There was a time not so long ago when a law firm’s advertising reach was simply a function of how much the firm invested in marketing. This meant that big law firms with virtually limitless marketing budgets had a huge advantage over smaller firms with limited budgets. This traditional realm of legal marketing meant big firms could bury a small firm 40 pages deep in the attorney section of the phone book with a full color, two-page advertisement. Larger law firms could also spend unlimited amounts of money on television advertising. These traditional forms of legal marketing have become increasingly less effective as web based legal marketing has become the order of the day. The web has balanced the playing field by allowing small firm’s with limited marketing budgets to compete effectively with big firms and their massive advertising budgets.

A law firm with a substantial marketing budget can find many ways to spend large amounts of marketing dollars on web based legal marketing programs. Options include pay per click (PPC) programs, expensive banner advertising, and other high-end, expensive forms of marketing. However, these are often the most expensive, but least effective forms of online legal marketing. These methods of online legal advertising can be very expensive yet generate little in terms of actual revenue. A small law firm with a limited online advertising budget may not be able to compete with this type of advertising, but the firm may not lose much in terms of revenue by avoiding such expensive and ineffective forms of online legal marketing. Many consumers often disregard the sponsored ads as mere advertising.

Search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others may be considered the great equalizers in terms of online legal marketing. The placement of a law firm in organic search results is not just a function of purchasing position, but the value of a law firm website based on the quantity and quality of information it provides to consumers. While law firms often focus on keywords and links, these are often a function of the content on a law firm’s website. If the site provides a significant amount of useful information, the information will contain a high number of key terms quite naturally.

A small law firm with a limited marketing budget can be competitive on search engines with little planning and effort. Some key techniques for being competitive on a small budget are as follows:

Have a Professional Looking Website: A law firm website need not be fancy or expensive, but it must look professional. If it looks professional, it will be as effective as a high-end law firm website that may have cost a small fortune. The point is, a law firm website should present an image of professionalism, not the image of an amateur.

Use Free and Low Cost Legal Directories: A good way to develop links and expand one’s reach online is to place the firm on legal directory websites. Many legal directories are free, while others are relatively inexpensive. When assessing legal directories that charge a fee, ask for specific performance data indicating the number of clients that typically contact listed attorneys and renewal statistics. It is advisable to evaluate such programs in light of those statistics.

Devote Some Time Each Week to Content Development: Whether the law firm publishes lots of legal content pages on its firm’s main website or a law firm blog, the firm should publish content pages on a weekly basis. To have a staff member prepare 2-4 draft articles per week for you to review, edit, and publish on your law firm website is a fairly inexpensive marketing tactic. If you set aside the appropriate amount of time and resources, a small firm website or blog can become competitive in search results as a result of the quality and frequency of the content being added to the website.

Publish Articles on Other Websites: Some legal resource sites will allow firms to publish content on their website for a nominal cost or even for free. These websites will typically provide links from the content back to your website. They may also provide quality relevant links.

While many big firms still spend tens, if not hundreds of thousands per year on SEO positioning and Internet marketing, the web greatly levels the playing field by making the quality and quantity of the information offered to a consumer more important than the dollars a law firm spends. The Internet is not like the phone book where the biggest spender gets the most visibility. A smaller law firm can be competitive on a limited budget with a little planning and effort.

The Supreme Court’s recent dismissal of a class action brought by 1.5 million current and former female employees against Wal-Mart, which alleged gender discrimination in pay and promotional practices, has sparked a debate over the future of the large, nationwide class action. The plaintiffs in Wal-Mart v. Dukes alleged that although they worked at different Wal-Mart stores across the country, they each suffered similar harms as a result of an unstated corporate policy that condoned discrimination against women.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that the large group of plaintiffs could not proceed as a class under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure because there was not sufficient evidence that Wal-Mart had a nationwide policy or practice of gender discrimination. Under F.R.C.P. 23(a), a party seeking class certification must show that the class has common “questions of law or fact.”

In the Dukes majority opinion, Justice Scalia wrote, “In a company of Wal-Mart’s size and geographical scope, it is quite unbelievable that all managers would exercise their discretion in a common way without some common direction.” Scalia noted that like most large corporations, Wal-Mart had an official policy that opposed gender discrimination, while the company gave individual managers a great deal of discretion over promotions and pay raises.

The Broader Impact on Class Action Certification

Those who approved of the holding say that the plaintiffs presented weak evidence of a broad corporate bias, while critics argue that the result in Dukes chips away at the power of individuals – who may not have the resources to challenge injustice on their own – to sue as a class. Regardless, legal experts agree that the Court’s ruling will have far-reaching effects on class action certification well beyond just employment discrimination claims.

Suzette Malveaux of Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, who worked on behalf of the women, remarked after the dismissal that “it is going to be very difficult now – or, certainly, there’s a higher standard for employees who are bringing these kinds of massive cases together to come together and bring those resources together and challenge nationwide discrimination in one case.”

Meanwhile, Richard Samp, an attorney for Wal-Mart, said the Court’s ruling had nothing to do with employment discrimination and everything to do with maintaining fairness for both sides in nationwide class actions. “Wal-Mart rightly pointed out that it wasn’t being given an opportunity to defend each of the potentially hundreds of thousands of claims of employment discrimination, but instead was having the entire case lumped into one big pot. What the Supreme Court said was you can’t do that. If there isn’t a single policy of nationwide discrimination, you can’t decide the case all at once based on a policy that is not there.”

Samp went on to point out that the Court’s ruling will make it difficult for product liability cases to proceed as class actions because each plaintiff will now have to show the individual circumstances surrounding their injury, as well as the individual harms that they suffered. Samp did note that class certifications in securities cases would likely be unaffected.

According to Heidi Li Feldman, a professor at Georgetown Law Center, the Dukes holding will also hinder class actions in the newly relevant area of lending-related lawsuits. “A big mortgage broker might say, ‘At the national level, we have policies to abide by all of the rules and regulations that are applicable, and we delegate a lot of discretion to our branches.’”

Post-Dukes, it seems quite likely that plaintiffs’ attorneys will be filing fewer large, nationwide class actions, and more lawsuits on behalf of individuals and smaller groups. As an example, the plaintiffs in Dukes can still proceed on an individual level, and women who have worked at the same stores or under the same management may form smaller classes for certification on a local level. Still, the cost of litigation will likely preclude many of the Dukes plaintiffs from moving forward with their grievances against Wal-Mart, raising deeper questions about access to justice in America.

For most attorneys, leaving work entirely at the office is more fantasy than reality. Tight deadlines and heavy workloads are the norm in the legal profession, requiring many attorneys to work around the clock. At the same time, telecommuting has become increasingly popular across industries. In a tight economy, employees can save on commuting expenses by working from home, while employers can cut back on overhead when employees work remotely. With telecommuting on the rise, a wave of remote access technologies has emerged, enabling workers to retrieve information that is electronically-stored on their office desktops and giving employees the ability to work from virtually anywhere. Attorneys can especially benefit from this new area of technology, and should take advantage of the options available.

When searching for the right remote access technology, the options can be daunting.  There are a number of programs to choose from, and not all of them are created equal. Additionally, the size and breadth of a law practice often dictates which technologies are most appropriate. Remote access programs vary greatly in price and capability, meaning that what’s appropriate for a large firm may not be feasible – or even necessary – for a smaller practice. The following is a short breakdown of the latest trends in remote access technology to help you determine which option might be right for you and your firm.

Virtual Private Networks

Virtual private networks (VPNs) allow users to connect to an already-existing network from virtually anywhere via an Internet connection. VPNs are relatively secure and all data is encrypted as it passes back and forth. Microsoft is a provider of VPN technology and the software is included in Microsoft’s server operating system.

The biggest advantage of VPNs is that they allow multi-user accessibility, whereas some other remote access options only provide one-on-one solutions.

The configuration process requires a good understanding of information systems, and the implementation process would probably baffle the average attorney. For this reason, it’s best to have an IT professional handle the configuration process. But this added expense, along with the support required to maintain such a system, may make VPN implementation difficult, especially for small practices that lack in-house IT support.

PC-to-PC Connections

As the name suggests, PC-to-PC connectivity allows you to connect directly to your work computer, with the result being that your screen at home looks the same as if you were sitting in your office. PC-to-PC is typically the cheapest, most user-friendly option available for remote access. Furthermore, there are numerous options available from different companies:

1) GoToMyPC

GoToMyPC is a web-based screen-sharing program that allows users to access their desktop from any internet-connected computer. Once you install the software on the host machine (the computer you wish to connect to), you can access it using any computer with an Internet connection through GoToMyPC.com. GoToMyPC stores the host computer’s IP address so the technology can also work for larger corporations that utilize dynamic IP addressing technology (in which IP addresses change periodically). Users can access applications, networks, files, and email accounts as if they were sitting in front of their work desktop. Like a VPN connection, GoToMyPC encrypts data and provides a secure line of communication. The technology also works around firewalls and routers.

The basic GoToMyPC software is best suited for solo practitioners, while the Pro and Corporate options can accommodate over 1,000 users. The biggest advantages of GoToMyPC are that it is user-friendly, and a novice can install it and begin using it immediately. In terms of price, GoToMyPC is on the higher end of PC-to-PC applications, and it requires a yearly subscription. However, GoToMyPC still consistently ranks as the top remote access PC-to-PC application on the market.

2) LogMeIn Pro

LogMeIn Pro offers remote access technology similar to GoToMyPC, but at a more affordable price. Like GoToMyPC, LogMeIn facilitates communication between host and client machines, and maintains the IP addresses of the host machine. Once the software is installed, a host computer can be accessed from anywhere in the world, even an Internet cafe in Thailand. LogMeIn also offers remote printing and file sharing. Like GoToMyPC, the application works around firewalls and routers while maintaining a high level of security. The company offers yearly renewable subscriptions and multi-user capabilities.  LogMeIn also offers a free version of the software (LogMeIn Free) that has many of the same features as LogMeIn Pro.

3) Symantec pcAnywhere

For a one time fee of around $200, Symantec pcAnywhere offers similar PC-to-PC technology with periodic updates available free of charge. The major disadvantage of using pcAnywhere is that it is not as user-friendly as some of the other PC-to-PC platforms available. This is largely due to the fact that there is no third-party server that facilitates communication between the host and the client machines. Also, pcAnywhere doesn’t work around firewalls or router configurations. A client must provide the IP address of the host machine in order to connect to that computer, which can create obstacles when the host machine has a dynamic IP addressing policy. PcAnywhere can be a solid and affordable solution for firms with in-house IP support, but for do-it-yourself types, software like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC may offer more practical solutions.

4) Other PC-to-PC Options to Consider

PC-to-PC remote access is taking off, as illustrated by the increasing number of companies out there offering quality options. Other good options include: Laplink Everywhere, Team Viewer, Webex PCNow, ShowMyPC, Remotely Anywhere, and Real VNC.

Server-Based Network Solutions

At the high end of remote access technology are companies like Citrix, which offer advanced services that go far beyond basic PC-to-PC technology. A cluster of applications known as the Citrix Delivery Center virtualizes servers, PC desktops, and applications, then makes them all available on demand from devices such as an iPhone. The Citrix Receiver, which was launched in 2010, is the first application that allows users to access their desktops from smart phones. Citrix technology is the standard for mid-sized and large law firms.

Other Resources

NetDocuments from LexisNexis is a legal document service also popular among mid-sized and large firms. The service imports all law firm documents, and then backs them up on a LexisNexis server. Users can then access classified documents from any computer with Internet access through a simple login process.

With the amount of legal work that’s now done electronically and on-the-go, remote access to the office PCs is becoming an absolute must for both solo practitioners and small law firms. Assess the options available and get started today. It could even save you a few unpleasant trips to the office after you forgot to print those documents you needed.

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner may cringe, but Twitter really can be an important venue to build a solid reputation for you and your law firm. In a nutshell, Twitter allows anyone to “tweet” a message up to 140 characters in length, which is then instantly viewable by all of that person’s “followers” – and potentially the rest of the whole network, depending on the tricks that one uses to increase exposure. The service is free and can connect you and your firm to an enormous network of potential clients  – after all, Barack Obama has over 8 million followers on Twitter. All it takes is a little savvy know-how on marketing yourself via the “tweet.”

Getting a Handle and Thinking about a Marketing Strategy

If you’re new to Twitter, the first thing you’ll have to do is create a personal account name, or “handle,” that will serve as your user name (in other words, a screen name). This is not always as simple as it sounds. With millions of users already on Twitter, handles (like website domain names) are going fast, especially if you have a common name or want to use a catchy phrase. Even if both your personal name and law firm name are available, start thinking about how you want to use Twitter to brand yourself. If your goal is  to get the name of your law firm out there and maintain a personable image, it might make sense to use the firm’s name as your handle while using your own photograph and bio on the public profile page. This will extend your law firm’s name recognition while still giving the account a personalized, less “corporate” feel.

When setting up an account, many people overlook completing their user profile page, preferring instead to start tweeting and following right away. However, spending 30 minutes building and executing a smart strategy for your user profile page can make for a richer marketing campaign  down the road. Mirror the language and overall feel you’ve used on your firm’s website and personal LinkedIn profile on your Twitter account. Consider using the same color scheme on your Twitter background as you use on your firm’s website to create the appearance of a seamless and comprehensive online presence. The most devoted Twitter and internet users notice these details, and a smart integration of Twitter into your online portfolio – much like having a well-designed website – will bolster your reputation as a technologically savvy and cutting-edge firm as well as attract conversions.

Finding a Following on Twitter

Some people who have considered starting a Twitter account get discouraged and overwhelmed by the sheer mountain of data linked to the website. They might ask how their voice will be relevant or be heard at all in the ocean of tweets. Interestingly, however, the increasing popularity and use of Twitter in everyday life may be doing for Twitter what the internet did for websites fifteen years ago – if you don’t have one, you look like you’re behind the times.

Beyond Twitter’s “keeping up with the Joneses” status, there actually are several easy ways to increase your number of followers, turning your Twitter account from a soon-forgotten side project into an integral part of your firm’s online marketing strategy. Many are very simple marketing tactics and reflect the same basic principles as when you were first promoting your website. For instance, consider including your Twitter handle in your email signature, just below your web address. Emails are a constant communication tool in today’s society and highlighting your Twitter account name will speed up the reach of your services to lots more people, transforming the email reader into a Twitter follower. At the very least, the email signature will serve as a subtle announcement to clients, potential clients, and other attorneys that you have established a presence on Twitter.

The same strategy can be used on your firm’s website, or if you’ve been asked to contribute to a legal blog – consider including your handle as part of your bio and contact information. Of course, be careful not to inundate readers or website viewers with Twitter mentions unless you’re prepared to consistently update your Twitter account with fresh new content. Without helpful content, referencing your Twitter account too often might be seen more as the kind of shallow self-promotion that won’t generate avid followers.

Shortcuts to Tweeting Success

Once you’ve boosted your number of followers, you can use the following tweeting shortcuts to help you increase your account’s exposure and capture the attention of others:

1. Hashtags (#): A hashtag, designated by the # symbol, marks a particular word or phrase as searchable by all Twitter users, so your tweet will come up when a user runs a search for that term. For instance, you might tweet: “Lawyers from Firm X running in #KomenRace4Cure tomorrow.” Anyone who searches for “KomenRace4Cure” will then see your tweet in the results. Hashtags thus present a good opportunity to promote you or your firm’s activities in a variety of contexts, but be sure not to overuse the # symbol, as doing so will water down your account’s credibility.
2. Re-Tweets (RT): Use your own Twitter account to re-tweet what others have already said. This isn’t as dull as it sounds – re-tweeting can actually be a very effective way to spread the word about a particular item in the news or to let your followers know what else you’re interested in. A typical re-tweet will have “RT” followed by the original tweeter’s name, then a copy of the original tweet. If space allows (remember, you only get 140 characters), you can add your own message on at the end.
3. @Mention: You can connect to another Twitter user’s followers by placing the @ symbol in front of that user’s handle in your own tweet, essentially leveraging the account. Placing the @UserName first will make your tweet appear to every follower of the other user, boosting your own handle.

Twitter is clearly a great resource for sharing ideas, connecting with people, and promoting your personal and professional brand, but it’s only effective if you know how to use it. There are some hurdles to jump, but none are insurmountable. If you’re interested in venturing into the Twitter fray with your law firm, take the time to set up an account with a professional appearance, integrate it into your firm’s overall marketing strategy, and have fun! Don’t worry about not catching everything the first time around; the key is to get involved sooner instead of later.

Law firms commonly test their online marketing programs by running an intuitive search in Google, believing that one or two positive search results on Google are a good measure of the program’s reach.  But this approach has a number of shortcomings.  Most importantly, it completely ignores how the marketing programs perform on other search engines.  An intuitive test also does not take into account that one or two positive results on Google may be trumped by the volume of other less intuitive search terms.  A sample Google search is ultimately an ineffective way to test a potential online marketing program.

Although Google is the dominant search engine – they account for about 62 percent of the search engine market — that leaves about 38 percent to its competitors.  One third of the market is just too large to ignore.  Google’s chief competitor is the partnership of Yahoo and Microsoft and its primary search tool, Bing.  In June, Yahoo accounted for 18.9 percent of all searches while Microsoft with Bing accounted for 12.7 percent.  This means that collectively Yahoo and Bing accounted for over 31 percent of total searches in June.

There are indicators that the Yahoo and Microsoft/Bing market share is growing.  Last year alone, Bing had the most significant growth of any search engine with a 77 percent increase in volume. A strong online advertising program performance on Yahoo and Bing may offset a less prominent position on Google, although its sometimes hard to compare both the amount of traffic generated by searches from competing search engines and conversion rates to actual contacts with the firm.  A recent report from WebVisibile indicated that click-through-rates for small businesses grew 109 percent for Bing and 123 percent for Yahoo between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the fourth quarter of 2009.

Search terms are just as important as the exact terms that an Internet marketing firm employs.  A company may use a high volume of less intuitive search terms because the total number of search results or the conversion rate is better at a lower cost per click. 

Almost any legitimate online marketing company can give examples of first page search results on Google, but its impossible to predict whether the most intuitive search necessarily generates the best results.  A more effective way to test the reach and effectiveness of a web advertising firm across all search engines and search terms is to request the following data from the company:

• Client Renewal rate
• Number of actual calls or emails to firms in the same practice area or geographic market
• Retention of current clients in same practice area or geographic market
• Comprehensive list of search terms employed

Most reputable online marketing programs will provide at least some of these pieces of data, which are a much better indicator of actual results then running one or two very intuitive searches on Google.

Amid the current recession, law firm’s are looking for any advantage to make their marketing and branding efforts more effective.  The legal marketing relationships that a law firm develops will be varied and may change over time.  However, the imagery and messaging used should be consistent across the law firm’s marketing programs whether online, on radio and television, phone book directories, or other forms of advertising.  The more a consistent message and imagery can be communicated the greater the firm’s ability to develop actual branding results with consumers.  As law firms turn more to online sources for marketing, many firms spend less time worrying about the actual messaging and imagery that accompanies that marketing effort. 

With more traditional marketing venues like television and phone books directories, attorneys spend lots of time approving the messaging and imagery in their advertising efforts.  Because many attorneys feel less competent to determine how a law firm website should be built to be effective and perform well in Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines, they tend to defer too much to their website design or search engine optimizations (SEO) company.  Many firms that use marketing programs online simply allow the company to develop the firm’s profile or web page.  This means that the messaging and imagery may not reinforce that used in the firm’s other advertising mediums. 

Branding is arguably the most significant and enduring aspect of advertising whether online or offline.  Effective branding is designed to create an impression that lasts beyond the time that a client looks at a law firm’s advertising.  If a law firm has a reasonably good reputation in the community, consistent branding on a firm’s website and other online advertising venues such as legal directories can help the firm retain business by taking advantage of the firm’s name recognition.  Similarly, a firm that uses lots of television and radio advertising may have a tag line, messaging or imagery, which is distinct to the firm which should be used in the firm’s online marketing.

Many law firms simply assume that when the Internet Market Company or web design or Optimization Company takes over that they need to defer to the company.  While it is true that the web marketing company may have a better idea how to maximize a law firm’s placement in search results, it is a bad idea to abdicate responsibility for tag lines, short firm summaries, pictures or logos that the firm uses in its other marketing.  A firm should take an active role in the creation of its profile or biographical page with a firm web company legal directory so that the branding possibilities are maximized.  Even if the marketing company does get the firm’s website or profile page high in search engine results, the value of the placement is greatly reduced if the firm does not use memorable and consistent messaging and images.

With the growing dominance of online marketing, many law firms are discovering that the Internet is a vast place with far more marketing options than traditional marketing forums such as the phonebook, billboards, and even radio and television. Many practices are bombarded with telephone calls from Internet marketing firms offering services and products including:

• Online Legal Directories
• Matching Services
• Leased Websites
• Law Firm Website Design
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services
• Search Engine Banner Advertisements
• Pop-Up Ads
• Pay Per Click
• Pay Per Lead

This vast array of online marketing products offer different benefits and unique disadvantages. There are literally dozens of choices in terms of any of these online marketing options. Many law firms are still trying to manage all of their own online marketing efforts. The problem is, the breadth of choices, both in terms of the type of online marketing and the number of companies that offer each type of service, is almost limitless. The days of sitting down and selecting a compelling picture with some verbiage in a phone book advertisement are long gone. 

The sophistication and complexity of online marketing makes it difficult for any attorney, especially a solo practitioner or small firm, to effectively manage their online law firm marketing without help. The time involved in evaluating the multitude of online services, and monitoring  the results, is a full-time job. Most attorneys are far too busy running their law practices and handling client matters to devote the time necessary to an effective online marketing campaign.

Many firms have tried using administrative staff members to gather information, or in some cases, they might even take on the role of online marketing person. This approach has a number of significant disadvantages. A major disadvantage is, a member of any given law firm’s administrative staff typically does not have a background in marketing or they are ill-equipped to handle the unique challenges of online marketing,

A staff member can gather general information about how programs work, what they cost, and even some performance data, but they have often have no direct experience with evaluating what that performance data means. When a marketing program provides data regarding specific searches, traffic or hits, what does this really mean in terms of evaluating the program? Such information often has no correlation whatsoever to whether an attorney Internet marketing program provides an acceptable return on investment.

Online marketing consultants that have direct experience working with online attorney marketing programs are becoming more common. These consultants have experience working with many of the online legal marketing products and companies. They can provide insider information and have a much better understanding of how to obtain quantitative data that will provide a better forecast of how a marketing company or product is likely to perform. The current economy makes every additional expenditure a challenge. If the consultant helps you make more effective online marketing decisions, the investment can be worthwhile.

The Internet is developing at such a phenomenal rate that online attorney marketing strategies that were effective yesterday can be outdated tomorrow. There was a time not so long ago when a law firm was considered to be on the cutting edge of legal marketing because it had a website. Many attorneys even built their own websites or delegated the task to a family member or friend. Simply having someone build a static website with no search engine optimization is now of little benefit. A law firm can certainly put its URL on a business card so clients can simply visit the website to learn more about the firm.  In reality, such a static website is virtually useless in terms of promoting a law firm’s branding or attracting client’s that have not heard of the firm.

Despite the enormous development of the Internet, many law firms still view investment in online marketing as paying a design firm to build a basic “online business card” type website. Virtually no planning goes into such website development, so the website is not designed to maximize the firm’s exposure online. A web designer will then passively take directions from the attorney who ends up with an ineffective URL like “www.bobsmith.com,” along with a site that is not properly coded for website optimization, and with little emphasis on the appropriate key terms or geographic references that will optimize the website effectively. A URL should instead combine what the attorney does with his market, such as, “lasvegasfamilylawyer.com.” The website should also be properly coded and the content should be written with search engine optimization in mind.

Once the law firm has developed a website, the next step is to promote it.  The fastest way to promote a law firm website is to have it listed on legal directories, matching services, and similar sites. This process constitutes the beginning of a search engine optimization effort that will continue by having the law firm website listed on as many different websites and legal directories as possible. Another important part of optimizing a new law firm website is to continue adding new content to the site in terms of pages on the main site or developing a blog and adding regular content to the law firm blog. 

A law firm should also develop a presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the like, and link the firm website to social media sites such as YouTube.  All of these steps will help optimize the law firm website so that it performs well in law firm search results. The key is that all online marketing strategies must be viewed as part of an evolving process and comprehensive campaign. The ultimate goal of maximizing a law firm’s online exposure must guide the entire process from the initial development of the firm’s website through SEO efforts such as developing a blog, and linking to online legal directories, social networking pages, and blogs. It is only with a complete well rounded campaign that a law firm can maximize its online presence.

Law firms are increasingly turning to legal blogs or online journals to market their practice more effectively.  A legal blog can help a law firm pursue important marketing objectives like branding, lead generation and publicity.  A good blog – one that has frequent postings and is filled with relevant content — is likely to come up higher on search engines and attract more viewers.   But a successful blog takes time and energy, both of which are often in short supply for a busy practicing attorney.  If that’s the case, a legal marketing service can help a law firm publish quality legal content, leaving its attorneys free to practice law.

Here are some tips for a successful legal blog:

Publish or perish:  One of the most important things in creating a successful legal blog is to publish frequently.  The constant influx of new information means the blog will perform better in search engine results and will have a larger readership, especially since other websites or blogs may link to the blog’s content.  Attorneys who manage their own blogs often spend five to ten hours per week writing and posting, which is precious time for a busy attorney. Again, hiring a legal marketing firm may be a worthwhile investment.

Provide information not self-promotion: The content published in blog articles should be more then just self-promotion of the firm.  Google and the other search engines are intended to help consumers find helpful information and you want to attract them with your blog.  Well-written, informative postings that discuss legal issues or events with legal significance will be much more effective than a series of articles lauding why the law firm is better than others.  A statement at the end of a blog entry indicating that the firm is available to handle such issues is fine but should not be its primary focus.

Content suggestions: The most successful legal blogs feature specific types of legal content.  Some blogs focus on significant legal issues/events being covered in the media or substantive discussion of specific legal subjects that are relevant to the types of cases a law firm is looking to attract.  This content will attract readers and help establish a relationship with a potential client who is already being educated about the legal issue.

Prepare extra content:  If a law firm is going to write its own content for a legal blog, it is a good idea to write extra content when time permits.  The realities of a law practice are that there will be times when an attorney is in trial or otherwise unavailable to write and publish content.  By writing some content early, the blog will not go for extended periods without new articles.

Avoid duplicate content:  A common mistake made by many attorneys who manage their own blogs is to simply cut and paste content from other sites.  Google specifically looks for duplicate content published on multiple sites and can penalize a site for copying content that is published elsewhere.  The content published on a law firm blog must be original —this is crucial because being penalized by Google for duplicate content can be devastating for a legal blog.

Every attorney has had the experience of carefully analyzing a client’s options and providing advice the attorney knows in sound; just to have the client disregard the advice.  This situation can be frustrating because your legal knowledge and experience means you know your client is making a mistake.   You will often defer to the client as long as the client is making a choice that is legal.  Ironically, attorneys often make the same mistake when they become clients of an Internet marketing firm by insisting on a course that goes against the professional judgment of legal marketing professionals.  Whether it is a legal or marketing professional, follow the advice of professionals that have specialized knowledge, training and experience in their area of expertise.  Some common mistakes that attorneys often make despite contrary advice by marketing professionals include the following:

Novel Law Review Type Content:  Many attorneys think that the best content to include on their website, legal directory page, blog, or other online legal marketing program is content that is novel and interesting to an attorney.  As a practical matter, information that the typical attorney finds to be interesting and novel will often have little relevance to clients.  Content that deals with very mundane and everyday legal matters may not be intellectually exciting to the typical attorney but is the type of content that will address client concerns.

Focusing on Website Hits:  Many attorneys insist that their online marketing efforts focus on the number of hits or web traffic generated to a law firm’s website.  Sometimes a hit means very little because a hit and a client call are very different things.  A high volume of hits does not necessarilymean more phone calls.  Most online marketing professionals understand the goal is to generate actual phone calls from a prospective client.  The legal marketing professional will often make recommendations that they think will generate more actual calls and revenue but not necessarily more hits to a law firm’s website.

Focus on Law Firm Goals:  Many law firms focus on the development of a law firm’s website believing that launching and/or optimizing a law firm website is critical to developing their legal marketing as the influence of the web grows.  Certainly, developing an effective website is an important long-term goal for law firms but it will do virtually nothing to generate short-term results.  If a law firm needs to immediately increase revenue opportunities and has limited resources, website development is not a cost-effective approach.  Even spending thousands of dollars per month will not generate immediate calls and emails from a new website for the firm.  A more cost-effective approach to making the phone ring immediately is to have the law firm participate in established legal marketing programs that already have a significant web presence including online lawyer directories, legal matching services, and similar programs.

Website Tone Must Match Audience:  Many law firm’s want their website to sound extremely professional and sophisticated which is appropriate if a law firm is marketing to sophisticated business clients.  This approach is not effective if a law firm practices personal injury, criminal law or employment law.  A law firm no matter how professional must match the tone of its website to its audience.  Obviously, a law firm’s website should never sound unprofessional, but a website for a mergers and acquisitions firm and a worker’s compensation firm should sound very different in tone based on their target audience. 

Surprisingly, many attorneys do not adhere to these simple guidelines when working with an experienced web based marketing firm.  It is never a good idea to ignore the advice of a professional whether legal or marketing professional.  Law firms often pay substantial fees for Internet legal marketing advice.  Normally, it makes sense to rely on the advice that you are paying so much to receive.  Maximize the return on your marketing investment by listening to your expert’s advice.