There are a lot of online articles discussing the best plan of action for an email marketing campaign, but some marketing channels may not necessarily apply to the legal profession. In an effort to save you time, we’ve shared some tips on email marketing specific to the field of law.

Some have come to associate email marketing with spam, resulting in a poor view of the company or firm that sends the email. However, when certain tactics are implemented correctly, email marketing can be a means to provide useful and interesting content to current and prospective clients. This, in turn, will help you attract new clients while helping to retain current ones. Word of mouth is extremely important in the legal industry, and successful email marketing can be one way to increase referrals by keeping your name in front of clients and contacts with relevant, useful information.

Quick Tips

• Send Out Frequently
  E-newsletters should be sent out monthly or at least quarterly.

• Don’t Blast from Home
  Don’t send to hundreds or thousands of people from your personal or work email. Use a different domain name from that which you normally use, especially if you are sending unsolicited emails.

• Create Valuable Content
  Don’t clog up your e-newsletter with unrelated links. You want your content to be compelling and related to the audience’s interests.

• Hone Your Audience
  Develop content related to your practice area. For instance, if you work exclusively in trusts and estates, write about the importance of having a will, when it should be updated, and what is involved in developing a comprehensive estate plan.

How to Build an Email List

Start with your current client base. Use the contacts you have on file from current or previous cases. If you’ve developed a large client base over time, this list will likely be a good starting point.

After that, you will need to actively build your list. There are many ways to do this.

In addition to traditional ways – business cards, membership lists and purchased lists, try these ideas:

1. Use a Call-to-Action – add a “Subscribe to Our Email List” option on your website’s Contact Us form.
2. Export your LinkedIn connections – access hundreds of professional contacts who have already viewed or interacted with your online profile.
3. Create Your Own Content – have a downloadable practice area guidebook.
4. Use Digital Advertising to promote your downloadable content and require an email address to access that content.
5. Nurture Your Leads – let potential clients take their time; some make decisions about a firm right away, and others like to browse around before deciding who to contact. Be sure to follow up with those who have an interest in your services.

Take advantage of one of the many companies with nominal fees that will ensure your email address isn’t blacklisted, such as Constant Contact, StreamSend, or MailChimp. These services have pre-programmed e-newsletter templates that can be very helpful for you if you are just starting out. If you would like custom e-newsletter graphics and content, seek out the guidance of an experienced legal marketing team who can assist you. You can also review your email’s click-through activity through these services for potential follow up.

How to Create Valuable Content

Throughout the month, try to make a list of instances of the following:

• Common questions from clients that you could answer in 6-8 sentences
• Positive firm news, including positive reviews, recognitions and awards
• Recent case results
• Interesting news, especially related changes in the law – be sure to add a sentence or two describing how the news item might affect your audience
• Events your audience might be interested in attending

Implement these details in two- to three-sentence paragraphs in the body of your e-newsletter, with pages that jump out to expand on the content. In the case that you don’t have a lot of news to share, introduce original content to educate your audience about your areas of expertise, the types of cases you handle, and your experience.

When to Schedule Your Campaign

You want the optimal opportunity for visibility and follow-through. Think about the day-to-day business of your audience and schedule the campaign to go out when your readers will be able to sit down and read it.

Consistency is key for email marketing and e-newsletters in particular. You want your audience to anticipate and look forward to your monthly e-newsletter. If you’re getting a lot of click-throughs, think about implementing a “Forward This Email” option. Let your audience know you’re on the lookout for new subscribers, and ask if they’d consider forwarding your content to a friend or colleague who might likewise benefit from it.

Emails are a great marketing tool, because they are not only highly accessible, but they can also be easily shared via the “Forward This Email” function. Email marketing also increases your firm’s visibility and keeps your name in front of current and potential clients.

Email marketing can be a useful method to garner new business. However, lawyers may not have the time to write, research and implement their content into a monthly e-newsletter. PR4Lawyers specializes in digital marketing, as well as traditional marketing for lawyers and law firms. For more information about our content creation and email marketing services for lawyers and law firms, contact the New York legal marketing professionals at PR4Lawyers. Call 631-207-1057 or email info@pr4lawyers.com for a free consultation.