In a catch up conversation with Ed Schecter this morning, we discussed a subject about which we are both passionate: how law firms can strategically grow revenue. This isn’t a new conversation at all. In fact, it’s a tired one that we’ve both had countless times in our careers. The […]
Back in America
I’ve just returned from two weeks touring and cruising Italy, plus other countries that are on the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. It was a great immersion in ancient cultures and centuries-old cathedrals and basilicas, combined with the joy of spontaneous, contemporary exploration and choice-making. But this post isn’t about […]
What law firms can learn from Dyson’s (think vacuum cleaners) anti-branding slur.
British industrial designer, Sir James Dyson, is best known for his iconic bagless vacuum cleaner that he peddles on television. And among frequent travelers who wash their hands in airport restrooms, for the Dyson Airblade, which dries your hands as would the edge of a tornado. But after a recent […]
Columbia Business School study proves that ROI is an elusive partner to marketing departments
Senior law firm marketers have been seriously talking about ROI since at least the mid-1990s. Believing in its relevance and importance to financial decision-making, this “proof” has frustratingly been like a mirage in the desert. For years we have relied on anecdotal data and stories – an RFP or pitch […]
What is the dollar cost of directory referrals to your law firm website? And are the visitors worth it?
Senior marketers have been questioning the value of Martindale-Hubbell listings with increasingly loud and passionate voices. For AmLaw 100 and 200 firms, the cost ranges from a bare-bones listing in the $20,000-40,000 range to a comprehensive contract that costs well into the six-figures. And many firms have eliminated it altogether, […]
Mobile apps or mobile websites: What’s a law firm to do??
When my company, Content Pilot, last conducted the AmLaw 100 Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices research in Q2-3 2010, there were only four of the country’s largest law firms that had mobile apps. A few more had mobile websites, which were typically poorly designed, bare-bones renditions of their big site. […]
The strongest law firm brands – a 2012 brand survey by Acritas
"Brand" and "branding" were words that were nearly eliminated from our lexicon during the recession. A respected stalwart in corporate strategic business planning, law firms, when slicing initiatives and the budgets that supported branding the last two – three years, quickly erased those line items. There was almost no looking back . […]
One of the next big things in law firm websites: Video done right.
Everyone who knows Adam Stock, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at California law firm Allen Matkins, understands that he is an early adopter of most things technology. He’s a capable developer, program and website designer and, in his spare time, he is Chair of the upcoming 2011 Legal Marketing […]
Happy 20th Birthday World Wide Web!
August 6, 2011 was the twentieth birthday of the first website being launched. For the hundreds of millions of hourly web users across the world, the day came and went without so much as a piece of cake or a candle. As Mark Giangrande noted in his August 10 Law Librarians […]
Only 5 months left to meet your 2011 marketing goals
I received an email this morning from the CMO Council on its “Marketing Outlook for 2011.” While the research study made more sense to report in Q1, it’s worthwhile to use as a check-up as we edge into August 2011. The Study reports that marketing budgets are on the rise, with […]
Commentary on Law360 Post, “How to Make it Rain by Marketing Individual Lawyers”
A legal marketing friend, John Eix, head of Regional Business Development – Texas for Hunton & Williams, sent me a June 24, 2011 Law360 article that I finally had a moment to read. It covers the age-old question of, “Do clients hire law firms or lawyers?” I have always insisted that they hire both, […]
“Why does marketing have to be so damned hard?” Asks Pat LaPointe (Metrics Insider Blog)
I have quoted Pat LaPointe in past blog posts about metrics and marketing. Pat is Managing Partner at MarketingNPV — specialty advisors on marketing metrics, ROI, and resource allocation, and publishers of MarketingNPV Journal. He starts out today’s post like this: Fact: Failure rates in marketing are astronomically high. Only […]
Measuring the value of social media in driving traffic to your law firm website
It’s mid-December and much of the country is buried in a cold snap. It’s also the time of year where we all seek frenetic joy in the holiday shopping, eating, drinking, socializing Spirit. And, it’s also budget season – still – for many law firms. While we are seeing an […]
Managing Partners Appreciate Strategic Role of Marketing Department – By Janet Ellen Raasch, guest blogger
The Rocky Mountain Chapter of LMA has always had robust programming, but one of the best things they do is have a local chapter member, Janet Ellen Raasch, write synopses of the programs (Janet’s byline and contact info are below). I thought this one was especially well done, and it’s a […]
Budget time always begs the question, “What are we getting for our marketing dollars?”
We are seeing a strategic loosening of law firm purse-strings. "Strategic loosening" means that projects and initiatives that impact the law firm's strategic goals are ear-marked for funding in 2011. This is good news for many marketing and business development department leaders, as they've been wanting to push their initiatives and […]
Marketing ROI, Measurement and Metrics – LMA Dallas City Chapter Survey Results
I moderated a panel yesterday at the LMA Dallas City Chapter (subgroup of the LMA Southeastern Chapter) luncheon on ROI. Panelists included: Allen Fuqua, CMO, Winstead PC Bill Livesay, Executive Director, Andrews Kurth LLP Tim Powers, Partner and Business Development Chair, Haynes and Boone LLP To anchor our remarks in […]
Law Firm CMOs Part 2: LSSO listserve discussion about their future
In my last post, I brought in comments from leading legal marketing consultants from the LSSO listserve discussion called, “Where have all the CMOs gone?” In Bill Flannery’s LSSO listserve post dated February 20, 2010, he said that he has recently interviewed more than 100 law firms in North America and overseas, […]
Get your money’s worth from Martindale.com
I am speaking at the LMA Ohio chapter meeting this Wednesday, January 27, 2010. The title of my presentation is: “New Rules for Marketing in a Recovering Economy — Tactics to Improve your Success and Reach.” It makes sense to critically analyze your marketing investments to ensure that you are […]
The efficacy of Martindale.com as a referrer to your Web site
A law firm's Web site should be at the center of its business development. With the evolution of Web 2.0 and social media tools, site visitors can customize their experiences, interact with the firm and its lawyers, and stay up-to-the-minute on the latest laws and industry developments via video, podcasts, […]
Budget season fa-la: If I spend a dollar, what will I get in return?
Unlike last year, where calendar-year firms extended budgeting (rather, budget cutting) into Spring, this year many of them are done. They planned ahead, and locked down the budget submissions in September. This December must be infinitely more jolly and relaxed than last. The question nags firms, though . . . “I’ve […]