Part 2
In last week’s article, I wrote about what your online leads are looking for when they get to your legal website. Trusted information from a reliable source, consistency, and value will get you to keep them coming back for more information. I also wrote about using an email program such as Constant Contact or Outlook to correspond with the e-customers.
What kind of information should you provide? Of course, this depends on your area of practice. For example, these items could be summarized in a short email:
• A new law or an upcoming one;
• An update to a celebrated legal case;
• Tax planning tips;
• Benefits of a will and advanced directive;
• How the economy is affecting your area;
• Upcoming seminars;
• Holiday driver safety tips; and
• Statistics.
A good rule of thumb is to pretend you are the e-customer. What information would you want to read about? Bragging about a recent settlement you achieved, or the benefits of working only with your company, may just turn people off. You run the risk of an e-customer unsubscribing to your email letter campaign. If that should happen, it is acceptable to send them a short note acknowledging the unsubscribing and asking them if they wouldn’t mind telling you why. Some people may respond back that they no longer need the service or information you are providing, and some may say that your emails were getting annoying. If that happens, immediately reassess your campaign and put yourself back in the reader’s seat. A few unsubscribe are normal but if you see a large number, then your campaign needs some serious help.
If you find a campaign letter that people respond favorably to, go with it. Post it as an article on your website, or submit it to an online legal website. Make sure the content is your own, as well as any of the graphics that you use in the article. Some programs provide graphics to be used within the program. You can also download free graphics on the internet, or subscribe to a site that allows you to download graphics for a small monthly amount.
In any event, every six months or so read all your campaign letters and evaluate which direction you want to take your customers. Ask for what they want, ask them to pass you on to friends and family members, and then sit back and watch your database grow.
