Integrity Marketing

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.

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

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!

The Essential Blog Digest -- A New IMS Email Service for Your Blog

We hear about how much you love the daily blog content all the time. And the numbers speak for themselves in terms of effectiveness in driving traffic to your website, increasing your Google rank, and solidifying your position as the "thought leader" in your community. You are doing an excellent job sharing your posts to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter! You are including images in your posts, adding keywords for search optimization, and the content is educating your readers making them better qualified prospects.

BUT, we have heard complaints that your reach is limited with the blog content. People have to find the posts on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn or through your website to read your blogs. Well, not anymore!

We have developed a new service that will automatically email your most recent blog posts straight to your contacts’ inbox every week. The Essential Blog Digest will be a custom built email to match your monthly e-Newsletter and Essential website branding. Available as a weekly or monthly service, the Blog Digest will pull your most recent blog posts and email them in a digest format to your contacts. All you have to do is keep on posting! The service can be set up to go daily, weekly or monthly - whichever you prefer. My suggestion is that it goes out every week, especially if you are one of the attorneys who posts daily.

Pricing is very affordable as well.

Set Up: $495
Monthly Fee: $150

Here are some great uses for this service:

• More frequent touches and more mileage out of your blog content: The great thing about the blog content is that it is NOT "salesy." Every post is timely and educational.
• Workshop / Event Promotion: Do you conduct workshops? Now you can post a blog about your upcoming workshop or event including details of when, where, and how to register and have that invitation be sent through your Blog Digest to your email list.
• Build your social network following: Writing blogs about your use of Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter embedding links to your accounts will allow recipients to easily connect with you through the email. Plus, you can add sharing icons to each digest post so readers can share your posts too.
• Post whatever YOU want to: This is YOUR blog and digest e-News, so you can say whatever it is that's on your mind or important in your community.

If you are interested in getting this service, please let me know and I'd be happy to get you all set up. You can call James at 1-877-352-2021 x80, or email james@estateplanningpartners.com.

Email Newsletters and Blogging – Are Your Topics Hot or Not?

A new day begins, and you plunge right into your routine checking off to-do’s left and right (after coffee, of course). You finally get to the one you’ve been putting off: write a new blog.  And right below that one is: write a personal email newsletter message.  All of a sudden your mind draws a blank and you forget everything you know about your area of expertise.  Sound familiar?

It happens to all of us.  We get stuck and we need some new ideas for our marketing. Because nobody wants to read a revision of the same topics over and over – you need something HOT and FRESH to keep your readers hooked. 

Here are some ways to generate new topics when you’ve hit the brick wall of writing:

• Top 10 Lists – This is my go-to format when I need to summarize information. It’s easy to read, it gives readers something to print or jot down for future reference, and the list can be short and sweet.  Aim for 10, but if you come up short just change the title to “top 8” or whatever you get to.
• Tips & Tricks – Our weekly IMS email newsletter includes “Practice Builders,” which is our version of “Tips-n-tricks” for marketing.  Giving out tips or tricks is like giving out secret information on how to do something better, faster, or more efficient.
• Give-a-ways or Tools – Do you have something you can offer your clients such as an online estate tax calculator or a fillable form? Give-a-ways don’t always have to be gift cards or cookies; think outside the box and come up with a tool your clients can use that you already have available.
• Testimonials – Gather those testimonials and put those into your email newsletter or blog.  We all love a good success story!
• A How-To Guide – This one goes along with “Tips & Tricks.” You can always create a “how-to” for sending in paperwork, collecting information , asking questions, etc.
• Industry information – Put your research hat on and start scouring the web for industry discussions, news, and developments. Any tax law changes? Any new elder care services available? Your clients want to know what’s happening!
• FAQs – Take those frequently asked questions and post the answers to your readers.
• Laughable moments – We all enjoy a good story from time to time! If you have a funny story, share it with your readers.  You’d be surprised how you can relate many life experiences back to your practice.
• Videos – Videos are hot hot hot! Find one that relates to your practice and share it. Make sure you watch the video first to check out any technical issues, such as plug-ins that readers may need to download to view the content.
• Stats & Polls – Although polls may not work in an email newsletter, you can start one in your blog and share to Social Media for follower interaction.  Stats are notoriously the more “boring” topic to write about, but it helps from time to time to break down the industry numbers for your clients.

So pour yourself another cup of coffee and grab your pen (or keyboard) -- you got this!

Photo-Taking Tips to Get Your Law Firm's Website Live

By April Leabo, Production Manager
Customer Service

Getting your estate planning or elder law web site live is one of the main goals when you engage in your Essential Solution® marketing system. Don't let an old photo -- or no photo -- be a road block to getting your new marketing system running and working for you. We always recommend including personal photos of yourself and your team to give your web site that personable feel. It allows the end-user to meet and get to know you before scheduling the initial consultation.

So what can you do if you don't have a recent professional photo? You may use your digital camera to take your own. Here are some tips to help you take the best possible photo to submit for your web site. You can always submit your professionally-developed photos at a later date. 

• Natural light is best: get outside or open the shades and let the sun shine in.
• Do not stand with your back against the wall -- this is not a mug shot and the shadows created are not pleasing.
• Take vertical photos by turning your camera with the flash on top.
• Be aware of plants, artwork and photo frames that may be behind you, once the image is cropped, a palm frond sticking out of your ear may not be the look you are going for.
• Avoid zooming, if possible. Rather than zooming, just take a step forward.
• Do not edit, crop or resize your photo. Send the original file(s) and your IMS Team will crop them all so they have the same appearance for size and depth.
• Be sure to indicate who is in what photo.
• When you send your photo attachment, do not allow your email program to reduce the file size.
• And finally, don't send in low quality photos. If you think the photo looks blurry or grainy, that's because it is and we will not be able to use it. Just try again and try changing your light source.

Get Your Marketing on the Fast Track by joining us at our Spring Retreat scheduled for March 13! Check out the agenda for more information.

Get Social with Your Law Firm Blog

By James Campbell,
VP Sales & Practice Development

Social media is a self descriptive term. Literally it is a medium through which users can be social. Our Essential Attorneys are at a distinct advantage with our daily blog content. The information they provide is both educational and timely -- addressing issues relevant to current news. This combination leads to engagement with readers on Facebook, LInkedIn and Twitter. Using your blog as an avenue to be social is an excellent place to start.

The next level in being social yet staying professional is to post updates of your firm, community and even family (on occasion). These three elements are fool-proof and give your social connections a deeper look into the culture of your business. Recently Michael (my brother, best friend and awesome videographer for IMS) revamped our video studio with new paint, new sound proofing and new blue-screen ... for the blonds and more seasoned attorneys :-). We documented our progress and posted images to Facebook. These photos had substantially more views, likes, comments and shares than most of our blog posts. Folks got an inside look at our company and culture and wanted to know more.  Here are some photos that show the progress.

Look around you. There are tons of opportunities. Think of it as networking if that makes it easier. Checkout the local Chamber of Commerce Facebook page (I guarantee they have one) and "like" it. Start sharing their posts and being social with that group. The opportunities are boundless, you just have to make time to do it.

Be sure to LIKE our Integrity Marketing Solutions page, too! We are giving away an amazing tool to help you help your clients plan for their "virtual" assets - a Virtual Asset Instruction Letter (VAIL).

A VAIL lists all online accounts and assets, with web addresses, user names, and passwords to give a designated representative the ability to identify and access these accounts. Here's how to get your FREE VAIL:

• Log in to Facebook and
  LIKE our page
• At the top right of the screen, click the RED box that says "Click Here"
• Click the BLUE button that says "Download File"
• Save the VAIL for yourself and your clients!

Getting Personal with Your Online Marketing

By Dana Alley, Personal Account Manager /
SEO Specialist

We all know the importance of a first impression. Have you considered the first impression you make through your social media account, blog, or eNewsletter?

One major challenge of internet marketing is that it can become bland and sterile, lacking that personal pizzaz that is uniquely you. There are many paths you can take to close the gap of virtual space between you and your prospective clients. Your marketing can shine in a sea of dullness with this one simple strategy...

Be Social!

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) really is the BEST and EASIEST way for you to make a connection with people online. Use your ‘personal’ social media account to also market your business. Clients and prospective enjoy seeing a real person behind your brand. Write a new status update at least once a day!

Here are some good ideas for your daily status updates:

• Personal and Business Achievements
• Interesting Legal AND Non-Legal Articles
• Inspirational posts and success stories
• Recent updates to your law firm (this includes new staff members, workshop updates, changes to the website, and birthdays.)
• News from around your community and law firm outings
• Tip: Avoid political and controversial topics!

One of our top-performing Essential Attorneys™, Wayne Ball (http://www.ball-stuart.com), is an excellent example of how social media can be used to convey your online personality. He recently attended our Fast Track workshop and picked up several social media tips.

Wayne Ball says:

 “After applying the workshop techniques, we are getting more blog visits by the time I show up at the office than we had for entire days before the workshop. And it is at hardly any more effort. Thanks.”

See guys! I’m not making this stuff up. Start slowly and work your way into the social media world. You can apply all these techniques to both Facebook & LinkedIn.

Personality is one thing, but careful you're not revealing TOO much online -- remember, nobody wants to see THAT!

Thanks for stopping by!

In Part Two I will cover how to convey your personality in your blog posts. Stay tuned!

As Election Season Heats Up, Remember These Blogging Tips

Political rhetoric does not belong on your business blog.

There, I said it. Please don't make me say it again. As the election season heats up, I am starting to notice some of you cannot resist voicing your political opinions on your business blog. That is your right. But please note that our country has become extremely polarized, and whether you lean left or right, your political opinions are likely to offend at least half of your audience.

So, while we're on the topic of blogging, I'll resurrect a post from April of 2011. It's a good refresher about what NOT to do on your business blog.

Avoid These Top Five Business Blogging Mistakes

Blogging can be dangerous to your (business) health! Why? Because you don't have an editor.

My husband, David, grew up professionally in the newspaper business. He was a managing editor and publisher for one of New England's largest and most frequently honored publishing companies. Three of his bosses were Pulitzer Prize winners.

He relates that editorial writing was not one of his favorite responsibilities. The pressure of writing a daily or weekly column can wear on a person....not unlike the pressure of writing frequently for your business blog. (I suppose it's fair to note that with circulation numbers in the mid six figures, and three Pulitzer Prize winners critiquing his work, David's pressure might have been a bit more intense!)

According to David, the biggest risk of editorial writing is that your words will "go public" without the benefit of an editor. "Even if you have an editor," he says, "if you are the publisher, no one has the nerve to criticize you. And, without an editor, it is entirely possible to publish a column about your hemorrhoid surgery." David chuckles when he tells this story which, fortunately is not something he did, but rather something he read in a competitor's newspaper. He always adds his commentary, "And NOBODY wants to read that!"

When you are blogging for your estate planning or elder law firm, remember, there are some things that NOBODY WANTS TO READ ... and other things that just don't fit into the context of a business discussion. Here is my short-list of the top five topics you should avoid in your business blog (this list also applies to in-person networking events where you hope to initiate new business relationships).

1. How Terrible Business is Right Now (unless you are talking about business in general, and able to offer up some great ideas / solutions). Your business blog is not the place to complain about your empty appointment book!
2. Don't Discuss Clients (or Cases) By Name (without permission). Some attorneys have gotten into real trouble complaining about judges by name, or in an identifiable manner. Story telling can be a great marketing tool, but use it carefully.
3. Don't Treat Your Blog Like a Press Center. Your blog is not the place to post press releases, or "puff" pieces. Think of your business blog as a professional conversation you might have at a very important, exclusive social mixer ... and you don't want to be the guy in the loud plaid jacket trying to sell vinyl siding to everyone he meets.
4. Don't Make the Reader Uncomfortable With Too Much Personal Information. This relates to the hemorrhoid surgery story ... and other personal details that the business world just does not want to know. Your toddler's first words could be inspiration for a blog post, but not her first poo-poo on the potty!
5. Don't Talk Politics or Religion. Okay, your mother told you this, right? If not, I'm telling you now. Your business blog is not a soap box. Please do not preach from it, predict the impending Apocalypse, or promote your liberal, conservative, or libertarian political views. The Tea Party has their own PR department, they do not need your business blog. Remember that about half of the population is Democrat and the other half Republican, with minority shares of "other" thrown in. Regardless what stand you take, you are going to alienate at least half of your audience. And this does NOT promote your business!

Remember, it is not true that any publicity is good publicity. The same applies to blogging. Just because you are writing something in your business blog on a regular basis, this does NOT mean you are building your practice. If you're not careful, you could just be embarrassing yourself.

The Three Marketing Basics -- Get These or Get Nothing

Posted by Jennifer Campbell Goddard, CEO
INTEGRITY MARKETING SOLUTIONS

I recently was called upon to advise a company on marketing a new service, which they want to launch at an upcoming international conference. While questions flew about booth space, banners, QR codes and special offers ... I noticed the fundamentals were missing. We could have talked for weeks about strategy and tactics, but until we answered these fundamental questions, we really could do nothing to ensure a successful launch.

Marketing comes down to three basic questions:

1. What are you selling?
2. Who wants / needs it?
3. Why should they buy it (from you)?

I first realized these fundamental questions had not been answered when we started talking about a simple flyer. I believe the flyer made perfect sense to them, because they had been working on this project, in this company, for a long time. But as an outsider -- like their prospective buyers -- the flyer made no sense to me at all. There was a map of the world, the company's name, and a list of markets covered by the service. Honestly, I had no idea what they were selling, why I would want it, or even how to buy it.

I asked them to re-think the flyer, and the entire campaign, with a more focused marketing approach.

1. What are you selling?
   Give your prospects a brief description, in consumer terms, of your product or service. This is the message that will pre-qualify your prospects. Are you selling books or bedroom slippers? Be clear and concise. And honestly, at this point, I don't want to hear that you are selling "peace of mind." That may become a selling message at some point in the campaign, but first let's define exactly what you are selling. For example, are you selling Medicaid crisis planning, general estate planning, business succession planning, or advanced asset protection? Concisely define your product or service, in terms your prospective buyers can understand and relate to.
   
   
2. Who wants or needs it?
   Do not reply "everyone." Put yourself in the buyer's shoes and carefully define who truly wants or needs your service. For whom will your product or service solve a need or fulfill a desire? This is your target market. Your clear, detailed answers to this question should guide your marketing professionals in dozens of tactical decisions -- from color choices to media placement.
   
   
3. Why should they buy it (from you)?
   Yes, I know that is really two questions, but they are so intertwined that I thought I could sneak one past you. In today's marketplace, your prospective buyers are inundated with marketing messages that can be very confusing. It's tough to make a buying decision -- and the more expensive and complex the product or service, the more difficult the decision. Estate planning and elder law are tough markets because your service is both expensive and complex. Add to this the substantial risk involved -- a bad decision carries a severe personal impact, much more so than choosing the wrong paint color for the living room (though sometimes we think people put more thought into choosing paint colors than attorneys ...)
   
   Help your prospective buyers make good decisions, help them choose you. Assure them that your product or service will, in fact, solve their needs and meet their desires. Let them know that there is a path from their current difficulty to a future resolution.
   
   Then show the benefits of working with you and your firm. In today's market, it's important to focus on convenience, time-savings, value and quality assurance.
   
   And above all, make it easy for them to do business with you. Tell them specifically what action to take -- do you want them to call for an appointment? Attend a workshop? Visit your website? Don't be coy, give clear, concise directions about what action your prospective buyer should take next.

The truth is that marketing is not so much about websites, social media, QR codes, or direct mail -- those are tactics that professionals may employ to help meet your marketing goals. You do not need to master all of these tactics unless you are planning a career as a marketing professional. We know these tactics very well, and learn new ones almost daily. But none of these tactics can ensure your success if you have not mastered the three basics. Get these, or get nothing.