Bankruptcy (Chapter 11) Attorney Marketing
Clients seeking the protection of bankruptcy are unable to pay their creditors and seek relief through a judicial division of their assets among their creditors. A Chapter 11 proceeding is primarily used by businesses and allows a business to use future earnings to pay creditors. An effective marketing plan for building a bankruptcy law practice must use both Internet and traditional media outlets. Bankruptcy law is one of the most competitive marketing areas on the Internet. To succeed, your messages must reach the first page of search engines.
Online Marketing Resources
1. Establish Your Authority: Start a blog that answers clients’ most immediate introductory questions. For example, “How does a Chapter 11 bankruptcy work?” and “Does my business have to give up any property in a Chapter 11 proceeding?” Add to this library of “helpful answers” by targeting questions specific to your law practice. Tackle one question per post.
2. Offer a Webinar: This is merely a digital version of the free-client seminar. A potential topic could be “Continuing Business Operations During a Bankruptcy Proceeding.” Offer to e-mail those who register the login information for the webinar, thereby capturing a contact for future reference. Online services like Microsoft Live Meeting, Webex and Adobe Connect Pro are affordable options to set up these webinars.
3. Spread the Word: You need a social network presence. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow you to engage with debtors and promote your helpful resources, such as news, webinars and blog posts. Promote your Twitter and Facebook sites on your firm’s website and on your blog.
4. Marketing via SEO and PPC: In short, SEO practices help identify your content to search engine visitors looking for your specific information or keywords. Pay-per-click advertising is the business of purchasing ads that appear to visitors who search your specific keywords. If you’re unfamiliar with paid search, you should read up on Google Ad Words and start with a small budget.
5. Obtain a listing in Google’s local business directory. It’s free!
6. Purchase a listing on an on-line bankruptcy website.
7. Subscribe to an on-line data service such as ClickData, which provides daily listings of bankruptcy filings.
General Legal Marketing Resources
1. Advertise where potential clients are. Yellow pages, newspapers, billboards, radio and television each reach their own niches. Remember, this includes cultivating a good relationship with media outlets. Become the attorney your local media go to when their reporters need a quote.
2. Cultivate referrals from other attorneys and local business groups.
