Legal Internet Marketing Blog
Last month we addressed two key points about why it is crucial for law firms to establish and maintain an online presence in order to create communities and provide Internet users with the information and help they need. BlogWorld and Media Expo 2010 emphasized these points, which are to provide relevant, updated content, and to establish online authority through authenticity. Sounds simple enough, right? Right. But this is easier said than done, as are most aspects of Internet marketing. Here are a few more highlights from BlogWorld that lawyers still need to know:
3. Identify Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to help? This is a major question that shouldn’t be difficult to answer. As an attorney, you have handled many cases and helped several people to say the least, so you are already aware of whom you want to help. However, how do you make sure that this is accurately translated to your website, blog, and social media profiles?
In the world of Internet marketing, the “who” is your “target audience.” These are the people you must have in mind when organizing the structure, design, and content of your online platforms. Information should be easy to understand, easy to find, and guide your target audience to a way to contact you. But they won’t contact you if they stumbled upon your site and don’t really need the specific services you provide. How the information is distributed and organized online plays a vital role in helping your target audience find you, or rather, you finding them. The right information can be on your website, blog, or social profile, but if it isn’t seen by the right audience, then you won’t reach the people who are looking for your type of services.
4. Engaging Current Readers and Drawing in New Ones
One way to ensure that the information on your website, blog, and social networks is getting to the right people is to write for your audience. Think of the most frequently asked questions that you receive from clients and provide a way for these questions and answers to be available to those searching the web. What you think of as basic, straight-forward information may be what someone else just can’t wrap their brain around.
Why do visitors return to your website and why do readers subscribe to your blog? One answer is that they like what you have to say. How does this happen? A major part of this answer has to do with people growing to know, like, and trust you through what you have distributed online.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself and share what you know, you may end up helping more people than you ever thought was possible.
5..6..7..Keep Up and Stay Informed
The Internet is always changing. Check in with what is going on in the web-world before you find out that you missed it. Once again, this is easier said than done. However, there are ways to simplify the chaos. Why not sync your work email to your cell phone? Why not start tweeting as a way to stay connected with fellow attorneys, government agencies, and other organizations related to the area of law in which you practice?
If you feel overwhelmed after reading this, you haven’t read anything yet. These points only touch on the many different efforts that you can make to increase your online presence and help your firm reach the top. Visit our blog again for more tips on how to simplify these processes as well as how to effectively highlight and distribute your accomplishments online.