Welcome!

We’re excited to bring you the first issue of our quarterly e-newsletter, Partner Source. Designed specifically for legal associations, Partner Source offers valuable information for you and your members. We hope you enjoy the newsletter. If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear from you. 

Enhance Your Membership Benefits

As a provider of online marketing and client-development services to the legal industry, FindLaw establishes partnerships with selected associations, CLE providers and other legal industry organizations. These partnerships provide legal professionals with educational opportunities in the arena of online marketing and may include special promotions to further enhance the benefits of organization membership.

Partnerships are unique and may include any of the following:

• Educational Seminars
• Promotions
• Association Events
• Advertising and Article Placements in publications
• Plus, many other opportunities

Educational Seminars for Your Members

The focus of many of our relationships with associations is our seminars. FindLaw is pleased to offer several educational seminars on the topic of online marketing, one of the most important and challenging issues that law firms currently face. While the Internet has great potential, many attorneys struggle to find reliable, expert advice on how to succeed online. FindLaw seminars educate attendees about this topic and provide best practices in areas like developing effective Web sites, improving search-engine rankings, marketing ethically online and measuring return on investment.

FindLaw seminars are complimentary to bar associations and other groups that educate lawyers. They are approximately 60 minutes in length and can be altered to fit within other time constraints. FindLaw seminars may also be offered for CLE credit, pending filing, review and approval by the participating association and state.

FindLaw seminar presentations may focus on one or more of the following topics:

• Creating an Effective and Professional Online Presence
• Three Keys to a Successful Online Presence
• Online Visibility: What Lawyers Should Know About Search Engine Marketing
• Ethical Considerations in an Online World
• Return on Investment: Evaluating Your Firm’s Online Presence

Three Keys to Successful Online Marketing

The number of people going online — to get information, comparison-shop and make important decisions about their lives — continues to increase.

• Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (9 in 10 college-educated Americans) now are online according to a Harris Interactive poll.
• And they’re not there to surf: 90% of online consumers use the Internet for research while 80% make purchasing decisions.  

It’s easy to conclude that the Internet is where prospects are at — and that finding them and converting them to clients is critical to long-term growth. 

The fact is that successful online legal marketers focus on three related areas: building visibility via search engines and directories; using distinctive site design to set the firm apart; and delivering persuasive content that engages prospects and deepens client relationships.

Visibility

If you’ve been online to survey the competition, you know the importance of visibility — of taking steps to ensure you stand out. You should be aware that a) most prospects will locate you via legal directories or search engines; b) the ranking of law firms on those search tools does not occur by chance; and c) you can improve your ranking and drive more qualified prospects to your site.  

One key is ensuring that your site is updated and uses a high percentage of keywords and key phrases unique to your practice areas, geographic locations and client base. Search engines use software “spiders” to examine web sites, and then use that information to respond to search queries.

Attracting the attention of search tools is important not only due to the sheer number of competing web sites, but also the behavior of web-site visitors. Research indicates that more than 60% of Internet users click on a search result in the first page of results.

To gain more exposure, law firms should also consider paid advertising opportunities like banner ads and top listings, as well as legal directories. Linking your site to a directory connects you with highly motivated prospects who are actively looking for representation.

Design

The most important choice a law firm makes in designing its web site is what it leaves out. Effective design zeroes in on the attributes that set you apart and communicates that unique identity through words, images and the organization of your site.

Every photo and headline — even your color scheme — counts. Select images that reflect your practice areas or the city you serve. Reinforce those messages through headlines, section heads and other prominent blocks of copy.

And think in terms of your prospect’s expectations. While an aggressive tone and bold colors can work for a criminal-law firm, visitors to a family-law site may be swayed by a softer approach.

Content

Effective site design encourages prospects to stay for a closer look. But content converts them to clients and turns new business into long-term relationships.

Newsletters and articles, for example, can position you as a subject-matter expert, while case results and FAQs are a chance to demistify your firm and speak directly to prospects. Have a key niche? Consider creating a unique landing page for it. 

Content is also an important client-development tool — an opportunity to keep them “coming back for more.”

The Bottom Line?

Online success depends on engaging people with content that’s relevant, timely and in dynamic formats that encourage repeat visits. The best information is wasted, of course, if the right prospects aren’t finding your site at the right time. But firms that address all three aspects of successful online marketing — visibility, design and content — have a great opportunity to win business and maximize the return on their Internet investment.

The preceding article is an example of an item that you may publish in your association’s newsletter or magazine.

Request the full length version of this white paper

Association spotlight: Cincinnati Bar

By: Lindsay Kockelman

Name: Peggy Gruenke
Title: Membership Director
Organization: Cincinnati Bar Association
Tenure at Organization: 3 years
Organization City: Cincinnati, OH
Member Count: 4,500
Website: www.cincybar.org

What’s unique about your association?
Definitely not our acronym – CBA – could be Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago, Colorado – just to name a few. I think our Executive Director makes our association unique. John Norwine is a great leader for the CBA and mentor to law students, new attorneys just starting out, or attorneys looking to make a change in their career. Everyone knows John and the great contributions he has made to local and national organizations.

What do you think is the key to effective communication with your members?
Method of delivery – we have email addresses for about 95% of our members and are able to use this method to keep our members informed. And another key point is delivering a consistent look with your emails. All email communications to our members are sent with a subject line that identifies the message and a banner on the email with our logo and quick email summary.

What’s your biggest membership challenge and what do you do to overcome it?
Keeping a high renewal rate. After all, the renewal rate is a true measure of how happy your members are. I can recruit new members all year long quite successfully, but the real challenge is finding a way to connect with the members so they don’t think twice about sending in their dues renewal. How do I work to increase our renewal rate? I have developed a passion for my job that I believe my members notice in the events I offer or the personal attention I give to every phone call.

What do your members enjoy most about being a member of your association?
Our reputation as one of the finest bar associations in the nation. We have some nationally recognized programs. Good news spreads fast and when our members go to other seminars and mention they are a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, people acknowledge the CBA as a great association.

What advice do you have for other associations?
Listen to your members. Send out surveys. But be committed to listening to what they are asking for on the surveys and making some changes.

What value does your partnership with FindLaw provide your association and its members?
FindLaw’s contributions to our events – both financially and by providing quality topics and speakers – have helped make each event better. FindLaw has provided some wonderful educational seminars for our members. I think their favorite was the presentation by David Temple – “Make Your Case to Google: Search Engine Marketing.” The other series on online marketing tips and tools was also very valuable for those that attended.

What has been the overall member feedback on our FindLaw “lunch & learn” seminars?
All good – the topics FindLaw is able to bring to the CBA are very relevant to our members and they appreciate the free lunches that go along with the presentation. I see these “Discover Your Bar Benefits” series (CBA version of “lunch & learn”) as a great way to connect with the members and give them a reason to rejoin.
           
What is Cincinnati’s or Ohio’s best kept secret?
For Cincinnati – our Chili – it’s one of a kind!

Online Marketing Tip

How can I find you?
By: Nick McLawhorn

Search engines are not the only way potential clients get to an attorney’s Web site. Directories channel millions of people to Web sites every day. And those inbound links have a substantial effect on how a firm’s site performs in the search engines.

An inbound linking opportunity that is often overlooked is the use of professional association Web sites. Many bar and other legal associations have Web directories that provide an option to link to an attorney’s Web site. Maximize the overall performance of your Web site by checking to make sure your firm is listed in these directories and that a link to your firm’s site has been included.

Legal & Ethical Spotlight

Online Legal Marketing Ethics:  A Tangled Web
By: Jon Olson, FindLaw Counsel

Ethics regulators in some states have been taking a closer look at lawyer advertising recently. In some instances, the increased scrutiny appears to be the result of aggressive lawyer advertising in traditional media. However, there are also indications that regulators feel a need to amend lawyer ethics rules to address Internet advertising – a relatively new and quickly growing medium for attorney and law firm marketing.

This article addresses some recently proposed and implemented advertising ethics rules. The rules were considered or implemented in New York, and apply only to lawyers and law firms governed by New York’s advertising rules. However, lawyers from across the country should maintain an awareness of advertising ethics rules, because it is quite possible that, in the regulators’ efforts to establish a degree of uniformity, the advertising rules of one state may be adopted by another.

The Practical Importance of Advertising Ethics Rules

All lawyers know the importance of complying with state ethics rules. The rules are rooted in the profession’s concern for consumer protection and fairness, and lawyers are loath to cast a pall upon the profession by violating the rules. There is also the practical matter of maintaining one’s personal (or law firm) reputation, which is of critical importance in a profession that still relies significantly on referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. Of course, the importance of avoiding professional sanction, up to and including disbarment, goes without saying.

What lawyers sometimes overlook is the practical business and financial implications of failing to comply with the advertising ethics rules. The practice of law is a profession, but is also a business, and the financial ramifications of violating the rules can be severe. For example, establishing law firm brand identity can be expensive and may take several years. Yet, in an instant, a lawyer’s advertising campaign can be derailed by a finding that the advertisements fail to comply with state lawyer advertising rules. In the context of a Web site, a lawyer may be forced to either take down the Web site or undertake extensive redesign efforts. Either action would result not only in lost business opportunity while the site is unavailable, but also lost billable time that is spent redesigning the site or revising Web site content. Alternatively, the lawyer could hire a Web site design firm to deal with the issue, which again results in additional expense.

Rules of the Future?

The Presiding Justices of the New York Appellate Divisions enacted new advertising rules in February of this year, and the new rules have created quite a stir. One New York firm, together with a consumer advocacy group from Washington, D.C., has challenged the constitutionality of the new rules, and this litigation has left affected practitioners to wonder about the new rules’ long-term implications. Other states have also recently considered rules changes that will affect online lawyer advertisers. In particular, Florida is considering amendments that would treat advertisements as solicitations rather than responses to client inquiries. 

While the substance and significance of any new advertising rules is still unclear, we have some clues about the direction. Below are three examples from New York’s recently enacted advertising rules:

Use of Certain Web site Graphics
The New York rules, as initially proposed for public comment, prohibited the use of photos depicting a courtroom or courthouse. While the rules that were ultimately adopted relaxed this prohibition, lawyers should be careful when selecting photos for advertisements. Some regulators are opposed to the use of animal photos, such as canines foaming at the mouth. Photos of actors portraying lawyers or clients are also sometimes scrutinized and may require a specific disclaimer. So before licensing images, or investing significant time and effort taking photos themselves, lawyers should consider advertising ethics rules relating to the use of online graphics.

Retention and Filing Requirements
Some states require that a lawyer file advertisements and/or Web sites with state ethics regulators prior to release. Pre-approval of an advertising ethics committee, and payment of a filing fee, may also be required. 

Filing and retention requirements for online advertisements can raise interesting questions. For example, how does one file a Web site? Must the lawyer or law firm print a copy of each site page? If the rule requires a new filing upon any significant change or update to the site, what is considered a significant change? How do the rules apply to dynamic content, such as news feeds and blogs, which change in real-time? Can the filing be submitted electronically, and where can less technology-savvy lawyers turn for assistance?

Unfortunately, the current rules often fail to address these questions, and lawyers are left to interpret the rules according to their own risk averseness, often conservatively. Therefore, as future rules are developed, it will be important for lawyers and bar associations to advocate for clear guidance as to how the rules will be interpreted and enforced. 

Self-Identification When Using Certain Domain Names
Many lawyers and firms have adopted unique and creative domain names for their Web sites. Hypothetical examples of creative domain names include www.bestmnlawyer.com and www.winattrial.com. However, regulators might deem these creative domain names to be false, deceptive, or misleading, and thus in violation of the ethics rules. Some states also require that if the lawyer’s name does not appear in the domain name, then the name of at least one lawyer responsible for the site must conspicuously appear on the home page. 

A finding that a lawyer’s Web site violates domain name rules could be devastating, because it often takes several months before search engines index a site. Indexing makes a site visible to Web users and the need to change a domain name will likely set a marketing campaign back several months while a new domain name is established and indexed. If the lawyer has included their Web site on other marketing collateral, such as business cards, letterhead, or brochures, changing the domain name becomes even more burdensome and expensive.

Best Practices
Here are a few simple best practices for lawyers to consider when establishing an online marketing campaign:

• Review the advertising rules of every state in which you practice to make sure you are in compliance with each state’s requirements. If you advertise in a particular state and reasonably expect to retain clients in the state, it’s best to follow the state’s advertising rules.
• If in doubt about how a particular rule applies or how it will be enforced, contact the bar association for assistance. Many lawyers overlook the bar association as a resource on ethical issues, but several, if not all, states offer valuable informal feedback about rule interpretation or more formal ethics opinions.
• When designing a Web site, consider consulting a Web site design company with knowledge of the legal market. While the design company should not be relied upon for legal advice, a design company focused on the legal market may be able to point out potential advertising ethics issues for the lawyer’s consideration.

Conclusion
The tremendous growth of online legal advertising has spawned new interest in the regulation of lawyer advertising, and it is important that lawyers and their bar associations are not only aware of the current status of the rules, but are proactive in influencing the future direction of the rules.  Lawyers and law firms often allocate a significant portion of their budgets to marketing, and, among the several strong justifications for complying with advertising ethics rules, the financial justification for compliance is becoming increasingly stronger.

FindLaw Trade Show Presence

Look for us at a trade show near you! FindLaw exhibits at legal industry events throughout the country. To view our complete calendar of events, click here. We look forward to meeting you.

For More Information

To learn more about FindLaw Seminars or to comment on the e-newsletter, please contact:

Laura Blankley
Phone: 1.800.455.4565 x75343
E-mail me