Many of the previous articles in this newsletter have focused on the social media campaign that Collaborative Divorce Texas has been running to build awareness of collaborative divorce. This article will focus on another aspect of driving new business and new cases. Email Marketing is one of the most consistent tools for delivering a ROI on your time and money. This type of marketing is not aimed at potential clients but is instead aimed at referral sources. Email marketing works because your referral sources see your name in their Inbox on a regular basis, which creates top of mind awareness for whenever they have an opportunity to refer a case to you.
Constant Contact and Mail Chimp are great resources for building an email newsletter. Both email management tools help to manage your list, so that if anyone chooses to unsubscribe that they are no longer on your list and receiving unwanted emails. This is important because of what is known as the Can Spam act, which requires that if anyone unsubscribes that they not continue to receive those emails. Both email programs also insert the required disclaimers automatically in the email template.
The key to an effective email marketing campaign is the list that you are sending the email. Former clients, MHPs, FPs and other attorneys that have referred cases are good names to add to a list. Attorneys in other practice areas are particularly good names to add to the list. Camille Milner has long said that the untapped attorney target market is General Counsel because they are often consulted by employees looking for recommendations for attorneys to use for their divorce. Building brand awareness for both collaborative and your practice with General Counsel attorneys becomes part of a newsletter strategy. It is probably also good form to ask to take some of these folks to lunch before you start sending them your email newsletter.
The next key is the subject line of the email. A good subject line indicates the topic and is compelling as a reason to open the newsletter. A poor subject line reads “Law Firm Newsletter Volume II.” The subject line is like the headline of a newspaper story. It is the driver to leading your target market to read the newsletter.
The content for an email newsletter should be easy. Hopefully by now you have started blogging on a regular basis. Simply repurpose these blogs into content for the newsletter. Add some personal things about activities at the firm or in your personal life that you would be willing to share. You can also include pictures and videos as part of the newsletter.
Finally, how often should you send a newsletter? That will largely depend on how often you are blogging. Monthly is optimal because it means you are touching your referral sources on a regular basis. If not monthly at least on a quarterly basis. Some people might have a concern that monthly is too often. However, if the content is interesting and has value, it is more likely that they will take the time to read it. If they choose to not open it, and 60% to 70% will not, they have still been reminded about you and your practice in their Inbox. The reasons people choose not to open it can range from the subject line didn’t grab them to not having time to read it at that moment and then never getting back to it.
Email Marketing is a great tool for driving new business from your referral sources. Most Collaborative professionals get new business by way of referrals or potential clients asking around for recommendations. Email Newsletters help to keep you in touch with those referral sources, which means that you are the first person they think of when someone is asking about who to use in their divorce case. If you need help with setting up an email newsletter, contact The Crouch Group at 940-383-1990.
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