Recently, I wrote about the power of using opt-in forms to stay in front of your readers, and to position yourself as an authority in the legal world. If you haven’t already set up an opt-in form to capture your readers’ contact info, this should really be the next thing you do… even before you write another article or blog post.  Or before you add another page to your website.  Or anything.

Really, it’s that important.  I kid you not.

Now, if you have already done this, and you’ve started collecting names and email addresses, you’re probably sitting back wondering, “Okay… now what do I do?”

As I noted above, your email marketing efforts should serve two objectives: First, to make sure your subscribers don’t forget about you and your practice; and second, to cement yourself as THE bankruptcy lawyer in your area.

If your emails don’t serve both objectives, you’re just wasting your time.

Let me explain. You can provide the most beneficial, relevant information in the world… but if your subscribers aren’t opening your emails, they’ll never benefit from your expertise. Conversely, if your emails get opened, but they’re filled with nothing but self-promotional fluff, your subscribers are going to start ignoring you very quickly.

Here are 5 tips that will help you put the “marketing” into your email marketing efforts, while still providing your opt-in subscribers with useful content.

1. Use email marketing sparingly.When many Internet Marketers (including lawyers – and if you’re marketing online, you’re an Internet Marketer) discover how responsive subscribers can be to email marketing, they start shooting off emails every single day. Yes, your readers want to hear from you. Yes, they’ll be looking forward to the wealth of knowledge you share in each email. But they don’t want to hear from you every day. A good rule of thumb is this: Unless you have information to share that is important and time-sensitive enough to warrant a “special” message, keep your emails to twice per week.
2. Email consistently. Unless you’re sending out something special, try to schedule your emails to go out on a regular schedule.  Autoresponders should be programmed accordingly so that your subscribers come to expect and even rely upon your email showing up.
3. Spend enough time on email titles. No matter how much you know or hoe much experience you have under your belt, your emails aren’t going to be opened unless their titles catch the eye. Think about exactly how the email will benefit the reader… and distill that into a succinct, attention-grabbing title. Using numbers (“5 Ways to…”) and what’s-in-it-for-me phrases  (“How to…”) are excellent for telling why a subscriber should take the time to find out what you have to say.
4. Pull, don’t push. We all have to make a living, and lawyers do that by selling our services. Your content should naturally lead to the moment when your prospect agrees to become your client, and when money changes hands. Informative, useful content will draw clients to you; writing fluff content that doesn’t answer valuable questions will push them away.
5. Use email marketing to interact. Most of us tend to think of email marketing as a one way street – I write, you read. To truly draw in subscribers and turn them into paying clients, though, invite them to contribute to the process. Ask your opt-ins to tell what problems they want solved, what information they need, and what goals they want you to help them fulfill. You just might be surprised at the number of responses you get. This not only helps the readers feel valued, but it also helps you tailor your content to more effectively position yourself as the “go to” lawyer for your readers (and their circle of friends, family, and co-workers).

I’ve been using email marketing and autoresponders for the past five years in my bankruptcy practice, and can attest to the fact that when done right – it works like gangbusters.  Why?  Because it provides a valuable service to my prospects, creates demand for my help, and helps to keep my practice humming.

Photo by Mzelle Biscotte.

Related posts:

1. Why Sending Email In Plain Text Is The Smart Move
2. 3 Easy Ways to Grow Your Marketing List
3. I Wonder How Effective This Marketing Message Is?
4. 8 Ways To Market Your Law Practice With An Email Signature
5. 7 Ways To Profitably Use Email Marketing In Your Law Firm