If you answer the question, “Why is my firm producing content?” with, “Because people keep telling me to,” that's not good enough. Lawyers can have successes with content marketing, but not if it is aimless or misdirected.
All you have to do is produce the perfect content. And still find the time to be a great lawyer. Easy, right? Before you expend resources turning your firm into a publisher, take a look a the content you already have...
Read More
Google any variation of the phrase "the desktop is dead," and you will be presented with millions of results — some of them published this year, some with publish dates as old as 2000. Clearly, the desktop has been dying for a long time.
In the face of such dire predictions, the rush to focus all marketing on mobile is understandable. Mobile is hot. Mobile searches continue to increase. Voice search is becoming more popular. All of these phenomenon...
Read More
Keyword research has long been fundamental to achieving SEO goals. In order to drive traffic to your site by achieving good organic search placement, you need to identify words and phrases that are relevant to your practice, that people are searching for, that are not too highly competitive and that convert at a reasonable rate.
Keyword research used to be easy in part because keyword stuffing used to work. Now, however, Google actively punishes content that attempts to rank...
Read More
Marketing is a process. Each piece, from social media to online marketing to TV ads to networking, has many moving parts. Some must be carefully coordinated to function as an integrated campaign. Others, you can work on individually as time permits. While the scope of all marketing activities combined can be considerable, there are things you can do in an hour or two that will advance your business development goals.
Here are ten valuable marketing actions you can take, even...
Read More
Voice search is no longer a novelty. Increasingly, people are using personal assistants like Siri and Google Assistant to ask questions and perform basic searches. In May of 2016, approximately 20 percent of all searches performed on Google's mobile app and Android devices were done by voice. The popularity of products like Amazon Echo and Google Home will only increase consumers' comfort with voice search. Research by ComScore suggests that 50 percent of searches will be voice-based by 2020.
Most people know that false information runs free on the internet. However, revelations about the sheer volume of misinformation, and the cultural influence of fake news specifically, have shocked and outraged many in the months since the U.S. presidential election in November.
What distinguishes fake news from the plethora of speculation and conspiracy theory discussions online is that it sells itself as professional journalism. Fake news tries to make itself look real, as do fake ad hosting sites, when...
Read More
The beginning of the year provides time for both reflection and renewal. The season invites us to look inward and consider our goals for our personal and professional lives.
Here is a new year's resolution for attorneys to add to your lists: “In January, I will read all the practice area copy on my website and on the sites of at least 5 of my closest competitors.”
While this resolution may sound about as fun as trying a...
Read More
Marketing is a constantly changing practice. What may work one year or even one month may not work the next. What may help one law firm may harm another. For firms of any size, finding the right marketing mix, one that contributes to growth while consuming a manageable number of resources, is an ongoing balancing act.
All industries face marketing challenges, but lawyers face the additional burdens of state bar rules and ethics decisions, which are continually evolving. And...
Read More
Your practice area pages have a lot of heavy lifting to do. A practice area page may be the first and only page a visitor sees on your website. It should be informative, interesting and speak to the concerns of your potential clients. It should hold readers' attention. And a good practice area page should also convert readers into leads and clients.
Know the purpose of your practice area pages
Practice area pages do more than just tell visitors what...
Read More
The pressure to constantly produce fresh content is turning many businesses into would-be publishers. Apparel retailers offer tips on clothing fit and accessories. Outdoor outfitters provide resources about backpacking must-haves and publish articles about how to train for specific adventures. Pistachios and Tic Tacs are on Twitter. Online, silence is not an option.
Having a daily article quota may work for journalists, and even big brands, but it is unrealistic for attorneys. Attorneys should play the content marketing game,...
Read More