Yes the percentage is correct!
We conducted a Case Study in early January 2015 about a firm in London that started using our newsletter service back in July 2014. They were kind enough to provide us with their file opening numbers before and after they started using our newsletter service.
They increased their file openings by what we described as a whopping 61%. Well that was last year.
Since the article was published we have been followed up by some law firm principals requesting we report on whether the firm’s results have been sustained.
The results reveal that the firm has, for the first quarter of this year, opened 341% more files than for the same period last year.
We have also been asked many times to outline how to go about introducing a client newsletter program into a law firm and the main elements that make this form of law firm marketing so successful.
So what we have done below is to provide an overview of the process that our 341% firm and many others are going through to implement a client newsletter as the first step in their law firm marketing program.
Background – any law firm can do this
The firm in question (the principal has asked not to be named) has two solicitors and two support staff, a total staff of 4. They have a pretty typical general practice in their area including family law, property law, wills and estates and criminal & traffic. For the same (first) quarter in 2014 before the newsletters started, Legal Aid made up 60% of the firm’s new file openings.
In late 2014 they made a strategic decision to try and diversify their sources of work to lessen their reliance on Legal Aid. It was clear that they needed to do some marketing to increase the amount of new work coming into the firm.
After discussing various options with their marketing and management consultant it was decided that a relatively cheap but very effective way to start a marketing program that would enable them to establish a sound platform for future marketing efforts was to begin a client newsletter program.
The newsletter marketing program would not only enable them to start marketing almost straight away it would also help them to start communicating with the group that already knew who they were and who were most likely to provide them with additional work, their own clients.
Essential elements of law firm marketing
The other important aspect of implementing a client newsletter early in the law firm marketing process is that it forces a law firm to get the basic elements of every law firm marketing program into place.
It doesn’t matter whether you are advertising on television or radio, running an adwords campaign, spending money on SEO, running seminars or attending conferences you must have these elements in place if you are going to be successful.
The fundamental building blocks that all firms need to begin, or increase, their law firm marketing and which are basic to a client newsletter program are:
Website – one of the main reasons to have a client newsletter is to drive traffic to your website. Your website is the first step in the process. You must have a stylish, modern, mobile friendly website that has up to date content.
Database – a law firm database is not only a source of potential new work (which we have previously described as ‘buried treasure’), it is also an essential building block for storing contact data on clients (old & new), prospective clients or leads (generated through any/all marketing efforts) and referrers.
Content – it goes without saying that all law firms need articles and other interesting content to include in any marketing campaign, on the website or in the client newsletter.
If you can get these elements sorted out then you are well down the track to being able to implement whichever marketing tactics will enable you to generate more work for your law firm.
A client newsletter campaign helps you focus on each of these building blocks, it can’t all be fixed at once, you just need to get started.
How did the 341% firm do it?
With our help, of course! While it’s not quite rocket science there is a specialised skill set required to help law firms get the basic building blocks of law firm marketing in place.
Sure, you could also do it yourself, while trying to run the firm and do the legal work.
You can design newsletters, create content that clients will read, wrap that all up in a regular newsletter and send it to clients on a regular basis. You can even track, report and follow up every time a newsletter is sent.
However, for a monthly cost that is less than a couple of hours of your chargeable time you can get Lift Legal to do it for you.
What does Lift Legal do?
We provide a set and forget law firm marketing system, that starts with client newsletters, where we write, send, track, analyse and report on the interest in your newsletter articles. Plus we tailor the newsletter to complement your website and the articles to suit your firm!
We take the hassle out of creating interesting topical legal updates that your clients need and we make sure that you are communicating with them on a regular basis.
Sarah Cappello a Partner in Sydney Commercial firm Cappello Rowe has taken advantage of this recently and sent us this unsolicited message about 40 minutes after her firm’s first newsletter was sent:
I’ve already received 3 emails about the newsletter so the reception seems to be fantastic! Thank you for doing such a wonderful job with it. The process has been very easy for us and not at all disruptive to our practice so we really appreciate it!
If you think this is compelling and want to know more simply click here to email me and we will call you to discuss how we can help you increase the effectiveness of your law firm marketing.
Seize the opportunity to get more work or the work you want – what have you got to lose?
Regards
Peter Heazlewood
