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Effective, Ethical Marketing For Attorneys

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4/6/2010
Ben Glass
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Connecticut Bar Complaint Against Total Attorneys Goes Down in Flames

In Connecticut, the government wanted to prosecute (as criminals) several attorneys who participated in the Total Attorneys advertising program. That "trial" went down in flames after the government put on its case.

12/4/2009
Ben Glass
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Ben Glass Highly Critical of South Carolina Bar Ethics Monitors

There's a very interesting new case out of the South Carolina Supreme Court about lawyer advertising that should really upset South Carolina lawyers (even though the end of the story is good) because of all the money wasted in a really stupid effor to shut down a TV ad.

9/21/2009
Ben Glass
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Most bar ethics rules presume that consumers are idiots

Most other small business owners laugh when I show them how ridiculous most lawyer advertising ethics rules are. Imagine not being able to give out 2 business cards to someone (North Caolina) or having to seek pre-approval of every newsletter you send (Kentucky).

Now the chair of the  American Bar Association's Section of Law Practice Management says he agrees.

Here is an interesting editorial on lawyer advertising ethics



6/18/2009
Ben Glass
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Virginia State Bar Proposed LEO on Third Party Websites

One must wonder just what the Virginia State Bar ethics committee was thinking when they drafted a proposed new opinion that would prohibit attorney participation in many third party website advertising programs. Read this comment on third party websites drafted by Ben DiMuro, an expert on legal advertising ethics. Sounds like the Virginia State Bar needs some advice on what exactly the Internet is all about.

Ben Glass

5/16/2009
Ben Glass
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Ridiculous Lawyer Advertising Ethics Ruling From Indiana

The Supreme Court of Indiana has publically reprimanded an Indiana lawyer who used the phrase "legal advertisiment" instead of "advertising material" on marketing pieces.

The lawyers defense? "We submitted the piece to the Indiana Bar as the rules require and no one said anything."

Response from the Indiana Supreme Court:

Just because you submit it doesn't mean anyone actually reads it!!!

Heres the full opinion of this ridiculous legal ethics ruling from Indiana.

2/25/2009
Ben Glass
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Niche Marketers Network -- Spammers

Have you received an unsolicited bulk email from Niche Marketers Network. Attorneys who are involved with them are, in my opinion, skating real close  to the legal and ethical edge. Here's more on Niche Marketers Network.

Ben Glass

2/6/2009
Ben Glass
Comments (1)

Florida Supreme Court at it again with lawyer websites.

The Florida Supreme Court recently held hearings (againi) on the whole  issue of lawyer websites. One justice even suggested that it would be "no problem" to review maybe thousands of pages of websites from thousands of lawyers. (I guess you could just expand the Advertising Committee again and help bail out unumployed ethicists.) Anyway, I've commented on latest information on lawyer advertising ethics from the Florida Supreme Court here.



12/15/2008
Ben Glass
Comments (1)

Louisiana Backs Down on New Ethics Rules Which Ignore the First Amendment

As soon as Louisiana announced new lawyer advertising rules that, among other things, set out an outright ban on lawyers advertising past results (without any evidence whatsoever of harm to the public) it was sued.

Twice.

Now it has backed down, announcing that it won't implement the rules for several months while the constitutinal issues get 'worked out.'

One of the lawyers suing the bar is blogging about it here.

If only state bars would spend a fraction of the money the spend on trying to regulate lawyer advertising on simply (1) educating the pubic about how to find a good lawyer (2) enforcing existing rules they wouldn't have to try to throw out the First Amendment. Louisiana attorneys should be screaming at their mandatory bar for wasting dues defending these lawsuit. They should drop the proposed changes.



Effective, Ethical Marketing For Attorneys

Benjamin Glass - EzineArticles Expert Author

    When you're looking to increase your lawyer productivity, take a look at how much time you spend on email every day. You may be shocked as the minutes add up to hours - that's where all your free time is going! You don't need to immediately read every message that hits your inbox, develop a schedule and stick to it to break your email addiction.
    While your state bar will provide a first level set of rules that your lawyer advertising must follow, there are still some lawyers who manage to make absurd statements in their legal marketing. Avoid becoming one of these lawyers at all costs!
    Having a lawyer website is useless if no one is able to find it! Choosing a good URL, optimizing for search engine rankings, and having a clean, easy-to-navigate layout is critical to being found on Internet searches. Most of today's clients are looking for their next attorney on the Web. Make sure they can find YOU!
    One of the main focuses of your legal marketing methods should be on the Internet. Your lawyer website is the central hub from which almost all your Internet marketing will run through. It's important to establish a good working relationship with your website webmaster.
    The saying "two heads are better than one" is even more true when you multiply those heads into a mastermind group. Learn how to get the most out of your legal marketing efforts in a group setting.
    When you employ effective legal marketing you'll be attracting more clients than you can handle, and there's nothing wrong with being picky about who you work with. Just as you can decide which partners and office staff you hire, you can also screen potential clients and only work with those that fit your ideal client profile. When you stop taking every little case that walks in your door you can focus on the big cases that net you the most payoff for your effort.
    There's a pyramid-like structure when it comes to developing your legal marketing strategy. A good lawyer marketing campaign starts with a solid foundation then works up to more specialized efforts.
    You don't need a professional studio and production crew to produce good quality online lawyer videos. All it takes is a basic video camera and a computer for you to become an online video sensation.
    As a lawyer, time is your most valuable asset, even if you don't use the billable hour model. Your time should be spent on the most critical tasks that promote the success of your legal practice.
    There's no genetic code to program us for success; real attorney entrepreneurs are created through hard work, determination and a desire to succeed. To be successful in your legal career you need to surround yourself with success, promote yourself through good legal marketing, be unique, and always have a purpose in what you do.
    Your lawyer website is one of the most critical pieces of your legal marketing and online image. Many lawyers think that just having a lawyer website created is enough to give them a strong online presence.
    A lawyer directory may be more specialized than the Yellow Pages, but you're still going to be lost in a sea of names. Many lawyer directories require little more than a credit card to get listed, and the quality of your listing is completely reflective on how much you're willing to pay. Clients that are searching lawyer directories are looking for generic legal services, and they may not be the type of client you're looking to serve.
    A successful attorney marketing plan can mean the difference between being a lawyer and being a successful lawyer. Entrepreneurs are the take charge, never take no for an answer types of businessmen that succeed in the legal world. To grab your place in the sun within your legal market you need to think outside the box and not be afraid to forge new paths in the world of legal marketing.
    Who's serving who in your law firm? Is the work calling the shots, or are you in control of your office and your clients?
    Advertising your law firm with a radio commercial is a lawyer advertising method that requires careful development, monitoring and analysis. Learn more about lawyer advertising strategies.
    Traditional lawyer advertising has relied on the "bigger is better" methods far too long. To grow your business and expand your client base you need to think outside the marketing box.
    Establishing a good legal marketing system can result in little effort in the future when it comes to marketing your law firm. However, once you get things running smoothly that doesn't give you license to ignore your legal marketing completely. Responding promptly and courteously to your legal marketing results is critical in allowing your legal marketing system to run on its own.
    Social media is the new buzz when it comes to interacting with anyone - old college roommates, lost high school loves, extended family, and even clients. There's a fine line to walk when it comes to being social but still professional on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Make sure your legal marketing plan takes a look at these services and decide if social media marketing is right for you.
    Our days in law school are spent preparing us for researching cases, obtaining depositions, presenting evidence in court and other various nuances of the legal profession. What they don't prepare us for is the business side of being in practice. Even if you're a partner in a large law firm, you need to understand that thinking like a lawyer sometimes has no place in the business side of your practice.
    You normally see the more ridiculous lawyer TV commercials during the later hours of broadcast, especially when those absurd night court and Judge Whoever shows are rerun. You know the ads I'm talking about - the screaming police sirens, the man in the suit yelling "HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED?" and the text flying on the screen with phone numbers and websites.
    A simple-to-use, well-managed client database will help you handle your legal marketing more easily and allow for growth of your "herd" of clients. The easier it is to manage and contact your clients, the better your legal marketing can be. Learn how a good client database and management software can take a lot of the work out of your legal marketing.
    A lawyer blog is a critical part of your legal website's success at being found by search engines. If you update regularly you'll get linked to more often, increasing your search engine ranking.

    Whose LIFE is it Anyway?

    Date: 06/02/2010
    Change or die. Don't ever stop thinking about how to keep your marketing relevant to your market. Match your message to your market. Who's the market for your product or services. Great business owners are always thinking (and re-thinking) about this.
    A boring legal marketing campaign is only going to blend in with the other typical lawyer advertising. To achieve a good legal marketing strategy you not only need to be interesting, but ethical too.
    Your lawyer website is a main hub for your legal marketing campaign. For the best chance at being found by search engines, you need to utilize the right keywords in the right ways.
    Anyone who says they've "developed a program for success" has been through an extensive process of trial and error. This is one method of achieving success in your business: try something new, analyze the results, fix problems, repeat as necessary. While it's a good method, it's also very time consuming and frustrating.
    One of the main reasons so many legal marketing strategies aren't effective is because they get stuck in a repetitive cycle of marketing. Learn how "outside the box" thinking can help your firm.
    You don't need a team of programmers to optimize your rankings on Google and other search engines. All you need is a basic understanding of search engine rankings and some creative writing.
    A professional baseball team wouldn't post recruitment flyers on utility poles when they're looking for their next star player. Why should lawyers stretch their marketing efforts to unwanted clients?
    When creating your image as the legal guru to your fan base of clients, your blog is important. Getting your blog seen by your ideal client is also key to establishing your place in the sun.
    Client follow-up is important in your legal marketing efforts in order to land those ideal clients. Get more marketing tips for lawyers from Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing.
    Be careful when you sign that accident "release." The insurance adjuster is under no duty to give you good advice and what you don't know may come back to haunt you. Most personal injury attorneys will consult with you, for free, to discuss your rights.
    The end of the year is a great time for personal assessment. Many great entrepreneurs use this time of year to not only plan next year's journey but to make an honest appraisal of the last 12 months of our lives. As I look forward to 2010 I see a calendar that is almost overflowing as it is.
    An irresistible offer should be an important part of your marketing strategy. It should get the conversation started with potential clients. Find out how you can create an irresistible offer and why free consultation does not fall into this category.

    It's All in the Headline

    Date: 10/29/2009
    The headline is one of the most important aspects of any ad or website. However, many firms make the mistake of wasting this precious real estate. Find out how you can create an effective headline that gets the conversation started with potential clients.
    Many lawyers make mistakes when it comes to advertising. One of the biggest mistakes in lawyer marketing is trying to say too much with your ad. Read this article to find out how to create an affective attorney advertisement and avoid the common pitfalls.
    A business owner has a ton of choices when it comes to which media to run their next ad in. Often, simply because of the number of choices available, they think about going into a new media. For example, they may try coupon advertising, Google AdWords, a billboard or a local specialty magazine.
    The "high cost of defensive medicine" is an argument made to support tort reform. How can we look at whether "defensive medicine" exists from a rational and objective basis?
    I am a runner. I'm a 51 year old marathoner. I can run a 4 1/2 hour marathon that puts me right in the middle of the pack for my age group. I run half marathons and 10k's as well. I run for fun.
    Many employer-provided, group-disability insurance policies have serious shortcomings that make benefits almost illusory. Which of these "hidden danger" clauses does your employer's policy contain?
    What are your goals? Pretty big question, right? You've got goals in your professional life, your personal life, every aspect of life you have goals. You have to or what would be the point. If someone says they don't have a goal in something they're wrong and just haven't thought about it enough.
    Most ads just 'shout' at prospects. You ad does not improve by being made bigger or more colorful if the message doesn't change. Here's how to ensure that yours ads don't get lost in all the noise.
    Here are the excuses and objections lawyers make about implementing and using a complex, multi-step, multimedia marketing system: (1) If I don't contact the client right away they will go to another lawyer--your system is too slow. (2) My clients don't want to read all that stuff. (3) I need to do the little cases for the chance to get the big case later on...
    If you have been injured in an accident, you may not actually need a lawyer. But, if you find that dealing with the claim on your own is too overwhelming, you'll probably want to at least consult with a nationally board-certified personal injury attorney in your area.
    When a doctor declares you are "disabled" and can no longer work, is the insurance company allowed to ignore his opinion? The Supreme Court of the United States has held that a disability plan does not have to give special weight to the opinion of the treating physician. The Court says nothing in ERISA or the Department of Labor's regulations mandate that the insurance company give any special deference to a treating physician.
    This outrageous lawsuit involves an underage drinker who gets into a car with a drunk driver and is paralyzed in the resulting accident. He sues the parent who was at the home where he was drinking, although she did not know he was drinking in her home. She has to pay $2.5 million settlement. Why should the responsibility for this accident lie with this parent?
    Most lawyers use the "billable hour" as their fee pricing model. Its a bad business model and may subject the lawyer to unwarranted ethical concerns.
    When you think about filing a claim for disability under your employers group long term disability plan, you will get advice from friends, co-workers, human resources and maybe even some lawyers. Some of that advice can sink your claim.
    Lawyer marketing on the Internet is fierce. Here are 6 essentials you should demand from your webmaster in order to stand out in the crowd.
    Having a personal injury attorney website placed well on Google is not a matter of luck and it is not a function of how much money you spend. Rather, it is a combination of link sharing, age and most importantly, frequently updated, original content that is relevant to your practice area.
    Most personal injury lawyers are perfectly happy turning over their wallets to the Marketing Vultures (all those Yellow Page, Internet Directory, TV and Radio reps who's answer for all failed marketing campaigns is "you should have bought more!" In this article, lawyer marketing guru Ben Glass discussed the 11 mega mistakes that most lawyers make with their law office marketing.
    Most professional service businesses willingly through their marketing resources at fancy advertising without really thinking through the process of how they can best attract a herd of people who find them interesting and who will allow themselves to be marketed to. This article discusses how to prioritize you marketing resources of time and money.
    Are the Yellow Pages a dying media? Is the Internet king? Not so, says attorney Ben Glass.
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