Selecting a Legal Internet Marketing Company

Here are some of the considerations when deciding which vendor is most suited to providing your law firm with Internet marketing services.

1) Expertise:

- What is the background / experience of the individual(s) who will be providing the services?
- If you are seeking SEO services, where is the marketing company ranked on Google for its own desired keyword phrases?
- What is the scope of the company's capabilities?
- Who has the company worked with in the past?
- What type of law firm leads and other results have they generated?

2) Customer Service:

- How quickly does the company respond to your needs? (if you have concerns when a company is trying to win your business, you may have big problems once you are signed up)
- How professional and curteous is the company?

3) Price:

- How does the Internet marketing company compare to others that offer the same capabilities?
- What exactly is included in the fees?
- If a company is less expensive, as them directly how they are able to keep their prices so competitive. You should be comfortable with the answer.
- If a company appears to be overpriced, asked them how they justify the higher price and if they will give you a written guarantee that they will outperform lower cost providers on key performance metrics.

Law Firm Marketing: Firing Your Toxic Clients

Given that we are still neck deep in the worst recession the U.S. has seen since the 1930's, you may think I'm a bit off the wall when you read what comes next. Drop your bad clients. Do it now. Identify them, confirm your facts and give them a nice wave goodbye. You heard me correctly; there is no better time than today for your law firm to shed clients that you should not be working with.

But John, this is not the right time for this. Look what's going on around us - stores are closing, there are unemployed lawyers out there, competition is fierce...

So what? This is completely irrelevant. More often than not, toxic clients (as defined below) cost you money - they do not make you money. Most lawyers do not realize this because they have not analyzed the numbers and mix bad clients into the batter with quality clients.

What is a toxic client? For starters, let's go with one that doesn't pay on time, or doesn't pay at all. Hey, don't get me wrong, if you have the ways and means to represent a client pro bono, by all means do some good for society. However, if a client has agreed to an hourly rate and is not paying you within a reasonable timeframe you should stop catering to this client. Not doing so will result in a different type of representation, one that an accountant I know likes to refer to as "pro bonehead."

A plaintiff's trial firm, working on contingency, can't have a bad client, right? Wrong. A bad client can be one who nags your firm incessently for the settlement check, consuming hours of resource time. If you can't set up the proper protocols to handle them, get rid of them. Having your secretary spend 3 hours on the phone discussing when the settlement check is coming is not productive).

A toxic client in this type of firm can also be one that is not financially profitable. If you handle small value personal injury law cases / no-fault and you do not have an efficient method of processing them, your firm can be losing money on this type of client. That's right - half of your law firm's cases may be covering up the bad business practices represented by the other half. You may be going through the motion on every $8,500 settlement that you think contributes to the bottom line, when the $560,000 settlement is paying a majority of your bills and costing considerably less in time and effort. Get an accountant or financial analyst type to look at your books, see which types of clients are profitable for your firm and which are not and stop taking on the ones that do not make financial sense. Adjust your marketing strategy and messaging to acquire the types of new client leads that represent profitable opportunities.

Here are a few categories of toxic law firm clients that you should consider firing when they cross the line:

- The non-payer / late payer
- The resource time waster
- The unprofitable client
- The litigious client (the reason professional liability insurance for lawyers was invented)

Now, take the extra time you have freed up and shift it to giving better service to your existing clients, networking, or strategizing on new marketing ideas. I guarantee that shedding these toxic clients will have a profound positive impact on the health of your law firm and possibly even on your general mental health.

Law Firm Marketing and the Lottery Mentality

So, have you earned $10,000 from home this month using Google yet? Me neither, but it sounds like a great concept. What's not to like about it? 95% of us would take this deal in a heartbeat. Even you successful trial lawyers out there. You're probaly pulling 80 hour weeks before a major trial. I bet most of you would trade it in for a guaranteed $120k per year w/ little to no work involved.

You're thinking about it right now, envisioning what your life would be like... all that extra time spent with your family, freedom to travel, to relax with no deadlines, clients or bosses, watching your favorite sport team, or tv show, on a weekday afternoon, driving your sports car to the beach while others are working... OK SNAP OUT OF IT!

I believe the statistic that I have come across is that 97% of the people who get involved in any online get-rich-quick scheme either lose money, or fail (spend countless hours to make little, or no money). So how is it, that against such odds that so many highly intelligent people continue to choose to defy logic and participate in these brainwashing cults, where it is virtually impossible to beat the odds, unless you are among the founders of the entire system?

If you can understand this, you will understand one of marketing's most powerful secrets. These marketers do not promote products. They promote happiness. The logic of how you get there becomes completely blurred. No different than the lottery. "Hey, you never know". Actually, most people do know that they have better odds of buying $50 Million in lottery tix before actually winning a $25 Mil. lottery that only pays out about $10 Mil. after taxes and lump sum payout... but they buy anyway...

Most people know that these get-rich-quick schemes are bogus, but our brains are hard wired in such a way that we find the allure of "happiness" too difficult to resist and the lottery mentality (risk a little for a chance to win a lot) highly attractive.

The lesson to be learned from this as it applies to law firm marketing and new client lawyer lead generation? Remember this when you are advertising, or speaking with clients... Clients do not hire you because you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, they don't care who you are, where you've come from, or where you've been featured. They hire you because you are a means to an end for them. That end is their happiness, whatever that may entail. For one, it's retribution for a wrong. For another, it's the peace of mind that comes with having one's estate in order. For a third, it may be the monetary settlement and what it means for them personally.

Demonstrate to the client that you are the most qualified to remove their pain, or help them achieve that specific happiness that they are seeking and you will win that client's trust and business.

Also remember this tendency when you interact with legal marketing vendors. Many will attempt to sell you by painting a picture of the volume of leads they will generate for your law firm and how great the end result will look. Fight the urge and let your logic guide you through the maze of snake oil marketers. Remember that LitigatorEdge can do everything they can and more, at a fraction of the cost and that it pays to explore a more-cost effective alternative, while you comparison shop. You have nothing to lose by going to http://www.litigatoredge.com/ and calling us today for a no-cost analysis of your law firm's Internet marketing.

And I know times are tough, but please, try to stay away from the get-rich-quick Google schemes.

Using Social Media to Generate New Law Firm Leads

I have a problem with most Social Media "experts" today. Despite the fact that most know the ins and outs of Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter and every technological widget associated with these services, what really baffles me is that a wide majority of them don't TRULY GET social networking as a marketing vehicle.

Social networking is not about geting 20,000 followers to make yourself look popular, only to have 97% of your network tune you out 99% of the time. Social networking is not about flagrantly promoting one's own services, under the guise of information distributor. If you are really looking to be tuned out by a large group of recipients, you already have SPAM e-mail and non customer centric e-newsletters that are equally ineffective.

Social networking is about building, or developing real and meaningful relationships with clients, colleagues, friends, or individuals of similar interests and affiliations.

Is anyone truly interested in being part of your Smith, Jones & Doe LLP Facebook group? I argue that few are. What they do care about is the photo album from Italy that their cousin posted. They also want to know which of their old college buddies saw the movie The Hangover. Comprende? While LinkedIn is more oriented to a professional community, the formula to using any social network successfully for business purposes is the same.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING = FACE TO FACE NETWORKING + EFFICIENCY

You have to do the same things you do in real networking. You cannot expect that you will plant yourself on top of a pyramid and everyone will bow to you and buy what you are selling. Listen to your network. Connect with people 1 to 1. Learn their needs, their problems, seek to solve someone's problem and you may find that your own challenge is alleviated.

Do you have a valuable service? Don't shout about it incessently. Instead, let a friend or colleague introduce you to their network as someone they trust (by now, everyone knows that a trusted testimonial is worth 100 self serving ads). Give people something of real value. If you are a lawyer, tell your friends that you will answer their colleagues' legal questions that are sent to you via a social network for free.

There are many ways to use social networks effectively that do not involve self-serving mass marketing. Always ask yourself how you can contribute to your social network, rather than how to sell those in your social network and success will come your way.

Law Firm Clients Should be Seen, Not Heard

In 99% of businesses in the world, it is common knowledge that there's no better way to fail in a business than to fail to listen to a client's needs. These unique characters represent the other 1%...

- The Fortune Teller CEO This visionary individual moonlights as a predictor of client needs. He/she has an amazing product and knows it. The client's feedback is irrelevant to him/her because the client "doesn't really know what he or she wants anyway", and when confronted by marketers with "but doesn't the client know best" typically answers: "if the client was so smart, he or she would have my job." Analogies to royalty are often made such as "I need to have a 'king-to-king' conversation with the CEO of the other company." Usually enjoys speaking to crowds - doesn't much enjoy when the crowd speaks back.

- The Injury Lawyer with the Highest Verdict in the State He/she is the greatest thing in the history of the legal profession. There isn't a soul who hasn't heard about the $40 Trillion verdict. There are 100+ outdoor ads featuring this individual's face, including billboards, bus stops, benches and little league fields. Would not recall that customers existed, but for those nagging phone calls demanding a status on the settlement check. As the self-proclaimed best lawyer in the state, country and probably even the world, he/she automatically assumes any client that walks through the door will sign a retainer agreement immediately upon seeing the holy light of legal stardom shining down upon them.

You get the picture... I know, you want more characters, but it's getting late and I'm not feeling that creative right now.

The point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter who you are, or what type of business you are in. You have to make an effort to continually listen to your customer. Let me give you a personal example. Most doctors automatically assume that if they are good at what they do and accept the right insurance, clients will follow. Well, I happen to be slightly wary around doctors... phobia stemming from a mean doctor in my childhood, who knows? As a result, I find it extremely important that the doctor I see has a pleasant demeanor, in addition to other qualities. Now think about how a doctor would know that smiling more and being pleasant and positive is such a critical part of retaining my business?

It is no different with lawyers. One particular client may be your multi-million dollar opportunity that will propel your firm to stardom and this individual may walk out the door because something you deem to be trivial is important to them.

Now, you can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time, but stepping out of one's aura of importance and placing oneself in the shoes of the client is vital to building a successful practice. By being empathetic and truly listening to the client, you may learn things about his or her preferences that you never anticipated and can focus on your strengths that cater to this client's unique priorities.

When you go through the same motions: file claim against insurance carrier, submit demand package, negotiate, receive check - it is easy to fall into the trap that everyone should be treated the same way. A little extra care, listening and personal touch can earn you additional clients and the potential referrals that go along with them.

Lawyer Lead Generation: Tips for Using PPC to Deliver More Law Firm Leads

Law Firm Lead Generation

If you use PPC (pay per click) as part of your law firm's Internet marketing strategy, here are some tips you should keep in mind.

1) Remember that your laymen clients do not think or speak like lawyers. Actual key word phrases used by your target audience when seeking out a lawyer may differ considerably from what you may expect. For this reason, having an in-depth understanding of the search patterns of the demographic you are targeting is often a critical part of launcing a successful program.

2) Remember to include plural and singular variations of keywords, abbreviations, hyphenations, etc... For example, Westchester NY lawyer, Westchester NY lawyers, Westchester New York lawyer, Westchester New York lawyers and then do it all over with the term "attorneys" and "attorney", "law firm" and "law firms." As you can see in this simple example, the combinations become vast.

3) Check out your competitors for ideas. Not just for PPC strategies, but also for business insights. For example, is you are a law firm handling toxic torts, there may be an emerging harmful product or defect that may be revealed through a review of your competitor's PPC campaigns.

4) Start with a modest budget and always measure ROI. Unlike SEO, where analyzing periodic reports highlighting improvements of search result page rankings may suffice, PPC requires constant monitoring and adjusting. There is no such thing as the perfect PPC campaign - there is always room for improvement. Constant testing and modification is the secret to PPC success. The large law firm lead generators use it effectively because they have their finger right on the pulse of lead conversation rates

Whether you are spending tens of thousands of dollars a month, or just testing out a small budget, keep a constant eye on the vast data that is available and leverage your experience to continually increase your return.

For more information on improving your law firm's lead generation and maximizing return on investment please visit www.litigatoredge.com.

LitigatorEdge to Reduce Law Firm Internet Marketing Costs by More than 50%

LitigatorEdge Press Release:

LitigatorEdge, a leader in innovative law firm marketing solutions has launched a revolutionary program that allows clients to generate business leads at a fraction of the cost of comparable providers.

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http://www.prlog.org/10275600-litigatoredge-to-reduce-law-firm-internet-marketing-costs-by-more-than-50.html

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For more information on LitigatorEdge's Law Firm Lead Generation Services please visit http://www.litigatoredge.com/.