Blog & Resources
What Law Firms Should Know About Social Media
3 Ways Lawyers Squander PPC Ad Spend
3 Mistakes Law Firms Make With Their Websites
NY Court Reverses Rule Banning Law Firms from Using Trade Names
The administrative board for the New York Unified Court System has lifted an old ban that prevented law firms from advertising based on trade names or domain names. This update to the rules of legal ethics will bring New York closer in line with other states that already permit the use of trade names in attorney advertising. However, there are still some cases where attorneys might get in trouble for advertising, depending on what trade name they choose for themselves. Continue reading “NY Court Reverses Rule Banning Law Firms from Using Trade Names”
Everything You Should Know About Zoom Backgrounds
Over the past month, businesses, law firms and schools have experienced a major change in their work environments. Now, attorneys and staff are connecting online through Zoom, the popular video conferencing platform. Taking these calls at home also places the pressure of finding a clean, at-home space to chat in! In order to solve this issue, there is a feature which remote workers can use to make working with colleagues more fun: Zoom Backgrounds.
Now, you may not have heard about this feature, and you may be wondering, what it is and what it does. We are here to answer all of your questions.
- What is a Zoom Background?
On the platform Zoom, there is a Virtual Background feature which allows the user to display an image or video as their background during a Zoom meeting. Examples include more professional options such as your firm’s logo, an office space, a solid color background; or more playful options, such as the beach, a city, or your favorite destination spot!
- How Do I Create a Zoom Background?
There are multiple ways to create a Zoom background, such as Photoshop or using a JPG image of your own. At PR4Lawyers, we are here to assist you in your Zoom background needs! For more information and to submit your Zoom background requests, you can contact John Zaher at JohnZaher@PR4Lawyers.com or call (631) 207-1057.
- How Do I Change My Zoom Background?
As mentioned previously, there is a Virtual Background feature on the Zoom platform. Once inside the platform, you can access this option through your settings. All you would need to do is navigate to this option and select the “plus” sign to upload your image.
- What is The Purpose of a Zoom Background?
Not only are Zoom backgrounds a creative way to make the most out of working from home, during the COVID-19 situation, but it also provides you with the opportunity to maintain professionalism while connecting with your attorneys and staff or clients. In a few years, you and your colleagues will be looking back on this moment when you all bonded over the backgrounds on your Zoom call!
As a reminder, our team at PR4Lawyers is happy to assist you with your virtual needs. Do not hesitate to contact us to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!
Part III: Promoting Your Webinar
Part 3 of a 3 part series
Now that you have learned why you should host a webinar and what you should consider when choosing a webinar platform, it is important to ensure you are taking effective steps in promoting your webinar.
Prior to promoting your webinar, consider who your target audience is. Once you have determined who you are seeking to reach, you can begin developing a digital marketing strategy to generate registration on your upcoming webinar.
Below include a few steps you can take to share your webinar to your target audience:
- Social Media Advertising
- Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- Email Marketing
- Introducing the webinar, reminding recipients of the webinar, and following up to thank them for attending
- Static Social Media Posts
- Graphic to promote the webinar
- Video “Teaser” to highlight the webinar topics
- Updating Your Website to Promote the Webinar
- Website Calendar
- Hello Bar
- Website Pop Ups
- Adding the Webinar Landing Page to Your Email Signature
- Writing a Blog to Promote your Webinar
- Encouraging Employees to Share the Webinar with Family and Friends
Efficiently planning, launching, and promoting a webinar takes time and it is easy to forget essential steps. If you are interested in hosting a webinar and would like to ease the process, our experiences staff is here to assist you. For more information, please contact johnzaher@theprmg.com or call 631-207-1057 Ext. 107.
Part II: Choosing a Webinar Platform
Part 2 of a 3 part series
Choosing a webinar platform can be challenging. At the Public Relations and Marketing Group, we are here to assist you with your webinar needs. We will choose the most cost-effective platform for your practice and walk you through a step-by-step process on preparing and hosting a webinar. When choosing a webinar platform, it essential to consider the following:
What are you looking to achieve from the webinar?
- Brand exposure
- Lead generation
- Relationship with clients
What tools and features does the webinar provide?
- Multiple presenters
- Presentations
- Screen sharing
- Live chat
- Question and Answer sessions
How often do you plan to host a webinar?
- Once a week?
- Once a month?
How can you use webinars to measure success of your practice?
- Email leads
- Client feedback
- Client questions/concerns on your products and services
Overall, there are various factors to consider when choosing a webinar platform. If you are interested in hosting a webinar please contact johnzaher@theprmg.com or call 631-207-1057 Ext. 107.
Part I: Why Host a Webinar? 4 Benefits to Consider
Part 1 of a 3 part series
Webinars make connecting with your audience easier. Presenters can use video, audio and screen sharing to market products and services to viewers anywhere. Begin building personal connections, engagement, and trust by inviting attendees to a webinar and engaging them through question-and-answer sessions, live polls and more. If you are considering new ways to grow your practice and attract new clients, here are 4 benefits to consider.
- Hosting Webinars Raise Brand Awareness
Webinars provide the opportunity to utilize video conferencing technology to reach a wider audience. With this technology, your firm can reach clients across the globe and increase brand exposure. In addition, the people viewing your webinar are showing their interest, and therefore, are most likely potential clients. If they are satisfied with the webinar, they may even encourage family and friends to engage with your firm. Overall, this word of mouth communication is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression for your brand.
- Webinars Assist in Building Relationships with Potential Clients
By speaking to a group of potential clients, you have the ability to understand your target audience on a deeper level. A few examples include what they are interested in, what concerns they may have, and also understanding what motivates them. In opposition, viewers can get to know you as a person and gain your trust. They are able to connect to the video call while they are in the comfort of their own home or office, therefore there is no pressure. Accordingly, they will have the option to participate in interactive question and answer segments. With each webinar hosted, you can establish a strong relationship with potential clients.
- Webinars Build Your Email List and Generate Qualified Leads
Sign-up forms for your webinar enable you to collect lead information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and job titles. In correlation, the details that you provide in your webinar educates and qualifies your audience. Examples include informing them about your background or services your brand offers and responding to questions or concerns your audience has.
- Webinars Can Allow you to Stand Out Against Competitors
Are your competitors currently hosting webinars? Right now, is the perfect time to stay ahead of your competition. Building a strong online presence is essential in promoting your brand. In today’s world, 97% of clients find firms online first. By responding to these consumer actions and standing out online, you have a higher chance of growing stronger than your competition.
Overall, there are various benefits to hosting a webinar. Most importantly, webinars open up a new entry way in growing your practice. With the eligibility to invite and promote potential clients, share your brand message, raise engagement, and analyze and convert leads, webinars are the perfect option. If you are interested in scheduling a webinar for your audience email johnzaher@theprmg.com or call 631-207-1057 Ext. 107.
Don’t Let Your Revenues and Prospects Drop; Manage your Law Firm’s Online Reputation
In the vast world of the internet, information travels in the blink of an eye. Although it is valuable tool for law firms to reach out to clientele and potentially grow a business, the internet can just as easily make a firm come crashing down.
Hackers, internet “trolls” and hate sites are a reality that haunt many business owners. This results in specific firms being projected poorly due to untrue information, or bad reviews being vastly distributed and easily accessible. To avoid this as much as possible, it is important for law firms to be proactive about their online presence in order to stay on top of scammers and divert clients away from negative material.
Think of having a strong digital footprint as part of your overall brand. If your online presence is low, then your firm does not stand out and clients are unaware of where to look for your firm online. That leaves plenty of room for negative influencers to divert your potential clientele to inaccurate information. So, the stronger the footprint, the more control you have over your company’s image and the content that is present online about it.
In most cases of reputation crisis, publishing content online in a strategic manner that will push the damaging material out of the spotlight is the best course of action. However, this is not an easy and rapid task by any means. New content must compete with other materials and somehow make it to the first page of search engines. Content and review management programs may be a helpful to rise your content to the top at a faster pace to avoid negative repercussions as much as possible.
One program that could be established is to reserve applicable domain names. Malicious websites can easily host a website address that is similar to a firm’s name, diverting the attention of search engines and clients to the hate site and away from your firm.
One may believe that something as drastic as this would never happen to their law firm, but the truth is that anyone could be a target for malicious sites that are meant to attract inappropriate attention; sometimes for no reason at all. By purchasing all the appropriate domain extensions of your firm’s name, which can sometimes mean buying over 10 domains in a variety of iteration, you lessen the chances of potential attacks.
Some other ways to take control of your reputation include:
- Making sure that the photos of you that appear online are appropriate and depict an image that you wish to portray.
- Utilizing LinkedIn for most of your information sharing and connecting.
- Maintaining a consistent schedule for publishing content to build a professional and reliable online profile.
- Having a comprehensive AVVO profile.
Although there are several ways to deter the negativity online, many law firms simply do not have the time to regularly maintain an online presence. But, being there for your clients online is just as important as being there for them in the courtroom. That’s where PR4Lawyers can help.
PR4Lawyers integrates traditional marketing techniques the modern marketing necessities of social media, web development, and SEO. PR4Lawyers’ multifaceted approach helps law firms reach potential clients across all media, while also managing your online reputation to help your law firm succeed.
If you would like more information on managing your law firm’s digital footprint, or to set up a complimentary consultation, please call 1-866-PR4LAWYERS (866-774-5299) or fill out our online contact form.
