Google+ Puts Facebook on Notice
Google announced on Wednesday that users will steadily begin to see some new features added throughout the social network and in doing so they beat Facebook to the punch. Apparently Facebook was expected to announce some changes of their own soon, but Google+ has put the social network king on notice.
In an effort to “run with the big dogs” here are some of the enthusiastic changes Google+ has made to their design:
- Consistency Across All Devices – more than 90% of people move between multiple devices to accomplish a goal. While Google+ had consistency between its tablet and mobile apps, its web platform is now more cohesive with these other devices.
- Multiple Columns – Google+ users may see up to three columns depending on the size and orientation of their screen. Users may now view their main Google+ stream, their personal profiles and the Google+ Business Pages – one, two or all three at the same time.
- Larger Sized Media – Certain media content such as photos and videos will sometimes span the width of the full Google+ stream. How Google+ decides which media content gets featured more prominently remains unclear. Cover photos for both personal profiles and business pages have been blown up considerably. This means marketers need to be sure to use high resolution photos for their business page’s cover photo. Google+ suggests cover images be at a minimum 480 pixels wide and 270 pixels tall.
- Animations – Several features such as the slidebar navigation and the sharebox are animated which will increase the interactivity of the social network.
- Related Hashtags – (Marketers pay attention…there will be more on this later.) Google+ has added a feature which will automatically add hashtags to the content you share. Google+ will determine what your post is about, hashtag it and then rank relevant conversations across the network. By clicking on the hashtag, viewers can explore a particular topic even further, a feature Google+ was lacking until now. Users also have the ability to add their own hashtags or remove the ones Google+ generated.
- Stand-Alone Hangouts App – It is now a free, stand-alone app which includes text, photo sharing and live video. There will be expansive, more responsive messaging, conversation histories and notifications will sync across devices.
- New Photo Features – Very cool features include automatically backing up pictures taken with mobile devices, weeding out bad images and highlighting the higher quality photos and automatically sequencing photos into a single collage.
While we agree, Google has made some pretty cool redesigns there are three main marketing themes to pay attention to:
An Emphasis on Context
Context is a very hot topic for marketers these days. Leveraging contextual information to inform your inbound marketing can make it much more powerful and effective and Google+’s new features such as related hashtags are decidedly aimed to deliver more relevant and contextual content to its users. This is a marketing advantage. Tagging Google+ posts with relevant hashtags can make your content more discoverable.
Importance Placed on Content Discovery
Sure the related hashtags will bring an element of discovery to the table, but the newly-tiled Pinterest-like redesign of Google+ allows for more surfacing, easier content discovery and better scannable content. Marketers should recognize there is a higher chance that the visual content they share may get featured more prominently than text-heavy content.
Greater Emphasis on Visual Content
Visual content is very effective in social media so the takeaway here for marketers is pretty straightforward – invest in visual content creation. When you consider the chance that Google+ may feature your visual content more prominently, you have the opportunity to stand out from your competition in Google+ streams.
Seeing What No One Else Can See
Below is an interesting article by Dan Kennedy. Dan has always understood in order to achieve something in life, you must first believe that you can achieve it. Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But Dan’s own success is built on just that principal. Read on for an inspirational, albeit somewhat tongue and cheek, look at where a positive attitude and a lot of imagination can take you.
Seeing What No One Else Can See
By Dan Kennedy
“Wealth comes to the man who can see the potential for wealth. – Napoleon Hill
Does this seem goofily obvious? Maybe it is. But then why are so few people rich in a place
and time of virtually unlimited opportunity? The fact is, most people see things only as they are.
I live in a luxury resort community developed by a guy who made his mark and his fortune
creating such communities in areas of cities no one else saw as a valuable; in low income areas, up the sides of craggy mountains with no flatland to build on. The great visionary entrepreneurs like Walt Disney and Bugsy Siegel and Sam Walton had few personal characteristics in common, but they all had this prized ability to see what others could not even imagine.
I think the first place you have to be able to see potential for wealth is in the mirror. Most people look in their mirrors and see someone destined to finish as is. They do not see a millionaire waiting to hatch. There is no doubt in my mind that the picture you see of yourself virtually governs what you become. If wealth is on the agenda, you’d better see a wealthy person, a wealth magnet, a person deserving of wealth in the mirror.
Then comes the ability to identify the opportunity in a given set of circumstances where most others are unable to spot it.
There are “formulas”, by the way, that keep getting applied in slightly different ways, over and over again. Consider the trend of the past ten years or so, largely led by just a couple of development companies, of going into decrepit downtown industrial areas, converting warehouses and abandoned docks into entertainment areas full of restaurants, night-clubs, offices – like The Flats in Cleveland, Inner Harbor in Baltimore, etc. I’d call this the “Ugly Duckling Model”, getting rich by turning ugly ducklings into swans. Conrad Hilton started out by taking on aged dowagers hotels and transforming them. Al Davis did it successfully during the glory days of the Raiders by taking on “outlaw” players nobody else wanted. A few years ago, I was walking through an arts-and craft show somewhere and stumbled across a guy doing a pretty brisk business selling planters made out of old, worn out cowboy
boots he’d rehabbed and decorated – as I recall at about $100 a hit. Look around, you’ll see this Formula at work.
DAN S. KENNEDY is a serial, multi-millionaire entrepreneur; highly paid and sought after marketing and business strategist; advisor to countless first-generation, from-scratch multi-millionaire and 7-figure income entrepreneurs and professionals; and, in his personal practice, one of the very highest paid direct-response copywriters in America. As a speaker, he has delivered over 2,000 compensated presentations, appearing repeatedly on programs with the likes of Donald Trump, Gene Simmons (KISS), Debbi Fields (Mrs. Fields Cookies), and many other celebrity-entrepreneurs, for former U.S. Presidents and other world leaders, and other leading business speakers like Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and Tom Hopkins, often addressing audiences of 1,000 to 10,000 and up. His popular books have been favorably recognized by Forbes, Business Week, Inc. and Entrepreneur Magazine. His NO B.S. MARKETING LETTER, one of the business newsletters published for Members of Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle, is the largest paid subscription newsletter in its genre in the world.https://gkic.infusionsoft.com/go/newmifge/hardison
If It Ain’t Broke…Break It!
Too long without change is rarely good. Alfred Pearlman, a railroad industry executive in the late 1800’s wrote:
“After you’ve done something the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it out and start all over.”
The pace of improved change and speed of needed change has grown rapidly since Mr. Pearlman wrote the above quote. Today, he might have been talking in terms of months rather than years.
Everyone has heard the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Well, my motto has always been, “If it ain’t broke, break it.” The Japanese overtook quite a bit of US industry with their Kaizen’ commitment to constant improvement. We Personal Injury Lawyers have seen some incredible changes year to year over the past five years. For example, the emergence of the Internet, You Tube, social media and the decline of the yellow pages.
To be really successful, you must sometimes embrace unwelcome change instead of complaining, and that’s not easy. There is a battle we wage with ourselves and it’s impossible to make a complete change overall.
The trick is to have a fluid and flexible ‘change list’, small, medium and large: today, this week, this month and this year, that you are actively working on.
The key is to see your practice not as something that is in constant flux and in need of improvement. Be invigorated rather than intimidated or depressed by the constant changes that need to be made. My dad used to say, “You can never rest on your laurels, you’ll fall down every time!”
Sure, we all get into our comfort zones so to speak. And it is very easy to stay there, especially if you have experienced success with the methods you have used. But why settle for just good enough? Can you imagine the possibilities you might just discover if you decide to shake things up a bit and try something fresh and different.
Everyone is capable of learning something new…you just have to be open to it. And the possibilities are endless. This is one reason why you should come to our 2013 PILMMA Super Summit, June 6th-8th at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center and Hotel in Myrtle Beach, SC. Our Summits are always loaded with the latest in law firm marketing and management techniques and strategies. Our agenda features only the top experts and the most relevant topics guaranteed to change the course of your law firm for the better. So decide right here and right now that you are going to make that change!
And there is absolutely nothing to lose…as always our Summits are backed by our 100% Ironclad Guarantee. If by lunch on the second day of the Summit you feel that you are not completely satisfied, we will refund your registration fee and up to $500 in documented travel expenses.
Looking forward to seeing you in June!
Avoid the Pitfalls of Social Media
Social media seems to be taking over the world these days. Most people we know have at least a Facebook and Twitter account. In fact, for many this seems to be the preferred form of communication these days.
It would make sense that social media would trickle down into the work place as well. Sure, many firms have their own social media sites for marketing and publicity purposes. But even if your law firm doesn’t use social media, it can still be affected by what your employees post about your firm and litigation.
Your employees need to know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable when it comes to social media. When it comes to posting anything online, remember that nothing personal is truly private; hence the term “social media.”
Whether your firm has a social media policy in place or not, please join me Wednesday, May 1st at 1pm (EST) as I present the webinar “Social Media Policies for Your Law Firm Employees.” Go to https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/695874679 to sign up for this very informative and important webinar.
If you want to avoid the pitfalls of social media, then do not miss this webinar.
Dedicated to your success,
Ken Hardison
It’s the Little Things That Mean the Most
Today is Administrative Professional’s Day and PILMMA employees were surprised with a fantastic lunch at Islamorada and a gift card each. But you don’t need a special day to celebrate your staff and show them how much you appreciate them. Little things here and there mean a lot. After all, a great staff can make all the difference in the world. Small gestures like taking a day each month to celebrate all the birthdays for that month or setting aside time during staff meetings to “dish out” praise can really go a long way and benefit you in the end. These ideas are simple and may seem “obvious” but everyone needs and wants to feel appreciated.
Remember, take care of your staff and they’ll continue to take care of you and your clients.
For more ideas on how you can show your staff appreciation, check out the “Management Mindset” in the upcoming May edition of the PILMMA Advisor.
Is Your Law Firm in the TV Danger Zone?
As you probably know, PILMMA founder and president Ken Hardison is also a Personal Injury and Disability lawyer from Raleigh, N.C. who has been practicing since 1982. He began marketing on television in 1998 and took his firm from 2 lawyers and 3 staff to 13 lawyers and 42 staff in less than 6 years. During that same period he increased his revenues by 1600%, primarily through the use of TV ads and other marketing methods. During that time and in the time since, Ken has had some realizations about lawyers and TV advertising.
While TV advertising still has its place in the world of law firm marketing, Ken has seen some “dangerous” trends emerging over the last few years and warns that lawyers focusing too narrowly on television marketing may be losing sight of the importance of a comprehensive marketing plan. He believes that even the smartest, most successful attorney can learn something new from someone else.
Think about it….with the advent of TIVO and DVR’s, viewers are able to by-pass commercials entirely, cutting out a portion of the viewership attorneys were used to having. Does this cripple the once undeniable larger than life TV lawyer? Of course not. Nor does it cripple the other guys out there who simply dabbled in TV spots here and there. Technology is enabling attorneys to advertise in ways that they would never have imagined possible in the past – mobile apps, social networking, etc etc. Ken is convinced that the best marketing design is a wide-ranging plan that will reach all demographics regardless of their access to technology or lack thereof.
Ken’s advice and marketing knowledge are in high demand and routinely sought by other attorneys, colleagues and marketing experts. One such colleague is Ben Glass. Ben will be interviewing Ken today, April 22nd about the dangerous trends in TV advertising facing lawyers. Attorneys in Glass’s network will have an opportunity to pick Ken’s brain and learn from someone who has “been there and done that”. Ken has created a brief about these 5 Dangerous Trends and he would like to share it with fellow attorneys who are feeling the pressure of how to best market contingency based law firms in this increasingly competitive market.
For your copy of Ken’s “The 5 Dangerous Trends Facing Lawyers Who Advertise on TV” simply email info@pilmma.org and put “5 Trends” in the subject line and Ken’s exclusive brief will be emailed to you immediately. For more information about PILMMA’s upcoming 2013 PILMMA Super Summit and how you can test drive PILMMA for FREE, call 800-497-1890 or go to www.pilmmasummit.com. This year the Summit has been expanded to 3 days and features keynote speaker Erin Brockovich in addition to a stellar line up of legal marketing and management experts. If you’ve ever thought about getting involved with PILMMA, now’s the time.
Are You Going to Far To Have Internet Domination?
Are You Part of the Cool Crowd? How Social is Your Law Firm?
With social media infiltrating every aspect of our lives, not utilizing Facebook and other forms of social media could leave a huge gap in your marketing plan. There are many business benefits to using these avenues as part of your firm’s marketing campaign.
It’s a great opportunity for new client acquisition and a way to engage potential clients by communicating promotions and serving as another interception point that can be leveraged to entice potential clients with your service. Social media also provides another potential interception point to build a relationship with your client.
Social media can act as a portal point for driving traffic to your website and other online properties and takes “word of mouth” advertising to a whole new level…nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. And then of course, there is the “cool factor” In today’s world do you really want to be a business who doesn’t market using social media? Just by having a presence on social media you could enter a potential client’s sphere of influence and this could end up being one of many deciding factors as to why they select you.
It’s also a useful tool for seeing what users are saying about your firm which allows for reputation management. Your Facebook profile can now be indexed in the search results and as a result can provide another favorable listing in the organic search results of the engines.
Want to learn more? If you’re a PILMMA member, join PILMMA president and founder Ken Hardison April 17th at 4pm during his teleseminar with Kim Walsh as they discuss the benefits of marketing through social media. Walsh, an award-winning speaker, author and strategist, is the CEO of IO Creative Group, a results-driven marketing and PR agency. A self-described “techie marketing geek”, Walsh has a passion for marketing with an emphasis on ROI. Kim has helped some very well-known brands, Harley-Davidson, Chem-Dry and Hilton Hotels, to increase their revenue through direct response marketing. She is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, “Awareness Campaigns Are Stupid: Other Insider Secrets to Stop Being An Advertising Victim and Start Monetizing Your Marketing.” Kim has also been featured in many media outlets including NBC, Fox, CBS, NPR and the Palm Beach Post.
If you are already using social media, Ken and Kim will pinpoint what you can do to optimize your results. For those not yet on the bandwagon, they will guide you through the steps you need to get started.
This teleseminar is just a sample of what you will experience at PILMMA’s 2013 Super Summit, June 6th-8th, at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center and Hotel, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Keynote speaker Erin Brockovich will headline a superstar lineup of speakers. The 3-day affair promises to be the biggest and best legal marketing and management event of the year. For more information please visit www.pilmmasummit.com.
For a full list of PILMMA’s past teleseminars or Super Summit information, please contact Valerie or Jessica at 800-497-1890 or valerie@pilmma.org / jessica@pilmma.org.
Are You Google Bamboo? Watch out for the Panda!
They’re at it again and it really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Google is updating its algorithm constantly but as long as you’re already doing the following key things, you needn’t be shaking in your SEO boots. You have nothing to fear from the latest Panda update.
Google Panda first came bursting through our SEO doors on February 24th, 2011 and if you were part of the unlucky crowd, you saw a massive decrease in your site traffic. Since that initial update there have been 23 further updates with the latest happening on January 22nd, 2013. Google will be making Panda a part of its overall continuous algorithm which means that future updates won’t be as intense as they have been in the past and will be less noticeable by marketers. By the way, they will be weighing social sharing heavily in their algorithm moving forward, so this could mean great things for those of you that have clients that share your content on a regular basis.
The following are things that Panda has changed drastically. If you’ve already adjusted your website and SEO procedures, you’re all set. If not, then you might want to take these into consideration sooner rather than later:
Thin Content
Panda’s major targets include websites that have little original content. Sites that are 90% ads or consist of content purchased from “content farms” will definitely feel the force of Panda.
Sites with little to no original content are useless to online users and Google wants to make sure that only the best sites with fresh, relevant content appear at the top of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
Duplicate Pages to Target Keywords
Sites that have internal duplicated pages caused by either URL parameters or webmasters trying to be sneaky will also feel the wrath of Panda. Panda seeks out pages that are duplicated to target multiple keyword variations.
For example, you’re trying to get your law firm site to the top of the SERPs, so you may feel inclined to create multiple identical pages to target one keyword per page. Be warned – Panda will find you and crush you.
High Ad Ratio
Sites that have a lot of ads above the fold, making the user scroll down to find the content will more than likely draw the ire of Panda as well.
Empty Web Pages
Having empty web pages can be caused by a multitude of factors, from internal functionality to general housekeeping issues. Having a dedicated SEO specialist either in-house or out-sourced should be able to alleviate all of those problems leading to empty web pages that could hurt you when it comes to Panda parameters.
Purchased Links
This practice isn’t typically used as often as it used to be, but if you’re purchasing inbound links, then you could possibly be a target for Panda. This practice favors those sites with the most financial backing and not the sites with fresh, relevant content. This is shady SEO business, so if you’re buying links, don’t be surprised if you feel Panda creeping up on you.
The updates listed above are ones that you should already be aware of and if you had issues, you should have already remedied them. If you are still having issues, then the following tips can help you become prepared for future updates:
Replace Thin Content
To identify content that may be at risk, use your analytics tool to build a custom report that shows all of the pages that have few visits. The pages with the least amount of visits are not adding real value to your site, and could be an indication of poor quality. If you find pages like this do the following:
- Make them more valuable by adding quality content that will attract more visitors.
- Redirect them to other pages that have similar subjects but with better content.
Fix Ad Ratio
If you have a lot of ads above the fold then you will want to consider moving to a template that puts the content up top and uses the ads more intelligently or even getting rid of the ads all together.
Regular Spot-Checks
If you have a huge site and have complex functionality pages then you might run the risk of having empty pages and issues that could affect the quality of your site. Have a regular SEO audit that looks for things that could hurt your SERP rankings either by an in-house SEO specialist or outsource it.
Avoid Sneaky Techniques and Shortcuts
Don’t put your firm’s site at risk by implementing an SEO practice that seems too good to be true (it usually is). Don’t take shortcuts, do the work and spend the time creating a quality site so you won’t have to worry about the next big update Google is bound to come up with in the future.
Google Panda is a site wide penalty which means if you have a couple of poor quality pages then your whole site can be penalized. Even though it is possible to recover after the Panda attacks, it is easier and more cost-effective to put the work in for a high quality site in the first place. Make sure you are creating a site that has fresh, relevant content that your potential clients want to come to and more importantly showcases you as the expert in your area.
“Wouldn’t Be Where We Are Without PILMMA” – Francis Jackson – SSD Lawyer Marketing Testimonial
Francis Jackson has a successful SSD and Veterans’ benefits law practice in Portland, ME. Francis has been a member of PILMMA and one of our Mastermind Groups for several years and he stopped to talk to us at our Fall 2012 Summit in Las Vegas to explain why his membership and connection with Ken Hardison is so valuable to his practice.
Francis Jackson
I’m Francis Jackson, I’m from Portland, Maine. I do some Social Security. I do some Veteran’s work. I’ve been doing this for about 35 years. We have an office that we do most of New England for Social Security.We do the Veteran’s stuff nationally and PILMMA has been a huge help in all of that.
One Idea From Ken Made Our Caseload Explode
I’ve been attending PILMMA events for five or six years now and I find it very valuable and keep getting good stuff. Ken Hardison put me on to one idea, about a year ago, that’s just made our Veterans caseload explode. He does a great job with PILMMA.
On The Mastermind Group
It’s a great program, you know George Sink when he was talking today, I thought he really got the essence of it. He said “It’s just so good to be able to talk with other people who understand the kinds of issues that you have and the kinds of decisions that you’re trying to make and have been though some of it and have their own experience and expertise to offer and can offer you the results of their mistakes”, as he put it, and that’s been incredibly helpful.
We wouldn’t be where we are right now without PILMMA. You know what happens is, and George Sink and I were talking about this this morning, what happens is you get exposed to these ideas and then as you go on you see how you can integrate that into your practice, suddenly the light bulb will come on and you say Ah-ha, that idea that so and so had, if I do that in this context, I’ll bet that’ll work for me, and that’s how it works. It’s really great stuff.
Would Take Me A Long Time Without The Mastermind Group
My membership in the Mastermind Group at PILMMA has been extraordinarily helpful. It’s really opened my eyes to a lot of ideas and concepts, both in terms of marketing and in terms of managing the firm, that if I had ever come to them at all on my own it would have taken me a long time and I’ve had the benefit of the experience of people who are at different stages of growth from where I am and have heard what they went through to get there and at the same time even those of us in the Mastermind Group who specialize in things other than personal injury have been able to use a lot of the ideas that get expressed there.
How Much Would Someone Have to Pay You To Stop Being A Member of PILMMA?
Who knows, it would have to be a lot. That’s all I can tell you.
Francis Jackson
Jackson & MacNichol, Portland, ME
22nd September 2012
The Truth about Masterminds
Perhaps you’ve heard me speak about Mastermind groups, and how crucial they are to the development of your law firm. I’m actually preparing to attend one this weekend (and we just held our PILMMA Titanium & Platinum Mastermind meetings as well), so I figured, why not share one of the brightest ideas I think a lawyer could have….
As someone who has been Masterminding for several years, I must say that joining a Mastermind group is the best business decision I ever made.
The first and probably the most basic question you may have is: What is a Mastermind group?
A Mastermind group can be best described as one part board of directors and one part peer-advisory committee. It is a group of likeminded individuals, typically entrepreneurs and business owners, who come together to contribute to each other’s success. It’s the POWER of the Mastermind experience that can lift your mind and vision to enable you to see things that you otherwise could not, and help you grow your firm into the firm of your dreams.
It’s easy to feel isolated as an entrepreneur and it’s difficult to find peers who understand your challenges and issues. I have personally been enriched with ideas and plans that might otherwise have taken me years to finally figure out on my own, if they would have even occurred to me at all.
There are two reasons why some people hesitate to join Mastermind groups – time and money. It might be hard to envision dedicating the necessary time to meet with your group, and the monthly fees may be the last thing you think you need to take on. However, in experiencing Masterminding, I not only benefited enormously from the experience, both in terms of doing more business (reimbursing me many times more than the cost of the fees), but I also started working smarter on my business and therefore, the time I dedicated to each meeting was also dramatically reimbursed.
Now that we’ve discussed what is a Mastermind group we need to discuss what does a Mastermind group do?
The group meets face-to-face and all distractions are removed in order to focus on the process and titles, egos and income statements are all checked at the door. The group exists for only one reason – to advance and further the success and wealth of its members as a whole.
Each member has the opportunity to present an issue of concern or to bounce new business ideas off the group in a safe and worry-free environment. Members report on what they have accomplished and implemented since the previous meeting and this accountability is an important part of the Mastermind process and is a useful way to measure progress between meetings. This type accountability can be a powerful motivator in taking action in your law firm.
It is not unusual during each meeting to have every member experience at least one, if not more, “Aha!” moments. You will see members feverishly writing down these breakthrough ideas and strategies to take back with them to implement in their law firms.
There is no doubt that being part of a Mastermind group can help grow your law firm in ways that you can’t even imagine, and at speeds that seem impossible.
If you’re interested in learning more and feel that you have what it takes to become a PILMMA Mastermind simply email info@pilmma.org for more information.
“Before PILMMA, I Had A Crappy, Stressful Job” – Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins, owner of the Frank Jenkins Law Office in Lexington, KY, sat down to talk to us about PILMMA at our Fall 2012 Summit in Las Vegas. Frank has been a member of PILMMA for a number of years.
Frank Jenkins
Before I joined PILMMA it felt like I had a pretty crappy, very stressful job.
I’m Frank Jenkins. I was born and raised in Lexington Kentucky. I practice law there. I have a small firm, a couple of lawyers and five support staff. It’s the Frank Jenkins Law Office – Personal Injury, motor vehicle, SSD, Workers Compensation are the main things that I do with an emphasis on motor vehicle injury cases.
I don’t put on like I’m that smartest lawyer in town. What I do claim is that I and my staff – nobody out-works us and we work hard and we move cases fast because that is what the clients want. They don’t care about what a great legal scholar you are. They want their case done well and fast. And that is what we do.
Ken Tells Me To Do Something, I Do It
And I tell ya, all kidding aside, I have over the years, I don’t know how many, 4 or 5 years that I’ve been been a member of Ken’s organization, I have, like George Sink said yesterday, they tell me to do something, I do it. I have implemented 80% at least of what Ken Hardison has suggested and it has worked wonders for me. I’ve got a small shop but it has allowed me to create a marketing machine that is, at this point is – it’s not self-sustaining but to a degree it is. It runs itself. If you came to my firm and I showed you everything that I do from a marketing standpoint, you know, virtually everything there I got from Ken.
PILMMA Gave Me Systems That Generate Leads And Cases
Really, before I hooked up with Ken and PILMMA, getting cases was always more haphazard. I would have to take referrals that were not advantageous, I would have to take cases that I really didn’t want to do. But now, since I’ve been a member of PILMMA for years, I’ve got the systems in place that generate the leads and generate the cases so I’m not constantly stressed out about wondering where the next case is going to come from. Because you know they come and that’s made things a lot more fun, a lot less stressful for me. I take off a lot more time – vacations, long weekends. I take off about seven or eight weeks a year. I work hard when I’m there, but I take a lot of time off and I really couldn’t do that before I hooked up with Ken because I was always stressed out about worrying and scratching around trying to find my next case.
PILMMA Systems Mean The Office Runs Great When I’m Not There
Since I’ve been a member of PILMMA and have put all of these marketing systems and management systems in place, that I continue to work on, but it’s never perfected, I’m always continuing to try to improve. I do feel like I’m running a successful business as opposed to, you know some people have said, you go out on your own and you just traded one job for another. When you go out on your own you just become your own employee and you are kind of doing the same job. Now I feel like I’ve got a business that I’m running when I leave the office for a week, my staff has the systems and the knowledge to keep it running. The office runs great when I’m not there. Sometimes the staff says it runs better when I’m not there, they like it better when I’m not there, which is great with me! I love to check in midweek from a vacation and the staff tells me “We’ve signed up 8 cases in the last 2 days since you’ve been gone.” It doesn’t get any better than that!
There’s No Reluctance To Share Everything In A Mastermind Meeting
The Mastermind Meetings, the biggest benefit of that is that close contact in a pretty small meeting room with the other members and you get to become good friends with those people. You get to where you know their business, their firm really intimately and so you stay in touch and can just check in with each other and see how things are going, you know maybe they’ll try something and you check in with them it’s either going great or it’s not. Not everything works and you can run it by them to decide whether maybe you want to start something, some kind of a marketing push, but it’s very valuable to have that close contact with people who are from states all over the place and so it’s not direct competitors. Because competitors from your own state or your own region in a state, they’re going to tend to withhold stuff because they’re your competitor. That’s understandable – I wouldn’t hold it against somebody from Central Kentucky not wanting to tell me everything they’re doing, but when you’re meeting with somebody from Nebraska, Florida, Texas or Baltimore Maryland, there’s absolutely no reluctance to share everything, so that’s nice.
PILMMA Has Increased My Income
I think that my association with PILMMA has made a tremendous difference in increasing my income, my gross firm income, my take home. It’s improved my systems to where my overhead is less and it’s greatly improved the number of cases I have and the money I make. Without a doubt my quality of life is improved. I’m a big, I’m a true believer of their organization. It’s been great for me. I’m not getting anything for doing this, it’s just the truth. I’m a HUGE fan of Ken Hardison and PILMMA!
Hey, I am a Charter Member of the Ken Hardison Fan Club, no doubt!
Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins Law Office, Lexington, KY
22nd September 2012
Why You Need a Call to Action on Every Ad You Produce
This past January I was asked to speak at the National Trial Lawyers Association in Miami about the importance of a Call to Action. A Call to Action is simply telling someone to do something that you want them to do. People love being told what to do. If your marketing piece isn’t telling your potential clients exactly what you want them to do, then you are wasting your marketing dollars.
Call to Actions must be urgent, clear, concise and contain a strong action verb.
Examples include:
“Call us TODAY!”
“Click HERE For Our FREE Report”
“Download NOW!”
Research has shown that if you include a Call to Action, the response rate for that particular marketing piece will go up from approximately 20% to 76%.
Bottom line…if you aren’t including a Call to Action in every single marketing and advertising piece you produce (direct mail, emails, websites, etc.), then you are entirely wasting your budget.
Learn just how important Calls to Action are to your law firm by clicking on the video below.
10 Ways to Show Your Clients Some Love…
This Valentine’s Day, when love is in the air, we thought it appropriate to share with you some ways to ensure that your clients feel appreciated. After all, where would you be without them?
Now, this doesn’t require that you do something lavish or expensive. Sometimes it’s the simple things that people appreciate the most.
- Send out greeting cards (Happy Birthday, Happy Valentine’s Day, etc…)…taking the time to acknowledge someone makes them feel special.
- Family follow-ups (send personalized notes…a child’s graduation, a sick family member, a new baby…)…this says to your clients, “We value you as an individual…you are not just a case number. You are important to us.” Ask for pictures of their recent special events or milestones and post on your Facebook page.
- “Client Appreciation Day”… Treat your clients to lunch or set aside a Saturday and provide food and entertainment for your clients and their families at a local park.
- Send out promotional items (t-shirts, cups, office supplies with your logo)…they get free goodies and you get free advertising – it’s win-win!
- Kind and attentive staff. A friendly voice on the phone or greeting them warmly when they walk through your doors goes much further than you might think. Go the extra mile to meet your clients’ needs.
- Provide case updates. Stay in touch with your clients at least every 30 days. Even if nothing much has changed, a brief phone call or email lets your client know that their case is still important to you.
- Keep your office clean and inviting. A messy office sends a negative message.
- Set aside a section of your newsletter to thank clients for referrals. Maybe include a picture of your client. Word of mouth advertising is the best and a little recognition will encourage your clients to continue referring family and friends.
- Follow up with your clients after their cases are settled. Let them know they weren’t forgotten. Send them some nice promotional items.
- Send a survey & offer a promo item as a thank you. By seeking feedback from a client after their case is closed it shows them that you value their feedback, and throwing a little swag their way never hurts. Plus, you’ll get some good insight into the client experience you’re creating!
Groundhog Day: Funny movie…not so funny for your firm!
For those of you who have seen this classic Bill Murray movie, you get my reference. For those of you who haven’t seen this movie, Murray is an arrogant TV weatherman who wakes up every day to find himself in a time loop, repeating the same day, Groundhog Day, again and again.
Have you ever felt like you were spinning your wheels, working harder, but just never really getting anywhere? Many of us are living our own Groundhog Day…reliving the same day over again…not changing, not noticing and NOT GETTING RESULTS.
Take a moment to look at how you are marketing your law firm? Are you doing the same thing day in and day out? Has your marketing flat-lined? Are you tired of losing days and money? Of course you are! So stop it. Today. Break the cycle.
You owe it to yourself and your staff to shake it up, try new things and dare to take some chances! Try one or all of these things and I promise you, each day will be a new and rewarding experience:
1.) Stir up your social media. Sharing links and retweeting have their place, but try something different. Say something that stirs the pot. Believe it or not, people respond positively and respect businesses that really put themselves out there and stand out from the rest. Be that business. Be that law firm.
2.) Put great content out there. Write a press release for your local paper. Submit an industry blog. Get people’s attention with appealing content. When someone asks you about your firm, I would bet that you have a lot to say don’t you? Well, put that information down on paper…you’ll probably surprise yourself with how much you really have to say and just how relevant you can make your thoughts to others.
3.) Do what the politicians do…campaign! Get out into the community, shake some hands and meet some people. Get involved with local functions, sponsor community events (charities, fundraisers, etc…) or join a business organization such as your local Chamber of Commerce. This is an awesome way to increase your visibility and achieve priceless word of mouth advertising. Plus, this gives you the chance to share great ideas with other innovative business people and walk away with a few fresh ideas yourself!
Want to change your day? Change your firm? Change your life?
Change your thinking.
How many times have you heard the phrase, “We’ve always done it that way”? You may have even said it yourself. If it’s not getting you the results you want, then why are you still doing it? Who cares if you’ve always done it that way – obviously “that” way isn’t working.
What about doing it “this” way? The next time you hear it or catch yourself saying it, turn things around…don’t continue to live the same day over and over again. Nothing will change unless you do.
No shadow for the groundhog on Saturday calls for an early Spring, so there you go – it’s time.
Break away from the shadow of the way you’ve always done things.
Break the cycle. Today is a new day.
Sustaining Motivation When You’re Struggling
As January comes to an end take a moment and ask yourself this question…
Am I holding true to my New Year’s resolutions or have I already started to renege on them?
Answer that question honestly. If you don’t, you’ve already set yourself up for failure in 2013. The following are things to remember to keep yourself on the right track or to motivate you to start acting on those resolutions if you haven’t already.
1. Hold Yourself Back.
Whenever you start with a new exercise program, or any new goal you’re usually raring to go, and full of enthusiasm that knows no bounds. It’s not too long after, that you learn that you do have limitations and your enthusiasm begins to wane. Instead of going all out at the beginning hold yourself back. Only let yourself do 50-75 percent of what you want to do and plan a course of action where you slowly increase your daily end goal. This will help you stay motivated and will help you keep a steady pace.
2. Just Start.
Sometimes this is the simplest yet hardest step to make. Having the idea and the plan all laid out is great, but actually setting the plan in motion can be your biggest hindrance. Be it fear or laziness I’ve met many great business people that cannot seem to get it together when it is time to put the plan to action. They get bogged down with the smallest details that they miss their golden opportunity. Trust me the first step is always the hardest, but once you take it, you will gain momentum and become a force to be reckoned with.
3. Stay Accountable.
Keep in mind that you hold your staff accountable for their actions and in turn they also hold you accountable as well. If you say that you are going to do something…do it. It’s that simple.
4. Replace Negative Thoughts with Positive Ones.
Make yourself aware of how many negative thoughts cross your mind in a day. Learn how to squash those negative thoughts as soon as they start to pop up and replace them with positive thoughts instead. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with “I can do this! If that wimp on TV can do it, so can I!”
5. Think About the Benefits.
Don’t focus on how hard a task or project is going to be. Instead focus on the overall benefits that will come to your office if you complete the task or project. Always look at the end result when you are starting a project. Every time you hit a bump in the road keep reminding yourself that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and all of the trials and tribulations that it took to get there will be worth it in the end.
How Effective Is Your Referral System?
I’ve said it numerous times: having a good referral system is essential to your law firm. When I say this I am not only referring to having current clients refer you to their friends and family, but I’m also talking about reaching out to local doctors and other lawyers that don’t compete with you as well. The key to a referral system is to be consistent, steady and patient because good things do not happen overnight. It takes time and effort on your part for any system to work properly.
The following is a good system to have in addition to your current referral system:
- Take a doctor or fellow lawyer in your community out once a week for breakfast or lunch and instead of asking for referrals, ask them what you can do to help them with their business.
- See if there is anything you can do to help the doctors deal with personal injury attorneys to make their clients feel like they are being taken care of.
- See if there are any ways in which you can help refer cases to another lawyer who is not your direct competition.
- The key to all this: People love talking about themselves. Get them to talk about themselves and really listen to what they are saying. Once they feel you care, they will be more than happy to help you out with referrals.
Always remember to follow each referral you make with a note simply stating “I referred John Smith to you I hope everything goes well. “ This instills the Rule of Reciprocity – whenever you do something for someone else they will feel obligated to do something for you. Really, it’s a win-win.
Watch the above video to learn more, and if you really want to take your referral system to the next level and really put your networking skills to good use, join us June 6th-8th in Myrtle Beach, SC for our Super Summit. Visit www.pilmmasummit.com to learn more.
Are you throwing your marketing dollars out of the window?
John Wanamaker, a department store owner in the late 1800’s – early 1900’s was quoted saying, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” John would be very happy to know that isn’t the case anymore.
One of the fundamental keys to success for your firm is marketing. With all of the resources available to you in this day and age, it’s your own fault if you don’t know exactly where your marketing dollars are going and what brings you your biggest return on investment. Having a great marketing piece means nothing if you can’t track the results of your efforts. How else are you going to know where to concentrate your efforts.
View this week’s Bright Idea for tips and tools to help you better track your marketing dollars.
If your marketing department needs an overhaul with fresh new ideas and new implementation strategies then you need to attend our Super Summit, June 6th-8th in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Trust me marketing isn’t as easy as you may think.
Happy Holidays!
We here at PILMMA would like to extend our holiday greeting to you and your families and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Our office will be closed Monday, December 24th – 25th so we can spend time with our loved ones.
Thanks for a great year and we look forward to seeing you in 2013!
Dedicated to your success,
Team PILMMA
The End Is Near…Supposedly
The End Is Near! Or so we are supposed to believe. According to the Mayan calendar and dooms-dayers the world will cease to exist after this coming Friday, December 21, 2012. I personally believe it’s a load of malarkey, but this should serve as an avid warning to you if your firm is NOT where you want it to be.
Notice how many people are avidly preparing for something that they aren’t sure will happen. It’s a hunch, and just about as believable as big foot, but whether or not you believe you’ll make it past noon on Friday, you need to be prepared for what Monday will hold, as well as what’s in store for 2013.
Before you can even begin to plan for 2013 you need to sit down and ask yourself these critical questions:
During this year did you double your caseload?
Increase your marketing presence?
Create extensive referral programs?
And most importantly did you solidify the branding for your firm?
After you’ve asked yourself these questions you can begin to work on your business for 2013. If your firm is not where you want it to be or maybe experiencing its own doomsday, then you really need to reevaluate your business plan.
Come to our Super Summit. Period. Plain and simple. Come. To. The. Summit. You need to be here in person June 6th-8th in Myrtle Beach, SC. We are going to be covering everything from Mass Torts, PI, SSD, the ins and outs of Legal Marketing & Management, and everything in between!
Because we know for a fact how important this event will be to you & your practice, we are offering a bonus of $200 off your admission price. View it as our “Beginning of the World Sale”… simply because for every end there is a great beginning.
Visit www.pilmmasummit.com and use the code EarlyBird when registering. Want to save even more? Become a member of PILMMA and get $200 off the member discount price.
Ask any successful lawyer out there today and I guarantee you that they will attest to this… it takes time and due diligence to make a name for yourself as a lawyer and even more time and due diligence when it comes to staying on top.
Go to www.pilmmasummit.com. Download the attached form and return it to the office.
Just like 2012, this extra discount will be gone before you know it.
An Important Don’t for Your Firm
If you really want to know the best SEO procedures then you need to come to our Summit in June. Visit www.pilmmasummit.com for more information.
Black Friday…Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday has come and gone…or so we think. With more and more consumers purchasing things online, retailers have added an extra day to their “Super Shopping Sprees” notably called Cyber Monday. Pretty soon stores will be open on Thanksgiving and Black Friday will turn into a weeklong shopping event.
Since more and more people are doing their shopping online then it would be right to say that more and more people are looking up businesses online as well. You have to be noticeable not only on Smartphone’s with an app but also with an intriguing website that will capture your potential client and keep them there.
You have to have proper systems in place from your marketing department making sure that all of your marketing messages are clear and concise to your intake staff providing exceptional service from the time your client calls into your firm to well after their case has been closed. Make sure that you hire Superstars and train them properly.
If your finding yourself having trouble with these aspects of your firm then you need to come to our Super Summit June 6th-8th in Myrtle Beach, SC. The biggest mistake that you can make is forgetting that your firm is also your business and you have to take care of both
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with friends and family and to take a moment and notice all of the things that you are thankful for.
As the year draws to a close we here at PILMMA would like to take a moment and thank all of our members, speakers, exhibitors, business partners and anyone in-between for helping make PILMMA the best Legal Marketing and Management firm out there for Personal Injury and Disability attorneys.
We hope that everyone has a safe and happy thanksgiving and we wanted to share with you this interesting video we found containing Thanksgiving facts that you might not know.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Let your voice be heard! Vote!
Americans all across the nation are lining up to vote. Your vote is your voice as an American citizen. It’s your opportunity to be heard, to hold elected officials accountable for their decisions and to have a say in important issues that affect your community. On Election Day, every vote matters.
Many people have fought and continue to fight for our right as Americans to vote and decide who should represent the United States on the World Stage. Don’t waste this golden opportunity to have your voice heard. It is your privilege and right as an American citizen to vote. So go out now to your local polling station and VOTE!
Have A Spooktacular Halloween
As you start to fill your bowls full of candy to hand out to miniature Thor’s and Barbie’s we just wanted to share a few interesting facts about the origin of Halloween.
All Hallows Eve or Halloween’s roots lay in the Celtic festivals of Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”). These festivals marked the beginning of the New Year, the end of the harvest and many Celts believed that the souls of the dead were able to cross over into the world of the living.
Halloween began to arrive in North America by force in the 1840’s. By the late 1800’s Halloween in North America developed into family festivals and parties. Seasonal foods such as pumpkins, maize, and apples where served and costumes were being worn by all members of the family. To keep primarily young boys from vandalizing property (toilet papering houses, knocking over fences and mail boxes etc) big block parties, dances and carnivals were created to help keep them out of trouble.
Now-a-days Halloween has different meanings for different ages. If you are child that means you get to dress up as your favorite character and drag your parents around the neighborhood and get free candy. If you’re an adult it means you get to have one “care-free” night and enjoy dressing as your favorite character.
We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Halloween.
Don’t Get Blown Away By Sandy
Being from the South we know just how destructive and devastating a hurricane can be. With the development of the massive cold front and Sandy colliding into one another creating a “Franken-storm” as they called it, we here at PILMMA wanted to be sure to send our thoughts and prayers out to our members who located in the Northeastern/New England areas.
Here are a few tips on what to do after a hurricane:
- Don’t get too anxious about going outside, wait for the all clear. Most deaths occur when people get too anxious about getting outside to survey damage. Be careful, take your time and be aware. You could come into contact with downed power lines or unstable trees, etc.
- Do not touch fallen or low-hanging wires of any kind under any circumstances. Stay away from puddles with wires in/near them. Do not touch trees or other objects in contact with power lines.
- USE PHONES ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES. Call 911 only for life-threatening situations.
- Call police or utility companies immediately to report hazards such as downed power lines, broken gas or water mains, overturned gas tanks, etc.
- Watch for weakened roads, bridges, tree limbs or porches which could collapse unexpectedly.
- After power is restored, check refrigerated food for spoilage. (Spoiled food can be the cause of much sickness from two days to a week after a storm.)
- When reinstalling a CB, TV or satellite antenna, check in all directions to be sure no power lines are nearby. The same goes for climbing trees to clear debris.
- Do not operate charcoal grills, propane camping stoves or generators indoors.
If you’ve had to close your firm due to Sandy – don’t worry! Most likely your clients are more worried about their homes and families than their cases at the moment. Try to get in contact with your staff to check in with them if you haven’t already heard from them. If you or they have to work from home until you have the all clear to return to your office, make sure you keep the lines of communication open as much as possible and try to be understanding of everyone’s situations whether you are affected personally or not.
We hope everyone is safe and we wish you all a speedy recovery from the storm.
Team PILMMA
Happy Boss Appreciation Day!
Whether you love your boss or you hate your boss they are an intricate part of your day-to-day work life and they help mold and shape your career and even you. They will push you to your limits and will drive you to excel and bring out the best in you. Before today comes to a close, we want to take a moment and say thank you to all of the bosses we’ve had throughout our lifetimes and most importantly to the one we have today, our very own, Ken Hardison. Without him as the ring leader of this crazy circus we call PILMMA, many of us wouldn’t be here today. He truly makes the ever-changing and sometimes volatile world of legal marketing and management a rich, enjoyable environment in which to learn, grow and thrive. Be sure to thank your boss today before you turn off your office lights.
We’d also like to share this poem with all of you bosses out there. Know that you are appreciated. Thank you for all you do.
For A Great Boss
This day is special and it’s just for you
To tell you how much we appreciate you
We cannot tell you how happy we are
To have you, the Boss, just the way you are
We have someone who listens to us
We have someone who guides us through
The problems could have never been simple
If you had not given us the confidence to fight them through
You have accepted us the way we are
You have made us perform and make that mark
The joy of success has always prevailed
Because the failure distinctively got nailed
We are a team and we love to perform
We like to take the bull by its horns
We now know how to rock
Because we have you as our Boss
This day is special and it’s just for you
To tell you how much we appreciate you
We cannot tell you how happy we are
To have you, the Boss, just the way you are
- By Unknown Author
