Integrity Marketing

When Should You Review Your Facebook Security Settings?

Anytime Facebook goes through an update you should review your security settings. Here's a funny, but informative, video to help you understand what happens when Facebook switches things up on you.

 

Memorial Day / IMS Offices Closed

Next Monday (May 27) is Memorial Day. Our offices will be closed.

Memorial Day is dedicated to service men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and their country. It is also a time to remember loved ones who have passed away. The roots of Memorial Day go back to 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

We encourage you to get involved with your community. Attend a parade, visit a cemetery to honor and remember our servicemen or volunteer to assist with the production/setup of a local ceremony; these are just a few ideas. Most important, take time to remember your lost loved ones in whatever way you feel is appropriate.

Have a great day!

Adding “Call to Action” to Your Social Media Posts

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase thrown around before: Call to Action. Have you ever thought of what it means?

Basically, a Call to Action (CTA) is anything that prompts a reader/web visitor to follow through on what you’re asking. Here are some examples:

1. Contact Us Via Email
2. Click here to subscribe to our blog
3. Sign up for our eNewsletter list
4. Share this post with your friends.
5. Visit my estate planning website.
6. Join a Workshop
7. Request a free estate planning consultation.

And that list can go on… It’s a basically a request to move past just READING this information, and doing something with it. CTAs are (obviously) very important. If you are unsuccessful in getting a web visitor or user to take part in a call to action, you most likely won’t get a new client. Nobody wants that to happen.

Integrity Marketing strategically builds your website with a vast amount of call to action buttons, areas, platforms, etc. So your website is good to go (YAY!). But an online presence doesn’t just stop at your website: It continues to spider out to your blog and social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc).

As a social media and blogger, it’s your responsibility to continue implementing CTAs throughout your social media posting and interactions.

Here are a few tips to engage your readers to interact with you further.

1. Figure out what you want your prospects to do, and make them an offer they want.

Example: You want them to read an eBook about Medicaid planning and realize this is something they need to commit too, and then contact you.

Provide this eBook on your website. Write a social media post with this webpage link, and ask readers to take advantage of this “limited-time offer” a free eBook on the basics of Medicaid planning.  Make sure you remind them to “contact you if they have concerns”.

Other great items you can offer are eNewsletter subscriptions; white paper downloads, and frees consultations.

2. Create a “hook” and let them know what’s in it for them.

Example: “Proper planning now can save your family money, time, and emotional hassle in the future. Make sure you know the facts - join me for a free Estate Planning 101 workshop on June 1^st, 2013 here in our private boardroom. We’ll discuss the 15 Estate Planning Essentials everyone should be aware of. [[Insert workshop sign up URL here]].”

Your request must make sense to them. This means not asking prospects to purchase if they’re still in an information-gathering mode.

3.     Motivate your prospects to act with a sense of urgency.

Don’t use scare tactics – but let them know that your “offer” ends soon. “E-book provided for a limited time,” “free consultations in the month of June,” “Workshop space limited.”

Carefully remind your readers they need to “act fast” if they want to reap the benefits.

Developing proper social media skills takes practice, but if you follow the tips above and “be yourself” in the process, you will have an easy time directing people to the resources on your website.

Related articles

Social Media for Your Law Firm: Debunk These 3 Myths!

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

This month's quote is: “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.” — Maya Angelou

To use this month's inspirational quote, download one of the following graphics, share it to facebook (be sure to include a simple comment or call to action) and include a link to your law firm's Web site.

You may choose from three different color palettes: (follow the link, view the image, right-click and save; then share to your facebook profile!)

1. Navy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0513Quote_1Maya-Angelou.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0513Quote_2Maya-Angelou.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0513Quote_5Maya-Angelou.jpg

If you have a quote you would like to submit for consideration, feel free to pass it along to april@estateplanningpartners.com.

Dance like a Chicken!

In other important news, today is Dance Like a Chicken Day! So shake your tail feathers and do the chicken dance!

Don’t Take a Vacation from Your Social Media – Planning Tips for Trips

James and I are leaving for Mexico tomorrow! Jealous? Ok, we won’t rub it in too much. It really hasn’t sunk in yet anyways, because we have A LOT to prepare before leaving the office.

It is the busy season for conferences, business trips, and networking events as the weather improves for abundant travel.  And soon enough, those summer vacations will be here and you’ll be scrambling to keep up with your Social Media efforts. How will you get it all done? Do you just stop posting updates while you are gone? NO. Please. Keep. Posting.

But how?

Well, it takes some preparation. And luckily, we’ve got some great tools and strategies for your upcoming trips:

• Delegate, delegate, delegate. Take some time to pre-write Social Media posts and pass them on to someone on your staff.  Make sure they are trained to use Social Media and have appropriate access to accounts. A good rule of thumb is a set of company-related posts with a few industry-related articles. This provides a nice balance of law firm information AND hot topics while you are away.
• Schedule your blogs. Hopefully you are doing this anyways, but if not you can schedule your blog posts to go out when you are gone with your Typepad account.  If you need a brush-up session on how to do this, contact Account Manager Dana Alley for assistance (dana@estateplaningpartners.com).
• Make use of Social Media tools. There are some great tools out there to help you pre-post to Social Media.  Check out www.IFTTT.com, which is a free service that will share posts through an “if-this-then-that” approach. You can create what’s called a “recipe” that is triggered by one Social action that in turn will post to a Social account of your choice.
• Go Mobile or Go Home. Ok, you don’t really have to “go home” if you don’t have a mobile device to use …but it sure makes life easier if you do!  You can post updates from your mobile device as long as you have internet access.  Or consider getting WiFi in your hotel room for making or scheduling posts. Many resorts and hotels also offer a computer lab for your use.
  

Luckily we live in an online world, so it’s not very often that we find ourselves without access to these Social Media accounts and the Web. But if you don’t want to have access to the Net, be sure to get organized before you leave so that someone can take over and you can – finally – relax.

Recipe for Social Media Engagement (or breakfast in bed for Mom!)

Social media for your law firm does not take too much time … especially with a freebie like this!

Here's a recipe card you may share with your Facebook followers as a way to engage with them. Sharing images to your Facebook profile is a great way to get Likes (which, in turn, will display your name, thus leading others to your Facebook profile where they will see links to your blog posts and events … leading to your website and more people getting to know you and your firm)!

Get the Recipe!

Follow the link, view the image, right-click and save. Now upload and share to your Facebook profile or any other Social Media platform!

• http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0513Recipe-1Kugelis.jpg

If you have a recipe you would like to submit for future consideration, feel free to pass it along to april(at)estateplanningpartners(dot)com.

Hashtag Alert!

#MothersDay

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12. Recognize the mothers in your family and friends list by sharing a special memory, photo or inspirational quote through your Social Media platform.

This month's quote is: “Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” — Barbara De Angelis.

To use this month's inspirational quote, download one of the following graphics, share it to Facebook (be sure to include a simple comment or call to action) and include a link to your law firm's website.

You may choose from three different color palettes: (follow the link, view the image, right-click and save; then share to your Facebook profile!)

1. Navy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_1DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_2DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0413Quote_5DeAngelis-Barbara.jpg

If you have a quote you would like to submit for consideration, feel free to pass it along to april@estateplanningpartners.com.

How to Use Hashtags to Expand Your Law Firm Marketing Efforts - #AttorneyMarketing

Just when you were finally getting used to internet slang such as “LOL” (laugh out loud) and “LMAO” (laughing my …well, you get the picture), a new symbol started showing up across Social Media at the end of posts. Say hello to the “#hashtag” – it’s here to stay and making its way across several Social sites.

What is a hashtag anyways?

A hashtag is the “#” symbol placed before a particular keyword or keywords that are used to categorize Social Media posts by topic.  Hashtags were made popular by Twitter where users can search by hashtag keywords to find other posts that relate to those particular topics.  This allows users to search by hashtags for specific content, posts, and other users with similar interests.  Google+, Instagram, and LinkedIn also have made use of the # symbol, and word is out that hashtags will be coming to Facebook soon.

What can hashtags do for your practice?

Well, for starters, it’s a great way to place SEO rich keywords into your posts to make them more searchable for your target audience.  If you have a post about estate planning, you can add “#estateplanning” to your post and others searching for that topic will be able to find yours easier and faster.  This increases the reach that you get from your Social Media efforts.  Can you imagine what this will do if integrated with Facebook?! Hashtags are another great way to increase online visibility and grow your follower base.  Let’s hope Facebook gets on board soon!

What’s the best way to use a hashtag?

If you want to start using the # sign on Twitter, or even on Google+, here are a few tips to get started:

• Search existing hashtag keywords to find others you want to be associated with. Are there organizations you belong to that are talking about the same topics? Find out what they are posting and coordinate your hashtags. If there is an upcoming event you are attending, see if the organizers have a specific hashtag they are using to promote the event and use it in your posts.
• Keep your keywords short and sweet. If you have something like #estateplanningelderlawattorney, more than likely you aren’t going to have users searching for that long of a keyword.  Try #estateplanning #elderlaw #attorney instead.
• Use SEO rich keywords and sift through the competition. Use your hashtags to put SEO rich keywords into your posts that are relevant to what you do (i.e. #attorney, #law, #estateplanning, and so on). Some of these words may be used a lot, so the competition could be fierce.  Do your research and choose words that will draw followers directly to you. For example, if you live in Kansas City, you may want to use #kansascityattorney. Or maybe your post is about a particular topic such as trusts, so you could use #trusts, #grantor, and/or #trustee to narrow the search terms.
• Use your hashtags on ALL Social Media platforms. Hashtags are likely here to stay.  So why not get ahead of the game and use them on ALL Social platforms? I have already seen Facebook users post hashtags in their status updates, and even though you cannot search on those hashtags just yet, it certainly is eye-catching and followers are taking notice.

Online communication is always evolving, and hashtags are yet another tool you can use to leverage your law firm marketing efforts. #goodluck!

Social Media for Your Law Firm: Debunk These 3 Myths!

Believe it or not, I get A LOT of push back from attorneys when it comes to Social Media marketing.  A large part of my job as account manager is to take time with new and existing clients and actually train and coach the best Social Media strategies to pair with their website. Many excuses are presented to me during this process, and most of them seem to resonate from fears or failures: fears of wasting time, not being read or ‘”noticed”, annoying people, or even just not believing or not understanding how it works.

I’d like to outline and refute the most common myths about law firm Social Media.

1. Social Media takes too much time.

If Social Media takes too much time, you’re doing it wrong. Most of the time spent working with Social Media is while you are learning how to use it. It’s my fault, actually. I take up nearly an hour on the phone teaching you how to blog … and then you think it’s going to take you 1 hour for each blog post. That’s understandable, but not true in the least. Perfect practice makes perfect. Learning Social Media (as with everything) will take more time in the beginning. BUT, the process will get faster, and faster, and FASTER as you do more and more.

Blogging should only take you 30-40 minutes a WEEK to schedule out five optimized blog posts. If you hire or delegate it out to your assistant, this takes you zero minutes a week. Heck, I’ll even train your assistant!!

Posting status updates (asking questions, promoting legal articles or pages on your website, etc) to your Facebook and LinkedIn page should take five minutes per day, or less.

2. No one reads my status updates.

This is not true. Even if your readers do not spend time everyday reading your blog posts or browsing your website, one thing is happening – awareness! Branding is easy to do on Social Media. If a social acquaintance, friends, family, etc., see your logo/blog showing up in their news feed once or twice a day, they will notice you, and they will remember you.

When that same client talks to a friend or family member who needs non-immediate or immediate planning, chances are they think (and speak!) of your brand.

Besides, if you think no one is reading your status updates, maybe it’s time for you to write more interesting updates.

3. Social Media doesn’t work.

One of the most popular myths, to boot! Social Media DOES work, and we don’t make you do it just for fun (although it can be thrilling!). Social Media provides powerful inbound linking to your website. When you post/link to your blog, your website, workshops page, eNewsletter, sign-up page, contact page, etc, you are providing inbound links to your website. Google wants to see that websites are alive and active among the favored Social Media platforms. If you can get readers to like/share/comment on these status updates, those inbound links become even more powerful.

If you would like to work with Dana on how you can better improve your Social Media strategy, feel free to call or email her today!

877–352–2021 Ext. 88

dana@estateplanningpartners.com

Being Human with Your Social Media: What Impression Are You Leaving Online?

As I am sitting here typing this blog, I know that I am hiding behind my computer when it comes to these posts.  You can’t see me, you don’t know how my office is decorated, and you have no clue about the activity in my surroundings. So all you really have to go on is how I portray myself through my typed words. That means that if I want you to connect with me, I have to be human in my writing.

I think leaving a human impression is something that can easily be missed when using Social Media to connect with your friends, clients, and colleagues.  It’s just words, right? Well, yes.  And no.  It’s actually your chance to connect with your audience.  And you aren’t going to do that by simply stating facts and using your “corporate voice.”

Think about when a client calls you at your office.  You pick up the phone and speak in a professional manner, representing a knowledgeable attorney.  And two seconds after that conversation, your friend calls and you transform into your casual self, the “after-hours” voice comes out, and you kick up your feet while discussing the big game.  This happens in a split second!  And surprisingly, both of these “voices” are you … just representing different aspects of your life.

Talking out loud is one thing, but typing your thoughts and expressions online is a whole other story. The best thing you can do with your Social Media is to be authentic about who you really are and what you are passionate about.  Now, that doesn’t mean that you post slang and rude comments without a second thought if you are having a bad day … it just means that you can meld your corporate self with your casual self to connect online in a human way.

Mashable.com has a great article on this called “Why Brands Should Be Human on Social Media.” My favorite quote from this article: 

Being a humanized brand means learning the art of authenticity. It means being genuine, being passionate about whatever it is your brand is and does. Just like in everyday life, people respond most to others who are perceptibly and consistently real. And that's why it's an art, not a formula. Authenticity, in the long run, can't be manufactured or faked.

So don’t be afraid to be real online, your audience is ready to connect with you!

My Blog Should Be Doing What …Where??

“Where should I be sharing my estate planning blog?”

So you have this amazing blog, and you post to it every day. That is wonderful! Blogging every day is a big deal to us at IMS. It increases your website’s total number of pages, which increases your Google Rank and general searchability.  

However, you can give your blog a major boost by making sure it shows up on other websites, like Social Media! Your blog posts should automatically share to these three places …

1. Facebook Page or Profile
2. LinkedIn Profile Page / Public Feed
3. Twitter

What does sharing to these places do for my marketing?

• Blog will show up once in a friends feed; establishes awareness of your brand.
• Shows the search engines you are serious about this content; provides Inbound Links (helps SEO).
• Encourages likes, clicks, or shares from friends; they count as “votes” in the eye of search engines.

Automatic sharing makes it easy for you and saves you time out of your day. Integrity Marketing has discovered a great tool called www.IFTTT.com. This is a great site to check out if your blogs are not already sharing automatically to these three websites.

If you need help, contact your Account Manager (dana@estateplanningpartners.com) today!