Growing your law firm in 2023 is going to be more complicated than in past years. While face to face interactions, dinners and formal presentations are effective, they take time. That’s your one asset that’s the most scarce. There are only so many opportunities to do these types of activities. It’s why firms rely on other forms of marketing, including websites, legal directories, videos and more. You need a tool, or series of tools, promoting your firm’s brand 24/7. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you’re missing a key component.

A February article from JDSupra, highlighted excerpts from a December 2022 report, “22 Legal Marketing Statistics” by Good2BSocial. The report focused on the top 200 law firms in the US. Two stats immediately jumped out:

I found this interesting, as someone who produces custom-branded podcasts for law firms, financial and accounting professionals, healthcare professionals and others. In the Louisville market, I also service 2 law firms that actually have 2 separate podcasts.

So, the obvious question is, does your firm have a podcast? Has your law firm found its voice? If not, how much longer are you going to continue missing out on one of the most effective, content marketing tools available to you?

Are you looking for a way to step up your small business marketing?   You might consider HOW you convey information.  Let’s talk about it; literally.

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Business Case for Podcasting.  Today, we’ll focus on integrating a podcast into your social media marketing plan.

Rather than being disruptive, a podcast will augment your current social media activities.  The audio content from your episodes can function as stand-alone posts for Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media marketing channels.

You also have the option of extracting audio snippets to be used as posts or teasers, linking to other content assets.  Most of my clients are releasing 2 episodes per month.  That cadence blends well with existing posts, videos and other forms of messaging.

Integrating a podcast into your social media marketing campaign enables you to change the format of HOW you communicate.  As marketers, we understand different people respond to different cues.  Text-based, video-based and audio-based messaging provide a broader mix for your channels and the impact of those content-marketing efforts.  It may actually boost the engagement with and following of your brand.

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The elevator speech is a simple, concise tool you can use to start conversations.  It’s extremely helpful when networking, especially at social gatherings.  Maybe you’ve heard the term “elevator speech” but haven’t actually developed one for yourself.  The brief video, below, provides some information about the idea, it’s primary objective, and how you can use it to open the door to new clients.

I gave another CLE at the Louisville Bar Association focused on helping attorneys to grow their practices.  The presentation was titled:  Selling 101 – Proven Methods to Increase Your Client Base.  One of the topics focused on the importance of an elevator speech.

The concept is simple.  Assume you and another person are on an elevator.  As the doors close, the person asks, “So, what do you do?”  You know there’s only a brief moment to explain it, but you have to do it in a way that engages the person.  Your elevator speech should be a concise description.  Most importantly, however, it should elicit a follow up question such as, “That’s interesting, how to you do that?” or “Hmmm, what kind of clients to you have?”

Remember, you don’t have a lot of time, so finding a way to stand out – or to become “memorable” – opens the door to a potential new client.  A quick exchanging of business cards, maybe a request to grab coffee, or some other way to begin a conversation is full of potential.

An elevator speech can be extremely effective a social events.  You don’t want to aggressively “work the room,” but a few extended conversations may lead to important business relationships down the road.  Always keep in mind that your next lead may be someone this person knows (e.g. a colleague, family member, etc.).

I usually recommend that you practice your elevator speech until it’s clear and consistent.  Once you have it down, try it out on some friends to see if it makes sense.  If your description is so vague that it confused the person, you can refine it.  Better to have some “test runs” before you actually use it with someone you don’t know.

The below video is an excerpt from my recent CLE presentation.  I hope you’ll find it helpful as you continue to grow your client base.  An elevator speech is just the beginning.  For more information on business development for your law firm or small business, feel free to read the other posts on my blog.  If you have specific questions, please contact me on my cell phone at (502) 208-9639.  I’d be happy to arrange on opportunity to meet with you.

Video Can Be Impactful in
3 Seconds or Less

Nielsen confirmed it.  Video marketing has a significant increase on the impact of your overall strategy.  It works even if the viewer only watches for 3 seconds.  Let me repeat that: …even if the viewer only watches for 3 seconds.

A recent Marketing Land article summarized the Facebook-Nielsen report:

“Study shows significant lift in ad recall, brand awareness and purchase intent even among people who view the video for zero to three seconds.”

“That means even people who never watched the video, but did see the impression, were still impacted by the ad.  And, as expected, lift increased the longer people watched the ad.”

“Every part of a video view – from the initial impression to a complete video view and everything in between – drives value.”

So what does that mean for law firm marketing?  Video marketing is something you need to consider for 2015 and beyond.

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Check Your Telephone Tracking Numbers to Avoid Missing Valuable Calls

Warning: If you’ve ever switched website vendors, this post may cause your eye to nervously twitch. Many businesses use “tracking numbers” to help them identify the source of new client leads. These numbers are placed on websites, billboards, in newspaper ads and other media. When a prospective client dials that number, it rings into your normal switchboard. The advantage is the firm or practitioner can later track calls back to a specific ad, listing or source.

Generally speaking, I’m a proponent of using tracking numbers to help determine the return on investment (ROI) for marketing and advertising tools. But you’ve got to remember to keep track of your tracking numbers. Upon request, the phone company (or a vendor) assigns the numbers from a random series. When they are no longer being used, the tracking numbers are recycled and eventually get reassigned to other businesses.

I had to deliver some horrible news to a client this week. His firm moved his website from a large marketing company to a smaller boutique firm. The boutique firm simply copied the content to the new website format, updated the phone number at the top of the page and launched it. This happened almost a year ago. You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?

The client used tracking numbers on his original website, some of which were integrated into the content on the site, not just listed at the top of the site. Once the client left the large marketing company, he lost the use of those tracking numbers (one local and one toll-free). Those were also the numbers on his Contact Us page.

The boutique firm never bothered to look for other phone numbers on the site.  No one realized the need to verify all of the numbers on its new client’s site. Had that been done, the firm would have quickly realized that it needed to update the tracking numbers, or simply use the client’s main number.

There’s no way to estimate the lost revenue sustained by the client.

When I first engaged with him, he stated emphatically that his call volume was down significantly and he couldn’t figure it out. In one of those “don’t shoot the messenger situations,” I had to tell him one of his website’s contact numbers has been helping prospective clients to inadvertently call an air-conditioning repair company in an adjacent county. The toll-free number simply wasn’t in service.  Did you just get a chill down your spine?

I’m proud to say that my team did in fact catch his previous vendor’s mistake. And yes, we’re also happy to be working with him as a new client.

Don’t be afraid to implement tracking numbers into your marketing and advertising campaigns. The benefits and insights far outweigh any risks. Just remember to keep track of the numbers and where they appear.

If you’ve recently changed any of your vendors or plan to use previous ad copy in a new advertisement, take a few minutes to test the phone numbers. I’d recommend you also send test emails from the new contact links.  It’s helpful to note which contact link you’re using by listing it in the body of the test email.  For instance:  “This email is being sent from the website contact us form.”  You should alter it to identify test emails sent from a specific online profile (which is different from your contact us form).  After you’ve sent the emails, you’ll be able to identify any missing versions, which may indicate an incorrect email address in the contact link.

I know what you’re thinking, but these kinds of issues do happen. Don’t assume your vendor is handling it. Take a few minutes to audit all of the phone numbers on your website. Ignoring this simple task can have a devastating impact on your business.

If you’d like to discuss your business challenges, I’d be happy to meet with you. I consult with clients about marketing & sales, business development, vendor issues, internal-process improvement and related topics. My correct phone number is (502) 208-9639.