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3 Attorney Marketing Fails to Avoid If You Want More Clients

According to the American Bar Association, there are 1,352,027 registered active attorneys in the U.S in 2019. The number keeps growing each year, which means law firms have more competition and difficulty cutting through the noise.

Nowadays, most people spend hours online and when they need an attorney, they’ll search for firms online before making a call. Then, they’ll ask family and friends for recommendations.

Law firms can’t rely on the quality of their services as their only marketing method. They need an active social media presence, a website, high search engine rankings, and positive online reviews.

Here are 3 attorney marketing mistakes you might be making and tips on how you can avoid them.

1. You Don’t Know Your Target Audience

The first and most important aspect of law firm marketing is knowing your target audience. This goes beyond knowing your customers’ demographics. You should also learn about their problems, needs, everyday lives, and internet habits.

If you don’t have a detailed buyer persona, you’ll end up spending valuable time and money marketing to the wrong people. If you already have an established customer base, ask for their feedback and opinions. This will help you understand them better, improve your services, and target your paid ads better.

Also, make sure your online presence answers people’s questions quickly. If your website doesn’t speak to them and they don’t connect with you on social media, you’ve missed the mark.

2. Your Website and SEO Are Outdated

In the digital age, having a company website is a must if you want to attract customers. The website should be modern, fast, and easy to navigate. Since most users access the internet from a smartphone or a tablet, make sure your website is mobile-optimized. If it’s not, you might get penalized by the search engines.

For marketing of legal services to work, you should also pay attention to SEO. Ranking for specific keywords is a long process, especially in niche services. For example, if you’re a car accident lawyer, create content around this topic to educate and help people. When search engines analyze your website and determine that your content is of value, you’ll start ranking higher.

3. You Don’t Have a Social Media Presence

One of the main rules of online marketing for law firms is having an active social media presence. Most people will search for your name or company online first. They will look at your social media profiles and the content you publish, and read reviews from other customers.

Your branding should be uniform on all platforms, but the things you post should be different on each profile. This is because the audience might be different on each social network, and so is the content they’re interested in.

You can post legal updates, blog posts, team or employee photos, and even customer testimonials. Social media marketing is a great way to run paid ads and reach an even wider audience.

Avoid The Most Common Attorney Marketing Fails With These Tips!

Whether you’re a small local law firm or a well-established corporation, attracting new customers comes down to successful online marketing.

These tips will help you avoid the most common attorney marketing mistakes and reach the right audience for your business.

Need more tips on attracting new customers? We have tons of articles right here on our website covering social media, lead generation, and SEO.

How to Write Technical Blogs that Wow Clients

There’s big money to be made in the technical writing industry. In fact, technical writing is one of the most profitable writing niches out there, with the average technical writer making around $60,000. 

Plus, unlike many industries which are seeing a decrease in job openings, the technical writing industry is booming, with job growth expected to grow by 10 percent over the next ten years. 

And, it’s no wonder that technical writers make good money and that they’re in such high demand. Writing technical blogs and other technical materials is not easy. 

Not only do you need to be an excellent writer, but you also need to have a very strong command of the subject matter and be able to speak to readers in a way that it is informative yet still very engaging. 

If you’re looking to offer technical blogging services to your clients, then you’ve come to the right place. 

Check out this guide to learn how to write technical blog posts that will wow your clients. 

1. Know Your Audience 

Knowing your audience is one of the most important elements of technical writing, or any type of writing for that matter. 

This will determine how you structure your blog post as well as the type of language and tone you use. 

For example, if you’re writing a blog post that’s geared at a bunch of engineering PhDs, then you’ll obviously want to use intellectual language that conveys your expertise. In other words, you don’t want to dumb things down too much.  

If, however, you’re writing a blog post that’s meant to help the average person understand a technical subject, then you’ll want to use more accessible language. You’ll also want to make sure to illustrate your writing with plenty of everyday examples that the average person can relate to. 

If you don’t know much about the target audience, just ask your client for a detailed buyer persona. 

2. Format for Easy Reading 

Whether your audience is high schoolers or research scientists, you’ll always want to format your technical blogs for easy reading. 

This is because no one enjoys reading large blocks of text. Instead, people prefer to scan information, and it’s much easier to do this when your text is broken up strategically. 

Also, human beings have very short attention spans, which can make reading long paragraphs particularly annoying. In fact, it’s estimated that the average human attention span is 8 seconds. Which is, sadly, shorter than that of a goldfish. 

So, make sure you keep your paragraphs short—2-3 sentences is usually the magic number. And, make sure you use plenty of headers and subheaders to help break up your information and make it more digestible. 

This interesting read provides a good example of how blog posts should be broken up for easy-reading. 

3. Incorporate Expressive Language 

Look, just because the subject matter is a bit dry doesn’t mean your language should be dry as well. 

When writing about technical topics, it can be really easy to fall into a monotonous tone. 

To prevent this from happening, use vocabulary that will help your audience engage all of their senses when they’re reading. For example, instead of describing a tech accessory as “glow in the dark” you can describe it as “luminous”. Or, instead of saying that a product is reliable, you can say it’s “almost accountable to a fault”. 

Using metaphors and similes is also a great way to liven up your language. 

4. Know Your Goals 

When writing a blog post, it’s very important to keep your goals in mind. In other words, ask yourself what exactly you hope to achieve for your client by writing this post. 

While this answer will vary from post to post, in general, you want to make sure you achieve two things:

1. You’ll want to make sure the reader has gained something by the time they’ve finished reading your post.

2. You’ll want to make sure you write a post that makes the reader feel like they’ve received valuable information that they haven’t received anywhere else. (In other words, make sure you’re not just repeating information from other blog posts already out there.)

By keeping these general goals in mind, it’ll be much easier to write an effective blog post. 

5. Don’t Forget Visuals 

This will depend on the client and their budget; however, it’s generally a great idea to add some visuals to your blog post, even if you’re writing for a super technical audience. 

This is because approximately 65 percent of the population comprises of visual learners. So, adding in a graph or an infographic can really help your readers fully understand the information you’re presenting. 

Or, at the very least, it gives them a break from staring at text. 

6. Focus on Your Interests 

If you’re new to the world of technical blogging, then you may be feeling overwhelmed about the amount of information out there and how you’re ever going to win clients. 

When you’re just starting out, the best thing to do is to focus on a topic that interests you and then go from there. Not only will this help you learn more effectively, but it’ll also make you more marketable to clients. 

This is because clients would much rather hire a niche technical writer instead of a general technical writer. So, think about some technical areas that interest you, whether it’s robotics or healthcare, and go from there. 

Also, to make yourself more marketable to clients, you may want to add other forms of writing to your wheelhouse, such as brochure writing, landing page writing, or white paper writing. 

Are You Ready to Write Awesome Technical Blogs? 

As you can see, writing technical blogs isn’t that different from writing any other type of blog. And by following these tips, you’ll be gaining clients left and right. 

Be sure to check out our blog for more ways to gain clients and grow your business! 

9 Effective Ways to Promote Your Law Firm Online and Get More Clients

According to the American Bar Association, there’s a total of 1,352,027 active attorneys in the U.S. This increase is making it more and more difficult for law firms to stand out from the crowd.

Difficult, but certainly not impossible.

Here are nine effective ways you can promote your law firm online. With these tactics, you can boost your online reach, attract new clients, and build your firm despite the rise in competition.

1. Get a Mobile-Friendly Website

When potential clients are searching for law firms online, their first interaction with your company is your website.

Make sure your site is optimized for mobile as well as desktop visitors. A mobile-friendly website allows you to attract potential clients regardless of where they are. If it’s an emergency and the client checks you out from your phone, your website needs to work on their smaller screens.

Your website also ties into your other digital campaigns. If you’re trying to attract clients to your website, it needs to communicate who you are and what you do.

To promote your law firm online, make sure your website appears legit and professional.

Websites that are optimized for user experience make your information easy to find.

Remember, your website can make a strong first impression. Make sure it communicates your firm as a professional, reliable resource. This will help you stand out from all the rest.

2. Reveal Your Value

It’s not enough to just have an online presence. Many law firm websites are too vague, making it difficult for you to stand out from all the rest.

Put your firm’s value at the forefront of your marketing materials. As you work to promote your law firm online, focus on clarifying the benefits of your services.

How are you better than your competitors?

How do you help your clients and make their lives easier?

When communicating your value, get specific. Highlight your specific areas of expertise. If someone has a specific issue, they’ll want a lawyer who can help with that specific issue.

This is a good time to check out the competition. What value do they offer?

Many law firms choose generalizations such as “we care” or “we’re here to help.” 

Remember, vague values won’t help you stand out. Instead, make a specific statement about your specialty. Show clients how you can solve their legal problems to distinguish yourself from all the rest.

3. Step Up Your SEO

How are clients going to find your website if you’re one of a million firms online?

You can boost your website by using search engine optimization (SEO). A high website ranking will ensure you appear at the top of a Google search for lawyers in your area.

A higher ranking will also tell clients you’re a leader in your local industry. That increased credibility will help you stand out from the competition. The higher the ranking, the more likely you can increase website traffic, too. 

There are multiple ways you can increase your SEO website ranking.

For starters, optimize your existing content. Use keyword research to determine what people search for when they look for a local law firm. Then, use those keywords in your website content.

SEO relies on unique, regularly updated content. Try posting to your website’s blog on a regular schedule. Show clients you know what you’re talking about.

This can also improve your online credibility.

You also need external links from other credible websites to improve your ranking.

In addition to link building, you can also create custom landing pages to improve your SEO. These pages focus on a specific keyword while helping people recognize your firm’s value.

4. Push Higher with PPC 

You can also improve your online ranking by using pay-per-click ads.

In 2018, more than half of online traffic came from mobile devices. PPC ads can help you reach new clients when they’re searching for a law firm. That’s when they’re at home and on their phones, too.

These ads are exactly as they sound; you only pay when someone clicks on the ad. Like SEO, this strategy relies on keywords. However, PPC ads often display above the top SEO website results.

5. Raving Online Reputation

With online reviews, you can show interested clients your previous clients had a happy experience.

People check on online reviews before they decide to trust a company.

Ask your clients to post their reviews on your Google My Business listing. This will improve your online reputation and help you attract new customers.

6. Get Real with Videos

A landing page with a video can increase conversions by more than 80 percent.

People skim through blocks of text. Videos, on the other hand, encourage visitors to stop and watch. Use videos to convey your value and give your firm a personable, online presence. 

7. Share Insight & Experience

As you promote your law firm online, make sure you’re conveying your expertise. After all, people want to hire a lawyer who can help offer smart solutions. 

Share your insight and show clients you’re experienced. To do this, use your blog, social media posts, and other online platforms. As clients research law firms, this content will show visitors you know your stuff.

8. Stay Social

Social media gives you an opportunity to interact with potential clients.

Create a Facebook business page, Instagram account, and LinkedIn page. Having these accounts will increase your online presence. It also gives you an opportunity to show followers your insight and expertise. 

9. Improve Intake

Attracting people to your website is just the first step. Once there, you need an easy intake process to turn those visitors into leads.

Make it easy for clients to contact you. Prioritizing their user experience and convenience will encourage them to trust and work with you online.

You can also add:

• Legal document generators
• E-signature options for legal documents
• Online payments
• Online forms

These add-ons will make the process easier for you and your clients.

Promote Your Law Firm Online

With these nine methods, you can promote your law firm online and attract new clients.

Click over to our most recent posts for more effective tips and tricks.

Tips for Success: How to Create a B2B Content Strategy that Attracts New Clients

89% of B2B marketers report that content marketing is their most effective way of bringing in new leads and sales. Which is why a strong B2B content strategy should be the backbone of any marketing campaign.

Not sure where to start? Read out tips below on setting up a successful content plan. 

What Is B2B content strategy?

Chances are, by now you’ve heard about how important a strong content strategy is. However, unless you’ve spent some time focusing on marketing efforts in the past you may not know what B2B content is.

Basically, B2B content is offering valuable information through various mediums to other businesses to mark yourself as an authority in the industry. Not only does this lead to increased traffic and higher Google rankings, but it also increases the number leads your business will bring in.

Know Who You’re Creating Content For

There’s an old marketing adage that states “if you’re talking to no one everyone you’re talking to no one”. The saying still rings true today, which is why it’s so important to know exactly who your content will be geared to.

While target market research is very helpful, we suggest creating an ideal target avatar. This means crafting a fictional character that matches someone that would fall into your demographic.

Give your avatar a name and get detailed. What do they do for a living? How many children do they have? How far did they get in their education?

Then go even deeper. Think about what keeps your avatar up at night. What parts of their day can be made better? Who do they admire? This information should be at the center of all of your content.

What Problem Will You be Solving?

Out of the questions listed above, the most important is what problem will you be solving? Is it a problem that your avatar even knows they have? Do you need to let them know that it’s a problem? Most importantly, how will you educate them on how your product or service fixes the problem?

Another valuable asset in marketing is letting your audience know just how affected they are by this problem. For example, everyone knows that a lack of sleep leaves you with low energy throughout the day, but do they know that not sleeping also increases your risk of heart attack? This is educating your audience on the realities of the problem you’re helping to solve.

Highlighting What Makes You Unique

Unless you’ve landed on an entirely original product, you’re going to have some competitors. Even if your idea is entirely unique, it won’t be long until the copied ideas start popping up. So it’s important to learn how to highlight what sets you apart from similar products and services.

Even subtle differences can give you an advantage over the competition. For example, your product may be more eco-friendly, safer for children, or perhaps a portion of your proceeds goes to a cause your avatar is passionate about. Highlight these differences and incorporate them into your content.

Know Content Type

Not all B2B content lands the same. It’s important to know what type of content your audience is most responsive too. Often these media choices will depend on the industry, for example, fast pace industries may respond better to a short infographic than an in-depth blog.

You may find that your audience responds to a blend of content, like a short blog paired with a video that gives more information on the subject. See where the engagement lies and follow that.

And Where to Publish It

Today there are countless social media platforms and media outlets where you can meet your audience, and trying to get your content on all of them will quickly dry up your marketing budget.

Instead, focus on 2-3 platforms that have been known to attract your type of audience. Don’t just limit yourself to social media either. White label blogging through other sites and media sources is also a great way to get your content in front of the right audience.

Set Clear Goals

And by clear goals, we mean realistic goals. Many businesses expect to start producing content and have the traffic rolling in within weeks. The truth is between audience research, content production, and engagement you’re looking at 4-6 months before you start seeing real results.

Which is why consistency is key in any content marketing campaign. Set a clear and realistic goal on where you would like to be in terms of traffic and engagement in the next 6 months, then an additional marker for a year from now.

Stay on Top of Management

Many businesses start off with a strong content campaign that tends to taper off as time goes on. We get it, your business takes enough time and energy without having to come up with fresh content on a regular basis.

This is where you have a couple of options. You can use a content platform that allows you to create your content in bulk and then slowly leak it out to the public. While this will ensure your content is consistent, it also requires you to invest a high number of hours up front.

Your other option is to hire a content agency that both creates and distributes the content on your behalf. This offers a higher ROI as getting the right kind of content engagement is what these businesses are all about.

Track and Regroup

While we would love to say that most businesses hit their content campaign out the park on the first try, this often isn’t the case. Fortunately, there are a number of analytics tools available to offer insight on which content is performing well and which isn’t.

Once a month take a look at your analytics and try to spot trends. Is your audience responding more to a specific type of content? Is one platform bringing in more leads than another?

Take this information and use it to restructure your content. Remember, your audience will change and it’s up to you to change with them.

Taking the Right Steps Today

The more you know about creating a B2B content strategy, the more successful your content campaign will be.

If you’re ready to start putting some action behind your content, we suggest starting with our article on 4 Actionable Content Marketing Tips.

How to Make a Photography Website That Will Blow Your Client’s Mind

If you’re a photographer looking to drum up some extra business, you need a website.

Websites are today’s business cards, but they do so much more.

Creating a photography website is a great way to showcase your work. A photography website can act as a landing page for all your social media followers. If someone on Instagram wants to work with you, they’ll want to contact you through a website.

So if you’re serious about your photography, it’s time to set up a website. Check out our tips on how to make a photography website to get started.

Pick a Good Domain Name

There are lots of different methods to pick out a domain name. You should make sure it’s short, simple, and easy to remember. If you can, choose a “.com” domain because they are the most popular.

When you’re creating your photography website, pick something like YourNamePhotography.com.

Let’s say you meet someone while you’re out doing your photography thing. They might not remember anything about you but your name. Use that simplicity to your advantage, and use your name in the domain.

Know What You’re Trying to Do

If you’re trying to figure out how to make a photography website, you might be starting a business. If that’s true, then you need to ask yourself the age-old question: “Why am I doing this?”

Are you trying to display your latest photography project? Are you hoping to bring in new work? Is it a little of both?

Your answers will determine the photos for your portfolio and the layout of your website.

Choose the Best Stuff

Once you’ve picked out your domain and you’ve figured out your “Why” it’s time to create your portfolio.

This isn’t social media, where an ever-steady stream of content is a good thing. Your website needs to display your best work. That means you need to be very selective.

Most photographers have a hard time choosing their best photos. If that’s you, take your photos to one of your friends. Give them clear guidelines about what you’re looking for, then let them choose.

How to Make a Photography Website Layout

How you build a photography website matters. It should have an easy to follow layout so that you can attract the right clients.

The Homepage

This is your landing page. You need a nice big picture of you or your best work. Put your name and subheader here.

Check out Michael Grecco Productions for a great example of a homepage.

Your Gallery

This is why your client is here. Make sure your gallery is well organized to display all your great work.

“About Me”

People want to know the person behind the camera. It helps them trust you, which gets you more business.

Client Showcase and Review

If you’ve worked as a freelance photographer, this is the place to show off your past work. Add a few satisfied testimonials while you’re at it.

Contact Information

Your audience might love your work, but if they don’t know how to contact you then it doesn’t matter.

Blog

Blogs aren’t necessary for creating a photography website. But blogs are a good way to earn trust and add some SEO rich content to your site.

Want More Tips For Creating a Photography Website?

If you want to know more about how to create a photography website, check out our blog. We have a ton of great tips for website and content creation.