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Online Lead Generation For Your Law Firm

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When you walk into a store, are you more encouraged to buy if someone greets you with a smile and a simple “let me know how I can help you”? You might not have even thought about it, but the answer is most likely yes. The truth is customer service and customer experience matters in every business interaction.

The same applies to law firms. If you operate your organization like a business—which you should—then the first contact you have with a potential client is critical. These days that initial communication doesn’t typically take place in an office. Instead, it starts on the Internet.

Since people start by shopping around the “mall” of lawyers on the Web, your website needs to make an impact and engage customers. It’s your storefront. Your greeter is your live chat feature. If you don’t have a chat feature, now’s the time to incorporate one into your website. We know that this communication tool can increase intake conversions up to 30%.

One smart way to approach live chat is to revisit the store model. Don’t think of online communication as an impersonal robot that’s automated to answer generic questions. Treat your online greeter as a human. Give her a name. Task her with asking pointed questions that will not only help pre-qualify a case, but make the person on the other end feel valued and confident in his or her decision to reach out in the first place.

However, a smiling greeter with a friendly message and ability to answers questions is not enough to acquire cases. The key to converting is what your firm does with each individual Internet lead. Remember, every online lead is a potential relationship . Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  •     If your greeter is offline overnight, how fast do you get in touch the next morning?
  •     How do you capture enough information without going too far and scaring people off?
  •     How do you follow up once a lead qualifies—and where do you send customers who are not a fit for the firm?

These are just some of the questions worth answering when building a quality Internet intake strategy. Remember, even a 2% increase in conversions can have a huge impact on your bottom line!

Don’t Take A Back Seat to the Quality Ads that Surround You!

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think big about your law firm's brand and tv spotsLawyers know TV commercials still capture more eyeballs than ads sent through any other medium on the planet.

The key to effective advertising on screen, however, is to make your message national caliber—one that rings a little louder, differently or more authentically.

It sounds simple, but when your law firm’s ad follows a heavily branded, visually tempting eye-catcher from let’s say Coca-Cola or another corporate giant, what you have to say needs to be even more distinct.

You can’t afford to get drowned out by a big-bucks spot that happens to precede or follow your commercial. There’s only so much prime time—and you need a premier spot to capture your audience’s attention.

Advertising messaging—and all marketing messaging, for that matter—has always been about “how” you do law differently (not what services you offer). Capturing that brand message in 60 seconds or less is a challenge.

But having a team of legal marketing and advertising experts on your side can quickly help you toss out the generics, distill your message to its essence and frame it effectively enough to compete with national ads book ending your commercial.

When developing a new TV spot or re-shaping an existing message for a visually based medium, it’s helpful to include a few key ingredients. Start by asking these questions; the answers will stir up a recipe for success.

  1. Are you saying what every other law firm is saying? Be honest.
  2. What is one distinguishing attribute (brand message) your firm can hang its hat on?
  3. Are you simplifying your message for TV or overloading viewers with information they can’t digest quick enough?
  4. Are you actually getting what you’re asking for with a clear and effective call to action?
  5. Is your production quality crisp—taking into account think like ideal lighting, high-quality voice over, impeccable grain, interesting graphics and optimal editing?

If you’re creative light bulb just flashed, that’s good news. You either have already one or just realized you need to find a full-service TV production partner that can help your firm craft a competitive legal advertisement from start to finish. It’s worth every dime—and it doesn’t have to take every one of them.

Remember, when you’re going back-to-back with national ads, it’s not the time to take a backseat.

We would be happy to evaluate your advertising, confidentially and constructively. Please just give us a call. Network Affiliates has been in this lawyer marketing game since 1981. We currently represent over 90 Law Firms around the country.

What do you have to loose? We feel the value of the case you are trying to get is everything.

Identity Crisis!

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Don’t stress. Get back to brand basics.

One of the most common mistakes among legal firms is trying to be all things to all people. Building a brand can help you stop this mistake in its tracks.

By now you know that you are in one of the most competitive business’s in the world. And depending on your legal niche, that competition could be amplified 10 fold. So in the middle of the masses of firms marketing to the masses, how do you stand out?

The answer is branding.

If you want to increase your credibility and caseload, we highly recommend going back to basics. Building your brand doesn’t have to be intimidating. By engaging in a brand exercise, you’re simply revisiting your firm’s history, values, reputation and intentions. Ultimately, you’re giving your marketing efforts a focus by answering questions such as:

What do you stand for?

What do you want to be known for?

What are your five core company attributes?

What is your niche within your niche?

What do people think of when they see your firm’s name?

If you’ve never had a conversation about brand, it’s not too late to start. Or if your firm is changing from what you thought you were a decade ago, now’s the time to think about re-branding. Whether you are in a micro-niche or the massive personal injury market, for example, it’s your job to dig down to the essence of what makes your law firm stand out from the competition.

It could be a novel approach to client services, a consistent method for solving a core problem, identification with a particular type of client sector, a corporate culture that shines from the inside out, a proven ability to obtain settlements in even the most challenging cases, etc.

If you can’t define a differentiators, re-define it.

That means create a way to say what you do and who you are—which may be nearly identical to a competitor—in a different, more engaging, more compelling way. In essence, position your expertise, service style, results, staff, resources or results in such a way that creates a new point of differentiation.

The more clear your brand, the more consistent and aligned your marketing will be. And, like anything, being focused and efficient pays off by stretching your spend. In the end, if you don’t know what you stand for, how can you expect clients to stand by you?

Answering the call!

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What do you spend on advertising versus answering the phone at your law office? Step back for a moment and think about how much time and money you invest in making the most effective TV advertising commercial. The point is to drive traffic and make the phone ring, right?

But what happens when the phone does ring—and all your advertising efforts start to pay off. Do you have the right people in place to make sure that those phone calls convert to cases? There are so many nuances to answering the call, from your intake professionals’ tone of voice to the speed in which your office addresses inquires.

If you’re wondering why your advertising is making the phone ring but cases are not growing at the rate you projected, the missing link might be a greater investment in the speed, accuracy and creativity of your call center. Here are a few questions any firm should consider when making a strategic plan for over-the-phone intake:

  1. How knowledgeable are your call receptionists or call-center specialists about your law firm and its services?
  2. Do they need to read from a script or can they answer on the fly a variety of questions about your legal services?
  3. How fast do your intake professionals return a call? What happens after they’ve left one message for a caller?
  4. Are you accidentally turning away cases because you’re not probing further into a caller’s questions?
  5. How do you handle after-hours calls?

Often the firm that’s the quickest to return a call wins the case. Other cases are won by the intake representatives who are the most creative when examining a caller’s legal needs—ones that might not initially fit into a firm’s “box” of services. Sometimes it’s the offices that have a strict policy about multiple follow-up calls that ultimately win the business.

Remember, intake is not about you. It’s about the caller—a busy person who has a life. And work. And kids. And can’t always carve out the time to return your call within 24 hours. That doesn’t mean your firm should give up trying.

If you want to increase your case load and ensure your advertising efforts have legs, start thinking more strategically about answering the call. You might find that a little fine-tuning can go a long way.

Broad, Targeted TV Campaigns Produce Different Results

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targeted or shotgun tv advertising strategiesThere is no one size fits all approach to advertising on TV. There are many factors that go into creating a strategic advertising plan for a law firm. Demographics, budget, competition, product, etc., are all things that help determine how an effective campaign is built.

With that being said, there are still two common schools of thought when it comes to planning a media campaign: the targeted approach vs. the shotgun approach.

Target Shooting – You Want a Specific Case

The targeted approach is better for advertisers that are looking for a very specific type of case or have a limited budget and thus want to focus on attracting a certain type of case. Target shooting requires the firm to specifically identify what type of case they would like to attract.

A creative team develops this and produces ads to attract this specific type of client. Once the creative is produced, the media buy is centered on specific programs and/or networks that have high viewership with the particular type of client the law firm is looking to attract.

For example, motorcycle campaigns are very targeted campaigns that focus on trying to bring in cases involving motorcycle accidents. Specific creative is produced and media is placed on networks and programs where motorcycle riders are most likely to be watching.

Shotgun Approach – You Handle a Variety of Cases

A firm using a shotgun approach is targeting a variety of cases specifically related to PI, or domestic law or criminal law, etc. The shotgun approach is more likely to be used by firms that have a larger budget and have the ability to refer cases out if the law firm can’t handle certain kinds of cases.

The shotgun approach is likely to be more expensive since the firm is looking to try and take in as many cases as possible and target as many people as possible. As such, the creative messages for a shotgun approach are often more general and cover broad areas of a firm’s practice.

Law firms using the shotgun approach need to be disciplined during intake and truly understand which cases will benefit the firm the most. An extensive referral network is also beneficial for law firms employing the shotgun approach, as many cases will likely come through the door that the firm can’t handle.

What Approach is Your Law Firm Using?

Is your law firm using a targeted campaign when it should be taking a more broad approach to the marketplace? Or, is your firm struggling to make noise in the market with a shotgun approach and you’re beginning to think a targeted approach might make more sense? Either way, it is important to know where your firm stands and use an approach that will be most effective for your business.

Three Simple Systems to Increase Your Case Load

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bald guy holding cash for intake blog post on network affilates
Often times the concept of “putting a new system in place” seems overwhelming. But, really, what is a system? Systems are consistent processes put in place to bring about efficiency. The advantage of systems from a marketing perspective is their ability to truly test, track and evaluate your programs.

There are simple systems firms can put into place, which will help efficiency and growth. Three simple systems that can increase your case load are: Intake, Email Campaigns and Exit Interviews & Leave-Behinds.

Intake

Intake by nature is a system, but some firms do not treat it as one. Make sure the process to collect COMPLETE information from those who contact your firm (via phone or web) is consistent. Utilize secret shoppers to ensure your intake process is reflective of what you think it is.

Collecting information from former, current and prospective clients in order to remarket to them is just as important as qualifying a lead in a new case. After all, you pay for every lead that comes into your office, so capitalize on that and cultivate each contact for potential future business.

Email Campaigns

Ideally this is done through your advertising agency, which makes it absolutely seamless for your own firm and guarantees that all your marketing efforts are consistent.

If you have the capacity and prefer to do your own email campaigns, create a dozen or so intriguing email articles, establish a consistent communication schedule, utilize a reputable email marketing platform and make sure to review the results/analytics on a regular basis. Reviewing the open and click-through rates gives you an opportunity to evaluate and improve your email marketing campaigns.

Exit Interviews & Leave Behinds

Clients are happiest when they receive their settlement check. Why not take this opportunity to obtain a video exit interview with your client? And create a potential client testimonial that you can use in future marketing pieces? Then follow up with your client with a thank-you packet of goodies. This can be anything from a basket of gourmet cookies – to sporting event tickets – to branded merchandise – or restaurant gift certificates. This is yet another reminder that you appreciate their business.

Do not over-complicate the idea of implementing processes within your firm. Just make sure the systems are being used consistently in order to determine their effectiveness.

Do You Have a Strong Brand?

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brand building for law firms, attorneysFor some law practices, the word branding sounds too esoteric. If it’s not tied directly to a spreadsheet, it’s not on the radar. But the fact is, if you’re too paralyzed to explore branding and how to use it to your advantage, your firm is missing a significant opportunity for growth and profit.

Quite simply, branding involves developing a singular identity for your law firm. It requires a concentrated—and fun—discovery process that helps you uncover exactly what makes your business different from others in the marketplace. It helps you decide on the one message that you can really hang your hat on. That’s it.

Once you have those core ideas, your firm can go back to them time after time as a platform for building smart and consistent creative campaigns. An established brand keeps everyone in your office on the same page, gives your marketing firm a foundation to build on, and creates a more personalized and consistent message for your current and potential clients.

Dare to Be Different

The heart of branding is about distinguishing your law firm and its attorneys from competitors. It’s about giving clients something to remember—and talk about. Many law practices suffer from brand confusion: Everyone looks and sounds the same. What makes your firm the best one to handle someone’s case? You have to dare to be different. Success doesn’t require massive risks.

Your firm can become more than just another law office by taking a step back and rethinking your marketing approach. Think big picture about how the firm can demonstrate the specialness of its brand in the community, online, while networking, within the office and beyond.

Ignoring branding is a mistake that will cost you in the long run. Now is the time to develop your brand identity and start investing in it.

What A 2% Improvement in Lead Conversion Will Do For You

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Our job as an attorney marketing agency is to generate leads for our clients. Our clients then convert these leads into cases which produce meaningful fees. So it stands to reason that the more leads generated, the more cases, and subsequently, increased profits.

But, leads aren’t free – and leads are only part of the equation. Conversion is the other key component and conversion costs typically pale in comparison to lead costs. And nearly every law firm can do some simple, inexpensive things to improve their conversion rate.

What, if instead of always focusing on increasing the number of leads coming into your office, you also focus on increasing the conversion percentage of the leads already generated?

On average, most law firms convert only 20% of their leads into cases. That means that 80% of the leads are not getting converted. Granted, there will always be some leads that can’t be converted, but trust us, that number isn’t 80%! So what happens if we try to improve your law firm’s conversion rate by just a few percentage points? Let’s run some numbers.

The Value of Increasing Lead Conversion by 2%

Bob’s Law Firm generates 400 leads per month at $300 average cost per lead and currently converts 20% of those leads into cases, which carry an average case fee of $10,000.

400 leads x 20% = 80 cases

80 cases x $10,000 average case value = $800,000 gross fees per month

$800,000 x 12 Months = $9,600,000 gross fees annually

What happens if we improve the conversion rate by 2%?

400 leads x 22% = 88 cases

88 cases x $10,000 average case value = $880,000 gross fees per month

$880,000 x 12 Months = $10,560,000 gross fees annually

That small 2% improvement generated an additional $960,000 in annual gross revenues with minimal cost. Who wouldn’t want an extra million in gross fees with minimal investment?

What if We Only Focused on Increasing Leads?

Conversely, if you were to focus on increasing the number of LEADS to generate the same additional gross revenue with the same 20% conversion, you’d need to spend an additional $144,000. Let’s do the math.

To generate an additional $960,000 in revenue, you’d need 96 additional cases.

$10,000 average case value x 96 additional cases = $960,000

To get an additional 96 cases while keeping a 20% conversion rate – you’d need 480 additional leads

96 cases / 20% conversion = 480 additional leads needed

Leads aren’t cheap. By needing an additional 480 leads and keeping in mind a $300 average cost per lead – those leads just cost you an additional $144,000.

The bottom line is this – while it’s important to continue to generate leads, it’s EQUALLY important to continually improve your conversion rate. And improving your conversion rate is often times significantly less expensive than chasing new leads.

Once a Client, Always a Client

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once a client always a client
A relationship doesn’t end when a cases closes. While this may sound like common sense, but all too often law firms forget that the key to long-term success is not only building relationships during cases, but maintaining them over time.

Attorneys owe it to clients to not only work to achieve the best outcome possible when a case is active, but to follow up, stay in touch and continue the relationship in such as way that the next time that client has any legal needs, the law firm that’s top of mind is yours.

Ignoring relationships is not only poor protocol; it’s also costing your firm money. If they forget you, that’s one easy referral you’re missing out on. We already know referrals are the life blood of any strong law firm, because they cost little or nothing to acquire, they are the most qualified cases, and they are often worth a lot of money. That said, keeping touch with past clients is the most direct path to more referrals. Here are some simple and effective ways to get started:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Consider a campaign that uses a mix of complementary CRM arms to connect with a variety of past clients.

Brochures & newsletters: Give them something tangible to read—and remember you by. Use these accepted forms of communication to position your attorneys as trusted experts, thought leaders and the go-to firm in your area.

Cards: Birthday, thank you and holiday cards—with atypical messaging and design that make your firm stand out—are also effective in creating an indelible memory point for clients.

Personalized messages: Build stronger relationships by keeping a few key personal notes about each clients and following up with a veteran, for example, on Memorial Day, or a hard-working single mom on Mother’s Day.

eCRM: Save some trees and reach people right in the palms of their hands with electronic customer relationship management. Use the increasingly dynamic digital environment to connect with past clients via email or electronic-based messaging campaigns.

Social Media: This new frontier was tailor-made for keeping in touch with clients and staying top of mind. It can also be a differentiation since social media remains a sector where few law firms are truly active.

Facebook: Design a weekly strategy for reporting important activity at your firm and reaching former (and new) clients through this dominating influencer in the social arena.

Yelp: Leverage social review communities such as Yelp to better position your firm through positive reviews, engage with reviewers and develop more referral-based business.

Blog: Make your existing website more interactive by creating a blog to reach clients online. Write engaging articles, highlight positive testimonials from past clients and post videos with your own attorneys discussing how your law firm can help.

If your firm is not already keeping up with clients, the key is to start small, build a solid foundation and add new marketing efforts over time.