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Turn Your Legal Website Into a Profit Machine

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You spend thousands of TV advertising dollars every month to drive people to your website. But what happens when they get there? Do you even know? Here are some questions to consider:

  • Do they leave too soon, leaving your law firm with a missed opportunity?
  • Does your website’s look and feel match that of your TV ad campaign, creating cohesion and establishing instant brand integrity?
  • Is there compelling content to keep visitors engaged and interested in learning more about your attorneys and legal work?
  • Can users easily navigate your site and find written and video content that completes the story you started to tell on TV?

If you don’t know, there’s no better time to start making sure your TV and online efforts match up. Don’t neglect the TV’s small-screen sister if you want to see real ROI in 2015.

How to get your legal website up to speed:

It’s not uncommon for law firms, and most advertisers, to spend big for a big splash on TV but skimp on an online presence that ultimately pays off that first impression. A smarter strategy is to start making the messages on both platforms work hand in hand. For many legal firms that may require building a better website or enhancing the existing online “user experience.”

If you like your current website design and it pays off the brand image you’ve presented through your TV advertising, then focus first on content. (If not, get your TV and Web visuals in sync ASAP.) These days content comes in many forms, but the most competitive companies are producing it regularly, creating timely, informative assets on their websites weekly, if not daily.

Here are three quick ways to get your website up to speed with your TV efforts and ensure that once you’ve sent people to your website they stay there—at least long enough to prompt a call or an email, and ideally convert to a case.

Leverage video content: You’ve already got great TV creative (or perhaps are about to produce a new spot), why not leverage that asset on your website, especially given that two years from now video is expected to account for nearly 70% of all consumer Internet traffic, according to Cisco. Talk to your agency about repurposing a portion of your TV commercial with interactive or shareable elements appropriate for Web viewing, and start to build a bank of short videos that introduce your firm, position your attorneys as knowledgeable leaders and ultimately help you rise above competitors in your space.

Create a content strategy: One big push to update website content to match your impact on TV isn’t sustainable. A creative burst will likely die out, along with your online leads, if you don’t have a long-term strategy for Web content. That starts with assessing the existing tone of your website copy and overhauling it if it’s outdated or doesn’t complement how you’ve positioned your firm on TV. What follows is even more critical:

  1. Create a content calendar for distributing content regularly on a blog, news section or video storehouse, for example.
  2. Depending on the size of your law firm, consider hiring or designating a content manager, or outsourcing production to your ad agency or a content marketing expert.
  3. Each month monitor how your new content is performing via Google Analytics and other data measures your agency can recommend.

Track & compare marketing efforts: Keeping abreast of statistics such as what pages people are visiting on your website, where they stay, what they read the longest and what content they share most will build the intelligence you need to tweak and hone content in the future. The second part of gauging performance, and therefore better understanding how your audiences digest content, is comparing the success of your TV campaigns alongside your Internet marketing efforts. By measuring TV and online video against each other, you will start to see how the two work in concert and will be able adjust your cross-media mix in a way that makes sense for your advertising budget.

So as you start to evaluate your television advertising this year and strive for constant improvement, think big picture—yet outside the big screen. If your website doesn’t measure up to and pay off your TV campaign, it’s time to spend some quality time online.

Is a Law Firm a Brand? – A Roundtable Discussion

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How is your law firm the same as a company like McDonald’s?

One word – Brand.

Your law firm IS a brand – whether you know it or not.

You probably have never thought of your law firm as a brand, and that used to be OK. With relatively few places for lawyers to advertise, the concept of ‘brand’ could be overlooked to some degree.

However, in today’s fragmented media market (with a nearly endless supply of platforms and advertising placements) it’s no longer acceptable to overlook the fact that your firm is a brand. Your brand is how consumers will connect your marketing and advertising messages to your specific law firm, and is how they will remember your firm’s name when they are in need of legal services.

In the two minute video below, Tammy Kehe (Vice President of Network Affiliates) discusses this question of “Is a Law Firm a Brand?” Tammy will tell you why the answer is “yes” and how that is actually a good thing for your business:

Audio Transcription

Is a Law Firm a Brand?

“They’re a brand, whether they know it or not – they are most definitely a brand.

And, advertising regardless of all these mediums, and all of these opportunities, and all of these channels, and all of the areas you can go to – it’s still about the fundamentals. Advertising is still about the fundamentals. And the fundamentals are, and always have been in my opinion, is that while we can’t stimulate demand for their service, we can make their service desirable when they are in need of it.

And then you have to serve them relevant information and relevant help, in terms of what they need you for. And at the same time, delivering all of that to them so you’re constantly weaving that brand that they’re spending all this money, investing all of this money to establish in these marketplaces – you have to weave that into the thought process and the minds of these people [prospective clients].

And I think, sometimes in what we do – in professional service advertising – it’s not a new food product, or a new pair of shoes, or a product, or a car, where you can drive volume into the business.

I think they often say, and we’ve heard them say before – “I’m not McDonald’s.” And my response is, “Yes you are”, because the advertising principles don’t change anymore for McDonald’s than they do for XYZ law firm – they simply don’t.

You have to create a desire, and you have to provide them with relevant information, and you have to be embedded in their minds – so when they’re making that purchasing decision, or they’re making that service decision, they think “I need to call this law firm.”

But I think that kind of goes along with all of these choices that they have, and them [law firms] trying to make it more transactional how it was 5, 10, 15 years ago. And you can’t do that. You can’t just say, “I’m only going to do this because this has generated great results.”

And the good news is, it has – a lot of [law firms] have made a ton of money from doing just television. But, that landscape is changing so quickly (and it’s going to pass by) and I think it’s incumbent upon us to expose our clients to that whole branding situation, so they understand – while the website is so subjective, here’s why we think it should look like this, feel like this, sound like this. So when people come there, here’s the whole piece of this.

And there can’t be this big disconnect between broadcast, social, PPC, SEO, direct mail, referral based, grassroots – you know, from the stands that they put up at some of the biker rallies and the fairs, where they hand out stuff.

You know, it’s ALL branding.” – Tammy Kehe

Do Your Legal Commercials and Website Work Together?

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There’s nothing more inspiring than a fresh start. Each new year is an opportunity to position your law firm for success. January is a time for reflecting, revamping what’s not working, and taking business to a new level in 2015.

Two key advertising channels to review right now are your law firm’s TV commercials and website. When properly integrated, this powerful duo will help your marketing hit the mark. Let’s consider three ways clients interact with these mediums and why that matters.

Watch the ad.

Very often a consumer’s first interaction with your legal brand is through a well-timed TV commercial. This initial impression is critical and should not only create an emotional effect, but also a direct response. Your firm’s ad should encourage people to reach out through an appropriate call to action. As you review your current creative or start to work on a strategic advertising campaign for 2015, ask yourself these questions:

  • Does your branding and creative stand out? (Are you distinguishing your firm within your specific legal niche or regional marketplace?)
  • Does your commercial make it clear that your law firm has an online presence (i.e. website and social media)?
  • Would you call your law firm based solely upon that ad? (Be honest)

Google your name.

If consumers don’t initiate a phone call after seeing your ad on television, their next step is typically performing a Google search to check on the legitimacy of your firm. Based what’s returned, a consumer might learn more about your lawyers on your website or check other reviews of your firm via a social media platform. The results of a Google search can be very telling about how well your marketing is working, while providing key insights about how a typical client might interact with your brand. When was the last time you Google’d yourself?

  • Do you show up on the first page of Google results? Where?
  • How many times does your name/brand appear and in what “forms”?
  • Is it immediately clear that you are the same law firm that was on TV?

Take an action.

After a preliminary interaction with your law firm through TV or online, a potential client should have enough information to take further action or make an informed decision about what move to make next. As you watch your ad, Google your firm, and land on your website, try to view these neutrally as a consumer might. Think about what impression your firm is making and what your next intuitive action might be.

  • What is the first impression you’re really making?
  • What actions are potential clients taking upon an initial search or after landing on your website?
  • Are visitors converting on your site? Do you even know?

Applying your intelligence.

Once you’ve looked at how potential clients first interact with your firm—what they see, how they find you, and what actions they take—it’s the perfect opportunity to take that new intelligence and market better in 2015.

You are spending thousands to develop TV ads and drive consumers to your legal website. Make sure awareness doesn’t end there. Look at monthly analytics from last year’s campaigns: Where were leads coming from? Where did people spend time on your website? What actions were they taking on the site? What percentage of visitors did you convert to cases?

Not entirely sure? Give us a call. We would be happy to sit down with you to review what you’re currently doing and what you’re currently not doing (but should be).

The Second Screen and Integrated Legal Marketing Campaigns

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Do you know what “second screen viewing” is? You can’t afford not to know, especially if your law firm is using television as an advertising platform.

Television is Still the “First Screen”

The “first screen” is the television – which, for now, is still the most powerful medium for getting a marketing message in front of a large number of people quickly and efficiently.

Effectively, every home in the United States has a television in it – and well over 80% of those households have more than one.

This traditionally has been great news for television advertisers. However, things are rapidly changing because of the adoption of second screens and the consumer behavior associated with them.

Mobile is the “Second Screen”

The “second screen” is a smartphone or a tablet. As of July 2014, approximately 173 million people in the United States own a smartphone – representing 72% of the market. Additionally, nearly half of American adults own a tablet.

Considering the pace at which companies are producing mobile devices, it is safe to assume that all of these numbers will continue to increase over the coming years.

So what, if anything, does mobile adoption have to do with your law firm’s television advertising efforts?

The answer is: Everything.

“Second Screen Viewing” is the New Normal

“Second screen viewing” describes the act of using a smartphone or tablet while watching television. Generally speaking, the second screen is being used to do something while the first screen is on in the background. Common activities associated with second screen viewing include: sending e-mail, online shopping, using social networks, or surfing the Internet.

In July of 2014, 56% of American adults reported engaging in another digital activity on their “second screen” while watching television.

That’s right, over half of American adults are doing something else while watching television. If your advertising and marketing strategy doesn’t take this in to account, you are already falling behind.

Advertising and Marketing in the Second Screen Era

Given the fragmented nature of today’s media landscape, and the phenomenon of “second screen viewing” described above, your legal marketing and advertising efforts must be up to the task of winning attention. It’s no longer enough to simply be present. Here are four ideas to keep in mind if you want to start winning attention right now:

1. Your television creative and messaging must stand out

The competition for attention is fierce in today’s always-on and always-connected world. You are no longer simply competing with other advertisers on television; you are competing with the entire Internet. Your legal advertising must stand out if you expect a to receive a real return on your media investment.

2. Your marketing campaigns must be integrated

Your creative and messaging should be consistent across all platforms to help establish your law firm’s brand and major points of differentiation. In addition, your television creative should tell consumers where they can find out more information about your law firm online.

3. Your target audience expects an enjoyable website experience

The primary reason your website must be responsive is not to please the search engines, it is to deliver a great experience to your prospective clients.

If 56 percent of American adults are surfing the Internet on a smartphone while watching television, there is a chance they will look your law firm up online while they are watching your commercial. If your website is hard to use on a smartphone, what message are you sending to that potential customer?

4. Speak to Your Target Audience on Multiple Platforms

What other platforms are you using to spread your firm’s message? Research shows it takes a consumer between three and seven impressions of a brand before they are willing to make a purchasing decision. If you are not leveraging other platforms (such as social media, e-mail marketing, or paid search) then you are missing opportunities to get in front of your target audience.

You Need an Integrated Approach

Hopefully it’s clear by now that you need to be looking at the legal marketing and advertising landscape from an integrated perspective. Your TV advertisements must reinforce your digital efforts. Your digital efforts must complement the in-person experience at your firm.

The mobile device is not going away any time soon. In fact, mobile devices will continue grow in market share and penetrate into more and more households as time goes on. It’s time to take mobile and the second screen seriously, and the best time to start an integrated approach was yesterday. The second best time is right now.

Digital Success and Conversion Points – A Roundtable Discussion

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What does success in digital mean to you?

Is it an increase in your monthly number of leads? Is it lowering your cost per acquisition for a new case?

What about something that cannot be measured, such as creating the impression that your law firm is knowledgeable, trust worthy, and the right team for the job.

Is that important to the success of your legal practice?

If you ask us, the answer is an emphatic YES!

In fact, we believe that that is one of the most important functions your website has. It’s your digital storefront and your first impression maker. That’s pretty darn important.

Shouldn’t you care whether or not your online marketing is successful or not?

We think you should, which is why we sat down and discussed the question “What does digital success look like” in our second Network Affiliates Roundtable Discussion.

In the 5 minute audio below, Norty Frickey, Tammy Kehe, Todd Kuhlmann, and Emily Frickey tackle this complex question. Some of the key points discussed include:

  • Why Your Website is Still Critically Important
  • The Second Screen and it’s Impact on Consumer Behavior
  • The Value of a TV Impression vs. a Website Impression
  • How to Measure the Value of Your Legal Website

Listen:

Audio Transcription

A Network Affiliates Roundtable discussion

Digital Success and Conversion Points

Todd: A lot of our clients, quite frankly, still have websites that are not representative of their firm – and that’s a big hole in the bucket right there. Before they may even call, it’s a matter of the people who aren’t calling that see it and aren’t impressed.

Tammy: That’s a good point.

Emily: I think for so long we treated it as a billboard or as a brochure. Your website was kind of like this brochure. And now it’s supposed to be your 24 hour sales person, so the technology needs to be there, the functionality, how people go through your site is hugely important. We want instantaneous results, and if someone goes to your website and they don’t find it within 30 seconds, they’re gone – and you’ve lost that opportunity. So, it really is important to get your website where it needs to be, to match the beautiful creative we have on the broadcast side.

Todd: I think one way that we can start to convey that, objectively, is to show them – on a monthly basis, just through Google Analytics – how many people are actually visiting that site.

Tammy: And it goes back to, I was reading this consumption report about dual screens. That, you know, people watch TV and they’re on their iPads, or tablets, or whatever it is. Or their phones, and they’re getting served up all kind of information about products and services. And then they’re immediately on the website checking these things out. I mean, for whatever reason, it’s so infrequently that people just consume from one screen. And I think that those who don’t address it, and make sure they have their digital properties fully functional, and as big and bold and beautiful and with the story telling elements, and the relevant information, and content, content, content – which we talk about all the time.

I mean, it’s just an extension of what the television is – it’s just content on steroids is what digital is. It’s content on steroids, and if you don’t have those two things playing together then I think they might be on the downhill side of the curve for legal advertising. But if they embrace it, and engage in it – and let us help them – I think because not all of their competitors are doing it because they’re all in the same boat about not knowing what to do.

Norty: I think another area that impresses me in many different ways is, I never really felt that the cell phone would be people’s main point of contact and outward communication. I never thought they’d be viewing videos on there, I even thought texting – who wants to sit there and do this, it takes too long.
I mean, all of these things, through this phone. To me, I always thought a phone was a phone. And boy, that is nothing, it is now a computer. It is now their personal computer, and they’ve kind of done away with a lot of those other things. So I think to me, that has been one advancement, or change, in the way consumers consume that I think has just been very dynamic.

Emily: You bring up a good point, because with that comes the fact that, when people are looking for you, they’re using their cell phones. Which means that your website needs to be responsive. It needs to have the capability to calibrate screen size, depending on where they’re consuming from. Because again, it’s all about being where that consumer wants to consume with you. And if that’s the cell phone, then you better have that website that is easy to navigate through on a cell phone.

[Audio Break]

Norty: Not all people fill out forms. They will contact the firm in any number of different ways. And sometimes that, although that is one measure of success, there are many measures of success with that. And I think we need to be careful to educate our clients about how consumers choose to communicate and how they choose to reach out to you.

I think they may say, “well geez, I only had one form filled out last month. This isn’t working.” Well as we all know, the traffic that goes there drives decisions. It’s really affirmation to the consumer that I’m making the right decision before I pick up that phone to call, or reach out in an email or a form.

Todd: It’s still a very valuable impression when you compare impressions on your website, versus let’s say like TV. TV there’s 30 seconds. Someone comes to your website; maybe they spend a couple of minutes. That’s four times what you get in TV. So there’s a lot of engagement in there that’s valuable.

Norty: And they also consume the content that they want to consume, not what I choose to push out to them. Because, maybe in my spot I choose to say certain things and that might not be of interest to them. So I think, that’s a good point, that they are consuming things that are important to them. And I think it’s incumbent on us to evolve and modify the sites based upon what is of interest and what consumers to truly look for when they go to a website.

[Audio Break]

Norty: You know I think, really, when you look at the unique users per month that go to the site. These are sites that are not recreationally based, I mean, people are going there because they have an existing need or a true interest in what’s going on. So, I think as you look at that number alone that is certainly a very important number. Ideally we’d love to put a track-line on the website. To where, if they call from the website into that, we can definitively say “hey look, these phone calls are coming from the website.”

Although, certain clients choose not to do that, but I think that is another method at which you can be very measurable and accountable and understanding exactly the value that the website brings in terms of lead generation.

Quality or Quantity? Which Are You Asking For?

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Most people in a professional service business for any amount of time have learned that the quantity over quality equation will never add up to real revenue. That doesn’t mean it’s not tempting to throw lots of marketing messages out there to see if anyone bites. Or to follow the surprisingly popular speed-and-greed approach to buy as many leads as possible and churn out settlements.

The problem is the endorphin boost from a random advertising blitz and caseload infusion always wears off. And usually law firms that practice this low-value, high-turn approach realize it’s not an effective long-term marketing and advertising strategy.

Over time, attorneys that use advertising to ask for mass calls learn that a majority of those leads don’t pan out, either because they’re not legally defensible, they’re not a good fit for the firm’s proficiency or they’re not a strong client to begin with.

The energy spent trying to decipher real cases is a drain on resources that just doesn’t make solid business sense. Not only that, but asking for loads of “cheap” cases for short-term gain makes you look cheap. Your law practice may become a commodity and that will devalue your attorneys’ reputation over time.

5 Reasons Quality Matters

We know that high-quality cases produce higher return on investment, and here are just a few reasons why:

  1. Quality cases that match your firm’s skill set are often easier to prove, and therefore settle or try.
  2. Quality cases often make for happier clients, which may lead to more profitable referrals.
  3. Quality cases mean you’re asking for specific cases for which you can help solve a specific problem—and that’s just good community service.
  4. Quality cases lead to deeper, longer-lasting client relationships that can pay off in repeat business.
  5. Quality cases underscore your attorneys’ integrity and the transparency of your legal brand.

That’s not to say quality cases, and a high number of them, have to be mutually exclusive. However, focusing on quality first may lead to higher-yield cases or a higher number of mid-level cases as your firm becomes a trusted leader in a particular legal vertical or niche.

One of the best ways to underscore the value of asking for quality over quantity in advertising is to ask yourself the same questions a potential client might. If you were injured in a car accident, would you trust a business professional with a speed-and-greed approach? Would you rely on an attorney who promised a quick result for anyone who calls now? Would you truly believe that these busy lawyers would listen to the individual circumstances of your case? Probably not.

How to procure quality cases

The good news is whether you’ve tried and failed with the speed-and-greed approach or just haven’t found the right way to ask for the kind of cases you really want, it’s never too late to turn the corner on quality. Positioning your firm as a high-value rather than a high-volume practice just takes some smart marketing.

Just as the key to a healthy relationship requires communicating directly with your spouse, the key to a healthy caseload is asking for what you want. If you want higher-value cases, your advertising needs to underscore that message, whether directly or more subtly through the quality of your subject matter, talent and commercial production. We all know those TV ads, for example, that try to cut through the cluttered legal marketing space by simply “screaming” louder and hoping more people will call an 800 number.

But after 30 years in the legal advertising industry, we can tell you that that approach might make you stand out from the crowd once, like a great one-hit wonder, but won’t be sustainable. Over time, high volume will wind down, your firm may be undermined by the greed-first message, and clients will also become one-hit wonders, eliminating a critical source of referral business.

For truly sustainable, high-value cases your legal message has to communicate with the right potential clients—the ones who are a good fit for your firm, the ones who bring valuable cases, and the ones who will refer you down the line or come back with future legal matters.

Once you nail down what asking for value means for your firm, don’t leave it to fend for itself in one bold TV commercial. Make that message resonate in all of your marketing efforts, from your law firm’s website to social channels to digital marketing. If a consumer sees a high-value ad but that message is not backed up in your firm’s supporting collateral, approach and marketing methods, potential clients will see right through the ruse.

A commitment to creating a high-value message is multi-pronged and means your firm has to start walking the talk everywhere you go. When you ask for what you want—in every effort you put forth—you might just get it.

Knowing Your Customer – A Roundtable Discussion

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In today’s fragmented media market, it’s more important than ever to understand who your customer is, and how they consume media. Each demographic you are trying to reach consumes media in radically different ways.

This is especially important to understand when marketing your law firm. If you’re trying to build brand recognition with Millennials, you better not be advertising on TV – your money is better spent on Facebook or a platform like Pandora.

Understanding your consumer doesn’t stop at just how they consume media – it goes as granular as knowing what television shows they watch, where they like to shop, and the websites they use to make decisions.

In the Network Affiliates Roundtable Discussion below, Norty Frickey, Emily Frickey, and Todd Kuhlmann discuss this idea of “Knowing Your Customer.”

After listening to the 5 minute audio file below, you will learn:

  • Why Marketing to Millenials is Different than Marketing to Boomers
  • Why Social Engagement is Critically Important for your Firm’s Brand
  • Why Review Sites are Both a Gift and a Curse for your Law Firm

Audio Transcription

A Network Affiliates Roundtable discussion

Knowing your customer

Norty: I think, more over to, given the fragmentation of media, it is even more important in today’s terms to understand who your client is. Because, they consume differently – Gen Y’s consume differently than Millennials, and Baby Boomers obviously are far different than the others. And so, we need to be more aware, and our clients need to be more aware about who their clients are, because it is getting very fragmented and we need to be very targeted in what we do and how we do it.

Emily: Well I think it kind of goes back to what you [Norty] were talking about – knowing your demographics. With Millennials now consuming, we’re kind of figuring out how they consume. We have known for a long time we’ve had this trend with baby boomers, we kind of have a pulse with baby boomers and how they consume media. But with Millennials, they’re new consumers. So we’re learning about them as this goes along, with that unknown plus the unknown of this demographic I think that ads to it a lot.

[Audio Break]

Norty: I’ll be curious to see how our clients start to value the engagement portion of what goes on through social and what goes on through a lot of things. I think at some point in time, if you had the ability to reach out and engage and create a relationship with your fan base, or with your constituents, I think that has true value. I’ll be curious to see if they [our clients] embrace that. Because, historically they’ve been so transactionally oriented that they don’t, I think, put a value on what is really very important which is when people invest in the brand, they identify with the brand, and they somehow engage with it. To me, that is a very powerful component that I don’t think any of us have really put our arms around to understand the true value of that.

[Audio Break]

Norty: I think you’re finding now that these reviews are playing a much heavier role in decision making, rather than a personal referral, because I think we’re getting so disconnected as a society in some respects that people are looking at these third party reviews as being [authoritative], and for all they know these people could be crack pots – you just don’t know. But, they [reviews] have a tremendous amount of weight in decision making and that’s why sites like Yelp and others are very popular with consumers. It, once again, I think helps validate or affirm a decision they’re about to make.

Emily: And I think it terrifies the attorneys that there is the potential of this, open form platform where people can tell them that their service wasn’t good. But, I think they need to understand that that gives them a great opportunity to fix the problem. And, that extra step, of trying to fix a problem that went wrong with – for whatever reason – it could be from intake or they just didn’t have a case that was worth taking. They have that chance to interact with them again to show that they want to fix the problem, and that shows great customer service. And, that little step goes a long way with consumers nowadays.

Todd: Ya, It’s hard to hide today. I mean you have to, really take care of your customers because there are so many channels and forums available to them that, if they consistently don’t have a good experience, you’re going to be exposed. So, it’s something not to take lightly.

Norty: Although the flip of that, it’s a great opportunity because if they have consistently great experiences, imagine the dynamic of that as you put that within there. And to Emily’s point, you’re always going to have people who are unhappy and I think it’s how you deal with that in the aftermath and making sure you give them their voice, and you treat them with respect, and make sure they’re heard. So, as scary as it is on one hand, it really creates a great opportunity on the other.

I think it’s understanding the way people consume and how they consume, it’s very different today. But the idea of, people turning to some forum to help them make a guess on what is a blind purchase to them – because many of them don’t know whether they’re a good lawyer or a bad lawyer – it’s not visible or apparent. So, I think these kinds of tools make it easier for people to make decisions regarding lawyers.

Do Your Intake Phone Calls Sound Like This?

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If you’re like most law firms, you’re already spending thousands of dollars to generate leads. Ultimately, the goal is to turn as many of those phone calls into real, paying cases – right?

If that’s the goal, then you can’t afford to let any leads fall through the cracks of a broken intake system.

We won’t insinuate that every legal practice has a poor intake process. Some work just fine. However, whether you think your lead conversion processes beats the competition, or is in serious need of an overhaul, it’s always a good idea to consider conducting an intake audit.

So today, we challenge you to start auditing your own intake process by being a secret shopper at your law firm. Call your leads line as if you were a customer.

Don’t think it’s a big deal? Think again. Below is an example of what your intake calls could sound like if you don’t take the time to care about your processes. Just imagine if you were in this person’s shoes, how would you feel?

Listen: A Bad Intake Call Example

Pretty bad right? How many cases you could be losing due to poor intake performance like the call above.

The goal of conducting an intake audit is to first identify areas of weaknesses, then create a plan to fix the problem. We know first hand that law firms that take the time to regularly audit their intake processes have teams that perform better and consistently close more cases. After all, your firm only gets one chance to make a first impression.

Contrast the above call with the one below, which would you rather experience as a customer?

Listen: A Good Intake Call Example

If all of your intake calls went like that, you could rest easy knowing your team is always putting its best foot forward.

Playing ‘Secret Shopper’ at your Law Firm

One of the most helpful ways to understand just how your intake system works—what messages you’re relaying, how you’re qualifying cases and how fast you’re responding to inquires—is to play “secret shopper.” That is, posing as a potential client in order to evaluate the quality of customer service. And that starts with calling your own leads line. We recommend this type of audit so you can hear for yourself how well (or how poorly) your intake team performs.

To really gather the information you need to make an informed decision about what procedures seem right and what might be surprisingly off, make sure to walk through the whole process, from the first phone call to follow-up communication. Better yet, call a few times over the course of a couple of weeks to gauge the consistency of your intake protocol. You could charge several lawyers with playing secret shopper as well and then compare notes. Broader perspectives can lead to some insightful conclusions.

Here are some tips for your first secret-shopper mission:

  1. Don’t take your ego with you. If something sounds wrong, don’t try to explain it away to protect your own law firm or the brand you’ve worked hard to build. Look at intake objectively—and move on to fixing it.
  2. Put yourself in your clients’ shoes. On this call, you’re not an attorney. For this purpose, you’re an everyday guy or gal with a real problem that you need an answer to.
  3. Engage thoroughly and open-mindedly in the consumer experience. Then, make a pros (remember, those are important too) and cons list of what stood out during the intake calls. Regroup with other in-house secret shoppers and compare notes.

Making an Intake Action Plan

After an internal audit of your lead-conversion process, start to group big ideas together to create an action plan to update or overhaul your intake process. Be mindful of making sure you cover all the pieces that are critical to turning borderline calls into cases, referring out when appropriate and staying in touch with clients who could easily bring your firm a future case.

Here are a few questions for focusing your action plan:

  • Did an attorney, paralegal or legal secretary pick up and greet me in a friendly manner when I called? If not, how long did it take to get a return call?
  • What was intake specialist’s tone of voice and what was my initial gut reaction to it?
  • Did he or she seem knowledgeable and appropriately authoritative?
  • Did the intake specialist acknowledge my problem and make me feel heard?
  • Was my case carefully and concisely screened in a way that felt complete, yet not overly detailed or taxing?
  • Did I get a sense of what the firm specialized in or what made them stand out from other area lawyers?
  • Did the intake specialists inquire about how I heard about the firm or why I decided to call?
  • Where next steps in the process to vet my case clearly explained? Did I get off the call knowing what to do?

Use these secret shopper insights to craft a better checklist for your intake staff members. Put into place, or re-emphasize in writing, an easily accessible document that’s regularly updated. This document should include: the appropriate step-by-step intake protocol, the tone of voice to be used, the speed of follow-up communication, the client data to be recorded, and entry for future marketing purposes.

Finally, empower your intake team not only follow new rules, but to take the initiative to speak up if they have an intake-related suggestion going forward. You’d be surprised what they might reveal, knowing a secret shopper could be checking in at any time.

In fact, we suggest that you let your intake team to take ownership of the process and take stock of what’s working and what’s not on a quarterly basis. That way one of your biggest potential revenue generators never runs out of earning power.

Legal Television Creative That Produces Results

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It’s not a stretch to group 95% of all legal commercials aired today in the same category: “It’s all about me.” Too often we see TV ads—even from some of largest firms spending the most money in a given market—that focus almost exclusively on the lawyer or law firm.

Want your legal advertising to stand out among the crowd? Get out of the 95% and into the 5%.

Some of the most successful campaigns in the legal space today flip the egocentric “It’s all about me” ads of the past completely upside down – focusing instead on the victim.

An Animated Ad Twist


The animated commercial below is a prime example of how we helped one firm shift from a message lost in the masses to a new asset that places them solidly in that golden 5%.

These clever and creative commercials thoughtfully reposition real-life legal dilemmas through emotional scenarios that immediately connect with victims. Not only do these impactful “it’s all about you” ads drive new leads and phone calls, they also take the pressure off lawyers to squeeze an entire “biography” into a 30- or 60-second commercial.

It works because viewers are caught off guard. They’re used to tuning out serious legal ads that misuse shock value and scare tactics while also missing an opportunity to talk directly to victims about real problems. This animated ad grabs attention through entertaining visuals and an engaging voiceover while ultimately positioning the law firm as a viable ally when dealing with cynicism and questions about insurance companies.

This is just one example of an ad that’s cutting through the clutter. There are endless ways a marketing and advertising firm can help spin your message away from your lawyers—and toward your potential clients. However all of these modern twists on legal advertising have three essential elements in common:

The 3 Essential Elements of Legal Advertising

1. They are born out of research.

The smartest advertising commercials and campaigns in the legal marketplace today are positioned squarely against the competition. These ads stand out not only because of their victim-positioned messaging, but because they’re saying something differently than every other law firm in the region.

You can’t prove your new creative will work unless you’ve surveyed what commercials are already playing in your market, which firms are using what messaging and how the current leaders are making their mark. The most effectual contemporary ads are the most deeply researched.

2. The production stands out.

Whether your advertising firm is helping you design fresh, eye-catching animation, setting up live action in a studio or onsite, or choosing believable talent that will authenticate your message, stay focused on production.

Don’t get so blindside by crafty creative that you skimp on how that commercial is produced—and therefore viewed and digested by your target audiences. Remember, television is a predominately visual medium. Commercials that create a buzz are the ones that trigger a psychological reaction in a crisp, clear and graphic way.

3. They ask for what they want.

Traditional legal ads might tell a whole story about a law practice’s background, big settlements and go-getting lawyers. But often they leave the viewer in the lurch about connecting all the dots: “Oh, they’re a big, proven firm so I should call them about my legal issue.” While it might sound like an intuitive conclusion, this is simply too much of a jump for a passive viewing audience.

Victims watching TV need direct, engaging and authoritative messages that quickly tap into a problem they’re wresting with right now—and need to solve fast. The most productive ads simply ask for what they want—and what they want a victim to do—through a compelling story line and a complementary call to action.

7 Reasons You Must Invest In Your Law Firm’s Website

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Does the website matter anymore? Do people still use, or even care about, websites? With the proliferation of social platforms and mobile obsessions, these are legitimate questions.

The short answer is an emphatic “Yes” to both.

And in the legal world, the website is still one of the most important segments of your owned media dominion. The reason?

Control.

Your website is under complete control of your law firm – everything from the look and feel to the messaging and the content.

The most effective sites today are living and breathing communication hubs that exist as a central brand platform and conversion point. And, not coincidentally, they cost more to create. However, you’ll see the value of that investment comes back 7-fold—and more.

Think of your website as your law firm’s:

  • Digital Storefront
  • Brand Building Block
  • 24/7/365 Employee
  • First Impression Maker
  • Lead Generating Machine
  • Information Hub
  • Thought Leadership Platform

It’s Your Digital Storefront

Let’s start with the basics. When someone is searching for a law firm in relation to a location or specific type of legal case, you want your law firm’s website to come up, right? Online leads are still prized by your business, correct?

Without a modern, highly optimized website filled with original content and all the organic search triggers Google loves, you are undiscoverable to the majority of potential clients who begin a legal search online.

In the digital “mall” of lawyers, your storefront didn’t get a corner spot. If your website is not updated, positioned and tracked for performance, it’s like you don’t exist. And that’s no way to win cases.

It’s Your Brand Building Block

Creating consistency in your legal brand—your signature selling points—is critical to your reputation. Whether potential clients understand it or not, they are looking for a dependable set of messages that prove your firm reliable, trustworthy and the best firm for their specific case.

Your website is that one quality-controlled digital presence, integrated with other owned-media channels, that users can count on. Unlike a social platform, where in effect you “rent” the message space, on your website you control the entire experience. You can give visitors everything they need to know to make an informed decision about your practice.

It’s Your First Impression Maker

The Web is the first place people go for information. Because it’s easy, and because you can poke around for facts and figures without ever having to talk to someone. So when someone searches Google for a law firm in your state, and your website pops up, that might be your first (and only) chance to impress them.

If your site looks shoddy, doesn’t have enough information, can’t be viewed across different browsers and devices, and doesn’t allow people to connect when they’re ready to reach out, you might have lost a chance at a highly lucrative case… and not even know it.

It’s Your 24/7/365 Employee

In the old days, the look and feel of a law office was mission critical. People strolling past might come in for a chat. Most initial meetings took place in person. Today, the reception desk has moved online. When people come to your web “office,” you need to have an official “receptionist” ready to meet and greet in the most professional and courteous way possible in the digital space.

In fact, you might consider your website your hardest working employee. It’s on the job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Why wouldn’t you invest in a tool that welcomes new clients and sets expectations—and appointments—helping you convert window shoppers to paying customers?

It’s Your Lead Generating Machine

When connected in all the crucial ways to your online audiences, websites are lead-generating machines. Ads and email campaigns send people directly to your site; your database can be linked to your site and mined for targeted marketing strategies, and your live chat or digital points of contact create another lifeline for clients.

Your website is the nucleus of your Internet intake strategy, and it must generate leads – in the form of phone calls, contact forms, live chats, or even social follows.

It’s Your Information Hub

Once people get to your law firm’s website, either through a search or through a digital ad campaign, they need enough well organized and clearly presented information to make an educated decision about whether or not your firm can help their specific situation.

Your website is a concentrated storehouse of real-time information—firm facts, brand boasts, actionable intelligence, video assets, news, linked reviews, and more. It’s where people will go, and perhaps return, to learn more or to contact you.

It’s Your Thought Leadership Platform

For the set of potential clients, partners or other interested parties who want to dig deeper or validate your legal expertise, your website is a platform for demonstrating thought leadership and positioning your firm as a knowledgeable go-to resource.

There are endless opportunities to show your legal capabilities through regular blog contributions from your legal experts, informative videos set in your office environment, through white papers on specific legal topics, and as an online guide to more information.

By leveraging your website—and your brand—as an intelligence tool, you build a reputation as a trusted source and industry thought leader. And if you don’t invest in your website, you’ll lose out on an untold number of potentially high-value cases.