The Write Rainmaker

Thoughts on the 4th of July

The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays, and as I've grown older I have reflected on what was really going on in 1776 when our nation was founded. It wasn't a peaceful, polite thing, the American Revolution. It was more than 7 years of conflict, against one of the most powerful nations on earth, and the stakes were very high.

The sacrifices were enormous.

I like to read articles like Founders risked their lives for liberty, because it contains so much good information.

"Five of the signers were captured as traitors by the British, and were tortured to death. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army. Another had two sons captured. Nine fought and died of wounds or the hardship of the war."

George Washington led an army that was often hungry, cold, and undersupplied. They often didn't get paid, or were underpaid. They often didn't have shoes. The winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge was particularly brutal. I remember years ago visiting the national park at Valley Forge and being awed by the sacrifices made by those men.

You aren't going to find anybody that's going to be successful without making a sacrifice and without perseverance. -Lou Holtz

Sacrifice is not a popular word today. It's something we all need to ponder sometimes, though.

Everything I've ever done in my own life that was worth doing required some sacrifice. My parents sacrificed so I could have a safe, secure childhood.

If you are a small business owner, you are sacrificing not simply money, but time, and hoping for the best.The hours of work and worry, the sweat, the hope, the anxiety -- all these are the results of a dream, a vision, a belief that the world needed your talents and your ideas.

Like our founding fathers, you have sacrificed.

I salute you, and wish for you success and prosperity. I celebrate your tenacity and optimism. Here's hoping you have a relaxed, happy, and safe 4th of July.

Six Reasons Why Attorneys Should Not Hire Marketing Professionals With No Legal Experience

I have worked in law offices and corporate legal departments for more than twenty years. I have a very good grasp of litigation, and some knowledge of wills and estates, patent law, real estate, contracts, and transactional law.

I also know that until recently, lawyers were not allowed to market themselves or their services, so they are now trying to play "catch up" in this extremely competitive world.They are busily trying to represent clients, and have some quality family time whenever possible, and they usually don't have time to educate themselves about marketing.

It amazes me that marketing folks think they can market attorneys the same way they do everything else.

Here are six reasons why marketing for attorneys is different.

Law firms sell services and discretion, and that's a different ballgame than most companies. For instance, attorneys don't have "sales" - file one lawsuit at full price, get the next one free? Attorneys also can't run product demonstrations, frequency programs, or "try it before you buy it" programs.

Attorneys don't typically speak SEO but they don't want websites that choke on it. There is a large company that calls itself expert at marketing for attorneys, but in reality they are utterly clueless. (I am not going to name this company publicly, but email me and I will reveal their name.) This company designed a website for a friend of mine that is so filled with SEO-speak that the copy on many of the pages is nonsensical. SEO [Search Engine Optimization] is important, obviously. You want your firm to pop up quickly on a Google or Bing search. However, in the same paragraph describing the attorney as "personal injury expert attorney," "back injury attorney," and "Smith County's best personal injury back expert knee replacement expert attorney" gets ridiculous.

Attorneys don't like to be told they are stupid. This same huge company spent 30 minutes on the phone with an attorney friend of mine explaining basic marketing terms in a condescending tone like she was utterly clueless. They insulted her intelligence even to the point of trying to get her to commit to buying their services before actually quoting her a price on those services.

Attorneys trust other attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries far more than someone with only a marketing degree. I have answered ads for law firm marketing professionals who think that a kid right out of college with a marketing degree will know more about how to market a law firm than me, which is irritating. Someone with law firm work experience AND marketing experience is far more apt to gain an attorney's attention and respect.

Most attorneys do not LIKE to think about, talk about, or actually do marketing, and it's not something they like to spend time doing. I've only met 2 attorneys in the past 25 years who enjoy marketing. Most attorneys view it as a necessary evil, but it takes a backseat to real cases that need attention. If something needs to be filed in court to avoid a motion for contempt that will ALWAYS get done first, before a blog or writing a website page. AND THAT'S AS IT SHOULD BE.

So don't bother an attorney when he or she is really busy practicing law. Be patient.

Attorneys specialize in an area of law and they don't want to hear about others, when it comes to their own marketing. What would be the point? One company sent a friend of mine a bunch of blog ideas but they had nothing to do with the area of law in which he practiced. Why would a personal injury attorney blog about a big settlement in a civil rights case?? That illustrates so plainly where marketing folks are inept when it comes to marketing to attorneys.

 

So if you are an attorney, think about what you need and want from a marketing person. You want someone who really understands the type of law that you practice, and how that impacts your time. You want someone who understands how attorneys view themselves and why it's important for their website to reflect that. You want someone who can discuss your practice with you in an intelligent way, someone who speaks "legalese" and can translate it into regular talk.

I can do all that - a lot less expensively than the big companies that try to get law firm marketing business and have no clue how it's done.

Up Close and Personal

A great way to market your business is to tell your personal story to a magazine or newspaper aimed at folks in your community. Small community papers are read more often than you might think.

My friend Kristyne Seidenberg is an attorney who loves to make housecalls - to do business with folks in their own home. So they don't have to drive into town and find parking, hire a sitter, etc. Kristy became a lawyer after successful careers as a teacher and a counselor. She loves to help people, and is a passionate advocate for victims of abuse and/or domestic violence, children, and parents. She also loves to prepare wills and powers of attorney for seniors, and help them with estate planning.

I was delighted the other day to find Up Close and Personal in Tucker, with Kristy and her family on the front. I helped Kristy with her article a little bit, but her unique personality shines through, and it's distributed to thousands of homes in the area. Congrats Kristy!

Pictures Tell Stories

I want to give a big Congratulations to my client Ed Hecht, on the launch of his new website, Hecht Family Law.

You will notice that Ed has used a number of different photos on his website. He understands the value of photos in effectively marketing his services.

Although I love words and I pride myself on being able to help attorneys find the best way to present themselves on their websites, I also understand the value of images.

When I was in college, I took a lot of film classes, and one of the classes was a course in Semiotics. "Semiotics, or semiology, is the study of signs, symbols, and signification. It is the study of how meaning is created, not what it is." I was never really good at discussing Semiotics with the grad students in the class [I was 19 years old] but I instinctively knew and understood the value of images as symbols.

When Ed and I were discussing his new website a few weeks ago, I could tell that he understood how important it is to have images on your site that convey specific ideas or emotions.

For instance, one of the images on Ed's Home page is a split photo. On one side is a Dad and his daughter playing, and the other side shows a Mom and her two children. Everyone in these shots is smiling. The inherent meaning here is simple. Single parents raising children can be a HAPPY thing. This is a great idea to convey. Divorce doesn't have to mean an end to happiness and good times.

All too often, attorneys have the exact same images on their websites: the scales of justice, cityscapes, smiling but stiff loooking attorneys, maybe a shot of the law library. Look at ten law firm websites and I guarantee you that you will find all those images.

All these images are OK, but they don't really grab a viewer and say HEY, HIRE ME! They just say uh yeah, i am a lawyer... and maybe i have nice offices...

Images are important because when someone Googles your site and the Home page pops up, the images they see will grab their attention immediately. There will be an instant decision made, either "I like that image" or "Blah, what a bore," or maybe "huh?" or there may be NO effect on the person searching.

What you need to think about - whether you're a lawyer or just a small business owner - is this: what image can I post that will tell the viewer instantly HERE'S WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU.

So, if you're a personal injury attorney, do you want to show photos of badly mangled cars? Nope. That tells the viewer you like grisly images, nothing more.

How about a view of people standing around a wreck site, and a driver looking disheleved and upset is being comforted by someone? Isn't that really what you want to convey? If I have been in an accident, I want a personal injury attorney to take care of me, to help me get the compensation I need.

It's also important to have more than one image. I know a number of attorneys who have, at most, 2 images on their websites, other than photos of attorneys.  That's a mistake. Images create interest. Images tell a story.

BIG IDEA HERE: People LIKE to look at pictures. Give them pictures.

A lot of folks skim read when they are online. They don't read in depth. They are moving quickly, and they click on and off pages very rapidly. An arresting image can stop that quick exit from happening. [see the image at the bottom of this story - the huge tree right next to the building grabs your interest, right? I took it when I was at Isle of Palms last year.]

I know from blogging over the years that blogs with photos or images get a lot more hits than blogs without images. I like to take photos, as do some of my friends, and I have a huge backlog of photos I can pull from. Not everyone has that, and that's OK. Google "stock photos" and you will come up with numerous services where you can purchase stick photos for very little money.

You can also post pictures you've taken.

Just be sure and post photos or images that you have permission to use, so there are no copyright issues.

It's also important to ask folks you trust to take a look at your site and pay particular attention to images, and give you feedback on their reactions. Marketing is not an exact science. You want to grab attention in a positive way. You want viewers to feel something when they view your site. If what they feel is boredom, that's not good.

Writing A Blog That Doesn't Suck

I read a really interesting article the other day written by an attorney who is also a blog writer, and he makes a lot of good points in Why Your Blog Sucks (and What To Do About It).It's the text of a talk he gave and it's rather long, but it's worth a read. It made me chuckle, also.

He was aiming at an audience of lawyers, but 98% of what he said applies to all small business owners.

If you don't have time to read the whole article, here are some of the points that really resonated with me:

"Maybe the they think their sucky blogs are awesome because some SEO consultant says their keyword density is optimal. Those gurus and SEO consultants suck, too. They are part of the problem. Like sucky bloggers, they have forgotten what things that don’t suck look like."

[your blog sucks] "… because you don’t read other blogs, comment on other blogs, or write about other bloggers’ posts. Blogging is taking part in a conversation. A good conversationalist listens and responds, in order to keep the conversation going. Or, you could converse like my grandma, who responds to everything you say with a completely unrelated story about her childhood. That’s what it’s like when you blog in isolation."

[your blog sucks] "… because you don’t love to write. This is actually the Number One Reason your blog sucks. A love of writing — in fact, a compulsion to write — is the only good reason to start a blog. Without it, your blog will suck."

[awesome blogs] "…help the reader scan content by using clear headlines, and break up posts with helpful subheadings. Most people who visit your blog will not read past the title of a post unless you give them a reason. If they get that far, more will drop off unless your first sentence is compelling. And more will drop off if they are faced with a wall of text."

To be helpful, he gives some tips on how to write a non-sucky blog:

• Good bloggers have something to say.

• Good bloggers have an opinion.

• Good bloggers get to the point quickly.

• Good bloggers are sometimes provocative, snarky, funny, or ranty.

• Good bloggers are able to write tight, focused blog posts.

• Good bloggers sometimes write long, in-depth blog posts.

"...your readers are your referral network. They are not people you want to scare off with a sales pitch or offend with insipid blog posts. They are people you need to take good care of, so that they spread the word about your blog — and about you."

As I said, there's a lot more to the post, but these are some highlights. He makes a lot of great points. The one thing he doesn't say - because it's not relevant to him - is that if you don't have time to write a blog, you can still get someone to write it for you. Like me.

I actually LIKE writing blogs for lawyers. Call me weird. (It's more fun than hitting myself in the head with a brick  preparing discovery responses...)

Talk amongst yourselves.

Telling Your Story

Years ago, I remember one of my college professors giving a lecture about the importance of storytelling. From early days of traveling actors and entertainers in the Middle Ages, we've all been fascinated by stories.

Think about Shakespeare. He made a morose guy whose dad died into a classic [Hamlet] and Disney re-discovered that story a few years ago and made The Lion King [which is Hamlet with lions, if you ask me].

Stage plays and movies are simply elaborate storytelling.

What is the story of your business? This is a topic you need to think about, if you haven't already.

I was fascinated by this blog about Using Storytelling to Ignite Word-Of-Mouth Marketing.

"If you don't believe me, just ask Nielsen. Its 2012 survey of global trust in advertising, which asked consumers what influenced their purchase decisions, found that 92 percent of respondents trust (completely or somewhat) recommendations from people they know. Even if they don't know someone, they still trust that person's opinions more than any other kind of advertising (70 percent trust consumers' opinions posted online). A distant third was editorial content (owned media). So there's no question that while paid, owned and earned media are partly responsible for growing awareness and loyalty, they are no match for the influence of people.... So how do you get people talking positively about your brand? That's where storytelling comes in."

I was chatting the other day with a lady who asked me why I started blogging. I said I started it because after I adopted my daughter people kept asking me in emails and calls "How is she doing? Is she learning English? How do you like being a mom?" and I got tired of writing 10 emails a night. So I started blogging and gave everyone a link to follow. Life got easier. I got more writing practice.

That's a story.

I have a friend who became an attorney because she wanted to have the power to positively affect the lives of her clients. Whether she is drafting a will, or fighting for the rights of of parents in schools, she is passionately about helping people.

I have another friend who was in college when his dad died, and he became a medical malpractice attorney.

I have a very close friend who always dreamed of being a healer and finally decided last year [age 52] to go back to school and get a degree in acupuncture. She is happier now than ever before.

Stories are what make your brand unique. They are interesting to people. Make sure your website reflects your story somewhere, and tell it in an engaging way. I'm glad to help with that, if need be.

The Importance of a Durable Healthcare POA

My friend Kristyne Seidenberg has posted on her website, The Atlanta Attorney Who Makes Housecalls a terrific blog about the importance of appointing an agent to make healthcare decisions in case you are incapacitated.

Here is an excerpt from this excellent post:

If I were to be injured or incapacitated, unable to make my wishes known, I would want an “agent” to make important healthcare decisions for me.  I would want it to be someone I had selected and to whom I had previously made my wishes known.  The Advance Directive for Healthcare ensures that my selected agent will have the legal authority to convey my wishes to the doctors, and they will be obligated to comply with that directive.

Because of how the law has changed, in Georgia, a “Living Will” is not enforceable unless you have also appointed an Agent and given that agent the legal authority to make decisions for you.  An Advance Directive for Healthcare:

• incorporates a Healthcare Power of Attorney ( giving your appointed Agent the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf)
• memorializes your wishes as guidance to your Healthcare Agent
• can appoint your Agent to serve as your Guardian should you ever need one          

I urge you to check out this important information and give Kristyne a call if you are in Georgia.                                     

Thinking Outside the Box on Advertising

In our high-tech world, we tend to think almost exclusively now that all the marketing that counts is found on the internet, or in an app.

As I've said before, nothing substitutes for personal contacts, and networking.

There are plenty of low-tech ways to advertise your business, though. Community newspapers and magazines usually run ads from local businesses.

Some months ago, I suggested my friend Kristyne advertise her law practice in a little newspaper I read while waiting for my car to get washed. She reported to me later she had gotten several new clients off that one ad, and it wasn't expensive.

Those clients were happy with her legal services. They will keep her card, or her emails, and will recommend her to other clients wanting a will or estate planning. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.

Ever noticed the free publications outside of some businesses? Next time you see one, pick it up and look at it when you have a minute. People pick these up and throw them in the car or in their backpacks or purses, and read them while waiting in line, or picking up their child from school, or any other occasion when they need to wait.

Wait a minute, you may be thinking, what about my smartphone? I check that when I am waiting in line or in the car. Well, what if you have no WiFi connection? OR what if you are elderly and don't use the computer? OR what if you don't like to read articles online, but prefer a paper publication - there are a few Luddites (like me) out there.

Print is not dead. I don't think it ever will be. There is something satisfying about holding a book or magazine in your hand.

Here in Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not the only newspaper in town. There is The Champion in DeKalb County. There is the Marietta Daily Journal. There are college newspapers like The Signal - which prints 4,000 copies a week. Professors and people who work at the college also read the school newspaper, not just students.

I get free newspapers and magazines on my front porch sometimes, and I look at them while I eat lunch. One such small magazine here in Tucker is Up Close and Personal, which lands on my doorstep 4 times a year, and features profiles of local businesspeople. I just wrote a profile for them about my friend Kristyne. I've written articles about the books I've written, in past years. A lot of people read those little magazines.

Another thought is to buy ads in your child's school yearbook, or school newspaper.

So give some thought to advertising in smaller publications. The results may surprise you.

Networking on the Internet

 

My dad was a master of traditional networking. He belonged to Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, sat on boards of charities, volunteered at church, etc. He never really learned how to network on the computer, though, and if he were alive today he would find that process very intimidating, I imagine. [He died in 1996.]

Looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand is really the best way to make a truly personal connection, obviously.

However, in the internet age, one needs to be creative about networking.

An important way to get more business is to get more people to read your website and/or your blog.

When I started blogging in 2005 I was mainly discussing adoption, and how my daughter and I were coping. Adopting a 13 year old who speaks no English is stressful, and I needed to write.  I also wanted to get out information about how terrific it is to adopt an older child. So I started searching the internet for websites about adoption. I started reading articles and commenting, and when asked, I would put the url for my blog [The Crab Chronicles] in my signature.

I started getting hits on my blog from other adoptive parents who were interested in reading my blog, even if they didn't adopt an older child. I paid attention to where my traffic was coming from because Typepad allows you to see the addresses where readers are coming from. Lots of clicks came from Adoption.com and similar sites.Some came from other mommy bloggers.

Before I knew it, I was getting loyal readers who had adopted or who were looking to adopt.

If you are writing a blog or just trying to promote your website, you can spend 15-30 minutes each day on the internet, finding websites or web articles that have something to do with what you do. Read and think.

Let's say you are promoting your cupcake bakery, Superior Cupcakes.

1. Find a story like How to Make Cupcakes. This is a general information story, not the blog of a rival cupcake bakery.

2. Think of something clever to say about the story. For example, "If you've got a cold and need 50 cupcakes for your child's birthday, call me! I can have them ready for you the next day!"

3. Be sure to leave your url if possible, or at least mention the name of your business.

People who love cupcakes but don't like to cook, or who don't have time to cook, are likely to click on your url or Google the words "Superior Cupcakes," and you then have made a contact.

Of course, if you are only interested in local clients, make sure it's a local site.

See how easy that is?!

The Power of Networking

I have always been a bit shy, so networking doesn't come naturally to me. In my observation, most attorneys and other professionals start out as really smart, good students, who spent their growing up years getting excellent grades but not always socializing a lot.

Then attorneys grow up and go to law school for three years, which is incredibly time-consuming, and get out and go to work. "Baby" lawyers are the workhorses of the firm, putting in 60-80 hours a week, oftentimes.

Most young professionals put in a lot of hours, trying to work their way up the ladder. As a young banker my dad spent a LOT of time in the office, and often brought work home.

That leaves little time for socializing.

However, getting out and about in your community can be critical to getting new business.

I am now working part-time for an attorney who lives in my neighborhood. I used to go to church with her. We've been on a "friendly nod" basis for years. It wasn't until I reached out to some friends in common last year with a "You know any attorneys who might be hiring?" query that I got to know her better, however. My friend Lee Ann sent me an email saying "You know Kristy is an attorney, right? Working from home?"

Nope. I had no idea.

Although I am not a social butterfly, I am never too timid to ask for help. My brother thinks this is appalling; a sign of vulnerability or weakness. I don't. My thinking is, if someone can't help me, so what? They ignore me or say no. No big deal.

My dad was a big believer in networking. He was on the board of so many organizations I lost count, but here are a few of them: Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Red Cross, Salvation Army, various hospitals. He also was always active at the church.

Although writing effective website copy is important, it's just as important to network in person. You can always follow up with a friendly email saying "Hey, great to meet you the other day. If you ever have need of an attorney [financial planner/insurance agent/whatever] give me a call."

Make sure your email always has all your contact information and what you do. The guy you met might not remember your name, but he might remember that you are an attorney, so when he wants to go back and do a search in his email, if the word "attorney" is in your signature he will find you easily.

Here are a list of ways to network:

church or synagogue [do more than just go to services]

Facebook or Twitter [ask a teen how to do this if you're unsure!]

Kiwanis Club

Rotary Club

volunteer at a charity event, like a 5k Race

coach your child's sports team

be a Girl Scout/Boy Scout leader

join your neighborhood swim/tennis center

take a class at a local college [many offer evening non-credit classes]

volunteer for a local political candidate

join the PTSA at your child's school, and go to meetings

volunteer at your child's school

look for a Yahoo group for your community or one nearby

go to community events and chat with people

take time to chat with your plumber/electrician/mail carrier, etc.

have an Open House for people on your street, and get to know your neighbors better

offer a free Seminar for people in the local community

Joining won't do much good if you don't talk to folks. I know it may sound silly, but my dad used to make me roleplay with him. I'd have to look him in the eye, smile, and give a firm handshake. I was also  learning how to appear friendly and approachable.Eventually I grew up, and it was much easier to appear friendly because most of the time I FEEL friendly. (The old "fake it 'til you make it" cliches holds true.)

I used to hear: Don't put your hands in your pockets! Don't chew on toothpicks! Don't stare at the floor! Smile!

Dad was right.

Not everyone you meet has to become your best friend, but learning how to be friendly and accessible will help get your name out to a lot of folks, and personal connections = new business