chocolate and peanut butter—you don’t have to pick, and they’re better together! Your offline and online ads can work better if you combine them into a mutually supportive campaign. Invest in both to enjoy the biggest returns on your investment. You don’t have to redesign your website every time you throw up a new billboard. But you do want to consider how your online presence can enrich your out-of-home (OOH) campaigns, and vice versa. Here’s how to marry online and offline advertising into a delicious and rewarding marketing strategy for your firm that will yield much better results than a one-prong approach. Attorney Advertising Is More Than Just Billboards and Cliche Ads... If you ask someone on the street what they think of when they think of attorney advertising, they may conjure up visions of towering billboards and aggressive television spots a la Better Call Saul. In part, that’s because of the proliferation of legal ads following 1977’s ruling on restrictions on attorney advertising. But on the other hand, billboards work! And although TV ads can be expensive, they are appropriate for some law firms. Traditional billboards and TV ads can be highly effective—but firms must steer away from cliches and take a nuanced approach that combines offline and online strategies. If someone’s first impression of your firm is offline, their second impression will be online. The opposite is true, too—if someone sees a digital ad for your firm online, they might recognize some of your OOH ads, too. Conversion tracking can help you keep it all straight so you’re making good investments. However, totally ignoring your digital presence in favor of OOH campaigns is a recipe for disaster. You can’t compete in spaces where you don’t appear, and you can bet that your competitors are working hard to earn business online. ... But You Also Need to Go Beyond Digital Campaigns It’s true that your digital reputation is a key differentiator when growing your firm. However, while online campaigns undeniably deliver significant impact, law firms actually exist in the tangible, real world. As online advertising is surging in popularity (for good reason), offline advertising is still very much a mainstay of attorney marketing. Offline advertising remains a cornerstone of attorney marketing strategies, even in the digital age. Offline avenues like community events, sponsorships and even strategically placed billboards contribute a personal touch that resonates with potential clients. Face-to-face interactions at local gatherings or industry conferences build trust and credibility. A thoughtful mix of both online and offline advertising helps create a comprehensive narrative for your firm. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being present in the spaces where clients seek assurance, fostering a holistic approach that transcends the digital confines of contemporary legal advertising. Offline Advertising Should Be Supported by Your Online Presence As with most things, our solution is nuanced and holistic. Lawyers should unite offline and online advertising, deploying campaigns in harmony to maximize their marketing power. Sounds nifty, but let’s see a few examples of how this could work in real life. Create a targeted online landing page for the offline campaign. Let’s say you have a billboard off I-96 talking about car accident recovery. Ensure that your online viewers will see something on your site that resembles your billboard. In this situation, you don’t want viewers of your billboard campaign to arrive at a home page that highlights your generalized personal injury expertise and work in criminal defense. Instead, work with your web designer to develop a specific landing page for this campaign. You could consider using the same CTA and carrying over design elements from the offline ad (like slogans, colors, etc.). We also recommend a simple vanity URL that is easy to remember. This can just be set up as a redirect to the landing page on your firm’s main domain URL. Try PPC ads to accompany the offline ad. Let’s go back to our billboard example. The most memorable aspect of this billboard may be a phone number or slogan. If your offline ad uses a slogan, consider a PPC campaign using those keywords. This strategy ensures that, if folks search for your slogan online after viewing your billboard, your site shows up front and center. If your offline ad uses a vanity phone number, make sure it’s properly configured to tie inbound calls back to this specific campaign. Ask your digital marketing agency to configure tracking in Google Analytics so you can easily pull reports on visitor behavior on this page. Don’t skimp on your web presence when you invest big offline. It’s true that some people will just call your number immediately after seeing your billboard. But for many others, a billboard is just one piece of the attorney selection process. Your website still plays a critical role in convincing and converting potential clients, even after viewing your billboard. If you neglect your web presence in favor of splashing out on a big offline ad, you may be wasting your money. Use social media to amplify your offline tactics. Don’t forget social media! Social channels can be a great way to serve up more timely advertising messages that can extend the reach of your billboards. Think of it this way: Leveraging social media is like turning up the volume on your offline tactics. It’s not just about visibility; it’s about creating engagement. While billboards and events set the stage, social media platforms allow your audience to tune in, share and participate in a dynamic conversation. This can transform a static OOH strategy into a vibrant, interactive campaign, ensuring your legal presence resonates not just as a visual but as a compelling and participatory experience. Review and Next Steps Here’s the winning formula for reaching, resonating with, and converting diverse clientele: Combine both offline and online strategies. Whenever you invest in one, invest in the other to complement it. 

In the realm of legal services, successful client acquisition isn’t about diving straight into a sales pitch. Picture this: You walk into a doctor’s office, and before you can say a word, the physician launches into a sales spiel about their services. Sounds off-putting, doesn’t it? There’s a natural flow to effective communication, especially within the sales process. Surprisingly, many attorneys miss this crucial point and rush into the pitch, overlooking the power of a well-structured conversation. Far too often, aspiring rainmakers assume that business development equates to relentless pitching. In reality, successful business development starts with a fundamental skill—listening. And the cornerstone of effective listening? Asking the right questions. The better your questions, the more business you’ll secure. So, here are some strategies to help you prepare for and maximize the value of your next business development meeting. 1. Define Your Objective Before your meeting, take a moment to clarify your goals. What do you aim to achieve from this interaction? Script several questions that align with your objectives. Craft queries that unearth a client’s priorities, challenges, or initiatives. 2. Stimulate Engaging Conversations Kickstart the dialogue with a relevant topic or two. Consider discussing subjects that dovetail with your legal services, such as recent legislation, industry trends, or regulatory changes. Alternatively, delve into issues or projects your client is currently involved in, drawing from your pre-meeting research. 3. Master the Art of Follow-Up Pay close attention to the keywords and phrases your client uses during the conversation. Show that you’re actively engaged by reiterating what you’ve heard. Then, demonstrate your genuine interest by asking follow-up questions that delve deeper into the topic. This not only shows your attentiveness, but also rewards the client for sharing their insights. By leading with insightful questions, you’ll uncover the client’s needs and concerns before offering any solutions. This approach allows you to diagnose before you prescribe, leading to more fruitful and favorable outcomes for both you and your clients. The path to selling legal services isn’t a one-size-fits-all sales pitch; it’s a personalized journey that begins with the art of asking effective questions and truly listening to your prospective and existing clients. By mastering this skill, you’ll not only build stronger client relationships but also enhance your overall business development success.

Law firms do have many options when deciding what website company to use. There are lots of companies out there that can create and manage a law firm’s website. Some law firms, however, opt to use the same company as other law firms in their city, state, and practice area. The truth is that certain companies focus on helping law firms with their website and internet presence. These companies (which most law firms and lawyers are familiar with) often solicit law firms quite heavily for their business, which can result in a quasi-monopoly in a state or city. The net result can be that many law firms in the same geographic and practice areas use the same company. Ironically, many of these law firms compete heavily for the same business while using the same company to host, manage, and optimize their web presence. What Are the Pros of Using the Same Company as Other Law Firms? Whether a law firm should go to a company that assists many law firms in their city and state is a personal choice. On the one hand, if the marketing outfit commonly puts up many law firms’ pages, they may have a sound system for helping law firms with their web presence. One may argue that they must do a good job creating an attractive and appealing website. Otherwise, why would so many other companies use them? Indeed, other law firms would not use the same company if they were not good, one may think. The marketing company may also know the language and visual imagery necessary to create a successful law firm website. Many marketing companies might indeed have experience with putting up a website, but not for law firms. They might also help in providing off-site links that can help raise a website in the search results. The marketing company may also be suitable for running pay-per-click ads on Google or Facebook. What Are the Cons of Using the Same Company as Other Law Firms? However, the cons can be vast in number. Suppose multiple law firms in the same practice area and locality use the same company. In that case, it can be a conflict of interest for the company in many ways. In other words, a bidding war can be created where law firms use the same company. Law firms might have to pay for more content, videos, and search engine optimization to rank above their competitors in the organic search or if pay-per-click techniques are used if the same company is being used. In essence, the law firm may have to buy a greater loyalty from the marketing outfit than their competitor that also uses them. A law firm’s marketing approach can also be meant to be confidential in many respects. If multiple firms use the same company, there is also a risk that the marketing company inadvertently tells other law firms what other firms are doing that utilize their services. The danger of confidential information leaking can be pretty significant. What Is the Right Approach? Ultimately, the decision on whether to use the same marketing company as others is up to the law firm. But if a law firm does enough research, they can likely find a marketing company to help them that does not work with other law firms in their city and state. The truth is that many companies can help a law firm with their website. However, in a particular locality, there can be a domino effect where law firms are just imitating what other law firms are doing by hiring the same company because that is easy. So, before hiring the same company that other law firms use in their locality, it is often wise to seek out somebody different. One of the best ways to do this is to do a search of law firms in other cities and states to see who other firms are using in these places. It can also be helpful to research marketing companies for law firms with positive reviews and articles written about them. While the choices may seem limited for a law firm, there can often be more choices than a law firm initially thinks if they look beyond who other law firms in their locality are using.

The best ghostwriters don’t just write. They work with their clients to frame their ideas in ways that produce content that is relevant, valuable, and compelling to their target audiences. If you are thinking about hiring a thought leadership ghostwriter, as you vet potential candidates, make sure the one you choose lets you know they will also serve as a “ghost thinker.” What most people don’t realize when they work with ghostwriters is that the act of writing is only part of the value a ghostwriter provides. A ghostwriter should also be helping their clients frame their thoughts about a subject and structure them in an article or other piece of content. The Importance of Ghost Thinking When Ghostwriting The best ghostwriters don’t just write what their clients tell them to write. Instead, the best ghostwriters work with a client to frame an idea the client has in a way that will resonate with the client’s target audiences, and then create a structure for a written piece of content containing the client’s idea that ensures it is relevant, valuable, and compelling to those audiences. This is especially true when we’re talking about ghostwriting thought leadership content for attorneys. Many pieces of thought leadership content in the legal field will focus on developments in the law, such as court decisions, new legislation, and regulatory actions. This kind of content is straightforward. The ghostwriter will review the language of the court decision, legislation, or regulatory action, write an accurate summary of it, and then weave in the client’s views about the “now what” or “so what” of the development. But sometimes an attorney will want to work with a ghostwriter regarding an “evergreen” topic (i.e., one that’s not tied to a recent legal development) that the attorney has not fully thought through. Perhaps the attorney wants to write about taking depositions of expert witnesses, or a deal they worked on that required an innovative approach, or the emergence of two approaches to litigating a particular kind of case. They’re just not sure about the angle from which they’ll approach the topic. When this is the case, the best ghostwriters serve as ghost thinkers. They work with the attorney to develop the structure of the thought leadership article by asking questions about the topic, the attorney’s views on the topic, and the attorney’s experience regarding the topic. If done correctly, the ghostwriter has pulled from the attorney the substance they’ll need for writing the article, in a structure—developed in real time—that the ghostwriter has determined would make the content as relevant, valuable, and compelling as possible. Ghost Thinking in Action For example, an article about depositions of expert witnesses could take many forms. The most basic one would be “Five best practices for deposing expert witnesses.” The topic might be of interest to an attorney’s target audiences, but this particular framing is one that has been used time and time again. For that reason, those target audiences might not be interested in this article. But if the ghostwriter pushes the attorney toward more interesting angles, such as common misconceptions about deposing experts, or a discussion of the four-pronged strategy the attorney used to elicit deposition testimony from an expert that changed the direction of a litigation, the ghostwriter has given a fresh angle to a well-worn topic. The same thing goes for an article discussing the emergence of two approaches to litigating a particular kind of case. The mere fact that there are two approaches may not be particularly compelling to an attorney’s target audiences, especially if these two approaches have been employed for a while now. But if the ghostwriter asks the attorney questions that elicit insights that push the article in a more compelling direction, such as comparing and contrasting the two methods or discussing recent trends in these two methods, the attorney and the ghostwriter will now have an article about this topic that’s more interesting to the target audience. Ghost Thinking Is Simple, but Not Easy Ghost thinking is a skill that looks easy but is not. The best analogy I can make is what many characters in the LEGO Movie and LEGO Movie 2 do when they build objects with LEGOs. If you didn’t see the movies, when the characters build objects from LEGOs, the pieces come together on the fly. A vehicle may still be coming together, with LEGO pieces flying in from all directions to assemble it, as a character jumps on it and begins to drive it. That’s what ghostwriters who are ghost thinkers do. As they are chatting with their client, they start to see an outline develop in their minds for the piece of content being discussed. Once that outline comes into focus, the ghostwriter can steer the conversation in a way that helps them elicit from the client the substance they need to write the article with, based on the angle that they’ve determined would be most relevant, valuable, and compelling given what they know about the client’s target audiences and the client’s goal for this particular piece of content. When a ghostwriter can be a ghost thinker and guide their client toward the optimal substance and structure for a piece of content during a conversation, the ghostwriter also ensures they’re using their client’s time most efficiently. They should only need one conversation with their client because they should be asking the right questions to elicit the right information for the content since they’re mapping out the content’s substance in real time during the conversation. They’re seeing in their minds the outline of the content before it is written, so they know what questions to ask of their client and what points to follow up on. When You’re in the Market for a Ghostwriter, You’re in the Market for a Ghost Thinker, Too If you’re interested in hiring a thought leadership ghostwriter, you’ll want to make sure they’ll serve as a ghost thinker too. If they will, you and your colleagues will get a better bang for your buck because your ghostwriter will produce more relevant, valuable, and compelling content and require less time from you and your colleagues. To be sure a ghostwriter you’re vetting will serve as a ghost thinker, ask them questions about their process. Their description of it should make it clear they are a ghost thinker. If they’re not going to serve as a ghost thinker, they’re not going to push you and your colleagues to think about how to discuss the topics you want to discuss in your thought leadership in a way that will resonate most strongly with your target audience. If you’re confident that you and your colleagues can do that on your own, that’s fine. But chances are that you and they could use a little help getting there. That help is exactly the kind of help a ghostwriter who is also a ghost thinker provides.

Law firms rely heavily on digital marketing to fuel their growth. That doesn’t mean that their plans are always successful, though. Sometimes, despite the most thoughtful planning and diligent execution, your law firm marketing strategy won’t produce the results you want. There are plenty of reasons for this, and it’s essential to understand where things are getting derailed. By understanding the common areas where things go wrong, you can sidestep the pitfalls and create a digital marketing strategy that boosts awareness for your law firm and positions you properly in your sector. 15 Things That Can Go Wrong with Your Law Firm’s Digital Marketing Strategy Your website, CRM, and marketing automation systems can all contribute to your digital marketing success. The proper use of all of these tools will enhance your marketing strategy and enable you to accomplish your goals. However, aside from making adjustments within these specific areas, it’s important to consider these fifteen things that commonly go wrong when it comes to marketing strategy. 1. There’s No Strategy in Place at All If you don’t have a strategy in place, or are unable to articulate it, then your firm is relying on luck. Many law firms are willing to invest in tactics but do so without an overarching strategy to guide those tactics. Law firms need an overarching strategy such as a structured document that provides a clear framework for reaching their target audience, including details on planned activities and the relevant methods of communication. This document should also include your business goals and a plan to measure success. Start by defining your SMART goals, then figure out what tactics you will use to achieve these goals, and define key performance indicators that you will use to measure if you’ve reached these goals. 2. Focusing on Tactics Instead of Strategies As we just mentioned, many firms choose to implement tactics rather than an integrated marketing strategy. Well-executed tactics can produce positive results, but relying on such tactics is not smart for the long term. For example, if you decide to invest in social media, you may put a plan together or outsource those activities. But without a thoughtful approach to developing content tied to business goals, your efforts are not likely to lead to increased traffic or brand awareness. A systemized approach will help marketers create repeatable programs and measure outcomes. 3. Executing the Same Strategy as Your Competition There are certainly things about your law firm that set you apart. It’s important to make sure these unique selling propositions are at the center of your strategy. Doing the same things as your competition will not help set you apart, no matter how well executed. Rather, look for gaps and opportunities where your competition is not. 4. Not Focusing on the Needs of Your Clients Firms need to take the approach of strengthening their relationships with clients, not just marketing to them. It’s important to focus on the experience of your clients and position marketing from there. Always look to provide value to your clients and prospective clients. Start by defining who your target audience is. Then, build out client personas, which are personified characters that represent the different segments of your target audience. All of your strategies should be created with these client personas and your target audience in mind. You should have a deep understanding of your audience, their needs, thoughts, desires, and challenges. 5. Marketing Strategy Isn’t Aligned With Corporate Objectives Research shows that firms that align marketing with business development experience better results. Marketing and business development should collaborate across several areas and both departments should work with firm leadership to understand larger objectives. 6. Poor Targeting Is your marketing getting to the right people? Even if you have great messaging, if you’re not reaching the people who are most receptive, you’re unlikely to be happy with your results. It’s often a good strategy to narrow targeting rather than broaden it. We understand that many law firms have multiple target audiences, which is why developing unique client personas is extremely important. Personas will guide your targeting strategies and help you to determine what kind of content you should be creating for your target audience. As you’re building out these personas, you should pay special attention to their demographics and interests. This will help you understand what channels are best for reaching them and will allow you to better target the right people with the right messaging. 7. You Assume Social Media Is the Same Across the Board Law firms should not be posting identical messages to each social media network. Different channels have different audiences, peak times, and character limits. And each one is built for a different style of writing. 8. No Calls-To-Action When it comes to digital marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in simply creating social media videos or blog content without a thought as to how it will help you drive leads and new business. The same thing happens on websites. It’s amazing how many law firms we see without clear, obvious calls-to-action. Remember, if you want people to perform an action, you have to ask them. 9. You Expect Immediate Results Successful marketing requires both time and money. It also takes time to understand what’s working and what’s not. We often tell clients that it takes 6-12 months for marketing to generate results. Yes, you will see some leading indicators of success along the way, but it takes time to really get the momentum you’re after in marketing. 10. Failing to Test, Adjust and Optimize Having a strategy in place is important, but it needs to be flexible. Adapting your strategy and tactics based on testing and results will improve your results over time. This is why measurement is so important. Think of your strategy as a guide, but then use data along the way to optimize programs. You need to keep track of what’s working and what’s not so you can decide what to tweak throughout the year. 11. Lack of Personalization 76% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase from brands that personalize. Personalization is more than just a nice to have. It’s a necessity. As we mentioned, it’s essential that you have a deep understanding of your target audience/ client personas. Not only should you attune tactics to different client personas, but you should also adjust tactics based on the different stages of the buyer’s journey. Different audience segments should be receiving different messaging and content offerings based upon how close they are to making a decision. You can also easily personalize your messaging by adding personalization tokens in emails or on your website. 12. Your Creatives Are Lackluster Your creatives and visuals have a big impact on how prospects see your firm and whether or not they’re inspired by what you have to say enough to take action. Leveraging stale creatives that have been used over and over will leave your audience bored. And lacking any sense of creativity and always sticking with the ‘safe’ option won’t help you stand out. Get creative and implement a strong sense of brand identity in all your visuals. 13. You Neglect to Audit Audits should be done at least once a year so that you can have a deep understanding of what’s working and what’s not. At the end of every year, you should audit all your channels and look at their performance month to month and year to year. Pay attention to what performed poorly versus well and what strategies and tactics were in place. Take note of what needs to be done next year to improve the poor performing channels. 14. Inconsistency You can’t go from posting on social media every day and sending emails once a week to no communication for weeks at a time. Your audience will be confused, and you’ll no longer be at the forefront of their mind. While it’s important to focus on quality over quantity, it’s also equally as important to commit to a consistent schedule. Digital marketing is like anything else, you must practice consistency if you want it to work. 15. You Rely Too Heavily on Your Team No team is perfect, and in fact, it’s rare that law firms have an in-house team that can handle every aspect of digital marketing. There’s so much expertise that goes into building a successful strategy, from SEO to website design to social media management. If your firm has been trying to do it all, then that may be why you’re not getting the ROI you need. Consider outsourcing some strategies to a legal marketing agency. Their expertise will prove invaluable. Takeaway Digital marketing in today’s world is increasingly complex, and without a proactive and thoughtful strategy to guide your efforts, your tactics are less likely to be successful. Hopefully, this article has given your law firm an idea of digital marketing strategy problems to look out for, but it’s by no means comprehensive.

On July 3, 2023, a new app called Threads appeared on the App Store with a release date of July 6 being planned. Threads is a new social media platform developed by Meta—Facebook and Instagram’s parent company—which is being positioned as an alternative to Twitter. As many law firms start to learn about Threads, they may be wondering whether or not they will experiment with the platform. And in turn, law firms who are on the brink of dropping their Twitter strategy are looking to Threads to see if it could become a replacement for the type of content Twitter is known for. Backed by an almost $800 billion dollar company like Meta, it’s clear that law firms can trust that Threads is on the right trajectory. But just what exactly is Threads like? And should law firms give the platform a go? We break it down in this article: What Is Threads? Threads is a platform “…built by Instagram. Threads is positioned as an app where people can have real-time, public conversations with one another.” Over the past several months, many Twitter users have been disgruntled by the numerous changes happening to Twitter under its new leadership. In fact, Twitter has frequently fallen below its weekly sales forecasts, at times even as low as 30%. Many platforms have tried to emerge to replace Twitter, but none have been successful. However, this new Meta-backed app is promising, given the power and trust held by a company as large and well-known as Meta. Threads looks to replace Twitter, once known as the online ‘public town square’ where users could easily swap information, ideas, and news. As of July 10th, Threads already has 100 million accounts, and many top brands have started joining, including DLA Piper, White & Case, and Cooley. And it’s no wonder so many are hopping on Threads, as users already on Instagram can easily create an account using their existing account/ data. Threads Features So, what features does Threads have, and how is it different from Twitter? The good news is, Threads is in its very early days, and they plan on adding more and more features moving forward. However, as of right now, Threads offers these features: Users with Instagram will automatically gain their Instagram following on their new Threads account, so building a following is easy. Posts can be up to 500 characters long. Videos can be up to 5 minutes long. Threads have built-in tools to enable productive conversations. Users can control who mentions or replies to them. Safety is taken seriously, and Threads will enforce Instagram’s community guidelines. Even with a robust set of features allowing Threads to remain competitive against Twitter, the platform still has some key differences from Twitter: The platform only features one feed rather than a ‘For You’ and ‘Following’ feed You cannot caption alt text yet on the platform Shockingly, the platform features no hashtag search functionality at the moment The platform has no web version, only mobile Twitter allows edit options for paid users, however, Threads offers no edit options at the moment Although Threads differ in some ways from Twitter, many users are happy with these differences, viewing them as positive compared to changes recently made at Twitter that they disagreed with. What Does This Mean for Law Firms? As this platform emerges, the risks of hopping on it are slim to none. With backing from Meta and the creation team being Instagram’s, the platform is guaranteed to take privacy and safety seriously. Furthermore, the ease of connection between Instagram and Threads makes the setup easy. Those looking to try Threads don’t have to worry about organically building a following as their Instagram following automatically attaches itself to their Threads account. Already many in the legal sphere are quickly hopping on the app. Top legal publications like JD Supra, Law.com, American Bar Association, Above the Law, and Lexblog have joined. And 25 of the Amlaw 200 firms are already on Threads. Threads has quickly gained popularity amongst lawyers, smaller firms and solo practitioners, particularly those in the personal injury, family law, and tech spaces. Overall, Threads is a good choice for law firms and lawyers looking to position themselves as thought leaders, share legal industry news, and share text-heavy content, similar to how Twitter has been used in the past. Concerns to Keep in Mind Luckily, law firms do not have to worry about privacy and safety concerns when it comes to joining Threads. Since the platform is backed by Meta, Threads does not suffer from the typical privacy issues that young social media platforms often face. And with Instagram’s team covering its creation and maintenance, law firms can be sure that the team knows how to run a social media app. However, a key concern that law firms should keep in mind is that if they do ever decide they want to delete Threads, they may want to think twice. Although it’s great that Threads and Instagram are connected, this now means that if users delete one account, the other will be deleted as well. So, if you decide to delete your Threads account after impulsively making one, then your Instagram will go with it. Another cause for concern is how public Threads is about its competition with Twitter. Tensions are high between Twitter and Threads, as well as their CEOs Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. So, many are speculating that lawsuits are potentially on the horizon. Furthermore, as Threads is such a young app, there isn’t much research yet on what demographics are using it. Law firms should pay close attention to how the Threads user base evolves, as they may need to alter their strategy if user demographics aren’t aligning well with their target audience. Takeaway: So, the question remains: should law firms join Threads? The answer is yes. There are not many negatives to joining Threads at the moment, and with its backing by Meta/ the Instagram team, law firms can be sure that creating an account won’t actively harm them.  As more and more information comes out about Threads, be sure to follow our blog for the latest news and insights on building a successful Threads strategy.

Although Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites in the world, many legal marketers are reluctant to invest time in the platform because of its focus on consumer marketing and its youthful audience. If the past few years of marketing have taught us anything, it’s that trust and credibility can be damaged by a social media strategy that doesn’t catch on across major platforms. When looking up businesses they want to collaborate with, users frequently start their search on their preferred social media network. Consider the initial impression you would like to leave on a user who finds your social media page empty. In our yearly whitepaper, The Social Law Firm Index, we examined and ranked the top 200 law firms in America (as determined by the American Lawyer) based on how they use and adopt social media to spread thought leadership messaging. We’re looking at four law firms’ Instagram accounts in this post that are doing it successfully. Reviewing these four accounts will give you perspectives on how your law firm can update its Instagram strategy and show you what success on the platform looks like in 2023.

There are billions of social media users across the globe—so it would seem just being present on the platforms would be enough to reach new people. However, that’s not the case. Simply existing on social won’t do much for you—you need to focus on the ROI of your strategy. One of the best ways to see how you’re doing and to improve is by using social media analytics. Social media reporting will give you a leg up in producing engaging content that actually has an impact on your bottom line. Here’s what law firms need to know about using social media analytics to improve their digital strategy. What Are Social Media Analytics? Social media analytics are the data and reports based on metrics from one or multiple social media accounts. Savvy digital marketers gather and analyze this information to gain insights that are directly tied to their social media and overall marketing efforts. Here are a few of the things that proper social media analytics can help you to do: Obtain a more thorough understanding of who your target audience really is and where and how they spend their time. Figure out which social platforms are the best for your firm. Understand which types of content resonate with your audience, which can be applied to overall digital marketing activities. See which topics resonate best with your audience and which social media posts drive engagement. Learn more about what is and isn’t working in various campaigns and advertising. Create a more robust strategy that is better aligned to the goals that are important to you. Types of Social Media Analytics Reports As you can see, obtaining and studying this information has implications far beyond simply seeing which posts are most popular. However, which information should you be looking at? Here are some of the reports that we suggest generating monthly. Audience Analytics Report With this report, you can see the current number of followers for each social platform. You can also compare to a previous period so you can visualize trends over time. Published Posts Analytics Report This is simply the number of social posts published across your social accounts during a specific period. Interactions Analytics Report Here you can find the number of likes, reactions, and comments on your posts across multiple platforms. This is important for understanding engagement, especially over time. Click-through Analytics Report This number refers to how many clicks you get on any social posts published through HubSpot. Note that this is a specific HubSpot report, but you can find similar reporting in other analytics platforms. This data is helpful in understanding whether or not your content is driving action. Share Analytics Report Look at the number of posts your audience has shared if you want to gain an idea of how valuable they find your content. Impressions Analytics Report Here you can see the number of views that posts on your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram pages received. Sessions Analytics Report With this report you can see how many web sessions on your site took place within a given period driven by social media. This is really valuable in understanding how social actually drives web activity and potentially leads. New Contacts Analytics Report Another HubSpot-specific report, you can view this data to see how many new contacts have been created in HubSpot due to web sessions driven by social media within the selected period. The Best Social Media Analytics Tools Just where does one find all of that handy reporting? There are a variety of platforms available to help dig deeper into your social media activity. The truth is that finding the right tools can actually feel overwhelming because there are so many. We’ve narrowed the list down to our favorites here. HubSpot Social Media Software This platform aims to give insight into the customer journey through integrated analytics tools. They help you to better understand your overall marketing journey and how social media impacts the bottom line. Users also love the resources available, such as social media analytics report templates, free social media analytics tools, and social media courses. TweetDeck As the name implies, this tool is Twitter-specific. It works in real-time to support marketers in viewing and analyzing Twitter engagement, management, and tracking. If you are a frequent user of Twitter, this tool is worth a look. Buffer The goal of this tool is to dig deeper into how you can grow your brand on social media. The software measures your performance on various social platforms, creating detailed reports about the data that matters to you, and offering ways to improve your reach, engagement, and more. Hootsuite This popular tool allows users to create customized social media reports using over 200 metrics across social channels and campaigns. Users love that the reports are shareable and support keeping your entire team on the same page. Sprout Social With this tool, you can take a closer look at your potential clients’ needs through the conversations your audience is having on social media. You can also use it to measure your specific content and campaign efforts across various platforms and channels to determine what’s working best among audience members and what needs some work. Mention Another social listening tool, this platform allows your firm to monitor, listen, and analyze your posts and interactions with (and among) audience members via different social media channels. An Effective Social Media Analytics Strategy If these sorts of analytics have never really been part of your reporting, you might not be sure where to start. Follow this simple 5-step plan to start making the most of the social media analytics at your disposal. Create SMART Social Media Goals SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Here’s a cool template that can help you to create these SMART goals and work toward them. Start by thinking through what you really hope to learn from social media analytics, and how you will use the information. Choose Which Metrics to Track You can’t track every metric, and once you set your SMART goals, it won’t make sense to. The metrics you want will vary based on which platforms you use and what you hope to accomplish, but some examples of commonly tracked metrics are reach, engagement, mentions, social ROI, social listening, and shares. Pick the Right Social Media Analytics Tools Narrow down which tools you will invest in for these purposes. We’ve covered a few of our favorites, but by all means do your research and see which options align best with the way that your team works. Some important things to consider are whether or not you need the tool to track across multiple channels and platforms, and of course what your budget is. These two things are the main drivers for most digital marketers’ decisions on tools. Also take a close look at the goals you set, the metrics that align to them, and which tool makes it easiest to obtain that information. Start Measuring After you implement your social media analytics software, you can begin to measure the success of your efforts. Start pulling the metrics you care about, and depending on which tool you choose, you can create customized reports and dashboards or pull the specific details about data points you care most about. Additionally, on a quarterly basis, you may want to take a look at your overall goals and see whether the tool is helping you to meet them. Make Necessary Adjustments A crucial part of monitoring social media analytics is using the information that you obtain. Without this step, you’re wasting your time and investment. Take a look at how reporting has been going and whether or not you’re getting the full picture that you need. Do you have the metrics necessary to understand your performance compared to your goals? If not, adjustments need to be made and you may even need to try a different tool at some point. It’s worth noting that many marketers mix up steps 2 and 3, choosing tools before deciding which metrics need to be tracked. We strongly suggest making a list of goals and associated metrics, so that you have a robust list of requirements when shopping for an analytics tool. Only by having that information ready can you make an informed decision about which analytics platform is best for your firm over the long term. Takeaway: There are many ways that tracking and acting on your social media analytics can help you to grow and reach your audience. By paying close attention to key metrics, you’re likely to end up seeing improvements in things that are tied to your ROI, like engagement, client loyalty, and more. Choose the right analytics tool to make sure your analytics really give you valuable insights based on your particular needs. 

As firms move through the year, plans are in full swing for a strong finish in 2023. Indeed, we have counseled law firms regarding the many creative and ethical ways to market themselves—TV commercials, billboards, radio advertising, internet advertising, and of course, the seemingly endless marketing through daily social media. As attorneys, we are trained to be excellent communicators, but how does that translate when trying to effectively communicate with our target market via social media platforms? In today’s world of split second likes, loves, and replies on LinkedIn, Twitter, and others, attorneys have to be aware and deliberate about what we post to our social media. What we post and how we post it establishes our brand. Indeed, social media can prove to be a double-edged sword, being both helpful as a marketing tool and equally as harmful as an ethical pitfall. Are your social media efforts in compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct? How does your social media portray you personally? How does your social media portray you and your law firm professionally? Does your marketing meet the high expectations of our noble profession? Everything you choose to post is a building block to enhance your professional brand whether posted to your business, social media or your personal social media. When posting to your social media for your business think about what message you are sending. We recently learned of an attorney who markets himself on TikTok. This particular attorney chooses to tout himself and his abilities through videos. He weaves stories of his victories including details of case fact patterns. In and of itself, video is a wonderful way to market yourself. The problem is not that this attorney wants the world to know about his successes, the problem rests in the message. You see, this attorney brags about getting his clients lesser sentences than they deserve in criminal cases. The revealed disturbing fact patterns usually involve someone driving under the influence, causing significant physical damage to another’s property, and oftentimes involve personal injury to innocent bystanders. He can’t believe his luck at the outcomes he gets for his clients and can’t wait to share it on his social media outlets. But what message is he really sending? Is he telling the public that it is OK to break the law, cause harm to others, and then hire him to get them out of their charges with little more than a slap on the wrist? Is that really what we want the public to believe? Are these sort of messages even ethical? Is he breaching his duties of confidentiality and loyalty to his clients? What about his former clients that may not have gotten a similar stellar result? Is he opening himself up to a potential lawsuit or Bar complaint by a former disgruntled client that wonders why they did not get a similar result? Although some states have not created a policy on social media, the ABA has instituted guidelines to assist lawyers in understanding their obligations while using social media. These guidelines can be found in ABA Formal Opinion 14-480. Some of the guidelines include: Duty of Confidentiality According to Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6, online communications are governed by the duty of confidentiality even if the information is public record. If it is reasonably likely that a third party could ascertain the identity of a client from the information used in a social media post, it might be a violation of Rule 1.6. In one instance, an attorney from Illinois cited in ABA Formal Opinion 14-480 received a 60-day suspension for posting about her clients on social media without their permission. Advertising and Client Solicitation Any communication discussing a lawyer’s services through any form of media could be considered advertising according to the ABA’s rules regarding the solicitation of clients. Make sure you are familiar with these rules and proceed accordingly, as it can often be difficult to determine whether a social media post actually serves as an advertisement. Creation of an Attorney-Client Relationship Be aware of any comments and responses that you make on social media that might later indicate the establishment of an attorney-client relationship by implication or the perception of an attorney-client relationship. n using social media to market your legal services, it is important to create a strategy to follow so you can ensure that you are acting in line with your ethical obligations. Below is a helpful checklist of items to consider: Know the rules and responsibilities lawyers have on social media in your jurisdiction. Identify your goals. What do you hope to gain from your social media marketing campaign? Are you looking to build your client base? Do you want to build greater brand awareness within the legal community? Do you want to generate discussion about a particular issue or your practice area? Do your research. What are your competitors doing on their social media sites to market themselves? Does the type of marketing and message resonate with you and what you believe your client base will connect with? Consider your content. Think about how your content will be received by others. Will the content portray you in a positive, professional light? Will the content reflect on the legal profession positively? Consider whether the content shares any confidential information from a client such that you would breach an ethical duty. The ethical duties of client loyalty and client confidentiality are so fundamental to the attorney-client relationship that you must always keep them top of mind given the ease with which one can share information on social media platforms. Could someone reasonably ascertain the identity of your client from the information you intend to share on your social media platform? If so, it could be a Rule violation. Before posting content to social media, ask yourself, “Is this information I would feel comfortable announcing publicly at a State Bar related event?” In this ever-increasing world of social connectedness, make sure you are thoughtful and informed in how you proceed to market yourself and your law firm. What information you share with the world and the tone in which you share it could end up being more damaging to your law practice than helpful. Ensure your actions and words are in line with the Rules of Professional Conduct, and make sure that your communications portray you and the legal profession in a professional and positive light.

It’s never too late or early to start using LinkedIn. You have to start somewhere. I didn’t always have a strong LinkedIn network or presence. Just like everyone else, I had to start from scratch. And there was a long time where I didn’t do much on LinkedIn except for accepting connections. I dipped my toes into using LinkedIn by first building a strong profile and a wide network of connections. I made a connections plan and thought about who I could connect with from college and graduate school as well as all of my past jobs and volunteer positions. (When it comes to LinkedIn, having more connections is better to raise the likelihood that your posts will be seen.) Then I focused on my interaction on the platform, first liking, sharing, and commenting on my network’s posts. When I became more comfortable and confident, I started creating posts myself. Those included sharing articles I found that were relevant and useful to my network. I used Twitter to help me source articles by following various publications of interest to me and my connections. I thought of myself as a news aggregator, bringing important information to my network. I was able to differentiate myself by adding a few lines of text with each article explaining why it was important or insightful for someone to read. And that is such a key step to build in as part of your social strategy. You can’t just share an article without any introductory text. You get extra points if you tag an entity or a person in the post as well. And a gold star if you start to use a hashtag strategy (hashtags help your posts become more discoverable on any social platform). I reached my full LinkedIn potential when I began to create my own content, providing my network with helpful tips and insights. I paid attention to when my connections were on the platform so that they would be most likely to see my posts. I refined my content based on how well each post did. I started to use images and hashtags for each post. And most importantly, I had confidence in what I was posting. I didn’t become discouraged if a post had a low number of likes, instead I tried to learn from it and refined my content strategy based upon the performance of each post. Here’s what I did to grow my LinkedIn network and turn it into a business. If I can do it, so can you! I focused only on the social channels where my target audience was (this meant LinkedIn) I liked, commented, and shared others’ posts I started writing about my speaking engagements and created takeaway posts I turned my PowerPoint slides into social posts recapping the webinar or event I built an editorial calendar to plan future posts I shared only value-added content I created visuals for each post I made my content interactive and used video I gave away free content, tools and helpful info I looked at others for inspiration/ideas I told personal stories and injected my personality into posts I developed a hashtag strategy to enhance visibility of posts I regularly engaged with my followers—respond to each comment on your posts. It’s very helpful in terms of LinkedIn’s algorithm as well as just being a great way to interact with those who like your content. I built a strong profile and regularly updated it, using new features released by LinkedIn (such as the amazing Featured section which enables you to pin certain posts to the top of your profile I cultivated my network—adding new connections every week I checked my LinkedIn messages, and actively sent messages to connections with whom I had lost touch or who were important to me so that I was top of mind with them I recycled my greatest hits—reposting past content that did well using my editorial calendar to help me plan out content I set up a sharing “pod” with 4 LinkedIn connections I used analytics to refine my efforts I posted at least 3X a week (then increased that to 5X), and I didn’t get discouraged if no one liked my posts. I knew that the audience would come if I posted good content. The greatest thing about LinkedIn is that it’s never too late or early to start using it. You have to start somewhere. We all did. I have a lawyer client who’s in his early 60s who never used LinkedIn other than to create a profile and accept connections. He successfully started using it to bring in leads and build his brand within just 18 months of making LinkedIn part of his business development strategy. I hope this shows you that anyone can achieve success on LinkedIn and why it’s worth making LinkedIn part of your marketing strategy. Stay the course. Social media success is a long-term investment in you!

As part of your law firm’s strategy, you want (ideally) to align your pricing methods, metrics and communications with your clients’ value proposition. That, of course, is easier said than done. Most firms struggle to achieve the delicate balance between the rates they need to charge and the rates clients are willing to pay. And all firms face the same fear: What if you miscalculate and lose your best clients? Still, there comes a time when you have to increase your rates to stay profitable. How to Raise Fees without Losing Clients So, how do you implement a rate increase without driving away the client? It comes down to communication, metrics, timing and value. Here are some thoughts on how to go about it. Get over the fear factor. Don’t let fear keep you from raising rates! Chances are, if you are making excuses to avoid a rate hike, those excuses are a cover for speculations based on fear. Communicate the “whys.” When your firm has specific reasons for raising rates, tell your clients. Perhaps you froze rates during the recession out of consideration for your clients’ financial situations, or to keep their business. Maybe you wrote off a considerable amount of time each month resulting in even lower effective rates. No matter how big or small, letting clients know about these financial courtesies builds goodwill—and it can be a great client development tool. Understand the metrics. Before deciding to increase your rates, know your firm’s economics. Do you know where your break even point is, profit-wise? How much it costs to produce a billable hour, or a brief? Or your costs by timekeeper? Understanding the economics makes it much easier to determine the increase. Keep in mind that smaller increases—3 to 5 percent per year—are generally better, and are met with less resistance when they are implemented consistently (i.e., the same time each year). When setting rates, it’s not just about what the firm “needs” to charge to break even, but also about what the firm “wants” to generate in fees. Review your costs, calculate your break even point, and determine a suitable rate. You might also consider the 80/20 scenario: Identify the 20 percent of your clients who generate the least profit and either raise their rates or terminate them. If this sounds harsh, keep in mind that you are in business to generate profit—you cannot afford to carry unprofitable clients just because you like them. Timing is everything—no surprises! The worst thing you can do is fail to tell clients about your rate increase, instead letting them find out when they open their next invoice. Let your clients know in writing that you are increasing rates and provide sufficient notice, perhaps 60 days. Also, as a best practice, make sure your engagement letters include language indicating the firm will, upon notice, adjust rates periodically. This should alleviate some pushback. Some clients will resist and attempt to negotiate the proposed rate increases. That opens the door for discussions about the actual value of legal services provided ... and brings us to No. 5. Talk about the value being delivered. Will you lose some clients who aren’t willing to pay a higher rate? Maybe. But if you do, your firm needs to ask an important question: Why doesn’t the client perceive the full value of the services provided? Get past the fear factor and help clients understand the value your firm delivers. At every chance, seize the opportunity to educate them!

Ever wonder what the difference was between struggling businesses and businesses that seem to dominate everything they do? I have. It’s something I’ve been studying my entire career while working with businesses everywhere, from startups to those making millions each year. And from what I’ve discovered ... It has nothing to do with the market (there are successful businesses in every market, after all) It has nothing to do with price points (there are businesses successful selling $1 widgets, up to million-dollar contracts) So what is it? The “Secret” Is Having 3 Unique Systems In Place One for turning prospects into clients. Another for turning new clients into immediately more profitable clients. And a third for turning those clients into repeat, higher value raving fans who spread your message for you. Let’s start with the first ... System #1: The Acquisition Path The acquisition path is the marketing system you put in place to turn prospects into first-time buyers of your service. During this phase, prospects are first learning about you. Out of the three systems, this is the one most people focus on the most (even though it’s the least profitable). Most people have no follow-up system in place. When potential clients find out about you they either do business with you right then, or they’re lost forever. That’s a bad position to be in. To make this process more effective, you’re going to want to use several strategies including: Coming up with the perfect value proposition. Segmenting your email campaigns so you’re speaking directly to the wants and needs of your prospects. Retargeting prospects to “follow” them and present offers that are specific to the reasons they visited your website. Trust-building campaigns to establish trust. Authoritative content so they see you as an authority in your marketplace (which also builds trust). Long-term nurture campaigns so you’re in frequent communication with them, leading to you being in front of them when they’re finally ready to make a buying decision. Low-risk offers to have them make the leap from prospect to clients. Surveys to determine exactly who they are, what they’re struggling with and how you can help solve their problems. ... and many others! The purpose of this stage is to take them from the current stage of the buying process they’re in to the moment they realize that you are the ONLY choice as the solution to solve their problem. Your marketing systems need to be set up in a way to make the sale to anybody, whether those persons are nearly ready to buy when they first learn about you or are just starting their research. System #2: The Profit Generation Path If you want to grow your business quickly, your main goal should be to acquire the maximum amount of clients upfront and then have back-end profit systems in place to make them more valuable to your business. Many businesses use something called a “loss leader” model where they acquire a new customer, either at break-even or even a slight loss. This allows you to scale your business because you know your back-end will make those loss leaders more profitable overall. However, this is mostly used when selling products. Since you’re a lawyer, that’s not necessary. The reason I bring it up is because it’s a great exercise to think about how you could make that happen—if you have to. If you can figure that out, it means you’ve come up with a way to dramatically increase your overall lifetime customer value. When you dramatically increase how much an average client is worth to your business, it allows you to spend more, which takes your business to an entirely new level. One of the ways you can do this is in your profit generation path. The profit generation path is the point in between the prospect and client stage. It’s the stage where you make an immediate upsell the moment they buy from you. For example, the second you generate a new client you can offer them additional services which add more value to them. An easy example of this is buying a new car, followed by the salesman asking you if you want one of about a dozen “extras” such as an extended warranty, upgraded tires or seats, or a custom paint job, just to name a few. The point of this stage is to decrease the amount of time it takes to make that new customer more profitable to your business. Instead of waiting several months to hit your ROI goals, you can do so in a matter of minutes. And once you’ve done that you can move into the final system... System #3: The Profit Multiplier Path Your final stage includes systems you have in place for your customers. Think about what you have in place now. What happens to a customer after they buy from you? Do you follow up with them ... ask them how the order/experience went ... make sure they’re getting the most value out of your product/service ... offer them additional products/services that can help them ... or ask for referrals? If not—you need to. I’m always stunned by how many businesses make a sale, collect money from those customers who allow their business to be profitable ... and then never get in touch with them again! Remember Scrooge McDuck’s room full of gold? It’s like being given access to that room for an entire year, yet you simply walk in, take one handful, walk out and never return again. Crazy, I know. But that’s exactly what happens in 95% of businesses today. It’s also why you need to have follow-up systems in place for your clients. To stay top of mind, offer them additional services they may find valuable, ask for referrals and make sure they never even consider doing business with any of your competitors. Where Do You Go From Here? Now that you know what you need to do, the first step is taking a look at what you already have in place and which of these three systems would give you the fastest revenue growth. For example, if you already have no problem getting new clients but aren’t converting them into repeat buyers, you should start with #2 or #3. On the other hand, if your clients tend to become raving fans on their own, put your time into getting more clients, at a lower cost, on a more consistent basis. In other words, your next step is finding the holes you have in your marketing, and fixing them! I hope this article has helped you and given you a clear path as to what you need to do to increase revenue in your business this year. 

While convincing a prospect to take action is always the primary goal, it’s not going to happen unless you can accompany them on their journey from awareness to eventual conversion. In order for that to occur, potential leads must first be able to locate your firm. Then, to ensure you’re well-positioned to provide what they require, you must also know where a potential client is located in their journey at all times. All of that might seem like a big ask, but it’s actually fairly easy once you know what to do. Let’s delve into some essential demand generation strategies for lawyers and explore how selecting the right approach can streamline your client journey. Essential Demand Generation Strategies for Lawyers 1. Content Marketing: Crafting a Winning Strategy If you want to grab your audience’s attention and keep them in the loop, having some fresh content is the way to go. Build a solid content strategy that coincides with what your audience is looking for. This will not only boost the quality of leads but also boost business development. To get things started, just make sure your content speaks to the needs and issues your audience cares about, define the audience you’re talking to, and plan out your content creation and sharing strategically. 2. Lead Scoring: Prioritize Quality Leads Don’t waste your time on leads that won’t likely turn into client conversions. Try out a lead-scoring strategy. Look into what your prospects are up to online and offline, then add some points for engagement. This way, you’re ensuring only the leads with a good chance of being converted get top priority. 3. Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Tailoring Solutions for Success Shift your attention to small groups or individual accounts with ABM. It’s like customizing solutions for specific issues that are pain points. This collaborative style lets you use personalized marketing, keeping those high-priority clients in the loop. Quality data is crucial to building a list of qualified target clients. 4. Social Media Channels: Capturing Interests Effectively Tap into the power of social media platforms to engage with and understand what makes your target audience tick. Create content that interests them, and that aligns with what they need. Personalized and transparent content builds trust, and nothing is more important. Social media provides platforms for making connections that feel personal. 5. Email Marketing Optimization: A Significant Data Source Evaluate and enhance your email marketing campaign performance by considering factors such as open rates, spam, and unsubscribe rates. To improve overall effectiveness, implement best practices, including personalized content, segmentation, responsive templates, and strategic testing. 6.Event Marketing: Building Brand Awareness and Credibility Events are a powerful tool for boosting brand awareness and credibility. Whether attending smaller, more intimate events or hosting your own online or face-to-face, these interactions provide timely solutions to your audience, allowing you to earn their trust and build brand loyalty. 7. Intent Data: Identifying In-Market Clients Utilize intent data to understand online activities and identify potential customers. Tailor your marketing approach based on search intent to create demand. By effectively leveraging intent data, firms can discover prospects, deliver quality leads, and shorten the cycle. 8. CRM and Marketing Automation: Streamlining Processes Integrate Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) and marketing automation tools to efficiently manage demand generation efforts. Enhance lead generation, social media scheduling, analytics, drip email campaigns, and more, improving overall productivity. 9. Demand Funnel Framework: Visualizing Customer Journey Utilize an efficient demand generation funnel to map the customer journey stages. Tailor your framework based on the unique characteristics of your brand, audience, and offerings. Understanding the stages of discovery, engagement, conversion, and reward enhances customer journey visualization. 10. Web Insights and Inbound Marketing: Unleashing the Power of Your Website Your website plays a pivotal role in demand generation. Analyze digital footprints to uncover visitor interests, pain points, and content preferences. Inbound marketing, centered around building lasting relationships, involves blog posts, content offers, and web resources. Takeaway Embark on your demand generation journey by selecting the strategy that aligns with your law firm’s business development goals. Implement it seamlessly across your marketing teams to increase lead quality, genuine interest, and demand for your services.

Digital strategy planning can seem overwhelming. Many firms are thinking of improving their performance in 2024. We’ve identified an approach to digital strategizing that we hope will simplify your process and yield better results for your firm. A new year is a potent cocktail of stress, accomplishment and setting lofty goals for the future. Digital strategy planning is your key to calmly and confidently meeting the demands of the New Year. Here’s how to create a digital strategy, what to include, what to exclude and our three-pillar digital planning philosophy (which you can steal for your own firm’s strategy). What Is (and Isn’t) a Digital Strategy A digital strategy is your firm’s playbook for managing your digital assets and online presence. It’s a document that will guide your approach for navigating predicted and unpredicted issues in the future. This strategy should consider assets like your website, mobile, email touchpoints, social media and any digital marketing. One note on timelines: Note that a digital strategy is a relatively short-term document. Whereas business strategies tend to include a long-term roadmap and other kinds of forecasting, it simply doesn’t make sense to plan so far ahead with digital strategy. Technology and trends change so frequently. It’s more important to understand your priorities and processes so that you can adapt to changes. A digital strategy should focus on general approaches, not specific forecasting or didactic action plans. Budgeting is very tricky with digital strategy, so we’ll cover that section down below in more detail. Areas Your Strategy Should Encompass Consider breaking your digital strategy into five key areas. Social Media: Which platforms are you investing in? Who is responsible for these platforms and what policies exist to manage the content? What’s the plan for negative events? Are there other platforms where your audience is more active? Mobile: Is the site responsive? Will you be building any native apps for your firm? If so, what platforms will you support? Think about how you can enhance the mobile experience for clients on the go. Email: Who is responsible for mass email correspondence? Who is maintaining your lists? Do you have a plan for privacy protection? Do you want to consider personalization, targeting or other automation in the future? Consider newsletters and trigger-based emails in this category. Website: Assess the user experience of your site. Does it align with your firm’s values? What features are you supporting and will you add or remove any? How do you decide on content? Who is responsible for technical, design and content maintenance? Digital Marketing: Consider your current online marketing channels, including PPC and SEO campaigns. Are they reaching the right audience? How’s the process working for your team? Are there new marketing avenues you may like to explore? You may wish to include a budget subsection for each category as well as an overall budget section. We also recommend a “people, process, priorities” approach. This could be applied to each bullet point above, so long as you are careful to ensure alignment between each area. Who Is Responsible for Digital Decisions? The key to unlocking a successful digital strategy is assigning responsibility. Clear responsibilities ensure that, even if something fails, you’ll have someone who is responsible for reporting it so you can address it. Start by sketching out your digital team. Who makes decisions about different elements? Is there one person who is at the top and must give approval? Who actually does the work once it’s assigned? Who reviews the marketing data? Will all of your digital assets and campaigns be managed in-house or will any of it be outsourced? What are the criteria for making this decision, and what are the criteria for selecting a supplier or contractor? Note any platforms that your team uses to track action items and report back. Include frequencies for making these reports. If there’s a lack of clarity on any of these points, don’t try to solve it in your own head. Note the confusion and include it as an opportunity to improve next year, or pitch a few options based on your knowledge. You’ll get better results by collaborating with the rest of the team. One tool you can use here is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), although this could be overkill for smaller firms with fewer digital marketing projects on the go. What Policies Will Guide Future Digital Decision-Making? Now that you’ve identified personnel, you can move onto policies and processes. Clear frameworks can streamline your process while ensuring consistent outcomes. Think through areas like social media, content creation, website management and potential crisis situations (like bad PR or data leaks). Are there any decisions you find yourself making again and again? Could you formalize any of these processes into some sort of policy? For example, you might consider a document for social media guidelines that indicates which topics are allowed, enabling you to eliminate extra approvals and hasten the creation to publication pipeline. This document could include style and content boundaries, too. Consider policies for content removal, coding standards, accessibility and crisis management. What merits the removal of a piece of content? Does it get archived? Does it require a statement on social media? Do you have an accessibility checklist for social media and newsletter content? How do you respond to negative reviews? You don’t need exhaustive definitions in your digital strategy. However, you can identify these areas and set yourself on a path to creating these policies in the near future. The goal is to document each process clearly and ensure easy access for key people, preserving your values one time so that every future decision is aligned with your values and goals. Are There Priorities That We Can Use to Guide Us? Priorities can help guide your digital decision-making when information is hazy. Of course, digital strategies are intimately tied to business strategies and priorities. Identifying key priorities can expedite decision-making and keep everyone aligned. Start by defining your digital users and digital business objectives. Everything should be tied back to these two clearly defined groups. Who are the people you’re targeting and serving? What do they need? What is the main purpose of your digital presence, or the purposes of each platform? Is it to serve, educate, entertain, convert, reassure? Here’s an example of how this exercise in priorities could help you in the future. Let’s say your content team has decided on a slate of features for your blog. A partner suggests a new post on a totally separate topic. You can use your list of digital priorities and audience profiles to determine if this new topic should or should not displace the other ideas in your slate. Organize Your Work Into a Roadmap You’ve made great progress! Now, collect your work into a roadmap with at least five key categories: social media, mobile, email, website and digital marketing. For each section, identify the main benefits that each one provides. Explain how it’s currently performing (you can blend qualitative and quantitative data here). Include areas for improvement and make some recommendations in the long and short term. As you write your recommendations, start with issues that need immediate attention. You can give more detail to this section because the need is imminent and you have more information. As you proceed with future tasks in the long-term, you can reduce the level of detail.  This is only logical, as the technology will change in the next few years and it would be unwise to too closely predict a version of the future and devote resources to addressing it. Finally, please feel free to recommend a consultation with outside experts if you and your team do not possess specialized knowledge in certain areas. Money Matters and How to Budget for Change Okay, it’s time to address the financial elephant in the room. Legal marketing in a recession can be scary! How do you budget for an unpredictable future? We like the agile model, which sees digital marketing as an annual ongoing project rather than a fixed cost project. Try to think of it like allocating funds dynamically to adapt to emerging trends, seize opportunities, and address challenges. Some fluidity in your annual budget is required to ensure that your digital strategy remains agile in a changing digital world. We see a lot of marketers and firms stuck in an outdated model of fixed cost projects. They’re simply unable to keep pace with the newest requirements, and so they fall behind. The agile model acknowledges that your digital presence is never finished and is constantly being improved. Because of this, an annual ongoing budget is the way to go. Try setting an expected cost for each area of work. Tweak depending on whether you plan to do it in-house or hire contractors, then add some contingency. Now, you have to live it and adapt as you go. Review and Next Steps Digital strategies for law firms should include flexible, agile budgets and a “people, process, priorities” approach to guiding digital decision-making. Avoid getting bogged down in the details! Instead, focus on creating frameworks and assigning responsibility to enable your firm to confidently adapt to the coming challenges and new technology of 2024. Digital strategy is dynamic in nature. It takes skill, adaptability and accountability to get results.

The power and the peril of generative AI has been one of the most talked-about topics in legal circles since ChatGPT’s explosion into public conscience in late 2022. The arrival of generative AI into our world is now a stark reality. Lawyers need to understand both the basics of the technology and its legal implications when considering the use of generative AI. Generative AI Within the Legal Industry Many legal professionals have started to explore practical uses of generative AI in areas such as research, discovery, and legal document development. A Thomson Reuters study found that 82% of law firm attorneys believe that ChatGPT and generative AI could be applied to legal work. However, trepidation remains, as the same study found that only 51% felt it should be applied to legal work. This isn’t shocking. Similar feedback has been received in the medical field and other professions. We have long relied on predictions of AI, and generally a trust but verify approach has aided our comfort. The fundamental principle of human oversight cannot be underscored enough for generative AI to be successful. In legal, draft work product will be presented by generative AI, but it is up to the attorneys to take the rough material produced by technology and mold it into a final product that accomplishes the specific objectives of their clients. The predicted benefits of generative AI will never arrive without trained human lawyers to oversee the process. The Dual Effects of AI on Discovery Generative AI’s impacts on the discovery process are twofold. On the one hand, these capabilities will enable completely new methods of data extraction, linking, summarization and reasoning—extending existing predictive AI capabilities into a whole new realm. Not only will AI be able to analyze and identify characteristics about documents going through discovery, but it will now be able to generate information and insights about those documents, too. On the other hand, the adoption of generative AI into the enterprise through tools like GitHubCoPilot are going to add an entirely new layer of complexity and questions related to documents during the discovery process. If CoPilot is used to write an email, where does responsibility for the content of that email lie? Is there a need to differentiate documents created by AI versus created by a human? How will that be handled? Currently, most available generative AI products are limited in scale and have yet to show proven value. Initially, uses of generative AI focused on using conversation to augment search—how can we gain information from a corpus using natural language understanding? Exciting at first for the novelty, these approaches seem to be more AI in search of a problem, rather than a problem uniquely fit for a generative AI solution. As generative AI is nearing its first birthday, it is still too early to have clarity about how either of these components will evolve but based on past precedent and the specific qualities of generative AI, there are some leading areas of promise. Getting the Most out of Your AI Strategy The most favorable generative AI discovery approach involves looking beyond the standard workflows of today and reimagining how they could change. What would it look like if you could connect existing predictive AI capabilities and new generative ones? How might the previous view of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model change? The organizations that are best positioned to successfully develop and/or embrace generative AI in discovery are those already fluent in leveraging predictive AI in discovery now. There are many low-risk entry options into predictive AI for discovery. For example, predictive AI can be used to help secure personally identifiable and personal health information. Organizations can use AI to automate the redaction of the identified information, and by doing so, can greatly reduce the laborious efforts to manually redact each instance of sensitive data. More sophisticated use cases include privilege prediction. Oftentimes, static search term lists are over inclusive and do not identify all potentially privileged documents. An organization could begin to develop a privilege prediction model with their data while still leveraging traditional, potentially privileged search lists. The combination of the AI and the familiar search list provides an enhanced privileged identification process that is then tested and verified by attorneys. The return-on-investment organizations reap from this approach increases as the process is repeated for each new model. Current Legal Considerations and Guidance The European Union is leading the way in terms of regulations with its Artificial Intelligence Act. This law seeks extraterritorial reach, like the General Data Protection Regulation, and looks to enact an expansive, horizontal regulatory scheme across all industries. Similar to the implementation of the GDPR, U.S. companies may unwittingly find themselves subject to its reach and need to monitor its passage. Canada is taking a similar, broad-based approach with Bill C-27. Currently, there are no U.S. laws enacted that create specific rules for the use of generative AI tools. Specific legal guidance from federal regulatory agencies and courts in the U.S. is limited. However, American lawmakers have indicated significant motivation to exercise greater oversight on the development and use of generative AI tools. Recently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer organized a hearing on the future of AI regulations, which Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg all attended. Schumer indicated the goal is to “maximize the benefit and minimize the harm … and that will be our difficult job.” Whether the oversight is a horizontal model providing guidance across industries like the EU’s AI Act, or a vertical model where individual departments and agencies create guidance targeted to their industry groups, is still to be determined. For now, agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have issued statements asserting that generative AI is within their regulatory authority. These agencies further indicated that bias, discrimination and misleading consumer information and privacy that are present in automated systems will be held to existing legal standards. Beyond these efforts, it is likely that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will need a refresh to account for generative AI. Discovery is going to include even more data types, algorithms, training sets and prompts. Expect that bar associations and other industry stakeholders will issue guidance on generative AI competencies for legal application. Courts are just beginning to encounter the new questions raised by this technology. There are many different examples of guidance and opinions, and some judges have even asked attorneys to confirm they will not use generative AI to write legal briefs. Other scholars and judges have suggested that litigants cite the tool they have used to create their work product when it is submitted to a court. Before You Adopt, Think Cybersecurity Along with efficiencies and innovation, generative AI presents new risks, like data security, privacy, and reliability. For example, it is critical to assume that any information used for ChatGPT prompts could become public. A company’s intellectual property and reputation can be immediately compromised due to undisciplined use of ChatGPT and similar tools. With the rise in interest and use of these tools, we’ll also see a subsequent rise in cybersecurity risk. Machines will inevitably learn that a business is interested in, for example, certain proprietary topics or competitive opportunities. This information can be accessed by bad actors, who will use it to get better at impersonation. As such, a first reasonable policy step for any business is to sound the alert about the potential for AI-generated phishing attempts. Organizations need to invest in developing a mature information governance program. New technology onboarding should be planned as part of the program, as well as preservation and defensible disposal. Employee education and training is also paramount in mitigating risks associated with generative AI. The National Institute of Standards and Technology published an AI risk management framework in collaboration with public and private sectors. The framework outlines characteristics of trustworthy AI and offers guidance for addressing them. The characteristics include “valid and reliable, safe, secure and resilient, accountable and transparent, explainable and interpretable, privacy enhanced, and fair with their harmful biases managed.” A mature information governance program will allow companies implementing the next generation of AI tools to evaluate, test and continuously monitor the performance of their technologies across all of these risk vectors. What’s Next for Generative AI The IT function has typically taken the lead in responding to the technology innovations of the day; but with generative AI, it has become clear that the attorneys need a major seat at the table in this new conversation. Organizations must prepare for the generative AI revolution we are sure to see in the coming years. Those who excel in our new reality will remain curious and nimble. Those who do nothing will become obsolete.

When you need information, your first stop is likely Google—or at least, that used to be the case. While search engines used to monopolize peoples’ quest for knowledge, the current digital landscape offers new ways to find answers. Those new channels present a significant change in the way that people find information, which could have a big impact on the way your firm gets discovered. To make sure legal marketers get the full picture, we’re covering four statistics about how people search from HubSpot’s recent report. 4 Statistics About Search from HubSpot 31% of social media users turn to that channel for answers to questions: That means almost one in three people will try finding information or asking questions on social media either before, or along with, turning to other methods. While a search engine is still dominant (more on that below), more people are relying on social media as a source of key information. AI is a newer channel that is picking up traction for queries, but only 12% of the study respondents tried AI before search engines or social media. 29% of Gen Z and Millennials combined prefer social over search engines: This is compared to 15% of total consumers across age brackets who do the same. On the other hand, only 18% of Gen X and 3% of the boomer generation would prefer searching on social media instead of search engines. Those numbers represent a significant chunk of digital traffic and are expected to grow in the coming years. It’s important to consider what will happen as Gen Z ages, moves into career roles, and gains more disposable income. Additionally, AI platforms based on machine learning will get more robust and smarter, so people will be more comfortable relying on them for information. A small group of people (about 9%) already prefer using AI chatbots to answer their questions. That is another group that will certainly grow as AI tools continue to progress and build familiarity. Generally, most people still say search engines are the best way to get information: Even with the statistics we just listed, on a broad scale, people still turn to search engines for answers to questions. Though there are viable alternatives that will continue to gain traction and improve performance, brands seeking to drive traffic should continue to focus on search engine optimization. At the end of the day, search engines are still the most powerful resource to drive discovery of your firm—so the strategies that make that happen are just as important as ever. Though you might want to diversify your digital strategy, now is not the time to move away from your SEO efforts. 54% of people use their phones to search: Mobile traffic has increased each year, and we are now at the point where more than half of the search inquiries performed occur on mobile devices. It’s more important than ever to keep mobile device habits in mind when planning your website content. A bit more than half of the study respondents said they use their phone when looking up questions online, but this trend occurs more often in younger generations. Mobile-first search is more common with Gen Z and Millennials. In fact, 80% of Gen Z use their phone most often when searching, while millennials are at 62% and Gen X are at 66%. Takeaway: This information is based on one study from one company but certainly mirrors the current research and data that is widely available. In general, AI is going to be quite disruptive, just as social media was (and still is). It’s important that forward-thinking firms keep this in mind as they plan content and their social media presence. Additionally, mobile-first searching is a trend that will only continue climbing, so not accounting for mobile-friendliness or responsive design is a big mistake. Search engines are just as important as always, though they have some competing channels now—that means digital marketers shouldn’t take their feet off the gas with search optimization efforts.

The legal industry is experiencing a transformative era driven by new technology, changing client expectations and a globally connected business landscape. As we head into 2024, law firms need to devise and implement a fresh approach to marketing and business development, regardless of their size. Here’s how to devise a strategy tailored to your firm’s needs. Why Your Law Firm Needs a Marketing and Business Development Strategy Law firms, irrespective of their size or specialization, are vying for a share in a market where clients are more informed, discerning and cost-sensitive than ever before. A clearly articulated strategy not only provides direction, clarity and focus for a firm’s growth efforts but also serves as a compass, ensuring alignment in decision-making and resource allocation. ing it down crystallizes intent, fosters accountability and facilitates communication across the firm, making the strategy tangible and actionable. Not having a strategy document can lead to missed opportunities, rendering firms reactive rather than proactive. Crafting, documenting and implementing a strategy now allows law firms to seize opportunities, positioning them for the challenges and opportunities in the new year. Understanding the Different Needs of Law Firms by Size The same strategy and tactics for implementation of a law firm marketing strategy is not one size fits all because every firm is different, and has unique challenges and advantages, budgets, talent and practice and industry strengths. That being said, it’s important to understand the differences between the firm sizes so that firms can create a bespoke and effective marketing strategy. Small Firms Challenges: Limited resources, brand recognition and expansive competition from similarly sized competitors. Strengths: Agility, personal client relationships, niche specializations. Mid-sized Firms Challenges: Positioned between nimble smaller firms and resource-rich larger ones, these firms face competition from both sides. Strengths: Broader service range, a mix of agility and resources, potential for strategic partnerships. Large Firms Challenges: Maintaining innovation, ensuring consistent branding across global locations, managing vast human resources. Strengths: Established brand recognition, abundant resources, diversified expertise, global reach. Key Takeaways Adaptability is paramount. The landscape will continue evolving and rigidity can lead to obsolescence. Understand your firm’s unique value proposition and communicate it effectively. The era of digital dominance continues. Online marketing, social media marketing, virtual networking and remote consultations will remain crucial. Client-centric approaches win. Understand their changing needs and adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly. How to Create a Law Firm Marketing and Business Development Strategy Let’s explore the essential components for a comprehensive marketing and business development strategy for law firms and how to create a strategy document. Executive Summary: Begin with a concise overview of your strategy’s purpose, highlighting primary objectives and the anticipated outcomes. This provides a snapshot for stakeholders who need a quick understanding of the strategy’s direction. Firm’s Vision and Mission: Reiterate your firm’s foundational vision and mission. This section acts as a reminder of your firm’s core values and the overarching goals you aim to achieve, ensuring alignment in all strategies. Client Segmentation and Profiling: Detailed information about your current and potential client base. Recognize patterns in client industries, sizes and needs to tailor your services and marketing message. Competitive Analysis: A thorough examination of direct and indirect competitors, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). This will help identify market gaps and areas where you can differentiate your services. SWOT Analysis for Your Firm: Understand your firm’s internal and external factors that could impact future growth. This gives a holistic view of the environment in which you’re operating. Digital Presence Assessment: With the growing importance of online platforms, review your website, social media channels, online reviews and any other digital touchpoints. Assess their effectiveness and areas for improvement. Goals and Objectives: Set clear, measurable and time-bound goals. Whether it’s expanding into a new practice area, increasing client acquisition by a certain percentage or boosting online engagement, ensure every goal aligns with the firm’s broader mission. Tactics and Initiatives: Outline specific actions to achieve the set objectives. This could involve launching a new content marketing campaign, investing in new CRM software or hosting regular client feedback sessions. Budget Allocation: A detailed financial plan outlining the allocation of resources for each tactic. This should include projections for expected returns on investments. KPIs and Metrics: Define key performance indicators to track progress against objectives. These could range from website traffic and conversion rates to client retention rates or revenue per client. Feedback and Iteration: Establish a process for regular strategy reviews, allowing for adjustments based on results, feedback, and changing market conditions. Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Outline how you will keep partners, associates and other key firm members informed and engaged in the strategy’s rollout and progress. Risk Management: Identify potential risks and challenges that might hinder the strategy’s success, along with mitigation plans for each identified risk. The Components of a Marketing and Business Development Strategy Here are the key areas your marketing and business development strategy document should include. Putting this together will involve interviews with key stakeholders; research on clients, competitors and peers; analytics from past marketing initiatives; data on client revenues; and an understanding of market factors, including opportunities and challenges. Objective: Clearly define what you aim to achieve, e.g., increase client acquisition by 15% in the next year, raise visibility of certain practices, support the marketing efforts of new laterals or a new office, etc. Target Audience: Identify and understand your ideal clients by practice and industry. Value Proposition: Articulate why clients should choose your firm over competitors. Channels: Decide where you’ll promote your services—from digital platforms, to content marketing to events and everything in between. Action Plan: List activities to achieve your objectives, assigning responsibilities and deadlines for strategies and tactics. Budget: Estimate financial resources required for each activity (sponsorships, consultants, technology, training, etc.) and budget accordingly. Monitoring & Evaluation: Define metrics to measure success and schedule periodic reviews of strategies and tactics. Creative Implementation Ideas Here are some innovative marketing ideas, segmented by law firm size. For Small Firms Localized SEO: By optimizing your website for local search terms, you can better position your firm to attract clients in your vicinity. Community Involvement: Active participation in local events, pro-bono legal clinics or community-based activities not only boosts your firm’s visibility but also builds trust and goodwill within the community. Testimonials and Case Studies: Showcase success stories or testimonials from satisfied clients to build credibility. This word-of-mouth marketing can be particularly compelling for small firms seeking to establish their reputation. For Mid-sized Firms Webinars & Workshops: Regularly hosting informative sessions on legal topics can solidify your firm’s position as an industry expert. These platforms also offer an opportunity for direct engagement with potential clients. Strategic Partnerships: By joining forces with non-competing firms or businesses, such as accountants or financial advisors, you can extend your reach and offer complementary services to a wider clientele. Referral Programs: Given their position between small and large firms, mid-sized entities can benefit immensely from referral programs, encouraging satisfied clients to refer others in exchange for certain incentives. For Large Firms Thought Leadership: Establishing your firm as a thought leader, through comprehensive research, insightful articles and opinion pieces, can significantly enhance brand authority and attract high-profile clients. Tech Integration: Embrace the latest technological innovations. Implement AI-driven chatbots to handle initial client queries, utilize a sophisticated CRM system to enhance client relationship management and explore VR capabilities for offering immersive virtual office tours or client meetings. Global Networking: Large firms often have an international presence. Capitalize on this by organizing or participating in global legal symposiums, workshops and conferences. This not only elevates the firm’s global profile but also helps in cross-border client acquisition. Conclusion Recognizing the nuanced needs based on firm size is essential. Small firms, while agile and specialized, grapple with limited resources and competition. Mid-sized firms have a blend of agility and resources but compete with both smaller and larger counterparts. Large firms, boasting global reach and abundant resources, must strive for consistent branding and innovation. Success hinges on adaptability, a strong digital presence and a client-centric focus. Implementing tailored strategies—like local SEO for small firms, webinars for mid-sized ones or AI integration for large firms—can drive business growth. The takeaway? Be proactive, leverage unique strengths and keep innovation at the forefront for optimal marketing success in 2024. 

With 1.7 billion users today, a growth of 17% from 2022, it’s safe to say TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms we’ve seen yet. And its unique biteable video format has permeated every level of the social media sphere, causing a huge push for short-form videos, and even influencing Instagram to move away from photos and more towards videos. But with such a young audience, many legal marketers may feel TikTok isn’t worth the investment, or they may be unsure of how a law firm should even go about posting on TikTok. (What’s a ‘For You’ page? What’s a ‘Sound’?) The truth of the matter is, TikTok is no longer just for Gen Z dance videos. Many lawyers have been quick to get on the app, and the algorithm has made it worth their time. Due to TikTok’s rapid pace with trends, and its hyper-adaptive algorithm, many lawyers and law firms have found success by creating relatable content that not only generates brand awareness but most importantly humanizes their brand and informs their audience. So, how can law firms start using TikTok? Why Should Law Firms Be on TikTok? Many law firms and lawyers think TikTok isn’t worth their time. Sure, it’s nothing compared to LinkedIn, but TikTok’s fun and creative nature offers a wonderful opportunity for firms and lawyers to think outside of the box and really connect with their audience on another level. As a young app, TikTok lacks many of the formalities and expected production costs that have permeated other video platforms like YouTube. Because brands on TikTok can be their most authentic selves, law firms can really showcase their personality and culture. TikTok provides an opportunity to show your audience that you’re not just another lawyer speaking legalize into the atmosphere. You’re a real person, just like them, who’s there to educate, offer advice, and above all else have some fun. Still not convinced TikTok is worth the investment? You can easily repurpose your TikToks as Instagram Reels or Facebook videos too. And above all else, recent conversations from tech giants have shown there’s a huge push toward video for social media. So, getting comfortable with short-form social media videos could also do your brand some good. An Overview of TikTok for Law Firms TikTok is a video sharing app that allows users to share videos that are as little as 15 seconds to as of recently, 10 minutes long. One of the reasons TikTok has become so popular is that it has simplified the video creation process. Users can shoot and edit their videos in the app, with features such as filters, noise reducers, enhancements, speed effects, subtitles, and much more. The app is set up with two different feeds for users—a For You page and a Following page. The Following page is akin to any other social media platform, it’s simply a feed that shows you videos from pages you are following. However, the For You page has revolutionized the way social media algorithms work. The For You page is a feed that shows users content from both accounts they do and do not follow that the app believes they would enjoy. As TikTok’s popularity continues to surge, the platform has introduced an exciting new feature called the TikTok Shop, providing users with the opportunity to both purchase and sell a diverse range of products. Definitions FYP—For You Page. This is the page where users can view videos from those they aren’t/may be following that have been selected by the algorithm based on the user’s past preferences. PFP—Profile Picture. Make sure you have a branded profile picture that showcases some personality and fits into the circle sizing. POV—Point of View. Often users make POV videos where they show themselves doing something as if someone else is watching. Usually, the action that is being depicted in these videos is something very typical of the user. (Example: The caption may read ‘POV: I’m meeting with another happy client after winning their case in court’ and the video may be a clip of them smiling and shaking hands with someone) Sound— Every video on TikTok is accompanied by a sound. In basic terms, it’s simply the auditory components of a video. What makes them unique is that users can add music, voice-over, whatever, and save this Sound to the Sounds library, where any TikTok user can take the Sound and repurpose it for their own videos. Often, certain sounds will become trendy and develop a large following. Duet— Duets allow your own video to play simultaneously next to someone else’s video (usually someone you’re responding to). This is a great way to network with those in your industry/ audience. (Example: you’re a personal injury lawyer and you see a video of someone sharing their experience settling in court. You may ‘duet’ the video and add some captions with commentary.) Storytime— Similar to YouTube, many users find fame by sharing stories about their experiences. (Think case study, but a lot more casual and verbal instead of written.) Transition— Like any video, a transition is how you move from one scene to the next. However, on TikTok, many transition ideas will become trends, and they can be used in tandem with certain sounds and ideas. When you’re researching trends, pay special attention to how others are cutting between scenes. Using the right transitions can really help ensure your videos fall in line with what your audience wants to see. Stitch— Similar to duets, this feature allows you to respond to another video on your own. Only in this case, the new video you create will only include a short clip from the one you’re responding to. This is a huge trend that’s easy to hop on. People will post specific videos saying ‘Stitch this with a time you…’. Repost— The repost feature allows you to repost TikToks that belong to other users from your own TikTok account to share with your audience. What’s the Secret to the Algorithm? TikTok’s For You page means any user has the potential to get their content seen—even if they don’t have a large following. That’s the beauty behind it. The goal of the For You page is to show users content that they will enjoy the most. It’s believed that past engagement has a huge impact on which videos are selected for users. Basically, if a user is engaging (liking, commenting, sharing, saving) with many videos on a particular topic, with particular hashtags, particular trends, or with particular sounds, TikTok will show them more videos of a similar nature in their For You page. As an example, many law firms have found engagement by hopping on the ‘5 Things I Wouldn’t Do as a ____’ trend. They’ve formatted their videos in the way others have while executing their trend, and they’ve used hashtags most often associated with that trend. Therefore, if a user is watching and engaging with many ‘5 Things I Wouldn’t Do as a ___’ videos, then it’s very likely they’ll see Lawyer Joe’s video on ‘5 Things I Wouldn’t Do as a Divorce Lawyer’. Now, imagine that on a large scale. The #5thingschallenge hashtag currently has 179.2 million views…. Think of all the people who will potentially see Lawyer Joe’s ‘5 Things I Wouldn’t Do as a Divorce Lawyer’ video. How Do I Create TikToks? Yes, TikTok is a lot more laid back than other platforms. But its uniqueness is a double-edged sword. You can’t simply repurpose YouTube videos and expect them to perform. You have to understand the trends, trending sounds, dialect, and audience in order to find success. This involves a lot of social listening, some goal setting, and some creativity. Decide what type of video you want to make­— As we said, a clip of you speaking legalese won’t do well. Explore TikTok, or follow an account where they break down the latest trends (check out @trendbible). Choose which trend you’d like to hop on, and review the wealth of videos under that trending sound or hashtag. Take note of sounds, caption conventions (which parts are spoken vs. written out), transitions, facial expressions, etc. Connect this trend to the legal industry— How can you make this trend work for the legal industry? If people are doing day-in-a-life videos, create one focused on a ‘day in a life as a lawyer’. If there’s a trend where people are sharing advice or tips, hop on that and share your own tips as a lawyer. There are even a lot of sounds that are popular but don’t have a rigid structure. You can simply use a trending sound and hashtags to share some thought leadership content via spoken word. (Think blog post, but spoken and much more casual.) Above all else, get creative, but keep in mind the conventions for different trends like specific transitions, sounds, word choice, etc. Shoot your video— It’s time to shoot! Grab a tripod, friend, or shoot selfie style. It may take a few tries but don’t worry, you can always save your attempts to ‘Drafts’ and try as many times as needed. When you’re ready to shoot, simply hit the + button at the bottom of your screen. Then select any effects you’d like to use in the bottom left corner. The bottom-most panel is where you can select the length of your video (3m, 60s, or 15s), and above that is where you select the speed. (In most cases just do 1x, this will be normal speed.) The right-hand panel is where you can add effects or enhancements. When you’re ready to go, hold down on the red circle to start shooting. At the very top, you’ll see the music icon. This is where you can select the ‘sound’ you’d like to use. Final Adjustments— When you’re done shooting, release your finger and hit the red circle in the bottom right corner with a check. From there, you can use the right panel to add text, adjust clips, captions, etc. (Hint: try using the ‘noise reducer’ at the bottom—it’ll make your audio much clearer.) Always try to add auto-generated captions—this will ensure every user is able to understand your video. And don’t be afraid to give your video a title so people know what it’s about. You can add text by hitting the T button, typing, and then dragging the text where you prefer. After that, hold down on the text so you can set the duration where you’d like it to play. Time to Post— Hit Next, now it’s time for a caption! First, make sure to turn on comments, duets, and stitches. This will ensure people can engage with your video on every level. And make sure your video is set to be shared with Everyone, not just followers. (This’ll ensure you’re on the For You page). And don’t forget to toggle to ‘Manage Video Quality’ so you can ensure your video is of the highest quality. Now’s the time for a caption. Do your due diligence and research which hashtags work best for your industry, and for this trend. And don’t forget to capitalize on any number of trending hashtags to maximize your video’s potential. Make sure your caption is something that showcases your firm’s personality and adds some context to the video. A Look at Lawyers Doing it Right @lawbymike (7.4M Followers, 160.7M Likes) @thelawyerangela (1.6M Followers, 25.2M Likes) @kennedylawfirm (1.6M Followers, 36.1M Likes) @husbandandwifelawteam (319.5k Followers, 14.6M Likes) @thepaynelawyer (242.8k Followers, 3.6M Likes) @lawyerpaige (1.7M Followers, 11.8M Likes) Takeaway: Remember, above all else, TikTok is about showcasing your brand, lawyers’ personalities, and company culture. TikTok can be highly educational, so this is a great opportunity to share some thought leadership content. But remember, while TikTok is young, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any conventions or best practices. You must prioritize social listening and do your due diligence to understand what’s trending, what will perform well, and how to execute your videos.

The legal industry is very unique in terms of marketing. For one thing, it’s highly competitive. Additionally, much of legal marketing relies on compelling content and thought leadership—that most legal professionals don’t have time to create. Plus, there are certain ethical and legal considerations that make creating legal content more complicated. Why Is Content Marketing Important for Law Firms? For those reasons plus others, it can be a truly daunting task to create thoughtful legal marketing content—but it’s a necessity. Content marketing is absolutely essential for any law firm or attorney who wants to generate web traffic and ramp up their leads. In case you need more convincing, let’s take a look at some of the reasons that legal organizations need web content marketing. 1. SEO Matters (A Lot) and Content Marketing Improves It Your website needs content, that much you know. Everything from the copy on your service pages to your blog tells prospects what your firm is about. All of that content also tells search engines what your firm can offer. Content provides that much-needed context to search engines so that they understand how trustworthy and valuable your site is. You’ll rank higher if search engines are able to quickly assess what services you offer, where you’re located, who you serve, etc. By having a better understanding of all of this, search engines know when to serve up your website during search inquiries. The more opportunities for that to happen, the better. Plus, your content provides lots of opportunities for implementing researched keywords so that you can rank even higher—thus attracting more traffic. 2. Great Web Content Can Attract Backlinks Backlinks occur when other sites find your content useful and then link to it. Such links offer strong signals to Google and other search engines that your site is credible and valuable to others. Backlinks can also be a powerful source of referral traffic. The more valuable your content is, the more links you’ll attract. Concentrate on building high-quality, informative content for your audience, answering common questions. Another great way to encourage backlinks is to publish original research and statistics—these are often searched for and cited in other works. For example, an infographic or white paper that compiles information from real clients could be valuable in another person’s research. 3. Strong Content Drives Social Sharing Here is where you want to get creative. Legal content doesn’t have to be stuffy. Consider creating short videos that explain complex topics, or putting together visually aesthetic infographics. Your goal is to create content that is so helpful, people feel the need to share it. Including social proof like testimonials and case studies are also helpful in getting real-life people to show your content to others. Make sharing easy by including share or post buttons where they are easily visible on all content, and being active on social media and YouTube. The more that your content is shared, the more traffic your site will receive. Note: the caveat here is strong content—not all content is worth sharing. Think about the information that is truly valuable, and who you’re trying to reach. If you stumbled upon your latest blog, would you share it? 4. Use Conversion-Optimized Content for Nurturing Leads Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the process of improving your content, website, or campaigns to convert visitors into leads. CRO practices will help you gain traffic and then turn that traffic into more qualified leads. Some of the basics are adding compelling calls-to-action on pages and posts, and making sure your website speed, navigation, and contact forms all operate quickly. Look for ways to personalize content so that you can increase on-site conversions and reach potential leads in new spaces. You can also use content to reach people who are in different stages with your firm—you can reach new leads with introductory content and send more tailored content to people who have already engaged with your firm. Make content a part of your overall lead nurturing strategy and you’ll see better results. 5. Informative Content Is Better for Your Website’s Authority In the legal industry, what you know is crucial. Displaying what you know is an important part of gaining trust, both with prospects and with search engines. Things like client reviews, referrals, guest blogging, and other tactics are also helpful for improving overall website authority and reach. By publishing informative and educational content on your website, you can showcase your legal expertise and build trust with your audience and with search engines. Takeaway: Investing in great content will pay dividends over time. Creating a thoughtful content strategy will pay off in terms of increased visibility, traffic, brand awareness, and leads. We encourage you to take the time to build out an intentional content strategy based on the specific niche you serve and the interests of your audience.