Online Marketing Playbook for Attorneys by Jake Martin

The Online Marketing Playbook for Attorneys A practical guide to the digital tools and strategies that can grow your practice

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Table of Contents Introduction

Define Your Target Audience

Make Sure Your Site Speaks to Your Audience

Ensure Your Site Is Mobile Optimized

Optimize Your Site to Be Found in Search

Consider Having a Site for Each Practice Area

Pick the Right Marketing Channels

Set up Google+ and Authorship

Establish a Program for Lead Follow-up

Resources

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Introduction It used to be so simple: For attorneys and law firms seeking to market their services, merely having a basic website was the answer to being found online. And in the years before the web, being listed in the Yellow Pages was enough. Today, thanks to rapid advances in technology and increased competition from purported do-it-yourself legal websites, the legal profession has had to step up its marketing game. As their online habits have become more involved and sophisticated, your prospective clients have come to expect more from firms like yours – more high-quality information, more aesthetic value from your marketing efforts, more flexibility in engaging with you on their terms. How do you reach them more effectively? How and where do you communicate your expertise to them? And how do you keep track of interactions with them once they’ve connected with you? The following report is designed to provide answers to these questions and more. It is a practical, step-by-step guide through the often-complex world of online marketing, filtered expressly for the needs of legal practices like yours. The tools and strategies outlined here can help you build new leads, enhance your firm’s visibility and authority within the marketplace, foster rewarding client relationships, and ultimately, grow your practice.

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Define Your Target Audience Understanding your target audience is key to successfully marketing your practice online – and key to building an effective website. With the advent of digital and mobile technology, consumers’ expectations for content and how it is presented have increased, while their attention spans have gotten shorter and shorter. The Internet, and the information transparency it provides, gives people the ability to compare attorneys and firms and formulate first impressions faster than ever before. The more your website, content and marketing speak to them and their needs, the greater likelihood that they will contact you to engage your services, not your competitors’.

Here are three questions you can use to profile your target audience:

While it may seem limiting to define and focus on a specific target audience, in actuality, a clearly defined target audience gives your content and marketing more relevance and clarity. In short, it will make your marketing perform better.

Identify the main problem(s) your target audience is experiencing in relation to your practice area. Do they have an urgent need, such as a DUI, or a longer-term need such as the creation of a will?

What are their demographics?

Mapping out the age, sex, marital status and other key demographic variables of your typical clients is a great starting point. If you are in multiple practice areas or geographies, create audience personas for each one. These personas will guide your efforts when developing and optimizing your website, creating content and deciding where and how to market your practice, including which social media networks like Facebook and Twitter or Q&A sites like Avvo to participate in.

What are their primary needs or problems?

Do they have other concerns that could be a factor?

List the most common supplemental factors your clients tend to experience. Look beyond the immediate need and outline any additional concerns, directly related to the primary need or not, that you and your firm can help them solve. (For example, a person experiencing a divorce may be concerned about living arrangements or time away from work.) You can then create content for your website and social media around these concerns. This type of content demonstrates your understanding of the issues your target audience is facing and likely researching online.

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Even if you think you know your target audience, it is well worth creating written personas that you can use as the basis for your online marketing. This will help ensure that every touch point you have with prospective clients stays on message. Below are two examples of personas based on clients’ legal situations.

Sarah

Jeff

• Age 24

• Age 45

• Single, no kids

• Two children under 10

• Employed full-time at her first salaried job

• Employed full-time, professional

Situation:

Sarah just picked up her second speeding ticket (for $205) in 5 months. She paid the first ticket ($150), but can’t afford the second ticket, let alone the insurance premium increase that will come with it. She otherwise has a clean driving record.

Jeff’s wife has filed for divorce – seemingly out of the blue. He has little time to process it. His friends are telling him he needs a lawyer right away, and have made specific recommendations. Both of the lawyers they have suggested, however, know his wife, so Jeff looks elsewhere.

She is most concerned about: 1) Cost of the ticket, plus insurance

He is most concerned about:

2) Time away from work that may be required

1) What he needs to do first

3) Doing the wrong thing and having her ticket not dismissed as a result

2) His living situation – she wants him to move out

She has never hired a lawyer before and doesn’t know where to start. She does not use the Yellow Pages – neither in print or online. She is social media savvy. She has 600 friends on Facebook and is very active on Twitter – in fact she posted a photo of her ticket and the officer on her Facebook page and asked her online friends for lawyer recommendations. She gets two recommendations that she researches online using Google (on her smartphone) and does a search for additional lawyers close to her home. She goes to the websites of all attorneys she is considering and looks them up on Facebook. She picks the one with a high Avvo rating and a website that gives her confidence because of client testimonials and photos that show a confident, yet compassionate attorney.

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3) His kids – where do they go and how will decisions about them be handled in the interim Jeff uses the Internet, but doesn’t consider himself to be tech-savvy. He is active on LinkedIn, so he searches first for divorce attorneys who might be in his network. Four names, connected to him through people he respects, come up. He isn’t ready to share his personal situation with his business connections, so he thoroughly researches the four potential attorneys, reviewing their websites, reading their blogs, checking ratings and reviews, searching their name in press articles. He narrows it down to the two attorneys who provided the best information on their website, and calls them for an initial consultation. One calls him back right away and spends 30 minutes answering his questions. This is the attorney Jeff hires.

Make Sure Your Site Speaks to Your Audience Eighty-five percent of consumers in the United States use the Internet to research services and products (Yelp Survey, 2012). Your website is frequently the first point of contact potential clients have with you – and your competition – so it is critical to make a good first impression. To be effective and engaging, your website design should stand out and reflect your firm’s image. Your content should speak to your target audience and motivate readers to respond to a call to action – namely, contacting you. Here are some simple yet powerful tips to make sure your website presents the image you want, stands out from the competition, and draws in prospective clients:

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Present your image in a eye-catching 1 manner Consumers spend, on average, only 33 seconds on a webpage (Alenty Study, 2010) and read only 20 to 25% of the content (Nielsen Norman Group, 2008). If your site doesn’t capture their attention right away, there is little likelihood that they will contact your firm. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words: Effective websites today frequently utilize a large image or set of images that immediately draw in the user. You might use a cityscape image to communicate that your firm has been in the community a long time, or a photo of children, if your specialty is family law. Another option is to use a photo of members of your firm to give prospects a sense of the dedicated people who would be helping them. After all, consumers are looking to hire not an entity but a person – one they want to get to know and feel comfortable with. Below is an example of great use of images from Minneapolis law firm Morbey & Olsen, PLLP:

Content is king – and 2 should speak to your target audience While the design of your website is critical for making the right first impression, the content of your website, including text, image and video, is the primary driver for your audience to contact you. It is what the search engines use to decide where to rank your site in results for relevant searches. Again, focus on the problem your target audience is experiencing – and why you are the best attorney or firm to help them – as the basis for developing your content. First, create a list of issues and questions your clients typically face, in relation to your practice area. By providing answers to these frequently asked questions, you are more likely to be found in searches when prospective clients go online to research these topics and seek attorneys who can help them. Next, pair these questions with the outcomes being sought, such as an amicable divorce, custody of children or the dismissal of a traffic ticket or DUI. Lastly, outline how you are uniquely positioned to help them with their legal problem. This can include your experience, track record, fee structure, and unique approach to working work with clients. Collectively, this information forms the basis of your website, marketing, and social media content and programming.

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You might consider adding this information to your website in the form of a blog. A blog is a highly effective way to deliver articles and news in a manner that gives prospects a sense of your firm’s leadership and philosophy. It is also an easy way to add fresh content, something search engines value highly. Another useful and simple method to draw in prospects and showcase your expertise is a FAQ page that addresses your audience’s most common questions. Whichever format you choose, the tone should be conversational and the content practical. Video is yet another valuable – and increasingly easy and costeffective – way to deliver helpful information to prospective clients. Consumers frequently prefer video rather than text, particularly on smartphones. As a result, Google tends to rank video content higher in search results, particularly if the video explains “how to” do something. Video testimonials from existing clients, especially those that reflect your target audience, are very effective. While your video does not need to be professionally filmed, quality does matter and will help your video stand out among the large volume of online video. Use a high-definition (HD) camera; script and storyboard the content; and rehearse before filming. Research lighting and set techniques and have a plan for editing.

Make it easy for users to find what 3 they’re looking for Now that you’ve mapped out website content that speaks to your target audience, think about how to make it easy for them to find it. Many website visitors use the top navigation to get to information, while others use links within the site, so make sure your site works well for both types of users. Make the top navigation straightforward and make sure the tabs get users to the information they are most likely to be looking for, including attorney bios, client reviews, resources such as FAQs and articles, and your blog, if you have one.

4 Often, less is more Just as going into every little detail during a conversion can be overwhelming to the listener and obscure the point being made, the same is true with your website. Stick with the information that is most helpful to your target audience. Avoid filling your site with unnecessary images, off-message videos or distracting animations that not only make your website difficult to comprehend, but slow the load time as well, causing you to lose visitors before you have the chance to turn them into clients.

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Ensure Your Site is Mobile Optimized According to Google, 30% of local Internet searches happen on mobile phones. In addition, 61% of mobile searches result in a phone call. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you are losing out on prospective new clients. Designing a website for a smaller screen can be challenging and requires eliminating many elements we take for granted on desktop websites. This is why many websites today, including those offered by Avvo, utilize a technique called “responsive design.” This technique delivers an optimal user experience across a wide range of devices, from desktops to mobile phones to tablets. With a responsive design, the website’s elements such as navigation, images and text automatically reformat for various devices in order to maximize usability for the visitor.

GOOD:

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BAD:

Whether or not your site utilizes responsive design, following are five must-haves for an effective mobile website:

Keep it simple

In general, a good mobile website has a very simple layout and navigation, few images, no Flash or other proprietary software, and content prioritized for users on the go. While the same principles of a good desktop website apply to a mobile website, space is extremely limited on a mobile site, so you need to anticipate what content users will most likely want to access. Choose the three most important content items and make those items easy for users to find and act upon. Typically, you want to include your contact information and an overview of the firm’s services. If you have a blog, you might consider making that the third priority as it likely contains content relevant to both prospective and existing clients. Many mobile users consume and share content like this while in transit.

Optimize for phone calls and driving directions

Mobile users are much more likely to contact by phone instead of filling out a contact form. Prominently featuring your phone number as a “click-to-call” button will dramatically increase the number of calls your site generates from mobile users. In addition, mobile users in particular will access your website for driving directions. Make it easy for them by featuring a prominent button on the main page that links to directions or passes your address to a map application.

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Minimize horizontal scrolling; use vertical navigation

Mobile users, particularly those with iPhones or Android devices that have touch screens, are accustomed to scrolling from top to bottom. Eliminate left-to-right scrolling and keep the content in one column. Mobile users don’t mind scrolling a few times to read content, but keep it to a minimum – just enough to comfortably access it.

Content is still king

There are plenty of ways to make your valuable content available to mobile users while maintaining a simple, readable, error-free mobile site: • Make headers prominent and extremely concise • Text should be readable at arm’s length • Favor bulleted lists over paragraphs and use images strategically • Be mindful of the spacing between links – if they are too close together, it may be difficult for touch screen users to access the link they want

Size and speed really matter

The site load time – how fast a page or site renders in a browser – is even more important on mobile. It is a huge determining factor in whether a visitor stays on your site, and it plays a major role in how well your site ranks in mobile search engines. The optimal maximum mobile load time is 4 seconds. A typical website designed for desktop browsers, by comparison, can take 45 seconds to load on a mobile device. Mobile users are still content-motivated, but they are more timesensitive and more often are on your site for a specific purpose. In addition to being selective about what images to feature on your mobile site, be mindful about how you present videos. Rather than relying on proprietary software to stream your video as you might do on your desktop site, consider using YouTube for mobile video to avoid increased load times and to provide a better video experience overall.

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Optimize Your Site to Be Found in Search Website design is not the field of dreams: If you build it, they will not necessarily come. You can have the best website design in the world, but if prospective clients can’t find it when searching, particularly on Google, then the investment you’ve made is largely wasted. Below are three initial steps to help your site get indexed by the search engines for the searches that matter to your practice.

1 Develop a list of keywords associated with your practice The first step to getting your site indexed is to include – in your site copy, content and code – the keywords that people are likely to use when searching for your services. Google and other search engines use these keywords to determine which websites are most relevant to the person’s query and therefore should be included in the results. The keywords may include practice areas, legal issues or location – city, region or state – where your office is located. Your name and the name of your firm are also keywords that some people will use to find you online. However, be mindful that people generally search by topic first, not by who can help them with it, unless they are searching for a particular attorney or firm.

How to develop a keyword list: Put yourself in a prospective client’s shoes. Make a list of words and phrases that closely describe your practice. Don’t forget that there are multiple phrases related to the same term. Include: • • • • •

Category: e.g., attorney, lawyer Practice area: e.g., DUI, divorce, personal injury Legal issues: e.g., motorcycle accident, child custody, QDRO Location: e.g., city, state, county You: e.g., your name, your firm’s name

Combine the keywords into phrases that people would use to narrow their search Different people use different types of search queries to find the same information. Some use long phrases, others start with very broad terms and keep narrowing their choices, for example: • DUI attorney Phoenix • Child custody in Washington state • Traffic ticket Atlanta Test your keywords Use Google’s Keyword Tool to get keyword ideas and a sense of how many people are searching on particular terms. You can also enter your search terms into Google and social media sites like Facebook to see the results. Are you finding your competition? If so, that is an indication you are on the right track.

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Incorporate these keywords into your site architecture, navigation 2 and content Incorporating your keywords into your site tells both visitors and the search engines that your content is relevant to the keywords you have identified. Following is a list of places on your site where you should incorporate the keywords. Implementing these steps requires knowledge of site code and search engine optimization (SEO). If you are not planning to build your site yourself, make sure your consultant or site designer has an excellent understanding of both.

Title tags on each of your pages Title tags are the actual links displayed on the search engine results page and therefore are one of the most important places to incorporate your high-priority keywords.

META description tag The META description tag is seen only by the search engines, not the public. It is the text displayed underneath the link on the search engine results page. Your META description tag should be as concise as possible – ideally 160 characters or less, including spaces.

Headlines and H1 tags Site visitors typically read the page headlines, scan the navigation and start to read content near the top of the page. If they don’t see what they are searching for in a matter of seconds, chances are they will hit the back button and bounce from your site. Search engines also use headlines, in the form of a piece of code called an H1 tag, to determine the content on the page. The H1 tag goes on the “header” of each web page on your site. The headers and H1 tag should describe page content and include the top keywords associated with content on that page.

Page content Your page content is why people are on your site in the first place, and is the primary reason why they become leads. Incorporate keywords into your page copy, but be mindful of keyword density. While you want to incorporate your targeted keywords into your content as often as possible, keep it natural. Neither the search engines nor site visitors appreciate content that is unnaturally crammed with keywords.

Alt text Alt text stands for alternative text or alt attribute. Alt text is code that describes an image, which search engines cannot “see.” It enables the search engines to determine the meaning of the images. Make sure your site utilizes alt-text for all images.

Link text Your site’s internal links enable users to navigate between pages and content. Search engines use the text contained in these links to ascertain its relevance to a particular search query. Therefore, use keywords in your links rather than words like “click here.” Example: Good: 5 reasons to fight a speeding ticket. Bad: Click here for 5 reasons to fight a speeding ticket.

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3 Make sure your site design is logical At a broad level, this means making sure your site is easy to use. If it is easy for consumers to get to the information they need on your site, chances are it will be easy for the search engines to navigate and understand as well, which has a significant impact on your site’s search rankings.

Use straightforward navigation The KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle applies here. Steer clear of Flash animation on your site. Dramatic Flash animation was all the rage five or ten years ago, but the best sites today instead focus on ease-of-use, featuring clean and clear text, strong images and fast load times.

Make site content accessible in three or less clicks Starting on the homepage, you should ideally be able to navigate to any piece of content on your website within three clicks. This rule of thumb will improve your site’s overall usability. By making it easy to get to content, it is less likely that users will “bounce” from your site because they can’t readily see the content they want. Bounce rate is another factor that search engines take into account when determining which sites to rank in search results.

Pay attention to internal linking throughout your site The way that the individual pages on your site link to one another can also improve the user experience and is another factor for search engine rankings. Internal links can improve the user experience on a website by providing readers with easy access to related information as they consume content. As a result, both the average time on site and the average number of pages viewed per visit go up – which the search engines value – as do your contact conversion rates. A simple way to optimize your internal linking is to think about what other content or information readers might want to access when you add a new page, article, or blog post to your site. Provide readers with an easy way to get to that information within the new content.

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Consider Having a Site for Each Practice Area As noted earlier in this guide, delivering content that is relevant to your target audience is one of the most important aspects of a successful website – both for usability and search engine optimization. If your firm has multiple practice areas or offices, consider a multi-site strategy that enables you to provide the most relevant content to your different types of clients and maximize your reach online. With a multi-site strategy, your firm’s main website remains general in nature, with content that encompasses each of your firm’s practice areas. You can then have additional websites, often referred to as “satellite” websites or “micro-sites,” focused solely on an individual practice area, or in some cases, geography. Your satellite sites can be smaller than your main website – four or five pages each is sufficient – and you do not necessarily need a satellite site for every single practice area. Focus on those that drive the bulk of your revenue. For example, if your firm handles DUI as well as criminal defense cases, having a site dedicated to DUI will enable you to more effectively market your DUI practice by speaking directly to the needs of that audience, including your approach to DUI cases and track record. Potential clients with a specific need tend to value an expert in the field rather than a jack of all trades. Below is an example of multiple sites from Finebloom, Haenel & Higgins, P.A. :

Main Site: www.fightyourcase.com

Satellite Site: www.fightyourtolltickets.com

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No matter how many websites you ultimately own, it is imperative that each site feature quality content that is updated on a regular basis.

Another strategy for using multiple sites is to segment by specific geographic market areas. While your main website would list all of your offices, it would focus on generating inquiries from the city where your main office is located. You can then have dedicated websites for your other offices with content tailored to potential clients in those cities. By using a local phone number for each site and tying it to your Google Places profile, you would be optimized for Google local search results in each of the areas. Alternatively, you can create sub-domains for each of your offices within your main site. For example: www.sandiego.yourlawoffice.com www.santacruz.yourlawoffice.com Just be sure to have unique content on each of the pages, to avoid being penalized by the search engines for duplicate content. No matter how many websites you ultimately own, it is imperative that each site feature quality content that is updated on a regular basis, such as with a blog – you cannot simply put up the site and forget about it. Updating the content signals to Google and the other search engines that the site is active. It also makes it more meaningful to prospects and clients. You should track the results from all of your websites, including how well they are performing in search rankings, which can change frequently. A multi-site or sub-domain strategy is a smart investment for firms that participate in multiple practice areas, and something that is quickly becoming a necessity in an increasingly competitive online and mobile world.

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Pick the Right Marketing Channels Once you have a website or multiple sites, it’s time to promote your practice. While you will hopefully generate traffic through organic search, there are several other sources, or channels, that consumers use to find legal help and that other attorneys leverage when considering referrals. These include free sources such as blogs and social media (or networks), and paid channels such as pay-per-click, which augment your free efforts.

Social Media First, a few stats: • 92% of U.S. companies now use social media in their marketing efforts. (Source: Heidi Cohen) • 85% of all businesses that have a dedicated social media platform reported an increase in their market exposure (Source: 2012 Social Media Marketing Report)

• More than 80% of small to midsized businesses (SMBs) plan to increase their use of social media in 2013. (Source: Marketing Charts)

Given these figures, it is no surprise that lawyers and firms are increasingly realizing the potential of social media to showcase their services and expertise, build connections with other lawyers and potential clients, establish their brand online and provide content that engages prospective clients. The sheer number of social media outlets may seem overwhelming — there are literally thousands. However, with a bit of research and planning, you can determine the right outlets, and the right content, for marketing yourself and your firm.

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Here is a quick overview of some major players that warrant consideration as you build your marketing plan. • Social media juggernaut Facebook is the most popular social network, with more than 1 billion users worldwide. • Google+ claims to have more than 500 million users, but because Google includes Gmail accounts in the total, many have questioned how many of those users are truly active. However, because Google increasingly leverages content and listing information from Google+ in its search results, participation on Google+ is a must for search, if not for social, reasons. • Micro-blogging platform Twitter has over 500 million users, all of whom communicate in 140 characters or less. • Professional network LinkedIn has over 170 million users who leverage it to build professional contacts and share career highlights and accomplishments. • Video aggregator YouTube (owned by Google) has over 1 billion users - technically making it the second-largest search engine. • Legal Q&A website Avvo.com is the largest legal-focused network, with more than 1 million legal questions answered and hundreds of thousands of contacts delivered to attorneys every month. • Image-based network Pinterest has around 50 million users. • Blog network Tumblr brings together text, image, video and audio content; has 170 million users. • Finally, there is blogging in general, using free, self-service platforms like WordPress or BlogSpot, or full-service offerings like LexBlog, which is specifically designed for lawyers.

How do you determine which one is right for you?

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Considering where your target audience spends its time is critical to making sure you are investing in the channels that matter.

Remember your target audience Who are they? Where do they spend time online? What tools are they likely to use when looking for legal services? For example, if your clients are primarily businesses, or if you generate a meaningful amount of business from attorney referrals, then you need to be on LinkedIn. If your practice is divorce and the majority of your clients are women above the age of 25, then you should pay particular attention to your presence on Facebook. You might also consider Pinterest – but only if sharing visual content that is not always directly related to your prospective clients’ issue is something that comes naturally and that you enjoy. Considering where your target audience spends its time is critical to making sure you are investing in the channels that matter. Focusing on reaching your target audience will also help you resist pressure to participate in every social network, including whichever one might be making headlines today. It is far better to maximize your efforts on a few networks that are most relevant to your target audience, rather than spreading yourself too thin across a variety of channels – which not only wastes time, but dilutes the message to your core audience. Realistically assess your personality and willingness to engage in networks in the manner necessary to resonate with your audience. How comfortable are you with sharing? Do you enjoy writing daily or weekly articles, or do you stare in frustration at a blank screen? Do you like participating in on-the-fly conversations online, or do you prefer to absorb information at a more deliberate pace? And most important, how much time can you realistically dedicate to social media on a daily or weekly basis? Answering these questions honestly will help you pick the channel that you’ll stick with, and will help you maximize the return. Following is a high-level summary of the attributes and benefits associated with the largest social media networks.

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Blogs are good for: • Showcasing topic expertise • Educating an audience • Building brand value and equity • Increasing search visibility

YouTube is good for: • Visually engaging content • Short “how to” segments • Showcasing your personality • Highlighting broadcast news stories

LinkedIn is good for: • Connections – particularly B2B • Showcasing resume • Engaging with peers

Twitter is good for: • Lending your voice to an event or discussion • Promoting blog or website content • Sharing time-sensitive information

Blogs are an active and compelling way to convey information, build authority and attract and engage both existing and prospective clients who are researching legal issues and lawyers. Blogs are also long-form in nature. Effective posts are typically 500 words or more in length, and to be successful, you should post content at least two or three times per week. If you like writing and it comes naturally, then blogs are a good channel for you. YouTube influences Google search results, and videos generally have high search rankings. In many instances it may be easier to get a video ranked highly for a result on Google than it is to get a website ranked – particularly if the video is “how to” in nature. That said, just as there are steps needed to get a site to rank well, there are steps to getting a video to perform well. This article provides a great overview on how to optimize video for search results.

LinkedIn is the most powerful way to create a professional referral network, showcase your resume, and engage with other lawyers or professionals. It requires less time on a day-to-day basis than many other channels. An hour per week dedicated to adding and endorsing contacts and engaging in forums will likely yield results.

Twitter is a great way to participate in discussions on specific topics – particularly timely topics such as a legal case in the news. It is also a platform for sharing and promoting your own content and relevant content from others in your field. It takes a fair amount of time to build a Twitter following – basically through trial and error in following others and seeing who reciprocates, along with purposefully engaging in relevant conversations.

• Proposing ideas

Facebook is good for: • Connecting • Sharing, polls, and conversations • Self-expression

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Facebook enables you to have a page for your practice that can include a form for potential client inquiries, as well as a page for you, personally. (Facebook requires you to have a personal page in order to have a business page.) One of the things you need to decide is how the two are related, if at all.

Where to start Because Avvo connects lawyers to other lawyers as well as consumers, it is a great starting point. Google values Q&A content, so answering questions on Avvo can help expand your reach on key search results in addition to showcasing your expertise to Avvo users. After Avvo, if attorney referrals are a primary driver for your practice, then LinkedIn is your best bet. If, on the other hand, your target is consumers, then Facebook is a good starting point. With more than 1 billion users, chances are your typical client is among them. Also, Facebook doesn’t require the disciplined writing of a blog, nor proactive, often pithy, engagement as on Twitter. Once your profile is set up and you’ve mapped out the type of content you think is right for your audience, then three to five posts per week should be enough to establish your presence and keep your audience engaged. As with any online medium, quality of content trumps quantity of content. To properly develop programming for your chosen social media outlets, refer to your target audience and keyword research and build topics and content relevant to them. Augment this list with content that is timely and related to events trending online or in the news.

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Paid Search As you likely know, Google and other search engines offer paid advertising, often referred to as pay-per-click or PPC. These ads appear above and to the right of organic search results. Google’s ad program is known as AdWords; Bing’s is called Bing Ads or adCenter.

These ads can be targeted by: a) Keyword – either by exact match of a keyword or phrase, or by broad match, which includes similar searches; and b) Geo-location of the searcher or of the search query (e.g., Philadelphia divorce attorney). You pay when a user clicks on the ad. The price you pay is on based on the level of advertiser demand for the keyword both nationally and in the specific geo-location. You can set a maximum budget to spend each day. Once that budget limit is reached, your ad will not be shown until the next day.

Whether you are setting up the campaigns yourself or having someone else do it for you, following are a few basics that will help you understand the process and how PPC advertising works.

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You can track every single cent that you spend and clearly see the results.

Benefits of PPC advertising PPC advertising enables you to drive additional search traffic to your website beyond “organic” traffic, and to get your website found based on keywords for which it might not rank organically. PPC also gives you the opportunity to drive traffic to your website quickly. Once you set up your account and create your campaigns, your ads will start showing within one to two days. In addition, you have total control: You can track every single cent that you spend and clearly see the results.

How to set up your campaigns PPC campaigns, particularly on Google, are fairly easy to set up in a few steps: • Create an AdWords account by following these instructions. • Choose the keywords for which you want your ads to show up. (Select them from your original list of keywords.) • Use the Google Keyword Tool to get a sense of how popular your keywords are and to see the estimated cost-per-click (CPC). • Decide how much you want to spend per click and per day.

Account structure There are four levels of a PPC account and campaign: Account > Campaigns > Ad Groups > Keywords. Keywords are part of a group of ads. This group of ads is part of a campaign. The campaign is part of your account.

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Ad rankings and “Quality Score” Instead of giving top ranking to the advertiser willing to pay the most money, Google and Bing use the bid price (the maximum price an advertiser is willing to pay for an ad click) multiplied by something called “Quality Score,” which assesses how relevant the ad and landing page are to a user’s search query. The higher the Quality Score, the lower the CPC and the higher the ranking. Also affecting your Quality Score is the click-through-rate (CTR), which is the percentage of people who click on your ad (impressions) after viewing it. Your Quality Score can change over time. Google displays this score in the AdWords dashboard, but does not display the details that affect the score. Key factors influencing Quality Score include: • How relevant your landing page is to your targeted keyword – typically, the headline of the page should include the keyword • How relevant your ad is to the keyword • Performance of your landing page – slow-loading websites get a lower Quality Score • Historical CTR Basically, the more relevant your campaign is to the keyword search, the higher your Quality Score.

Ad copy After you have created your keyword list, the next step is writing ad copy. There are five parts to an ad on Google: • Headline – 25 characters max. • Description Line 1 – 35 characters max. • Description Line 2 – 35 characters max. • Display URL – 35 characters max. • Landing Page URL – 1,024 characters max. The headline is where you should place as many relevant keywords as possible while keeping it logical. In the next two lines you can describe your practice to potential clients. You are allowed to start a description in Line 1 and finish it in Line 2. While you want to include relevant keywords throughout the ad, make sure it sounds natural when read aloud. Note that there are regulations around ad copy. For example, you cannot use all caps (e.g., “DUI ATTORNEY”) in your text. For more information, review Google’s Ad Guidelines.

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Display URL and landing page URL

While it is easy to set up a PPC campaign, a number of factors go into optimizing a campaign for performance.

The Display URL is the URL visible to the viewer. This URL is not clickable and most often is the root domain for the website or landing page associated with the ad (e.g., www.mypractice.com). The landing page URL is the actual, full URL for the page linked from the ad. For example, you may want to link the ad to a page within your site that promotes a free consultation and contains a reply form (e.g., www.mypractice.com/freeconsultation).

Google Ad Extensions Google AdWords allows advertisers to use so-called “Ad Extensions” to include additional information and links or calls to action in the ad. Here are a few examples: • Location Extension: shows your office address • Call Extension: shows your phone number (static display on desktops; clickable on mobile devices) • Social Extension: shows the number of people who have “+1′d” your page on Google+ • Sitelink Extension: shows up to 6 links to sections of your site For more information, review Google’s AdWords Extensions guide.

Additional targeting Additional targeting options for your campaigns: • Device – choose the devices you want to target: desktop, tablet, mobile • Location – set the geographical location in which your ad will be shown • Language – target specific languages While it is easy to set up a PPC campaign, a number of factors go into optimizing a campaign for performance. It is best to start small with a set of core keywords and then expand and optimize as you achieve results. A number of consultants specialize in PPC advertising; they can handle campaigns on your behalf. Just be sure to fully vet them: Talk to some of their clients to ensure they are truly experts and assess whether they are the right fit for you.

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Set up Google+ and Authorship If you have done any searches on Google in the past few months, you have likely noticed that some of the organic search results feature a photo or other “enhanced” information, while others do not. These are what Google calls “Rich Snippets.” There are several types, but the one of primary importance for attorneys – particularly those with a blog – is the Author Rich Snippet. An Author Rich Snippet is a search result featuring a specific author’s picture, name and links to additional content. Here is an example of an Author Rich Snippet for a Dallas attorney:

Results featuring Author Rich Snippets tend to have significantly higher click-through rates (up to 150% higher, by some accounts) from search results. This is because: • Searchers are drawn to photos • Rich results stand out from others on the list • It gives searchers a better idea of the content behind the click • It connotes trust and credibility – particularly as searchers see your results on multiple searches and start to recognize and remember them

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How to Set Up Author Rich Snippets on Your Site a) Set up a Google+ profile Upload a decent-looking profile picture. Google uses this when it pulls in your Author Rich Snippet. If you already have a presence online, it’s best to upload the same photo you use elsewhere (on Twitter, Facebook, Quora, etc.). Like Facebook, Google+ profiles are tied to an individual, while Google+ Brand Pages and Google Places are associated with a business. Google has announced plans to merge Google+ and Google Places, but for now, they are separate. b) Add some code to your website and blog template You can add code connecting your website and blog posts to your Google+ profile so Google knows to display the Author Rich Snippet for search results related to your website content. Add the link below to the <head> of the URLs with content that you want associated with an Author Rich Snippet. (Important: the part of the link in blue below is shown for illustrative purposes. Replace it with the actual URL extension for your own Google+ profile.) <link rel=”author” href=”https://plus.google. com/115369062315673853712/posts”/> c) Connect your blog to your Google+ profile Go to the “Contributor To” section on your Google+ profile. Add the site you write for and any others. Now, Google knows that you are, as an author, associated with that website. d) Test the setup with Google’s Rich Snippet Testing Tool Type the URL of your website and one of your blog posts. If Google returns an example of your Author Rich Snippet, then you are set up correctly and should start seeing Rich Snippets associated with your search results. e) Post something to your Google+ profile at least every 72 hours This signals to Google that you are an active user. You can post a summary of a blog post or news item with links to the actual content for more.

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Establish a Program for Lead Follow-up Now that you have a website and marketing plan in place, you need to develop a program for lead follow-up and lead conversion optimization. It does little good to spend time and money on marketing only to lose valuable leads when they come in the door. Studies show that the odds of converting a lead decrease by 10 times if the lead is not responded to within five minutes. (Source: InsideSales.com) Potential legal clients – who may be in an elevated emotional state about their situation – often have been referred to two or three different attorneys, and frequently will hire the first one that picks up the phone. Fortunately, tools exist to help you respond the minute a lead comes in – even if you are out of the office or unavailable – as well as keep track of those leads across your firm from first contact to close. These tools can even remind you when it is time for follow-up.

1 Incoming lead alerts

To ensure rapid response to all incoming leads, you need to know the minute a lead comes in. Whether it is through an email, form submission or inbound call, a system must be in place to ensure that the lead gets an immediate response. This way, prospective clients know that their inquiry has been received. They also have a sense of the next step. You can set up email alerts, often through your email platform, that notify you the instant an email lead is received. You can also set up your website forms to generate an email autoresponse when a form is submitted. If you do not have 24/7 phone coverage at your firm, you can set up a system to be notified of inbound calls through a call tracking provider or lead management platform, such as Avvo Ignite Suite.

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Email auto-responders and “drip 2 campaigns” A drip campaign involves a series of templated and pre-established email messages that are sent or “dripped” in a predetermined order and/or a predetermined timeframe. Each message should stand on its own but also build on the message that preceded it. A drip campaign is typically in response to a specific – and typical – behavior or status of the recipient, which in turn encourages a specific action. Drip campaigns are most commonly used to nurture leads (move them from the consideration phase to the selection/hire phase) and typically use education, testimonials or awards, or current news to move prospects through the early part of the sales cycle.

Below is an example of an auto-response email using Avvo Ignite Suite:

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Here are the steps for setting up drip campaigns:

Determine your goals and objectives Examples include: • Turning an inquiry into an initial consultation • Turning a prospect still considering whether or not to hire your firm into a client • Staying top of mind with an existing client who may have additional needs in the future Whatever the goal, be sure to clearly define the action you want recipients to take upon receipt of the campaign. For example, you could ask them to: • • • •

Contact you Set up an appointment Follow or “like” you on social media Learn about or engage with your content

Map out your content While the frequency and timing of the communications in your campaign are important, the content is the primary driver of the action you want the recipient to take. Once you have the content defined, it is easier to determine timing and frequency.

Slot your content into specific emails Certain content, such as your firm’s mission and contact information, should appear in every message, but each email should convey unique information that stands on its own. Your campaign will not be effective if you send the same information over and over.

Decide on your email formats Drip campaigns can utilize any variety of formats, including personal letter, newsletter or article. The format should support the content and desired action.

Use compelling, simple design Just as with your website, design matters in email drip campaigns. Use images that support but do not overshadow the copy, and use video when appropriate. Several studies have shown that including video links can increase email click-through rates by two to three times.

Create different campaigns for various client segments Segmenting your recipients by prospect vs. existing client, prospect lead quality, or type and severity of issue will increase the relevancy and performance of your campaigns overall.

Measure the performance Track the standard metrics, including email opens, clicks, conversions to leads, and business generated by individual email messages and cumulatively as a campaign.

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3 Lead tracking and management To ensure that you are staying on top of and converting inbound leads across your firm, as well as measuring how the different lead sources are performing, you need a lead management system. Such a system makes it easier to track leads and follow up in a timely manner. Without it, you could waste time on lead sources that seem to be performing at the outset, but ultimately do not deliver quality prospects that turn into clients. Lead management solutions range from using Excel spreadsheets to log leads and note their status, to full-blown – and expensive – Client Relationship Management solutions such as Salesforce.com. There are also great tools positioned between the two. For example, Avvo’s marketing platform, Avvo Ignite Suite, enables you to track all inbound prospects – both offline and online – from first inquiry to close and by source. The consumer firm Shainfeld & Anvar, for example, got a much clearer picture of its marketing and lead conversion performance and saved eight hours per month in marketing reporting by using Avvo Ignite Suite. Download Shainfeld & Anvar study >>

Avvo Ignite Suite enables you to track all inbound prospects – both offline and online – from first inquiry to close and by source.

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Resources Website Design: 7 Best Practices for Improving Your Website’s Usability – Mashable.com http://mashable.com/2011/09/12/website-usability-tips/

25 Design Best Practices for Your Small Business Website – Search Engine Watch http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2064592/25-Design-Best-Practices-for-Your-Small-Business-Web-Site

SEO: Google + and Local Search for Lawyers (webinar) – Jake Martin on Avvo University http://ignite.avvo.com/webinars/google-and-local-search A few intermediate-level articles on search engine optimization, keyword research and Google+ impact on SEO:

40 Important Local Search Questions Answered – Mike Ramsey on SEOMoz http://www.seomoz.org/blog/40-important-local-search-questions-answered

What Small Business Clients Need to Know About Keywords and SEO – SEOMoz http://www.seomoz.org/blog/what-small-business-clients-needs-to-know-about-keywords-and-seo

Social Media Social Media 101 Series – Mashable.com http://mashable.com/category/social-media-101-series/

Facebook 101 for Business – Social Media Examiner http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-101-business-guide/

Twitter for Lawyers (video) – Megan Olendorf on Avvo University http://ignite.avvo.com/whiteboards/twitter-for-lawyers

Paid Search Marketing Search Engine Marketing for Lawyers (webinar) – Mark Kelly on Avvo University http://ignite.avvo.com/webinars/search-engine-marketing

Lead Management & Follow Up The Power of Systematized Follow Up Marketing (webinar) – Ben Glass on Avvo University http://ignite.avvo.com/webinars/systematized-marketing

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