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. 7 Ways To Profitably Use Email Marketing In Your Law Firm
2. 3 Easy Ways to Grow Your Marketing List
3. Why Sending Email In Plain Text Is The Smart Move

If you’re not getting visitors to opt-in, though, you’re missing out on a boatload of opportunities to connect with them.

I’m sure that you’ve seen that little box on a blog or website where you can fill in your name and email address (hint: look to the right of this page and you’ll see what I’m talking about). That’s called an opt-in form. Most of the time, the webmaster or blog owner will offer you some kind of bonus – a report or “how-to” guide, for example – to get your contact information. You get valuable information, and they get your email address, so it’s a winning proposition for everybody.

By voluntarily submitting your contact info, you become an “opt-in”. That means that the owner of the site can send you email without fear of being accused of spam (the email equivalent of telemarketing calls), as long as you’re told how you can opt out.

As a lawyer, why would you want to get your readers’ contact info?

Think about it from a reader’s standpoint for a minute. Let’s say you stumble onto this great blog, and it’s filled with useful, relevant advice that you can actually use. Maybe there are even a few products on the blog that you wouldn’t mind buying at some point.

You’re reading along, and mid-sentence, the phone rings. A potential client is on the other end, so you can’t really let it go to voicemail. So you take the call, meaning to get back to your reading in just a bit. The second you hang up, though, another call comes in… and then it’s time for a consultation… and then you have to be in court an hour later…

You can easily see where this is going. As useful and downright important as that blog was, you were pulled away from it by other obligations. By the time you’ve dealt with all of the phone calls and meetings, you’ve forgotten all about the blog. Maybe you remember a few days later, but then you can’t find it again.

Do you want your prospective clients to forget about you?

I certainly don’t.

This is where the opt-in form becomes such a powerful marketing tool. Offer your readers something of value – for example, a guide to handling credit card debt, or a report showing how to avoid mortgage scams – in exchange for their contact info. People will gladly share their email addresses if they know they’re going to get something useful out of it.

Once a reader has opted in… you don’t have to worry about wandering off and forgetting how to find you again. You can send them newsletters, announcements, email courses, free information …. anything that will benefit your subscriber. You’ll not only keep yourself (and your practice) in front of your readers, but you’ll also become the “go to” attorney because of the wealth of knowledge you share with your opt-in list.

Photo by Donna Grayson.

Related posts:

1. 5 Steps to Effective Email Marketing
2. Why Clients Don’t Like Your Law Firm Facebook Fan Page, And Why You Don’t Care
3. Would Anyone Care If You Closed Your Office?