Attorney Advertising - Personal Injury TV ads

At first glance, everybody loves the idea of a toll free vanity number. It’s catchy, it makes you feel clever, and everyone will remember it so that’s the number they will automatically dial when they need an attorney, right? Not necessarily.

Vanity numbers can be very effective, but they do not always deliver the promised benefits. Many of our clients have found that they get excellent results from a simple phone number that is easy to remember, such as one with repeating numbers. The key to success is not just the number, but the effectiveness of your law firm advertising campaign that brands the number in the mind of your prospective client.

Getting Value out of Toll Free Vanity Numbers is Not Simple
Getting real value out of a vanity number requires more than just a catchy name or word in replace of digits.

It must be a seven digit word, one that people will not confuse with something similar. It must use 800, rather than the alternatives 888, 877, or 866 for most people to actually remember it. To really milk the value out of a vanity number, your branding has to be consistent over a long period of time and emphasize the number in your law firm’s TV, radio and print ads.

A Few Concerns about Vanity Numbers
Some vanity numbers will generate wrong number phone calls for you; an annoyance, but one you could live with. However, your potential clients may reach the wrong place of business if they do not remember the number precisely, and that can cost you business. This is more likely if your vanity number is not an 800 number (888, 877, or 866).

Vanity numbers may irritate some people who struggle with converting the letters to numbers. This may become more problematic as consumers convert to smart phones with full keypads. If you look at your blackberry, you can see that the numbers and the letters don’t match up with a traditional phone keypad.

Network Affiliates can Help
Sometimes the flashy concepts backfire. With over 28 years of experience in attorney advertising, the marketing experts at Network Affiliates have learned the difference between costly marketing gimmicks and comprehensive marketing strategies that really work. If a vanity number will help your advertising campaign, we will tell you – and, because we have relationships with several vanity number providers, we can help you get a good one. Contact us today to learn more about effective phone numbers and other “little things” that can mean big ROI for your law firm’s marketing campaign.

Be honest.... YOU ARE NOT TRACKING. How can you make intelligent decisions when you do not know what is working?

You know you need to track the effectiveness of your advertising. You need to know what works and what doesn’t so you can stop doing the things that do not work and keep doing the things that do work. But, do you really know how to track?

You ask the prospective caller…So, where did you hear of us?
They say they “saw you on radio”. Maybe the yellow pages, maybe TV. Maybe on a sandwich board on 8th and Main Street?

Tracking is complex. You cannot simply sit back and guess. You may assume that your phones are ringing more this week because of a new ad, and you may be wrong. It could be a minor change in your law firm’s media buy, a flurry of hits on your law firm website, or maybe an older ad has just started driving the message home and picking up business. Or, you may be right, but those calls may not be quality calls that result in new cases.

You are probably familiar with some of the old, basic ad tracking techniques such as tying a special phone number to a particular ad campaign or the promotional codes that retailers sometimes use. Today, you must have a much more sophisticated tracking system in place, and it must be comprehensive.

Just think of all of your marketing and advertising tactics. Of course, you must track your TV and radio ads, but you also need to track your online advertising. (You should insist that your website marketing firm uses Google Analytics.) As you branch out into social media, you need to track the effectiveness of your posts. That includes the comments you make on other blogs. Even if you participate for your own pleasure, it is still marketing and you need to track it.

Obviously, technology can help you with your tracking on many levels, but you also need to ask your clients why they decided to call your firm in the first place. Gather all this information in your client management software such as Needles, Client Profiles, etc. If your firm’s software doesn’t help you evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing, you should be looking for some new software….

When you make marketing decisions based on guesswork, even guesswork that seems logical, you are just throwing your money and time around aimlessly. Not only do you risk dumping money into something that does not work, you may wind up pulling your best ad because you do not know it is bringing in business.

Also, gather information from your colleagues about what their tracking data shows. At our semi-annual client networking meetings, our clients share this information with each other and it makes them stronger and more effective. As an ad agency that has been working with law firms since 1981, we also have years of empirical data about what works and what doesn’t. It all comes into play.

When you start to get the picture of how tracking really works and what is involved, it can be overwhelming. You do not have to do all this yourself. Network Affiliates has a proprietary tracking system called AdTrack that we use in combination with your advertising, so you can really evaluate the effectiveness of your legal advertising campaigns. Contact us today to find out how you can finally track your advertising and make the best marketing decisions.

If your best cases come from referrals, why don’t have a comprehensive referral strategy? A better question may be: do you even have a simple plan in place to generate referral business?

With everything else you do, The BEST cases come from Referral, Agree?

The quality of the cases is high, and people who are referred to you by someone they trust are much more likely to contact and work with you than those who consider you a stranger. Referrals mean being vouched for; you skip the part where potential clients are still trying to decide if you are really above board or any good at what you do. Many people even feel obligated to work with someone who has been recommended to them, whether it is for legal services or another type of service.

But, you already now all of this, right? So, why aren’t you tapping into it?

WHY?

It is easy to think of referrals as something that just happen. Of course your friends, colleagues, and existing clients are going to send business your way. They know you, they like you, and they know that you are the right person for the job. That is probably all true, but you probably are not the first thing on their minds unless you put yourself there.

Your referral base does not just operate quietly and effectively in the background without some stimulation on your part. You must maintain active relationships with your clients and other lawyers for this resource to work for you. A haphazard approach, intending to get in touch, will not make it happen. You must have a plan and stick to it.

You can start with the basics.

Top of Mind Awareness – Client Relationship Management for Lawyers - Communicate with your clients regularly; greeting cards, newsletters (e-newsletters), any kind of communication to keep you on their minds. Pick one and be consistent.

Being consistent is the key to succeeding in Advertising!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Social Media Networking offers a tremendous tool to generate referrals, but, as with the others, you must be consistent. Set up a Facebook Fan Page for your law firm – and post on it regularly. Talk about your successes. Talk about how you contribute to the community. Post video as well as text comments. Take advantage of LinkedIn to build your professional network. Join groups and post comments about issues relating to your areas of expertise. There are many more opportunities here, but you have to have a plan and stick to it.

Network… Network… Network… Call other attorneys, take them out to lunch, attend events, and make these activities a part of your schedule. Do not wait until you get around to it. Rotate who you contact. Make a list and make sure you so not just focus on the people whose company you enjoy most. Do prioritize your list according to those who you know are your best referral sources.

Your law firm’s advertising campaign can help with this, but if that is all you do, you will miss out on some big cases. Keep in mind that your ad campaign will help with this only if you develop an effective brand within your community.

Do not forget to thank people for referrals. It will keep them coming. Do it right away and make it sincere, personal and meaningful. When appropriate give a heartfelt gift.

To learn more about creating a comprehensive plan for harvesting referrals, contact Network Affiliates today.

Group advertising programs work for some firms, some of the time. In our experience, the key to success is using a group or network with strong brand name recognition. A good example of this is the Jacoby & Meyers Legal Network. This program works because of the Jacoby & Meyers brand name, which dates back more than thirty years.

Without the brand name, however, group advertising campaigns can be an ineffective use of your limited legal advertising budget. No matter what your budget, you need to ensure that you generate the maximum return on your investment.

What You May or May Not Get From Group Advertising

With a group advertising campaign you pool your budget with a number of other law firms. One reason to participate may be your desire to maintain your anonymity. Another common reason applies to law firms in large markets that may be unable to afford the expense of an effective advertising campaign on their own. The group or network approach may enable you to reach a larger audience than you could afford to reach on your own.

There are a few potential downsides: You need to ensure that the agency managing the campaign actually invests the bulk of the group’s advertising dollars into the media. Avoid group advertising programs that lack name recognition and do not guaranty that a specific portion of your investment goes into the media buy.

Another risk with a group advertising campaign is turnover within the group. Many group campaigns lose participants because some members of the group generate more leads – or are more effective at converting their leads – than others. When this happens, the group advertising budget may decline causing the lead volume to decline for everyone. Again, it pays to go with an established group with a strong brand and name recognition to minimize this risk.

What You Know You Will Not Get

One thing you know up-front that you will not get from group marketing is any kind of personal name recognition or branding. Just remember that branding does bring long-term value. When your potential clients know who you are, they can seek you out in their time of need and at their convenience. In the long run, the brand recognition will add value and increase your referrals

With over 28 years of experience in attorney marketing, Network Affiliates knows how to create a marketing strategy that will be effective for your firm within your budget, giving you the best value for every dollar you spend. Please, contact us today to learn more about your options.

I hope you had a pleasant New Years.
I went to a party and each time I met someone they asked..."So what do you do"?
How do you generally respond to this question? Most lawyers I know just say: "I’m an attorney."
Responding in this way means nothing, relays no benefits and is boring.
The real response should focus on what value and benefits you bring to the table.
In other words, if you’re an IP lawyer, why not state, "I protect the trade secrets and intellectual property of companies so they can maintain a competitive advantage."
Or, "I’m a personal injury attorney and I help injured people make sure they get fully compensated for their injuries."
Another style of "elevator pitch" can be:
1. Ask a question like..."Do you know how when people decide to end their marriage they are overwhelmed by all the decisions they have to make concerning property, custody, and support"?
2. "What I do is protect and help people gain control of all these issues by providing them cost effective legal advice every step of the way so they can protect their assets and provide them peace of mind during a difficult time in their life."

Can you see the difference it will make when you answer the question with what you actually can do for the person?
A unique and benefit-laden elevator speech will not only set you apart from other lawyers, but will show your prospects the value you deliver.
These two different ideas will set up apart every time someone asks ...so what do you do?
Stay well.
Cole
http://www.Findcareersuccess.com
(609) 306-8098
The Silver Group Ltd.
8 Dorchester Lane, Suite A
Moorestown, NJ
08057
US

Following is an interesting article I found on CNN. It is worth reading.

Bobby DeLaughter, the prosecutor who secured the conviction in the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case, is himself now headed to prison.It was DeLaughter's dogged 1994 prosecution and the subsequent conviction of Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith that helped trigger the reopening of dozens of civil rights cold cases.

DeLaughter became an instant hero of the civil rights movement. Alec Baldwin portrayed him in the 1996 movie, "Ghosts of Mississippi," and his closing statement was once dubbed one of the greatest closing arguments in modern law.

A Fall From Grace

Bobby DeLaughter, who is best known for successfully prosecuting a white supremacist in the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers, was to begin serving an 18-month prison sentence Monday for lying to the FBI during a corruption probe. Here, DeLaughter appears in court July 30 in Aberdeen, Miss.

Ryan Moore, AP

"Is it ever too late to do the right thing?" DeLaughter told the jury of eight blacks and four whites. "For the sake of justice and the hope of us as a civilized society, I sincerely hope and pray that it's not."DeLaughter would go on to become a state judge in 2002. His years in the robe came to an end in 2009, when DeLaughter pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to an FBI agent in a far-reaching corruption probe that has rocked Mississippi's judicial system.

When DeLaughter was sentenced in November, Byron De La Beckwith's son sat in the chamber wearing a Confederate flag pin on his red blazer. His father had also worn a Confederate pin during the 1994 trial.DeLaughter is to begin serving his 18-month prison sentence today at a facility in Kentucky."

The man has now been destroyed, politically and economically. It's that serious," said Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers.He said he is trying to raise money to help pay DeLaughter's expenses while he's in prison. "What can we do but fight for a man who fought for us?" he said. "I want DeLaughter to know I'm behind him 100 percent."DeLaughter's attorney, Tom Durkin, refused CNN's request to speak to the prosecutor-turned-judge ahead of his incarceration."

Bobby DeLaughter remains a civil rights hero, and nothing is going to tarnish that," Durkin said. "The penalty he's paying is enormous, and I think it's sad and unfortunate. But that's simply the way it is."

Over the past month, CNN spoke with more than a dozen lawyers in Mississippi about DeLaughter's fall from grace. They paint a picture of an ambitious man with a brilliant legal mind who ran afoul of the law -- of friends betraying friends and of big-time money corrupting the system. Some take delight in his downfall; others call it a tragedy that has stained the legal community.In the end, the lawyers said, DeLaughter trusted one man too much: his mentor, Ed Peters, who exploited their friendship and then turned on DeLaughter to avoid prison."

This is a Shakespearean tragedy in the sense that a person falls from grace due to their own character defects -- in this case, misplaced trust in a friend and, perhaps, some combination of ambition and hubris," said Matt Steffey, a law professor at Mississippi College School of Law.

The story of DeLaughter going from civil rights hero to convicted felon is complicated, involving years of contentious litigation in his courtroom.At the heart of the case is Dickie Scruggs, a high-powered lawyer who made tens of millions of dollars in tobacco and asbestos litigation. Scruggs is the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott and is now serving seven years in prison for trying to influence Mississippi judges, including DeLaughter.

According to prosecutors, Scruggs wanted to get to DeLaughter through his mentor, Peters, to try to influence DeLaughter's ruling in a high-stakes case, potentially worth $15 million. Peters received $1 million in illicit payments as compensation for his actions, prosecutors say. Peters was granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation."

Mississippi would like to shake its image of being tied to civil rights crimes and the good ole boy network, and we see these two things overlap here," Steffey said."

It's enormously unfortunate for a person like Judge DeLaughter who, at the very least, accomplished heroic things with bringing Byron De La Beckwith to justice. And it's tragic for the people of Mississippi -- that the end story here is that he is a corrupt judge in prison."

DeLaughter has denied taking any money in the case or that he was improperly influenced. In his guilty plea, he admits to only obstruction of justice; the more serious charges of involvement in a bribery scheme and mail fraud conspiracy were dismissed as part of the deal."

To me, he is a tragic figure because he had a good career and he threw it away," said attorney Bill Kirksey. "He became an embarrassment to the legal community, to the judicial community and, I would hope, to himself."Kirksey has an ax to grind with DeLaughter. He was one of the attorneys representing the client who stood to gain millions in the case at hand.

Kirksey and DeLaughter also trained under the same attorney several decades ago; Kirksey believes DeLaughter turned his back on everything they learned."Bobby DeLaughter betrayed every single oath he ever took. He betrayed the whole system of justice that we live by," Kirksey said."You measure a man by the whole of his life, not part of it. When the measure of the man is that he's dishonest in the end, then you have to wonder why he did anything in the beginning."

Merrida Coxwell was one of two lawyers who represented De La Beckwith in the 1994 trial. He has known DeLaughter for three decades, first as a defense attorney, then a prosecutor and finally as a judge."

Quite frankly, I thought he was a very moderate, straight-down-the-line judge," he said.

He was shocked when allegations first surfaced. For a judge to be caught up in such a scandal, Coxwell said, is unfathomable. "If you can't have justice inside the justice system, then it's no good at all."

Morris Dees, the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, represented Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers -- the NAACP leader who was gunned down in his driveway on June 12, 1963.He says only one man had the guts to seek prosecution in the case when two previous trials years before ended without convictions."

If Bobby DeLaughter hadn't been around, it would never have happened. I can guarantee you that," Dees said. "It was the first modern-day prosecution of one of these old civil-rights-era murders, and it resulted in the prosecution and convictions of a large number later."

DeLaughter's bravery in seeking justice in the Evers case, Dees said, makes it tough to swallow his more recent failings as a judge. "Certainly, when a judge is put in prison and pleads guilty," Dees said, "it certainly tarnishes his legal and judicial reputation."Charles Evers said he will continue fighting for the man who fought so valiantly for his brother. "

We will do whatever's necessary to help him get over his dilemma, and I'll say that over and over again."Evers blasted prosecutors for offering immunity to Ed Peters, DeLaughter's mentor who avoided jail time even though he was the one accepting illicit payments. "

The man who squealed on him should be going to jail," Evers said."

I hope that some day justice will be fair and equal. ... It's not fair and equal in this case."