Personal Injury Law Firm Marketing

What would happen if a hacker got into your information and you lost all of your content and contact? It is very important to protect your social content and contents. It is very stressful and hard to rebuild lost content and contacts. The following are 6 tolls that will help you prevent such a loss.

1. Backupity.com-offers regular backup of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and other files. It costs anywhere between $4.99-$19.99 a month.
2. Socialsafe.com-offers backup of Facebook, Twitter and other files except LinkedIn.
3. Archive Facebook-A free tool from Firefox that allows you to save actual pages from your Facebook page to your computer.
4. BlogBackup.com-A free tool that offers daily back up of your blog without installing any software.
5. Tweet Backup-A tool that does not require a Twitter account that allows you to archive 3,200 Tweets.
6. YouTube Downloader-Tool that allows you to download videos from YouTube and convert them to other formats such as MOV or MP3.

Click on the Video to learn more.

Simply writing a blog for your law firm is not enough. You have to diligently update your law firm’s blog with current topics, news, relevant information and some entertaining stories now and then that people may actually want to read. Your goal is to gain a strong readership in order to get your law firm and your legal blog out there, increase your internet presence, get noticed and have readers pass your messages along.
Here are three easy ways to gain more readers for your blog:
1) RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication)
2) Email Reminders – Add an opt-in form on your blog site for people to sign up and receive an email reminder each time a new blog post is published.
3) Sharing Tools – Make your blog easy to share. AddtoAny.com and Sharethis.com are hot buttons you can publish to your site that allow readers to share your blog with others and post it to other sites and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.
For more details on increasing your blog’s readership, click on the video.

Instead of just being tactical, you have to make sure that you are being tactical and strategic. You can’t just use numerous tactics such as yellow page ads, direct mail, newsletters, etc and expect results. You must have a strategy.

By not having and utilizing a marketing strategy, you are not getting the maximum return on your investment or marketing efforts.

Do you have a strategy? Ask these key questions:

1) What is your goal?

2) Who is your targeted client base?

3) What is their problem? What do they worry about? What keeps them up at night?

Once you know your audience, you can form your strategy and employ tactics to reach your goal. Do this by creating a specific marketing message that  1) Offers them a solution, and 2) Tells them why you are the logical and best choice as a lawyer to solve their problems.

To reach your prospective clients, use a theme when creating your ads. Your ads need to be clear, concise and consistent. The key to all this is to use your tactics in conjunction with a strategic plan. A theme will make your marketing message more cohesive and also play into your strategic efforts to convert potential clients into clients.

Click on the video to learn more.

Today consumers, are bombarded with advertising material on a daily basis and most have learned to just tune it out and ignore it. How are you supposed to reach potential clients and stand out from the pack?

I have formulated a five-step plan that guarantees potential clients won’t just pay attention to your advertisements, but they will even remember your name!

1. Create a U.S.P (Unique Selling Proposition)

A U.S.P is an absolute must-have for any business, especially a law firm. Your U.S.P. is a list of benefits or the number one benefit that you can offer potential clients that your competition can’t. Choose a unique feature of your law firm and tell your potential clients why it is so beneficial to them and focus on it in every advertisement.

Make it a compelling offer or guarantee that answers the question – “Why should I do business with you instead of the other lawyers in town?” This will put you at the top of their mind when they need the service you provide. Create a memorable catch phrase to present your U.S.P. in all your advertising material. Consistently using the same phrase or jingle will create an association between you and your message in the minds of potential clients. Make sure you keep it short, simple and concise.

2. Specialize

You can’t be all things to all people, so go ahead and become The Expert on one particular topic. This topic should also be the focus of your U.S.P. Your U.S.P. should become your mantra and you should use it in everything you produce. Put yourself out there, write articles, write a book, become a local expert in the media on your specialty.

This strategy doesn’t appeal to all potential clients, but then again, you shouldn’t try to appeal to everyone! This approach will attract clients who value your knowledge and expertise over your prices. Having a specialty is an easy way to assert your uniqueness and announce to potential clients how dramatically different you are from your competition.

3. Being First to Proclaim Uniqueness

Being the first to declare your individuality from the pack gives you a clear advantage. Until your competition follows suit, you are the ONLY one claiming to be different from all the rest. You are the customers’ clear #1 choice!

4. Make an Irresistible Offer

An effective U.S.P. boldly declares big benefits and illustrates your exceptional service. You have to promise potential clients something so valuable they will never even think of calling your competition. It must grab their attention, so even though they don’t need your services now, when they do in the future, they will remember you.

Studies have shown that some of the most motivating desires we have are for tranquility, vengeance, fairness and social justice. Choose one of these key desires, hone in on it and appeal to it in your U.S.P. Try to evoke an emotional connection with the audience making your offer irresistible.

5. Give Social Proof that Clients Prefer YOU

Use testimonials from previous clients in your advertising, they validate your claim that you can help potential clients get what they want. Testimonials make it easier to market yourself because someone else is doing all the talking. Even in states where the use of testimonials is prohibited in advertising, you can still use them in materials you send to prospective clients after they have initially contacted you. These responses are priceless for marketing your firm to potential clients.

These five steps will help you uniquely position yourself as the expert and #1 choice for anyone looking for an attorney in your area.

As Christmas is closing in, and the race for last minute gift buying is at its peak. Keep this Christmas classic in your mind.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (Legal Version)

Author: Unknown

Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain
improved piece of real property (hereinafter “the House”) a general lack of
stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel, e.g. stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and
around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/
St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter “Claus”) would arrive at sometime
thereafter.

The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House, were
located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations,
i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionery treats, including, but not limited
to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in
said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as
“I”), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the parts of the
second part (hereinafter “Mamma”), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained
period of sleep. (At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of
headgear, e.g. kerchief and cap.)

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the
unimproved real property adjacent and appurtent to said House, i.e. the lawn, a
certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of
the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the
cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of
wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter the “Vehicle”) being
pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8)
reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the
previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the
approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal
co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder
and Blitzen (hereinafter the “Deer”). (Upon information and belief, it is
further asserted that an additional co-conspirator named Rudolph may have been
involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer
intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences
located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle
was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or
nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or
implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the
chimney.

Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue
from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the
aforementioned packages, toys, and other unknown items. He was smoking what
appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances
and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor
children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts.
(Said items did not, however, constitute “gifts” to said minor pursuant to the
applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.) Upon completion of such task, Claus
touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of
the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as
“lookouts.” Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House,
the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: “Merry
Christmas to all and to all a good night!” Or words to that effect.

We at PILMMA hope you have a safe and very Merry Christmas!

As the new year rapidly approaches and the holiday season is in high gear, you can’t forget about your law firm. During this hectic time, you need to go ahead and plan the upcoming year’s marketing calendar, prepare your marketing budget and stick to it. One major factor that you must be sure to determine is whether you want to pursue major growth or concentrate on steady growth this next year.

This is a great time to meet with your staff and discuss the last year’s successes, near misses, and shortfalls, and plan how you are going to prevent them in the new year.  It’s also a good time to clean out and close files in order to become more organized and make the new year the most prosperous year for your firm ever.

Click on the video to hear more.

There are many things that you can learn from Tim Tebow and apply to your law firm. In order to run a successful firm you must persevere. You have to stay positive through everything and defeat all the odds. That teaches you how to become a great leader. To be a great leader, you must utilize your strengths and surround yourself with people who have different strengths. In doing this, you will create a strong team that will be loyal to you and face all obstacles with you.

John Fox teaches you how to adapt to new and challenging situations and make the best out of what you are given. Whatever changes come your way, either a law change or an ethical rule change, you must take what you have, adapt to it and make it great.

Click on the video below to hear more.

               The true origin of the ugly sweater tradition remains a secret. However, it has become the biggest holiday tradition, and a profit maker for many ugly sweater makers. It has become a tradition year after year, just like hanging lights on your porch or waiting until the last minute to do your shopping.

               Many of these wonderful sweaters come from grandmothers or that one odd family member, who thinks they are “GREAT!” and gives them as gifts. The sweater will haunt you all year as it sits in the attic in a dusty box until you acknowledge its presence at the one socially acceptable event of the year, “The Ugly Sweater Party.”

               This year at PILMMA we are hosting an Ugly Sweater contest. Send in a picture of yourself in your best and brightest ugliest sweater for your chance to win a $100 Macy’s gift card to buy yourself (or a friend) a more socially acceptable sweater.

               Also make sure you check back for updates on the ‘Bad Sweater’ that has come to haunt PILMMA’s office and has been lurking in places everyone, including ‘it’ knows it just shouldn’t be.

Remember, Remember the 7^th of December!

On a quiet December morning at the Pearl Harbor naval base, on the island of Oahu, the United States was attacked without warning by the Japanese, thus bringing the United States into World War II.

On December 7, 1941, 2,335 US servicemen were killed while 1,143 were wounded. 68 civilians were killed and 35 were wounded. Whereas the Japanese lost 65 servicemen and 1 was captured as a Prisoner of War. The attack lasted from 7:55am to 9:45am. It took only 110 minutes to cause chaos, disorder, panic, and grief to an unsuspecting nation.

The “Operation Hawaii”, later known as “Operation Z”, plans began as early as January of 1941 by Admiral Isoroku Yamaoto and chief architect Commander Minour Genda. The Japanese specifically decided to attack on a Sunday because they believed the Americans would be more relaxed and less alert on a weekend, their belief turned out to be correct. Stationed just 230 miles North of Oahu the Japanese launched their plans in 2 waves 45 minutes apart. One wave at 7:55am and the second wave at 8:40am. With a cry of “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!) by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese knew they had taken the US by complete surprise.

Aircraft carriers were the main target of the Japanese, but because they were out to sea, the battleships became their main objective. All seven US battleships were lined up in “Battleship Row.” During the attack the Nevada left its berth to try and make it to the Pearl Harbor entrance. After being repeatedly attacked, the Nevada beached itself. The Oklahoma listed so badly after it was torpedoed that it turned upside down. Aboard the Arizona, 1,100 US servicemen perished after it exploded when a bomb breached the ammunition room. Remarkably, with the exception of the Arizona and Oklahoma all of the ships were returned to active duty.

Another major target for the Japanese was the airfields. They hoped to minimize the US air counterattack by destroying as many airplanes as possible. The planes at Hickam Field, Wheeler Field, Bellows Field, Ewa Field, Schoefield Barracks, and Kaneohe Air Station were lined up along the airstrip, wingtip to wingtip and made easy targets for the Japanese.

Many US servicemen were either still in their pajamas or eating breakfast when the attack started. Many showed extraordinary bravery by trying to shoot down the Japanese airplanes from the ground. Everything was in such a state of disarray that when the Japanese left around 9:45am the US servicemen did not even realize the attack was over.

The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941 to be “a date that will live in infamy!” and the US officially declared war on Japan. With a rally cry of “Remember Pearl Harbor!”, US soldiers went to fight in World War II.

Here at PILMMA we would like to thank all of the Veterans and active duty service men and woman who have fought and are still fighting to keep our nation safe from attacks such as this. We wish all those still serving a safe return to your families and for those back on US soil, Welcome Home, and once again to all Veterans.-Thank You.

If you’re contemplating whether or not to use a newsletter to market your firm, contemplate this decision no more. As I’ve mentioned before, newsletters are one of the easiest, cost effective and efficient ways to stay on the minds of your clients, generate referrals and gain new business. You have two options to choose from for your newsletter format. You can use either a regular newsletter or an e-newsletter, or both!

Before deciding which type to use, make sure you take a look at both and think about how your clients and prospective clients might look at it. Some might like receiving a printed newsletter in the mail, while some might be more comfortable reading it on their computer screens or smartphones.

Both formats have pros and cons. Check out the table below:

PROS

CONS

If you are still unsure as to what type you should use, maybe ask your clients which they like the best. You could do a survey for instance. By using both formats, you are fulfilling the technology needs of some and still providing value for those who prefer the more traditional methods of communication.

A recent study involving 50,000 employees found that two out of every five employees are dissatisfied with the balance between their work and personal lives. Lawyers topped that list!

Attorneys have numerous responsibilities that require countless hours which all contribute to the “lack of balance” in their lives. They are frustrated by many factors including lack of time to spend with family and friends, working harder but making less, and missing out on the pursuit of personal interests.

When you take a vacation, do you notice yourself constantly checking emails, texts, and voicemails? Do you find yourself responding to work related messages or even cutting your vacation short because something came up at the office?

If you said no, you’re one of the few. Unfortunately, being preoccupied with work while on vacation is an all too common occurrence for attorneys.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Here are some tips for balancing work and a personal life:

• Develop both a personal life plan and a career/practice business plan.
• Don’t take your work problems home with you.
• Work Smarter- Not Harder! Improve your time management skills.
• Tend to your physical health – make it a priority.
• Be sure to enjoy life and pursue interests and hobbies that do NOT involve practicing law.
• Learn to relax. Take time each day to focus solely on relaxation. Even if it’s just enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper in the morning before heading to work…Take time to relax.
• Delegate. That’s why you have employees!
• Turn off email notifications and cell phones when spending quality time with family and friends. When on vacation make it a point to only check work related emails, texts and voicemails once a day and only if truly necessary.

To see more tips click here

Remember, you must take responsibility for your personal happiness. There’s no time like the present to make YOU a priority!

Go play golf…take a mini vacation or maybe a staycation…go to a football game…or simply go out to dinner with your family and friends. Whatever it is, just enjoy yourself and don’t let work rule your world.

What is the most difficult part of running a successful law firm for most attorneys?

Marketing!

Whether it’s a lack of marketing, the wrong type of marketing, not enough time or money, or not having the knowledge to produce effective marketing for the firm.. all attorneys could use some help in the marketing department.

For this week’s Bright Idea, I wanted to share some vital information from one of PILMMA’s Advisory Board members, Trey Ryder, who specializes in education based marketing for attorneys. For those of you who have attended our conferences or read our bi-monthly magazine, The Marketing Insiders’ Journal, you are no stranger to just how valuable Trey’s tips can be for your firm. His article, 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make, lists 17 mistakes you want to avoid at all costs. Trust me.  A few of these fatal mistakes are touched on below.

• Relying solely on referrals. By doing so you are essentially allowing a middleman to control your flow of clients.
• Delivering an incomplete marketing message. If your message lacks even one essential element, your efforts will fail. Before implementing any marketing plan make sure you have clearly defined what your specific message is.
• Not effectively reaching target audience. Be sure the marketing you are implementing is actually reaching your targeted clients. Also, test each method on a small scale before investing completely. This will ensure the method is reaching your target audience and that you are receiving a beneficial response rate.
• Not making marketing a priority. If you don’t have the time to focus on your marketing strategies and efforts, make marketing a priority for someone in your office. Designate a certain day and time to discuss your marketing strategies and what you hope to accomplish with your efforts. You need to have a goal and a plan.

Any firm can excel in marketing, big or small. So do not underestimate your ability to do so based on your budget or firm size. Follow Trey’s advice to avoid the 17 fatal marketing mistakes that lawyers make and you will be on the path to building your firm and increasing your profits! To view the full article text click here.

Halloween is full of tradition and superstition. It’s celebrated around the world in many ways and continues to be a custom that lives on in many cultures – with many Americans planning for Halloween parties and costumes year round, not to mention the staggering fact that Halloween candy sales are projected to hit a record $2.3 billion this year! Needless to say, it’s a time for dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating, attending parties with friends and family and eating candy with no guilt.

Unfortunately, Halloween also exposes our children to many dangers prevalent in our current society. Here are a few safety tips to ensure a fun, safe and memorable Halloween for you and your family:

• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Always walk in a group or with trusted adults.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you and your children.
• Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. And definitely limit the amount of treats you and the kids eat – Halloween is great fun, tummy-aches and sick children aren’t.  
• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and for others to see you.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks whenever possible.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid homemade treats made by strangers.
• Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult.
• Wear well-fitted masks, costumes and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls.
• If you use face paint, make sure you test them before applying them to your face or your child’s face. You don’t want to deal with skin irritations and/or allergies.
• And last but certainly not least – Have Fun!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Getting the Most Out of Networking at Conferences

                Attending a conference is a great way to further educate yourself and your staff while gathering information and catching up on the latest technology, marketing and management trends. But most importantly, a conference is a great opportunity to network. Conferences provide excellent environments for making new contacts, reconnecting with old ones, meeting fellow attorneys, marketing experts and vendors while learning new and different ways to promote your own firm – And all the while you’re increasing your chances of getting referral cases! How? By networking.

In an article by Sharon Merit Abraham on Law.com, she explains how to get the most out of each conference you attend. Here are a few of her points:

• Seek Out New Relationships – Be sure to attend conferences that have people in attendance who you can either do business with, learn from or hire to perform specific services for you. It doesn’t matter if they are attendees themselves, speakers or exhibitors, as long as you have a common ground and can form a mutually beneficial relationship.
• Identify Key Players – Find out who the presenters and vendors are and who is expected to be in attendance prior to the conference to identify if there is anyone with whom you’d like to meet.
• Schedule Meetings – Schedule meetings with people you’ve made contact with previously who will be in attendance at the conference. This is a great way and time to to reconnect.
• Be Prepared – Bring plenty of business cards and make sure all the information printed on the cards is correct and up to date.
• Practice Your Approach – Some people have never met a stranger. Others have a very hard time meeting new people and get nervous when speaking to a stranger. If you get nervous, practice speaking with people locally or role play within your office to prepare yourself for meeting new people.

Another plus to networking at conferences is having a chance to meet with your vendors, find new vendors and see who your competition’s vendors are. It’s always a good idea to keep an open mind at conferences and take a look at all the vendors – even if it only consists of the obligatory exhibit hall walk through – you never know who may catch your eye and end up being the difference for your firm. Gather any and all materials of interest to you, even those that you are unsure of. When you return to your office, make yourself a file of all the contacts and vendors you met at the conference. When the time comes for you to find a vendor for a particular service, just pull your file. I guarantee this will save you time, money and a lot of headaches.

Don’t miss ANY social events. Be sure to attend all mixers, cocktail parties, luncheons, and dinners held during the conference. These events are great ways to make initial contact with new faces and take part in the joy of seeing familiar ones. Social events offer more of a relaxed environment for initial greetings than seminar rooms, classrooms or exhibit halls.

Lastly, none of these networking tips will do you any good if you do not follow up with the contacts you make at the conference! When you return home, be sure to send an email, make a phone call, write a personal note or even plan a lunch meeting if applicable. Just be sure to take some sort of action to acknowledge and maintain the relationship and further the communication initiated at the conference.

When you attend PILMMA’s Fall 2011 Summit in Las Vegas, October 14th & 15th, remember these tips and take advantage of all the networking opportunities provided to you there. Help your firm grow – learn new and exciting marketing and management strategies, make new relationships expanding your referral base and increase your contacts – fellow attorneys, speakers, vendors, etc…everyone there will be ready to network. And now, thanks to these tips, you will be too. See you in Vegas!

If you haven’t already signed up for the Summit  click here for more details on what and who to expect where, along with how to register.

Email marketing is based on the same principal as newsletter marketing – maintaining top of mind awareness with your clients and potential clients. You want to be THE firm people think of or call instantly when something happens in their life and they need legal advice.

Email marketing can be simplified and automated to the point where it requires very little work. This is one of the great benefits of email marketing. The time and money spent on it will be far overshadowed by the return! The best way to create an effective email marketing campaign is through the use of auto-responders. The use of auto-responders requires people to opt-in or request to receive your emails. They typically do so by filling out a form on a “Contact Us” page or opt-in form on your website offering a free book, free report or free consultation.  Don’t have a “Contact Us” page or opt-in form on your website? Read this to find out why you MUST have these on your firm’s website.

Using a contact and email management system like icontact or AWeber enables you to set-up emails to be sent to specific people at specific times. Most of the work occurs on the front end so you must carefully plan your email strategy, then write the emails and create appropriate sequences for delivery. You must also create and install the “Contact Us” form on your website. This will require some work with your IT or website development company/department but it will definitely be worth the time, money and effort.

Once the system is set-up, those who opt-in will automatically be sent the emails you have lined up in the sequence. I suggest you create different email sequences based on the types of prospects, cases, clients, past clients and even how long someone has been a prospect. The most important thing to remember is that all emails MUST provide value to the recipients. They must educate or help them in some way. If your emails purely sell yourself and your firm, then email marketing will not work for you, in fact, it will hurt you.

By reminding prospects and clients of who you are and providing them some sort of value with each email, you are nurturing your relationship with them ensuring that they know and trust you and your firm.

Are you currently using auto-responders? If so, what results you have seen? Let us know!