Legal Internet Marketing Blog

SLS Consulting, an established and respected boutique legal internet marketing consulting group located in South Pasadena, California, is honored to be celebrating 10 years in business. To mark this very special occasion, SLS Consulting is proud to announce the launch of its brand new website, which can be viewed at: http://www.legalinternetmarketing.com.

The team of marketing professionals at SLS Consulting that President and founder of the company, Susan L. Sipe, has trained and assembled, are pioneers in the internet marketing field. With Susan’s lead, their efforts have helped countless firms build personalized strategic marketing plans aimed at increasing client development. SLS’s unique approach to internet marketing includes offering exclusivity to our valued clients based on their geographic location and area of expertise.

With the launch of its brand new website at: http://www.legalinternetmarketing.com, SLS Consulting offers legal professionals a new hub for exploring all of the custom services that their firm has to offer. Whether they are looking for a tutorial on the A-B-C’s of search engine marketing, an example of SLS’s certified results in search engine placement, or testimonials from attorneys who have benefited from partnering with SLS; the new website is an exciting addition to SLS’s impressive stable of assets.

Continue reading "SLS Consulting Legal Internet Marketing Firm Celebrates 10 Years In Business With Launch Of New Website" »

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Posted In: Client Development , Legal Web Site , Marketing News & Information

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By now, most Web-savvy people in the legal world, or any industry for that matter, are familiar with the importance of social marketing. They understand that social marketing not only enhances the effectiveness of other legal Internet marketing strategies but far more importantly, it allows them to receive feedback from and interact with their site’s visitors and target audience. Social marketing provides a practical way to share information. However, the owners of sites and their Internet marketing consultant need to be very careful about how this information is dispensed. Web users are becoming increasingly sophisticated at discerning useful social marketing content provided for their benefit or entertainment from attempts to manipulate their purchasing decisions via social marketing methods. In order achieve its goals, social marketing strategies must have merit and something useful to contribute to the social networking communities that is serves.

To that end, here are some social networking ideas to keep in mind that will help you through the current economy and set you up for success when it recovers:

• Keep it real! – As previously mentioned, Web users are quite astute at discerning genuine efforts to contribute to the community from fake attempts to manipulate them and can employ the power of social networking to ‘call out’ fakes. This is illustrated by a recent incident where some popular Twitterers were outed for taking cash in exchange for product recommendations in their tweets. This created an outrage among Twitter users, and the backlash sullied the reputations of the Twitterers and the products they were shilling for.


• Create your own community and engage your readers – Blog posts rank well in search results, give readers a reason to check your site often, provide interesting and useful information and create a sense of community among your readers. Consider adding a blog to your site with posts written by you, your legal Internet marketing consultant or a mix or both.

Continue reading "Using Social Marketing in a Down Economy" »

Posted by Susan Sipe | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Client Development , Content Development , Legal Marketing Tips , Legal Web Site , Social Networking

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The old saying that “bad news travels fast,” has never seemed more relevant than it does in the Information Age. These days, a legal professional’s reputation not only can precede him or her, it can also directly influence a potential client’s decision to contact or not contact him or her. The rising popularity of Web sites that allow people to share their positive or negative experiences with products or professionals of any stripe makes it easy for people to share their opinions. Those opinions, whether based on fact or not, show up in search results and can have a profound impact on the success of a law firm or legal professional.

To that end, we’ve compiled a list of proactive reputation management tips that are inexpensive, enhance the effectiveness of other legal Internet marketing techniques, and allow legal professionals to take charge of their reputation management. These tips for lawyers include:

• Harness the power of social marketing – Social marketing sites are becoming increasingly relevant for any lawyer’s or law firm’s Internet marketing. Consider creating profiles for yourself and/or your law firm on social networking sites that cater to legal professionals as well as the heavyweights like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.


• Host informational videos on your site – Consider hosting informational videos on your legal Web site that address some of the questions your clients often ask you about. These add value to your site, engage your site’s visitors and also rank well in search results!


• Add a legal blog to your site – Whether you write the legal blog’s posts yourself or have your legal Internet marketing company compose them for you, they benefit your site, rank well in search results, and allow you to address topical issues in the legal industry and provide valuable information to your site’s visitors and potential clients.

Continue reading "Online Reputation Management Tips for Legal Professionals" »

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Posted In: Client Development , Legal Marketing Tips , Legal Web Site , Social Networking , Straight Talk about SEO

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It can be tempting to crawl under a rock until the recession passes, but the National Law Journal recently published surprising news from 2008: legal filings actually rose nine percent in 2008. Here’s how to turn these numbers into a great legal marketing opportunity for your firm:

- Respect the climate. Fear is everywhere…and chances are your potential clients are afraid, too. Keep your website real and make it personal. Gone are the days of the stuffy image, roll up your sleeves and smile for your website photos.

- Stay on top of the news. With so much competition for legal Internet traffic and business, you have to differentiate yourself from the pack. One great way to do this is to make sure your site has current and up to date content (think blog!). Google loves it and your search engine rankings will reap the benefits…

- Leverage existing clients. A bit more attention to customer care and retention now will result in happy referrals down the road. Remember... its the little things that count.

- Stay out there. More litigation means more people combing the Internet, looking for lawyers. Maximize your exposure by developing an Internet presence that combines a professional web design, solid SEO, informative content, and current news and advice (think blog!).

- Prepare. An increase in new potential clients is useless if you aren’t ready to handle them. Make sure your in-house systems for telephone and email responses are in place and that new leads get an immediate response when they contact your firm and not an answering service or voicemail. Make sure everyone in your office is on board for the challenges that accompany an influx of business.

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Posted In: Client Development , Legal Marketing Tips

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Do you hear it? It’s not a tsunami…it’s a tidal wave of potential clients. The wave of the future, in fact. It’s “Generation Y”, and it’s a demographic you’ve got to use if you don’t want to lose.

Who are these mysterious kids? Well, they were born roughly between 1978 and 2000 and have been called “Millennials” and “Generation Next.” They’re thought to be characterized by their addiction to wealth and fame, their short attention spans, and their reliance on all things digital, from texting to Facebook and Twitter.

What does this have to do with your legal practice? Simple: if you don’t learn the ways of the Y now, you won’t have a business that lasts into the long-term. If you’re savvy about business, you’re ready to learn how to market to Gen Y in a meaningful way so that you can meet them halfway. Here are some quick tips:

-Transparency rules. Gen Y is ready, willing, and able to thoroughly research your reputation online. Why not create your own reputation with a robust Web presence and a transparent blog that opens up about your business? It will differentiate you from every other attorney out there.

-Instant gratification. Capitalize on Gen Y’s impatience by learning to be the first to return calls and respond to e-mails. You’ll be well in front of the (overloaded, too busy to tend to prospective clients) pack.

-One-upsmanship. Let’s face it: many Gen Y-ers can research a legal statute faster than it takes you to go over to your library and look it up. Prepare yourself for this often shameless flaunting of instant knowledge with a bit of one-upsmanship of your own. If you’re well-prepared and committed to education and real answers, you’ll impress these info-savvy young people.

-Relax. Too often, the legal profession is characterized as stodgy and old-fashioned. This will not do for Gen Y, who is rewriting the rules as they go along. Relax and have some fun…that’s something every generation can get behind.

Posted by Susan Sipe | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Client Development

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We’ve all heard the story of the man who doesn’t appreciate the woman he has until she walks out the door. While every client won’t be a repeat, creating an amazing customer experience for each and every client can generate some serious marketing juju for your firm, no matter how big or small. Here are some ideas for leveraging the clients you do have and turning them into more business:

-Never underestimate the power of a question: “How did you find us?” “What did you like most about your service?” “What can we do better?” It’s easy to neglect these questions when you’re mired in a pile of briefs and ex parte hearings, but do so at your own peril. Chances are your current clients already know what you need to do to get your next set…they just haven’t told you yet.

-Make sure your staff is in on the game: We all hope our clients will generate repeat business or referrals…but a rudely answered phone, an unanswered e-mail or a poorly-handled crisis could prejudice a paying client against your firm forever. Train your entire staff to uphold client care and do you proud. It could help save the clients you do have and encourage them to pass on business.

When in doubt, ask: There is no shame in asking current clients for referrals – if the question is asked tactfully and with a sense of respect for your client’s time and energy. Simply reminding your clients that you love referrals is often the best way to keep them coming.

Stay in touch: Staying on the radar is a simple solution for referrals. Holiday and birthday cards are a great way to stay in touch, email newsletters are also a great way to stay in touch with current clients as long as you don't overdo it.

Gather testimonials: Don’t just bask when your client thanks you for that mega verdict or successful motion…take it down with pen and paper and ask for their permission to use it in future marketing communications! A great testimonial is often the tipping point for undecided prospects.

Posted by Susan Sipe | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Client Development

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