Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending in Pensacola, FL
This Community Newspaper is a weekly publication of Escambia Santa/Rosa Bar Association Page 1 Vol. 15, No. 17 VISIT THE SUMMATION WEEKLY ONLINE: www.esrba.com April 28, 2015
4 Pages
The Art of Advertisement
Photo Credit: Rick Schamberger, East Hill Photo
By: Michele Kelley, Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association
In a society, where almost anything is possible, determining one’s advisement route can be quit complex at times. From setting a budget, picking an advertising platform, and narrowing down one’s audience, the art of advertising can become stressful if an individual does not know what is available to them. But fear not, there are multiple avenues one may take to ease the overwhelming load of narrowing down these factors. First of all, one’s budget is normally a huge factor in determining what type of advertisement route he or she may take. In a world of uncertainties, we all have to live within budgets. It is recommended to start with a budget for the calendar year and try to stretch those dollars out as long as you can. During this period of time, you may want to try to include tracking results to see what advertisement avenue is best for you and your firm. The more you know about what works best for your business the better you can adjust your media mix. This is one reason digital advertising is growing a larger popularity than the traditional advertising. So, where do you do you start? Virtually any medium can be used for advertising. Commercial advertising media can include (but are not limited to) wall paintings, billboards, street furniture components, printed flyers, rack cards, radio, cinema and television commercials. Plus, with the internet came many new advertising opportunities. Popup, Flash, banner, and email advertisements (all of which are often unwanted or spam in the case of email) are now commonplace. Like they say, “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” For those with a large budget, why not use mass media. It’s not overly strategic or easily tracked, but mass media still remains a favorite for the big brands to build awareness and pound away messaging. Television does remain a wonderful medium, when it is done right. However, you must not forget that there are productions costs that coincide with the media costs. Remember, if you are going to do it, make sure you do it right. More brands damage themselves by letting local networks or cable providers produce spots poorly. One of the most popular routes of advisement is print. Now, this avenue is not the most effective; however, print advertisement remains popular since it is easy to execute. Regrettably, this too is not trackable, and the majority of ads are ineffective. Over the history of advertisement, newspapers and magazines have been working at great lengths to develop and incorporate tracking as well as creative ad units. This is one reason QR codes have been created. (continued page 3)
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The Summation Weekly
The Summation Weekly
Executive Director Mike Doubek mike@esrba.com Member Services Specialist Michele Kelley michele@esrba.com
Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Office 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B Pensacola, FL 32502 Publisher Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association Published Weekly At: 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B. Pensacola, Florida 32502 Phone: 850-434-8135 Fax: 850-436-8822 Email: esrba@esrba.com Website: www.esrba.com
Judicial Announcements On Friday, April 24, 2015, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of Coleman Lee Robinson to the First Judicial Circuit Court. Robinson, 44, of Pensacola, has served as an Assistant State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit since 1994. He also served as a Special Assistant United States attorney from 2007-2009. Robinson is a member of the First Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee. Robinson received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his law degree from the University of North Carolina. He fills a vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Ross Bilbrey to the First District Court of Appeal.
Job Board Family Law Attorney seeking full time paralegal. Must have Family Law experience. Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00. Salary based on work experience. Please send resume to debbie@kathleenandersonlaw.com
Office Hours Monday - Thursday 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Friday 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Application to mail at periodicals Postage Rate is Pending at Pensacola, FL Subscription Rates $20/ year ( All ESRBA Members) $22.50/ year (Escambia/Santa Rosa/ Okaloosa County Non-Members) $27.50/ Year ( Other counties within Florida & All other States NonMembers) Postmaster Send Address Changes To: The Summation Weekly 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B Pensacola, Florida 32502
The Summation weekly is locally owned and operated. All rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herin is prohbited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opnions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the ESRBA or the publisher. This newspaper accepts no responsibilty for these opinions. The ESRBA reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsiblity of the indiviudal advertiser. Appearence in this newspaper does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Escambia/ Santa Rosa Bar Association.
ADDRESS UPDATES Please note that the following firms have updated their mailing address: The Law Office of Brad G. Fisher, P.A. 331 E. Romana Street Pensacola, Florida 32502 Johnson, Green & Hargraves, P.A. 6866 Oak Street Milton, Florida 32571
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The Summation Weekly
The Art of Advertisement (Continued) In the Greater Gulf Coast area, billboard ads have been a great platform for law firm advertisement. Yet, if your business decides to use a billboard, it is best when the message is concise, so keep the number of words to a minimum. With a high population of firms in the local market, billboards allow the audience to put an attorney’s face with the firm’s name. Plus, digital boards are popular these days. They can be more cost effective since creative is easy, quick and more affordable to update. When preparing for a billboard ad, one needs to consider the quality of their photo. A company needs to make sure they research their local market in regards to commercial photographers. A good photo can make our break one’s advertisement. Locally known attorney, Kerry Anne Shultz-Battle (partner with Fountain, Schultz & Associates, P.L.) used Rick Schamberger with East Hill Photo to supply high quality photos for her online site and billboard advertisement. According to Kerry Anne, “Having an excellent photographer is critical to successful marketing. Clients want a personable and approachable attorney. Photographers can capture the personable side of a practice....” Did you know that the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association also provides an opportunity to advertise? From the Summation Weekly to the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association website, lawyers are able to reach the legal market at a low cost. The Summation Weekly provides advertisement as low as $30 for 2 weeks of advertisement, and the website provides association members with premium profiles for $180 a year. As mentioned on the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association website, “There are many advertising opportunities with the Escambia~Santa Rosa Bar Association. If you are an attorney looking to connect with other attorneys or if you are a business that provides services to law firms, we have your audience! We provide advertising opportunities on our website, membership newsletter and annual membership directory. Our fees are very reasonable and our targeted market gives you the most cost effective way to reach your audience.” Please contact the Bar office for the current rates and publication schedules. If all else fails, social media is a great outlet for advertisement. From Facebook to Twitter, you are able to create site accounts for free and are able to build a social media following without having to leave the office. As most individuals in today’s society know, social media mediums are becoming essential tools used by professions in all markets. With the growth of mobile technologies in the legal profession, social media has significantly converted the ways in which lawyers communicate. However, one must be cautious when using these sites. As use of social media by lawyers and clients continues to grow and as social media increases and become more technologically progressive, so too do the ethical issues facing lawyers. If this platform is picked for advertisement, it can be recommend consider these four social media guidelines in order to stay compliant in lawyer advertising. 1. Ethics rules apply when you use social media to endorse your practice. 2. Do not call yourself a “specialist” unless you are truly classified as one. 3. Make sure you monitor what others may post on your site (i.e. reviews, comments, questions, etc.). 4. Above all else, make sure you avoid forming an attorney-client relationship when answering questions. The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Advertisement Guidelines for Networking Sites (revised April 16, 2013) states: Pages appearing on networking sites that are used to promote the lawyer or law firm’s practice are subject to the lawyer advertising rules. These pages must therefore comply with all of the general regulations set for in Rule 4-7.11 through 4-7.19 and 4-7.21….Regulations also include prohibitions against statements characterizing skills, experience, reputation or record unless they are objectively verifiable. Lawyers and law firms should review the lawyer advertising rules in their entirety to comply with their requirements. Additional information is available in the Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation on the Florida Bar website.
Finally, when creating your advertisement, it is vital to determine your audience. In today’s world of advertising, one is able to target their audience quicker and easier. Surprisingly, US mobile search ad spending grew 120.8% in 2013, contributing to an overall gain of 122.0% for all mobile ads, according to eMarketer (March 13, 2014). Advertisers are able to geo-target, behaviorally target, retarget and pre-target their target audiences. So, what does this mean? You have the ability to place a geo-fence around where your online ads are served. Thanks new technology, you can geo-target by state, DMA, city and zip. Behavioral targeting is the procedure of using first and third party data to recognize online audience segments, and then serving those individual audience segments customized advertising. So what do you do about prospects that come to your website; but, they are not yet ready to commit to being customers. It is important to keep your business top of mind as they investigate your competitors. According to eMarketer, July 2011, “82.6% of internet users use search.” In some cases, search is the most powerful indicator of one’s immediate needs. With search retargeting, you are able to display ads to people who are searching for the goods or services you provide, on websites where they are spending the majority of their time. Overall, although advertising can be tricky at times, it can be very beneficial for you and your firm. Remember, even though there is more than one way to skin a cat, so ways are easier than others (and less painful too).
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Reminders Courtroom Renaming Effective 4/13/14 Effective as of Monday, April 13, 2014, Courtroom 404, where video court is typically held will be renamed Video Court and the new Courtroom on the 4th floor (located adjacent to Courtroom 405), will become Courtroom 404. Please note the change relative to your operations and please share this information with your staff as you deem necessary. Child Support and/or Alimony Payments–Effective 6/01/2015 Effective as of June 1, 2015, only the following methods will be available for child support and/or alimony payments: Send check or money order to: Florida State Disbursement Unit P.O. Box 8500 Tallahassee, Florida 32314 Visit Online at: www.MyFloridaCounty.com Pam Childers Clerk of the Circuit Court
Backpack Buddies Ministry 2015 The Backpack Buddies program attempts to ensure that disadvantaged elementary school children, many of whom eat their only meals at school, do not go hungry over the weekend. The program provides a bag of kidfriendly meals and snacks to each student on Friday afternoons, and the students return the bags to school on Monday mornings so they can be re-filled for the next weekend. A donation of only $50.00 feeds a child for an entire school semester. Feed a disadvantaged child for one semester for only $50, or for an entire school year for only $100. You may make checks payable to : Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Foundation. We are located at 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B, Pensacola, FL 32502.