To my friends at Avvo – a company that is doing lots of interesting stuff in the world of user-generated content – I ask why there isn’t some sort of spam filter on the outgoing contact requests.
In lots of systems, I can’t send a message with my email address or phone number through many services. There’s got to be something better here, Avvo.
I’ve been teaching legal marketing strategies to bankruptcy and consumer protection lawyers for a few years now. Some of my clients have done very well for themselves, and I’m proud of that.
But during this time I’ve had a chance to watch how lots of other legal marketing consultants do things. Not all of them, mind you – just a vocal and select few.
So much of what I’ve seen makes me sick. It taints the legal marketing profession and makes the entire industry look like nothing more than a bunch of snail oil salesmen.
Last week Google rolled out Google Plus, a social network that’s being called a “Facebook Killer.” Whether it is or is not remains to be seen, but this latest entrant into the social media space by the search giant is likely to have an impact on the future of how we interact on the web. I’m not saying Plus will take over the world, though; it may fail entirely, in which case it would serve as yet another testing grounds for Google for a future social media play.
As lawyers begin to get their Plus invitations and set about playing in this new field, there are likely to be questions and the common “what the hell is this Plus thing?” sentiment that we’ve experienced time and time again. To help you along, I’ve decided to put together this guide to some of the cornerstone posts from around the web about Plus.
Google Launches Google+ To Battle Facebook (Mashable)
Google Plus Sparks – Staying Up To Date On What Matters To You
Google: Plus Or Minus? (Geoff Livingston)
Google Plus: Is This the Social Tool Schools Have Been Waiting For? (ReadWriteWeb)
Sorry Guys! I Love Google Plus, but it’s Destined to Fail (BuzzOm)
Google Plus (Google+): The Painful Realization (Social Media Today)
How To Invite People To Google Plus (Tutkiun!)
How to mention someone in the Google Plus
How To Video Podcast Using Google Plus Hangouts (Phandroid)
How To Blog With Google Plus (Chris Brogan)
How To Share Google Plus(+) Posts On Facebook And Twitter? (Buzzing Up)
Google Plus Tips And Shortcuts (Local SEO Guide)
How To Update Facebook From Google + (Without An Extension) (But Seriously …)
I’ve been playing around with Plus over the past few days, trying to make heads or tails of it. For now I think it’s a potentially valuable tool but it all comes down to the network effect. If enough people join Plus and start using it then it could be fantastic, what with the ability to silo your contact groups and direct conversations to the right people rather than vomiting it out to an entire stream of thousands of folks who couldn’t care less.
Look for more from me. Until then, enjoy. I’ll see you on Plus.
You hire a search engine optimization company to get your law firm website to the top of Google. But is search engine optimization becoming more a matter of who you know?
The cornerstone of your law firm online marketing efforts is, as of this writing, Google. And if your law firm website isn’t at the top of the search engine results page you may as well take your ball and go home. Hit the top organic spot and you’ll grab about 56% of the clicks for the search term. From there, the potential client is yours to lose.
But here’s the thing: what you see when you search online is not what I see. In many cases it’s not even close.
If you don’t already know about it, you need to understand Personalized Search. Once you do, you’ll see the true value of using social media platforms and building your law firm website ranking the right way.
Your judge issues a ruling that spells disaster – or a amounts to a blessing – for your clients. You have two choices: tell them now or tell them later. Which do you do?
The answer’s simple. You want to tell everyone this very minute. Get on the phone and have your staff do the same. Get the word out right now, get the clients in the door and help either avoid peril or take advantage of a windfall.
Now. Not later. Not tomorrow. Right. Now.
You could send a letter, but that’s going to take a few days. If the impact is far-reaching, you could call the local paper but that means you’re going to need to sell a reporter on a story and hope that you make deadline.
There’s no time for that.
Now.
But what if there were a way to put the information out there right now without any fuss?
There is. The over-hyped term is, “social media,” but that sounds like people talking about what they had for breakfast and playing Farmville. All worthwhile pursuits, but not in the business context.
We have the power to communicate with people who care about what we have to say. We hold in our hands the tools to speak with them right now.
Don’t pay attention to the tools. Those are just things you can learn about.
Don’t think about the technology. That’s just going to freak you out.
Think about the power of now. And how it can help your clients, your practice, and your bottom line.
How do you feel about now – now?
Image credit: mag3737/Flickr
Would you work with a legal marketing company or lead generation service that also works for industries that oppose yours? That funds causes in which you don’t believe are right and just? That clash with your moral fiber?
If you’re marketing your law firm online, you know the goal is to get prospective clients to call you. Some lawyers take the time to learn about email marketing and lead generation, but others decide to just hire a company to do it for them. At a flat rate this company will send you all inquiries to their website for people who need help in your area. They bear the responsibility to get people to visit their site, and you pay only when someone needs you.
If you’re looking at a simple way of marketing your law firm online then you know there are a few lead generation companies that offer this legal marketing service. Some perform well, others … well, not so much. Make your decision according to how your chosen vendor performs. Easy business decision. If the marketing pays off, stick with ‘em.
But beneath the surface, there’s a hidden layer you want to know about. Namely, whether the lead generation company is really on your side.
As a bankruptcy lawyer, I’m not so fond of debt settlement companies. Clients come into my office with tales of how they paid out a bucket of cash to a company only to find out that none of their debts got settled. Some have gotten sued during the settlement process, others have successfully handled only a few credit cards but not the rest – making the process useless as a way of handling their bill problems.
If I were looking for an lead generation company for my bankruptcy practice, I’d want to be sure that it wasn’t also feeding the debt settlement industry. Not that there’s anything wrong with debt settlement folks using a lead generation service for their marketing – I’d be shocked if such a service didn’t exist – but rather because I want my chosen vendors to share my point of view.
Same thing if I found out my pre-bankruptcy credit counseling company was working with racist organizations. In my mind that’s are just plain wrong.
There are marketing companies – lead generation, website development, search engine optimization and the like – that cater to most fields of law. I work primarily with consumer protection and consumer bankruptcy lawyers. It’s what I know best, so it’s a natural fit for the lawyers I work with.
Though I recognize that the forces that seek to undermine the value of consumer bankruptcy have their own business interests, I don’t see a need to help them out.
How does that sit with you?
Image credit: mind on fire/Flickr
There’s a market leader in your town. Bigger, friendlier, louder advertising. Office is centrally located.
When someone thinks about the solution you provide, you’re an also-ran if that much.
But what spin can you put on things to differentiate yourself and make it a market of one?
Take a hit song. Every note is perfect, the tune sticks in your head, and it’s at the top of the charts.
Why should someone listen to your version?
Because it’s different in some way.
Like this, for instance (warning – not safe for work lyrics).
If you’re getting this by email or on your RSS feed reader, watch the video by clicking here.
Your resume used to serve as your introduction to a potential employer. Your brochure, business card, letterhead and the like controlled your client’s perception of your abilities.
You controlled the message you sent out to clients, colleagues and the world. The skeletons were safely tucked away in the closet.
Not so anymore.
Who you are, what you stand for, your opinions and beliefs are all online. Feedback from clients and colleagues and the entire trail of your life story can be found with a simple search.
Maybe you use Facebook on a daily basis. Perhaps Twitter is your style. Or you have a blog and create content. It can – and will – all be found.
Your privacy settings don’t matter because someone could get a subpoena for your social media history.
That gripe session you had on Facebook last year can easily be made public. And that picture your buddy took last weekend at the bar? Well, he or she is going to tag you in the photo for the world to see.
The disdain you showed for a client, adversary or judge will pop up in the search results.
What happens in Vegas definitely does NOT stay in Vegas, my friend. And over the long-term, it defines who you are to many people.
Nothing is private once it’s online. If you put it online, do so with the expectation that someone’s going to see it.
The Internet gives you the opportunity to tell your story.
What story are you telling the world?
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When I'm not working with other lawyers, I'm out there helping people in the fields of consumer bankruptcy, debt collection abuse, and credit reporting errors. [Read More …]
