Law Firm Internet Marketing Blog by John Zissu

Selecting a Legal Internet Marketing Company

2009-08-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the considerations when deciding which vendor is most suited to providing your law firm with Internet marketing services.

1) Expertise:

- What is the background / experience of the individual(s) who will be providing the services?
- If you are seeking SEO services, where is the marketing company ranked on Google for its own desired keyword phrases?
- What is the scope of the company's capabilities?
- Who has the company worked with in the past?
- What type of law firm leads and other results have they generated?

2) Customer Service:

- How quickly does the company respond to your needs? (if you have concerns when a company is trying to win your business, you may have big problems once you are signed up)
- How professional and curteous is the company?

3) Price:

- How does the Internet marketing company compare to others that offer the same capabilities?
- What exactly is included in the fees?
- If a company is less expensive, as them directly how they are able to keep their prices so competitive. You should be comfortable with the answer.
- If a company appears to be overpriced, asked them how they justify the higher price and if they will give you a written guarantee that they will outperform lower cost providers on key performance metrics.

Law Firm Marketing: Firing Your Toxic Clients

2009-08-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Given that we are still neck deep in the worst recession the U.S. has seen since the 1930's, you may think I'm a bit off the wall when you read what comes next. Drop your bad clients. Do it now. Identify them, confirm your facts and give them a nice wave goodbye. You heard me correctly; there is no better time than today for your law firm to shed clients that you should not be working with.

But John, this is not the right time for this. Look what's going on around us - stores are closing, there are unemployed lawyers out there, competition is fierce...

So what? This is completely irrelevant. More often than not, toxic clients (as defined below) cost you money - they do not make you money. Most lawyers do not realize this because they have not analyzed the numbers and mix bad clients into the batter with quality clients.

What is a toxic client? For starters, let's go with one that doesn't pay on time, or doesn't pay at all. Hey, don't get me wrong, if you have the ways and means to represent a client pro bono, by all means do some good for society. However, if a client has agreed to an hourly rate and is not paying you within a reasonable timeframe you should stop catering to this client. Not doing so will result in a different type of representation, one that an accountant I know likes to refer to as "pro bonehead."

A plaintiff's trial firm, working on contingency, can't have a bad client, right? Wrong. A bad client can be one who nags your firm incessently for the settlement check, consuming hours of resource time. If you can't set up the proper protocols to handle them, get rid of them. Having your secretary spend 3 hours on the phone discussing when the settlement check is coming is not productive).

A toxic client in this type of firm can also be one that is not financially profitable. If you handle small value personal injury law cases / no-fault and you do not have an efficient method of processing them, your firm can be losing money on this type of client. That's right - half of your law firm's cases may be covering up the bad business practices represented by the other half. You may be going through the motion on every $8,500 settlement that you think contributes to the bottom line, when the $560,000 settlement is paying a majority of your bills and costing considerably less in time and effort. Get an accountant or financial analyst type to look at your books, see which types of clients are profitable for your firm and which are not and stop taking on the ones that do not make financial sense. Adjust your marketing strategy and messaging to acquire the types of new client leads that represent profitable opportunities.

Here are a few categories of toxic law firm clients that you should consider firing when they cross the line:

- The non-payer / late payer
- The resource time waster
- The unprofitable client
- The litigious client (the reason professional liability insurance for lawyers was invented)

Now, take the extra time you have freed up and shift it to giving better service to your existing clients, networking, or strategizing on new marketing ideas. I guarantee that shedding these toxic clients will have a profound positive impact on the health of your law firm and possibly even on your general mental health.

Law Firm Marketing and the Lottery Mentality

2009-07-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

So, have you earned $10,000 from home this month using Google yet? Me neither, but it sounds like a great concept. What's not to like about it? 95% of us would take this deal in a heartbeat. Even you successful trial lawyers out there. You're probaly pulling 80 hour weeks before a major trial. I bet most of you would trade it in for a guaranteed $120k per year w/ little to no work involved.

You're thinking about it right now, envisioning what your life would be like... all that extra time spent with your family, freedom to travel, to relax with no deadlines, clients or bosses, watching your favorite sport team, or tv show, on a weekday afternoon, driving your sports car to the beach while others are working... OK SNAP OUT OF IT!

I believe the statistic that I have come across is that 97% of the people who get involved in any online get-rich-quick scheme either lose money, or fail (spend countless hours to make little, or no money). So how is it, that against such odds that so many highly intelligent people continue to choose to defy logic and participate in these brainwashing cults, where it is virtually impossible to beat the odds, unless you are among the founders of the entire system?

If you can understand this, you will understand one of marketing's most powerful secrets. These marketers do not promote products. They promote happiness. The logic of how you get there becomes completely blurred. No different than the lottery. "Hey, you never know". Actually, most people do know that they have better odds of buying $50 Million in lottery tix before actually winning a $25 Mil. lottery that only pays out about $10 Mil. after taxes and lump sum payout... but they buy anyway...

Most people know that these get-rich-quick schemes are bogus, but our brains are hard wired in such a way that we find the allure of "happiness" too difficult to resist and the lottery mentality (risk a little for a chance to win a lot) highly attractive.

The lesson to be learned from this as it applies to law firm marketing and new client lawyer lead generation? Remember this when you are advertising, or speaking with clients... Clients do not hire you because you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, they don't care who you are, where you've come from, or where you've been featured. They hire you because you are a means to an end for them. That end is their happiness, whatever that may entail. For one, it's retribution for a wrong. For another, it's the peace of mind that comes with having one's estate in order. For a third, it may be the monetary settlement and what it means for them personally.

Demonstrate to the client that you are the most qualified to remove their pain, or help them achieve that specific happiness that they are seeking and you will win that client's trust and business.

Also remember this tendency when you interact with legal marketing vendors. Many will attempt to sell you by painting a picture of the volume of leads they will generate for your law firm and how great the end result will look. Fight the urge and let your logic guide you through the maze of snake oil marketers. Remember that LitigatorEdge can do everything they can and more, at a fraction of the cost and that it pays to explore a more-cost effective alternative, while you comparison shop. You have nothing to lose by going to http://www.litigatoredge.com/ and calling us today for a no-cost analysis of your law firm's Internet marketing.

And I know times are tough, but please, try to stay away from the get-rich-quick Google schemes.

Using Social Media to Generate New Law Firm Leads

2009-07-26T18:21:00.001-07:00

I have a problem with most Social Media "experts" today. Despite the fact that most know the ins and outs of Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter and every technological widget associated with these services, what really baffles me is that a wide majority of them don't TRULY GET social networking as a marketing vehicle.

Social networking is not about geting 20,000 followers to make yourself look popular, only to have 97% of your network tune you out 99% of the time. Social networking is not about flagrantly promoting one's own services, under the guise of information distributor. If you are really looking to be tuned out by a large group of recipients, you already have SPAM e-mail and non customer centric e-newsletters that are equally ineffective.

Social networking is about building, or developing real and meaningful relationships with clients, colleagues, friends, or individuals of similar interests and affiliations.

Is anyone truly interested in being part of your Smith, Jones & Doe LLP Facebook group? I argue that few are. What they do care about is the photo album from Italy that their cousin posted. They also want to know which of their old college buddies saw the movie The Hangover. Comprende? While LinkedIn is more oriented to a professional community, the formula to using any social network successfully for business purposes is the same.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING = FACE TO FACE NETWORKING + EFFICIENCY

You have to do the same things you do in real networking. You cannot expect that you will plant yourself on top of a pyramid and everyone will bow to you and buy what you are selling. Listen to your network. Connect with people 1 to 1. Learn their needs, their problems, seek to solve someone's problem and you may find that your own challenge is alleviated.

Do you have a valuable service? Don't shout about it incessently. Instead, let a friend or colleague introduce you to their network as someone they trust (by now, everyone knows that a trusted testimonial is worth 100 self serving ads). Give people something of real value. If you are a lawyer, tell your friends that you will answer their colleagues' legal questions that are sent to you via a social network for free.

There are many ways to use social networks effectively that do not involve self-serving mass marketing. Always ask yourself how you can contribute to your social network, rather than how to sell those in your social network and success will come your way.

Law Firm Clients Should be Seen, Not Heard

2009-07-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

In 99% of businesses in the world, it is common knowledge that there's no better way to fail in a business than to fail to listen to a client's needs. These unique characters represent the other 1%...

- The Fortune Teller CEO This visionary individual moonlights as a predictor of client needs. He/she has an amazing product and knows it. The client's feedback is irrelevant to him/her because the client "doesn't really know what he or she wants anyway", and when confronted by marketers with "but doesn't the client know best" typically answers: "if the client was so smart, he or she would have my job." Analogies to royalty are often made such as "I need to have a 'king-to-king' conversation with the CEO of the other company." Usually enjoys speaking to crowds - doesn't much enjoy when the crowd speaks back.

- The Injury Lawyer with the Highest Verdict in the State He/she is the greatest thing in the history of the legal profession. There isn't a soul who hasn't heard about the $40 Trillion verdict. There are 100+ outdoor ads featuring this individual's face, including billboards, bus stops, benches and little league fields. Would not recall that customers existed, but for those nagging phone calls demanding a status on the settlement check. As the self-proclaimed best lawyer in the state, country and probably even the world, he/she automatically assumes any client that walks through the door will sign a retainer agreement immediately upon seeing the holy light of legal stardom shining down upon them.

You get the picture... I know, you want more characters, but it's getting late and I'm not feeling that creative right now.

The point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter who you are, or what type of business you are in. You have to make an effort to continually listen to your customer. Let me give you a personal example. Most doctors automatically assume that if they are good at what they do and accept the right insurance, clients will follow. Well, I happen to be slightly wary around doctors... phobia stemming from a mean doctor in my childhood, who knows? As a result, I find it extremely important that the doctor I see has a pleasant demeanor, in addition to other qualities. Now think about how a doctor would know that smiling more and being pleasant and positive is such a critical part of retaining my business?

It is no different with lawyers. One particular client may be your multi-million dollar opportunity that will propel your firm to stardom and this individual may walk out the door because something you deem to be trivial is important to them.

Now, you can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time, but stepping out of one's aura of importance and placing oneself in the shoes of the client is vital to building a successful practice. By being empathetic and truly listening to the client, you may learn things about his or her preferences that you never anticipated and can focus on your strengths that cater to this client's unique priorities.

When you go through the same motions: file claim against insurance carrier, submit demand package, negotiate, receive check - it is easy to fall into the trap that everyone should be treated the same way. A little extra care, listening and personal touch can earn you additional clients and the potential referrals that go along with them.

Lawyer Lead Generation: Tips for Using PPC to Deliver More Law Firm Leads

2009-07-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Law Firm Lead Generation

If you use PPC (pay per click) as part of your law firm's Internet marketing strategy, here are some tips you should keep in mind.

1) Remember that your laymen clients do not think or speak like lawyers. Actual key word phrases used by your target audience when seeking out a lawyer may differ considerably from what you may expect. For this reason, having an in-depth understanding of the search patterns of the demographic you are targeting is often a critical part of launcing a successful program.

2) Remember to include plural and singular variations of keywords, abbreviations, hyphenations, etc... For example, Westchester NY lawyer, Westchester NY lawyers, Westchester New York lawyer, Westchester New York lawyers and then do it all over with the term "attorneys" and "attorney", "law firm" and "law firms." As you can see in this simple example, the combinations become vast.

3) Check out your competitors for ideas. Not just for PPC strategies, but also for business insights. For example, is you are a law firm handling toxic torts, there may be an emerging harmful product or defect that may be revealed through a review of your competitor's PPC campaigns.

4) Start with a modest budget and always measure ROI. Unlike SEO, where analyzing periodic reports highlighting improvements of search result page rankings may suffice, PPC requires constant monitoring and adjusting. There is no such thing as the perfect PPC campaign - there is always room for improvement. Constant testing and modification is the secret to PPC success. The large law firm lead generators use it effectively because they have their finger right on the pulse of lead conversation rates

Whether you are spending tens of thousands of dollars a month, or just testing out a small budget, keep a constant eye on the vast data that is available and leverage your experience to continually increase your return.

For more information on improving your law firm's lead generation and maximizing return on investment please visit www.litigatoredge.com.

LitigatorEdge to Reduce Law Firm Internet Marketing Costs by More than 50%

2009-07-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

LitigatorEdge Press Release:

LitigatorEdge, a leader in innovative law firm marketing solutions has launched a revolutionary program that allows clients to generate business leads at a fraction of the cost of comparable providers.

HTML Version
http://www.prlog.org/10275600-litigatoredge-to-reduce-law-firm-internet-marketing-costs-by-more-than-50.html

PDF Version
http://www.prlog.org/10275600-litigatoredge-to-reduce-law-firm-internet-marketing-costs-by-more-than-50.pdf

For more information on LitigatorEdge's Law Firm Lead Generation Services please visit http://www.litigatoredge.com/.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July weekend. Please don't drink and drive.

Personal Injury Lead Generation Opportunity

2009-07-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

Apparently, due to the high volume of legal marketing content that the LitigatorEdge Web blog is generating, the site is ranking extremely high for many attorney related searches in Westchester, NY and many of the towns surrounding the company's home base.

If you are a sizeable Westchester consumer-oriented generalist law firm, preferably one with a comprehensive plaintiff's personal injury focus and you are interested in discussing a business relationship please contact me to discuss further how we may be able to collaborate. LitigatorEdge clients have first referral priority to any consumer traffic that flows through our Web site seeking representation. Local law firm clients will also benefit from my extensive personal and professional online social networks comprised of hundreds of meaningful contacts. These individuals represent prospective clients and as a non-practicing, but admitted NY lawyer, I am regularly approached by my network for law firm recommendations.

If you are seeking general information about law firm lead generation please visit http://www.litigatoredge.com.

Martindale Hubbell Connected - Lawyer Social Networking

2009-06-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a free account with Martindale Hubbell's Connected Web Site today. I like the concept and think it has good potential. My first reaction was "great, just what we need, yet another social networking site." However, after exploring it and thinking through the various opportunities, I think that this new LexisNexis product definitely has strong potential to develop into a valuable niche tool.

LexisNexis has really taken considerable steps to become a highly customer centric organization through both acquisitions and internal process enhancements. As a result, I am pretty confident that MH Connected, or any product and service they introduce into the marketplace has been well researched and designed to maximize end user value.

LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are not conducive to the identification and selection of lawyers, because they do not have the type of information that LexisNexis stores in its databases. The available areas of practice on Martindale are what make it all happen. It enables a corporate executive in Memphis to immediately link up with an M&A lawyer in Buenos Aires.

There will be tremendous value in being able to display exceptional client recommendations via this site. A corporate general counsel who may be using one defense law firm, may opt for another upon finding out that two close peers are using another and are extremely satisfied by the results.

Plaintiff's firms and other consumer-oriented practitioners will not be able to generate new business directly using the service, however, may realize considerable benefit in using it to develop a strong referral network that can lead to increased customers.

The one thing to remember is the transparency that the Internet is enabling. If you are a decent, hard working, honest and respectable individual, the Internet can be your best friend. If you are a professional shyster, it will catch up to you and you will not be able to hide. Think of it as a magnifying glass on your reputation and act accordingly.

Visit LitigatorEdge.com to reduce lead Internet Marketing lead generation costs.

Law Firm Marketing - No room for 2nd best

2009-06-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

If your SEO program is not successful in placing your law firm in the #1 position for Google natural search results, you lose. Statistics show that close to half the clickthroughs go to the top position. Go below the top 3 and your traffic becomes meaningless and your program is not worth the cost.

Even is an SEO firm can get you up there, can they keep you up there? Doing so takes time and resource investments. Ultimately, you will not be able to sustain over the long haul, when your competition is paying 1/3 to 1/2 the fees for comparable SEO efforts. Today I am pitching you on why you should trust LitigatorEdge with your business. In several years, law firms and legal marketers that treat SEO like a professional service will begin to understand why getting the greatest value for your dollar is what ultimately drives SEO impact.

Put all your doubts out of your mind for 5 minutes and call me, or e-mail me and I will call you and ask me to explain in detail why LitigatorEdge is a better value to your law firm than any other Internet marketing vendor in the vertical. You are a lawyer and I am sure you are very persuasive. If you disagree with anything I say, I welcome a debate as to why using another Internet marketing firm, or handling online marketing in-house makes more financial sense for your law firm's bottom line.

LitigatorEdge - Lawyer Internet Marketing

Law Firm Marketing - How to Outperform Competing Law Firms With Greater Internet Marketing Budgets

2009-06-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

Law Firm Marketing

There is a secret that the top Internet marketing companies in the United States do not want you to know. What I mean are the firms that command fees upwards of $25,000 per month to keep one client Web site at the top of search engines. The companies that are used by the biggest name e-commerce companies, whose CEOs illuminate the halls of convention centers and attract flocks of loyal worshippers at dozens of speaking engagements.

They are not quite as special as their fees may indicate.

What most clients fail to realize is that, when it comes to Internet marketing, law firms do not always get what they pay for. While being successful online certainly requires a particular skill threshold and having a veteran expert on staff to lead the troops is critical, with quality training and supervision, the skill element required to be successful as an Internet marketing foot soldier is nothing like, say, the level of skill a lawyer needs to prevail in a major litigation.

Some of the most prestigious SEO firms are nothing more than housewives, or young techies led by a management team of clever Internet marketing whiz kids. They demand the fees because they keep clients happy, by ensuring that their PPC programs are well-optimized and their favorite keywords rank organically, at or near the top of Google's search results.

As a law firm seeking to market online, you would be very unlikely to seek out a market leading Internet marketing firm. It is more probable that a law firm will attend a conference, where they will select one of 4-5 Internet marketing vendors. These firms are often polished, put on strong presentations and many law firms will give them serious consideration, possibly even their business. What the client does not realize is that these quotes are typically 200%-300%, of what a US managed offshore delivery team would cost them.

Progressive marketing executives have discovered that Internet computer experts are the best Internet marketing delivery experts. The best talent pool available for these types of roles are in India and China. What this means is that your law firm can obtain Internet Marketing programs that are equal to, or greater than those offered by the "tradeshow firms" at a fraction of the cost.

At the end of the day, all law firms want one thing - client cases at the lowest possible cost per lead. It is basic common sense that 30 hours of Internet marketing efforts per month will yield more than 12 hours. Unless, of course, the firm really doesn't know the basics. However, given the fact that every advanced Internet marketing secret is now available online, even a lawyer can become an expert Internet marketer, if he or she dedicates 6 months to nothing but this.

So, when it comes to Legal Marketing on the Internet, ignore the scare tactics and go for value. If you are not happy with results, you can always upgrade to a more expensive company later. Law Firm Marketing on the Internet is increasingly becoming a commodity type service, so law firms should be aware that it does not pay to overpay.

Law Firm Marketing - My Latest Thoughts on Twitter

2009-06-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have been carefully monitoring Twitter over the last several months. Instead of sharing my opinion, I have been reading those of others. I have listened to the perspectives of marketing and law firm marketing luminaries, both supporters and detractors of the service.

Click here for a Wikipedia refresher if you first want to understand more about the application and its recent growth.

Here are the general conclusions that I have come up with based on the information that is out there. Again, note that this is less gut feelings and more compilation of aggregate feedback that I have come across.

1) Twitter, has been used to effectively distribute information and connect with peers.
2) Celebrities have found it valuable for increasing relationships with fans and creating buzz
3) Corporations have found that it is a useful tool for listening to customers and impressing with a cuting edge customer service approach. Some have also found value in its ability to disseminate product and event information to clients, prospects and industry peers and increase traffic to its blogs and Web sites
4) In essence, Twitter is yet another tool that facilitates the commoditization of information. If you want to make money, it might be better to use the energy you would otherwise spend on acquiring 10,000 random followers and use it to open a hot dog stand.
5) Quality of followers is much more important than quantity - very important for lawyers to remember this. If they don't care about you, they will tune you out - Twitter is about building a community, it is not modern day SPAM e-mail.
6) Twitter is important enough that you should get an account and learn to use it. Start by following other lawyers and industry experts - some have valuable information that can make you more competitive in your business.
6) Twitter is not important enough that you should be spending more than 15 minutes a day on it today - so don't get hooked on useless (or even seeming useful, but distracting) information.
7) The 2 most important benefits I see for consumer oriented law firms are: (a) the ability to connect with existing clients to build lasting relationships that extend beyond the representation and will lead to increased referrals and (b) the ability to network with other professionals (lawyers in the same and different areas of expertise, as well as other potential referral sources - accountants, financial advisors, etc...) and to send periodic updates on the law, as it pertains to your area of expertise.

So remember the following point well: Twitter is a referral enhacement tool for law firms, that will add some value if and when the service becomes more mainstream. It is nothing like the panacea that ranking #1 on Google for "New York Mesothelioma Attorney" can be.

The service is not sufficiently mainstream today and therefore, consumer oriented law firms will not be able to speak with enough of their clients this way - I would still stick with e-mail / newsletters for the time being, but definitely start exploring Twitter. If for no reason other than the fact that it never hurts to be more connected.

LitigatorEdge - Law Firm Marketing

Law Firm Marketing - Get Your Facebook Vanity Names

2009-06-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

As of 12:01 EDT on 6/13, anyone with a Facebook account can claim a "vanity" name of their choice to use as part of their profile page. For example, www.facebook.com/johndoe.

Currently Facebook simply assigns a string of numerals that users cannot modify or readily recall to type in.

So, if you remember the craze with .com domain names when they first came out... here's my prediction - it may not be as bad with Facebook vanity names, but this is, in my opinion, the second hottest speculative name blitz to hit the Internet. Bigger than .net domain names, bigger than Twitter, bigger than Yahoo e-mail accounts.

Why? Well, because everyone Gen Y and younger is completely hooked on Facebook and no one knows just how far Facebook will continue to evolve. Is it really that unforeseeable that small businesses would move away from expensive traditional Web sites and begin using more advanced Facebook widgets that provide greater flexibility in customizing an Internet presence?
This is one reason why I advise clients not to invest in ultra expensive Web sites with videos and instead to focus budgets on relevant Web content and lead generation? That's OK though - some will keep overpaying for Internet marketing, no matter what I say and the lesson will come by trial and error.

The rules of the Internet law firm marketing today may change drastically tomorrow. Look what is happening with Facebook and Twitter. This is what makes the Web so exciting.

So, get your Facebook vanity names before someone else does. Speaking of, I can give you one name that is off the market; I decided to pick facebook.com/injurylawyer. Yeah, I knew you'd be jealous... I registered it 5 seconds after 12:01 AM. It never hurts to have a career backup plans...

I can see the tv ad now... John Zissu, personal injury lawyer to the Facebook generation...

LitigatorEdge - Lawyer Internet Marketing

Personal Injury Law Firm Marketing - Managing Internet Content

2009-06-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Personal Injury Marketing - Internet Content

My 5/21/09 post, addresses the importance of content quality and quantity, its impact on Google rankings and why this should be a critical component of most law firm Internet marketing strategies.

The next questions that usually come to mind are:

1) What do I write about?
2) Should I use a blog, articles, or both?
3) How often should I post?
4) Who should be handling these posts?
5) Is there anything else I need to know in order to make this a profitable use of my time?

Ok, let's address these one at a time.

1) What do I write about?

First, decide how you want to position your firm to the marketplace. Are you a generalist personal injury firm, do you specialize in medical malpractice, worker's compensation, auto accidents, junk faxes, securities litigation, nursing home abuse, police brutality, inmate rights, toxic torts, no fault, or some of the above? This is a critical business decision that requires serious consideration, because you will be branding yourself to the world as such.
How you make this decision may be a good topic for another post, but the bottom line is that once you decide on your focus, your content should be consistent with this.

You can write on anything related to this subject. For example, even if your specialty is as narrow as "construction accidents" you can still come up with creative ideas. Tell you readers how to avoid construction accidents, share updates on your verdict and settlement successes pertaining to these types of cases, talk about what a client can expect during the claim process, talk about what makes commercial claims different from auto injury claims, provide different links to interesting facts and statistics on construction accidents, other Internet resources that someone who has been involved in this type of personal injury accident may find useful.

2) Should I use a blog, articles, or both?

The two most common ways to generate low cost exposure online is through the use of a blog or articles. I happen to use both in my Internet marketing strategy. If I deem that some of my blog posts are sufficiently applicable to a broader audience I tweak and turn them into articles and then submit them to a major online article site such as http://www.ezinearticles.com/. I recently started using this service and am already at around 100 article views and it has already started generating meaningful traffic to my Web site - not too shabby for a niche focus, I think.
You can blog, post articles and send out Internet press releases - the choice is yours. Of course, the broader the range of tactics, the greater the impact on your search results and the stronger your overall online exposure and brand.

3) How often should I post?

Let your own time and resources dictate how much time you spend. Now, without plugging LitigatorEdge too much here, this is one of the main reasons why a low cost managed law fim Internet marketing program can be so effective. You never have to worry about topics, or content - you can just review everything to make sure that your Web content is to your liking and the result is a low cost marketing machine that is working nonstop to maximize exposure and increase your firm's visibility, at the detriment of your competition.

4) Who should be handling these posts?

This depends on the size of your firm and your resources. If you are a solo practitioner, maybe it's something you set aside a few hours for. If you already have a steady flow of business and have the capital to grow, but not the time, an efficient way to accomplish this could be to have a highly competent offshore copywriter resource research idea topics and produce preliminary drafts for you and then you can either have them approved by someone in your firm, or alternatively, an outside marketing consultant, etc...

Decide what works best for you and your firm, but make sure that you do not take up too much of your revenue producers' time with non-core law firm activities. Remember, everything you do is all about achieving a positive return on your marketing investment. If you spend too much money, or too much time, your return will be diminished.

5) Is there anything else I need to know in order to make this a profitable use of my time?

Yes. Promote your Internet presence to clients and other referral sources. This is the other piece of the puzzle. These efforts are not only designed to drive more Internet traffic to your law firm Web site, but also to increase your reputation and brand among those in your network.

In addition, and this is very important. Your content should not be arbitrary. Your keyword phrases should play to the search engine results you desire. Now, there is an art and science to doing this and this is where it pays to have expert backup. For example, back in the day, I could simply have the term "personal injury law firm marketing" appear two dozen times in this article and up to the top of search engines it would go. No more. Google is smarter and knows what to look for and what to ignore.

The way to be successful is to write content naturally, while also remaining mindful of the keyword phrases and incorporating them in an appropriate manner. Yes, this takes thought and time, so if you are planning to generate a solid income for your firm, you may want to consider outsourcing your marketing efforts to a law firm Internet marketing firm that will get you top value (read new client cases) for your buck.

Visit http://www.litigatoredge.com/ today for more information on our revolutionary onshore legal expertise - offshore Internet marketing team model that will save your firm 0ver 50% in online marketing costs.

Internet Marketing is a Superior Value for Lawyer Lead Generation in Recession

2009-06-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Recent figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) found that despite the recession, Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. were at $5.5 Billion, for the first quarter of 2009, representing only a 5% decline over the same period in 2008.

Accroding to the organizations, the recession has hit other media much harder and is a testament to both the accountability afforded by online advertising and the growing share of consumer time spent online.

What does this mean for law firms seeking to increase their incoming case leads?

Lawyer Lead Generation

First, it means that online marketing presents less risk. If you are not generating the return on your investment, you can react and modify. This may mean changing your law firm's Internet marketing provider to one delivering greater value for your money, or changing your lawyer lead generation strategy.

Next, it means that Internet marketing is becoming increasingly important in the marketing mix. You wouldn't buy stock in a company with a steady decline in revenues and a bleak future, so why would you continue to invest your valuable resources in antiquated methods of reaching prospective personal injury clients, while ignoring the Internet as a primary lead generation channel?

LitigatorEdge - Law Firm Internet Marketing

Marketing a Plaintiff's Firm: The Pros and Cons of Top Personal Injury Law Firm Marketing Tactics

2009-06-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

So, you recently won a major verdict, or settlement and are ready to take your plaintiff's personal injury firm to the next level. How do you put your limited law firm marketing budget to good use? Do you pay for a billboard on a local highway, buy television advertising, go on the Internet, target a niche community? There are many directions you can go in and while I usually pitch the Internet because of its growing influence, high return on investment and accessibility, today I will objectively address the pros and cons of a number of the more popular law firm marketing tactics.

Network Referrals

Pros: Minimal cost - very high return on investment, relationships can be perpetual and provide a steady stream of business, can open new business opportunities, additional revenue source on referrals,
Cons: Can take considerable time and effort to build network, not all lawyers have the skillset to network effectively, fee sharing with another plaintiff's firm can reduce profit margins, ensuring accountability on cases you refer, may not always be a reliable source - circumstances change

Television

Pros: Can lead to high volumes of incoming cases, Low cost per qualified lead relative to other forms of traditional marketing, immediate results, measurable and controllable
Cons: Expenses of producing ads, expertise required to stand out and maximize response, may be less effective at lower frequencies, national firms can buy ads cheaper than local ones

Media Coverage

Pros: Exposure to huge numbers of consumers, Having a tv or radio legal program can help your firm dominate a market, can have sustained positive impact on firm's brand, You are always one case away from potential stardom
Cons: Hard for PR firms to deliver without truly newsworthy material, need to be very lucky, or very connected for homerun-type publicity, easy to get caught up in distracting and self-serving efforts that do not generate results

Yellow Pages

Pros: Once a powerful lead generation tool: measurable, consistent and predictable
Cons: Internet has greatly diminished its effectiveness, too many brands caused saturation, hard to compete with big spenders

Internet Search Engine Optimization

Pros: Can yield high return on investment, provides flexibility for focusing on niche, there is room for small budgets despite big spenders, investment can have positive long term lead benefits, measurable, highly qualified leads, consumers prefer organic search results
Cons: Requires several months of ramp-up time, vendor choice is absolutely critical in keeping cost per lead low, changes in algorithms require regular program to stay on top, if keywords are not in the top 5 results in Google, you do not exist, more challenging to use to target new torts, best results require considerable content production (like this blog)

Pay Per Click

Pros: Immediate results, easily measurable, works with any budget, great for immediate response to toxic torts and product defects, small budget programs can be "do-it-yourself", no clickthrough - no pay, allows for very strategic niche marketing that other firms may not be aware of
Cons: High value keywords get bid up and return on investment goes down, can lose money until expertise is developed, pay for every lead, consumers prefer organic listings to pay per click ads.

There are many marketing options, but whatever you choose make sure to always monitor and measure impact to maximize the efficiency of your marketing program.

LitigatorEdge Achieves 1st Page Google Rankings For Plaintiff Lawyer Internet Marketing and Similar Key Word Phrases

2009-06-03T13:04:00.001-07:00

I am a very happy camper today. LitigatorEdge is now on the 1st page of Google for the following keyword phrases: Plaintiff Lawyer Internet Marketing Plaintiff Law Firm Internet Marketing, Plaintiff Firm Online Marketing, Plaintiff Lawyer Web Marketing and many more similar keyword phrases.

I am not looking to pound my chest, rather to highlight just how plausible it is for your firm to achieve top rankings. This one was all me - no delivery team backup - they are busy servicing clients - just quality and relevant content (at least I think so) :-).

The amazing thing is that our offshore delivery staff can put me to shame. I have seen them deliver #1 Google rankings for keyword phrase after keyword phrase. What they can do is absolutely amazing and I have not seen this type of online marketing firepower within the legal niche - this is why I am so excited about introducing this type of talent to the legal community. If I can accomplish these types of rankings solo imagine what a team of trained experts with way more time and experience on their hands than I have can do with scores of keyword phrases that are relevant to your law firm practice niche. There are hundreds of thousands of consumers seeking out lawyers on the Internet, on a monthly basis.

The toughest part is getting law firms to understand the profound impact that being ranked #1 for dozens of keywords will have on annual client leads and dedicating a meaningful budget toward a form of marketing that is still novel for many practitioners.

Please visit our attorney Internet marketing informational page or contact us today.

Law Firm Internet Marketing: A How To

2009-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

It is remarkable that there are still a large number of established plaintiff's law firms with no defined Internet marketing budgets. I'm not talking solo practitioners here, but firms with three, four or more lawyers. OK, so your firm dominates its market because you landed a local television legal expert gig, or you have thrived as a result of seven figure case referrals from your network.

5 years ago, a professional Web site was par for the course for any successful law firm. Today, a mature Internet marketing program is a "must-have" and no longer a "nice-to-have". For a list of reasons why lawyer Web marketing has become so critical, download the informational guide on the LitigatorEdge.com home page.

So, how do you start and what do you focus on? The answer to this depends on what you are trying to accomplish and the type of new business leads that you are looking to generate.

A well designed Web site is typically the first step for most firms. Design is much more than aesthetics. It is about how conducive your Web site is to capturing leads and how well your content reflects the type of search traffic you wish to generate.

The second step for most plaintiff's firms is search engine optimization. There are onsite elements (including tags, keyword phrases, specific landing pages) and offsite elements (including directory submissions, link building, article submission, press releases). Search engine optimization has become very sophisticated and it pays to do your homework and to speak with multiple vendors before making a decision.

Because of the growing role of content in search engine formulas, the next consideration for law firms is the degree of internal or external resources to dedicate to content creation for the firm. Of course, having SEO experts monitor and optimize all content produced by your firm greatly increases its value.

Some firms may decide that Pay Per Click is a viable alternative in particular situations. In certain toxic tort or product defect cases firms have to react quickly and SEO has too long of a ramp up time and is not sufficiently predictable. While SEO may work well for a search phrase such as "dog bite lawyer New York" it will not fly for "Hydroxycut lawsuit", where time is of the essence and firms are seeking to reach a specific claimant audience before the competition does.

The best advice I can give is to learn as much as possible about SEO and PPC. There are many free Internet resources including the LitigatorEdge Web site. If you have any questions please contact me and I will gladly discuss any specific areas of marketing interest.

Are You Paying to Market Your Law Firm or Their Marketing Firm?

2009-05-28T17:35:00.001-07:00

I get it, there's comfort in face to face relationships. You just finished your educational session at a major legal conference and proceed to walk into the exhibit hall, where you greet an array of Lawyer Internet Marketing vendors pitching you on the latest and greatest products and services.

Most lawyers, who have been buying products and services in the same way for years, will select one of the 3-4 Internet marketing vendors within these halls to handle their online marketing. Why? For the same reason you are willing to pay double at the supermarket, for a product with the exact same ingredients, but different labels. It is the power of branding.

By experiencing their brand in person, you gain a sense of added comfort. If they are at this event, they must really be experts in their trade. They are tangible and real, there is comfort in the fact that you have shaken hands with them and thus they have created the perception of added trust, credibility and work product quality.

I believe in branding, but I also believe that brand power is dying. We see this today in supermarkets, through the increased dominance of store brand products and there is no reason to think that this trend away from big brands will diminish.

The reason for this is that the Internet is educating consumers at an extraordinary rate. People are sharing information like never before and there is an increased surge in demand for true value over hyperbole.

I always go back to referencing Honda. They do not have the best marketing in the industry, but they have the best product. They succeeded in communicating this value to their clients and the rest is history... that is until Hyundai came along and started giving them a real run for their money on value...

Back to the big attorney tradeshows. There is a price to pay for shaking hands with those marketers. That price is exhibit fees, travel costs, sales and marketing staff overhead, sponsorship fees and additional high operational expenses - all of which have to be passed on to YOU.

You will not get to shake my hand at conferences because the way law firms are buying is changing and we are on the cutting edge of this trend. All of our promotion today is done via the Internet and direct e-mail. We leverage a stellar offshore delivery team that is extremely talented and can deliver results that are equal to or better than anyone else you will find in the business today. Simply put, there is no more efficient model than ours available today.

You may not have the that same warm and cushy feeling until we handle an Internet marketing project for your firm. We fully expect to see a backlash from every marketing company out there that is comfortably used to charging you 2 to 3 times more than you should be paying and everyone else that is profiting from this.

Mom and Pop stores all over the country kicked and threw mud when Wal-Mart came in and changed the face of retail in America. You know who didn't hate it? The customer, who received superior value. Similarly, established online marketing companies ("the overchargers" and their supporters and partners will likely throw mud at us. Like Wal-Mart, our #1 focus is delivering maximum value to our clients and at the end of the day, results come down to basic finance that we can measure and no detractor can deny.

YOU SPEND LESS WITH US FOR MORE LEADS - PERIOD.

Our vision is to change the online legal marketing landscape in the same way that Wal-Mart changed retail. We promise that once you see how your fees compare to your results, you will never want to work with another Internet marketing vendor. Visit LitigatorEdge today.

Top 10 List Why Lawyers Should Market Online

2009-05-23T20:24:00.001-07:00

10) High return on investment
9) Minimal Risk
8) It is fun seeing your relevant keyword phrases in the top 5 organic search results of Google
7) It is more fun seeing your Web site in the top 5 organic search of Google for over 50 relevant keyword phrases and watching the leads coming in
6) Watching your peers' jaws drop when you tell the story of how you once spent only a few dollars on pay per click and found a client for a major toxic tort case
5) Internet clients are more likely to swamp you with e-mails than calls
4) Your great-grandchildren will one day enjoy reading your Articles and Blogs
3) Google's spiders will enjoy reading your articles and blogs and will reward you with higher search engine results
2) Show your competitors that you are young and hip

...and the number one reason lawyers should market online

1) Watching your top competitor's grin disappear when LitigatorEdge helps you leapfrog his/her search engine rankings for a favorite keyword phrase

If Search is King, then Content is its Queen

2009-05-21T19:23:00.001-07:00

Any law firm that targets a consumer client base and wants to be a major online player over the next 10 years should read this post very carefully:

By now, you probably don't need anyone explaining the value of being at the top of search engine results pages for keywords relevant to your area of practice. If you're only focused on traditional media and rely on referrals, know that there are firms in your geographical area generating tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements using the Internet and they are not spending millions to drive this business through their Web sites.

Now, unless you do something about it, these firms will likely continue to generate this traffic and the more they learn about Internet marketing and the more consumers use the Internet to find law firms, the larger the competitive gap will get between the top online marketers and everyone else and the harder it will be to catch up.

Why is the gap getting larger?

OK, here's the scoop. Google loves content and also loves links to your site from relevant Web sites with content. What is one of the best ways that is completely within your control, to generate quality links back to your site? Writing and submitting online articles that are relevant to your area of expertise and having them linking back to your Web site.

That's right... Quality Content -> Quality Back Links -> High Rankings

While Google can change the rules whenever it pleases, this is the general law of the land in SEO and while it may be tweaked here and there, no one expects it to deviate radically.

So, it will be very difficult to dislodge firms with significant content and links from their positions of search engine dominance. The good news is that the online content world for law firms is still in its relative infancy and only a few firms have really grasped its long term value.

If you want your firm to climb to the top for your favorite keywords and stay there, contact me today and I will explain how we can help. Just make sure that you don't come to see me after they have stopped publishing the Yellow Pages, OK?

Offshoring: Necessity, not Choice

2009-05-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

No one enjoys offshoring. It involves inconvenient change, can be challenging to manage and has a number of inherent risks. Nevertheless, the competitive advantages gained in the form of cost-savings and increased productivity cannot be ignored.

Let's imagine two identical competing plaintiff's law firms, each with $2.5 Million in annual revenues, $2.0 Million in expenses, including a marketing budget of $225,000.

Now, envision this: one firm saves $200,000 a year in operating expenses by offshoring redundant legal support functions, as well as some document production and research. They reallocate the entire amount to marketing. This firm now has a $425,000 annual marketing budget.

Normally, the firm would dedicate 20% of the marketing budget to online marketing ($85,000 of the new budget of $425,000). The firm has also offshored part of its online marketing efforts, so instead of spending $85,000, they are now spending $40,000 for the same results. The firm chooses to reinvest the $45,000 in savings and more than double its online marketing investment. The end result is the marketing budget equivalent of $470,000, versus the original $225,000 budget.

Offshoring is here. Your competition is hoping you find it too inconvenient to act.

Things to know about SEO

2009-05-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as defined by Wikipedia, is "the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a Web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines."

Few quick facts to keep in mind as you explore a search engine optimization campaign:

- No matter what anyone tells you, the return on investment (ROI) of SEO is untouchable IF you select the right company, with the right expertise, at the right price

- Firms that guarantee results are typically not firms you want to go with. Many distort information by guaranteeing first page Google listings for keywords that look appealing but do not generate considerable traffic. Go with firms offering both competitive pricing and expertise. I personally prefer working with tech background delivery resources - they often take great pride in keeping up with Google algorithms and are highly metrics driven.

- Meaningful results on search engines take 6-12 months.

- Once you have selected the right company, picking the appropriate keywords for your specific practice is 90% of the battle - spend a lot of time on this.

- Remember that Google represents an overwhelming majority of the entire search market today, with Yahoo being a distant second. You have to optimize your site for Google - it's virtually the only game in town today and only getting stronger.

- Listen to your SEO company when they give you Web site advice (coding language, layout, keywords, specific content - every SEO campaign has significant Web site specific and non Web site specific elements)

- Once the on site modifications are complete, and assuming your firm knows what they are doing, your results will be driven by the amount of effort put in by your firm. Know what you are getting in terms of hours. The best firms can accomplish almost anything with enough resources (maybe short of knocking Google off first place for the term "Google" on the Google search engine...)

- Monitor your ROI as soon as leads start flowing

To learn more about how you can increase your financial return on your SEO please visit www.litigatoredge.com

Announcing LitigatorEdge Business Launch

2009-05-02T22:12:00.001-07:00

The Internet is the great equalizer. Large plaintiff's law firms with huge networks and equally large budgets will find it increasingly more challenging to dominate lead generation. Blogs, social networking and strategic pay per click and search engine optimization campaigns are helping progressive firms capture a growing share of Internet lead traffic. Armies of smaller and more nimble firms will inevitably steal leads away, by being more strategic about their approach to online marketing.

LitigatorEdge was founded to help its clients stay ahead of the curve through cost-effective, high caliber online marketing capabilities. We are currently only accepting up to 5 law firm clients per metro area, due to competing keyword interests, but may accept additional firms that are only looking to target a niche case type or geographical location.

For more information please visit www.litigatoredge.com