Law Firm Newswire - Law Firm Marketing Archives - Page 6 of 11

Mastering the Art of Storytelling and Storymaking Featured in the Latest Bigger Law Firm Magazine

Posted on September 24, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) September 24, 2015 - The most recent issue of The Bigger Law Firm magazine (BLF) concentrates on how to master the art of storytelling and storymaking in order to establish connections with one’s future clients. Dipal Parmar describes the value of relating a narrative that is authentic, consistent and memorable, and that will help create a brand for one’s firm.

In addition, she discusses the importance of setting the correct tone in one’s story to elicit a certain response from the readers of one’s blog posts, photos and videos on social media that a law firm may use as part of its marketing strategy. Parmar also directs attention to the process of storymaking, which involves using information collected from the audience, including testimonials, reviews and Tweets, and then redistributing the content.

BLF founder Jason Bland explains that, in contrast to what one might expect, brief content could have a higher rank on Google than a longer article of the same topic because the shorter content may offer more value. He also provides examples of “thin content,” or various kinds of content that offer little value to users.

Ryan Conley highlights the advantages of including interactive features on one’s website so as to learn more about one’s readers and to inform them of latest developments via the use of quizzes, polls, surveys and blogs that permit them to post comments.

Brendan Conley shares the significance of performing a search engine optimization (SEO) audit of one’s website in order to determine whether any changes need to be implemented that will improve one’s rankings in search engines.

Alisha Corbitt illustrates the efficiency of EagleEye Agreement Checker to assist attorneys in drafting contracts that are far more accurate than traditional methods of writing contracts.
Justin Torres offers insight into the use of vector graphics in web design as a way of strengthening a website’s performance, including load time.

Kerrie Spencer describes a product called Litéra Smartsend, which helps preserve the security and confidentiality of lawyers’ emails.

Ryan Conley discusses the various social networking websites and the ways in which one can use them to build and maintain professional relationships.

Tyler Rhodes clarifies the meaning of backlinks, and stresses the value of quality over quantity in building links on attorney websites.

Download Storytelling & Storymaking - The Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Study Shows Quality of Links Counts More Than Quantity for Top-Ranked Lawyer Websites

Posted on September 21, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

This new report shows that link quantity does not guarantee top search engine ranking.

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) September 21, 2015 - The findings of a new Custom Legal Marketing Lab report challenge the widespread view that law firm websites with large backlink portfolios tend to outperform ones with smaller portfolios.

Titled “Does the Top Ranking Website Have More Links?,” the study analyzed the backlinks of law firm websites that naturally ranked first and second in Google search results for each of the major metropolitan regions of the United States. Law firms practicing in areas such as personal injury, bankruptcy and estate planning were examined.

The Legal Marketing Lab research team found that around 54 percent of the websites that ranked second in search results had more backlinks than their first-place competitors. The reverse was true for over 45 percent of the searches. The slim margin between the data indicates that a high volume of backlinks does not negatively impact a website’s placement among search results in a significant way.

Backlinks play a key role in extending the reach of a website and providing new sources of traffic. A link portfolio refers to a summary of all the backlinks that lead to a site’s webpages from various locations across the internet, including blogs, websites, legal networks and directories.

Quality is as important as quantity when it comes to the link portfolio of a law firm’s website. The websites ranked highest among the search results had diverse link profiles that pointed to more government, regional and education-oriented websites rather than free web directories in comparison to their competitors. The results imply that link-building is no longer just about the high volumes of traffic that a backlink brings to a website. Without quality content that has real value for its audience, bulk links generated through duplicate directory listings and other similar practices fail to achieve the desired search results.

The study is available on the Custom Legal Marketing website and the Custom Legal Marketing to Go App available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Custom Legal Marketing
An Adviatech company
1111 Kearny St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
Toll Free: 1.800.789.6451

View Larger Map

CLM BLog

Website as a Service or WaaS will Power Law Firm Websites in the Future

Posted on August 20, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 20, 2015 - Get a glimpse of the future of search engine optimization services by looking at the concept of WaaS — website as a service.

The tech industry is always evolving, and it comes as no surprise that the latest spin on the concept of SaaS (software as a service) is likely to apply the success of that model to web design. Savvy law firms will want to get out ahead of this new development.

Until recently, the software used to run computers was generally a one-time purchase per version, with a new edition of the product coming out every two or three years. However, because technology changes and those changes spread so rapidly in the age of the internet, in order for software to function optimally, it became necessary to update it much more frequently. That prompted the software developers to create the SaaS model, in which customers subscribe to software rather than buying it outright, as a way to best keep their clients’ computers current and meet their changing needs.

As Cloud computing progressed, the next evolution in SaaS was a variety of Cloud-based applications and more monthly fees associated with those services. Modern software users now routinely pay a fee every month for access to all of their — regularly updated — software. SaaS may not be ideal for everyone, but is a good solution for many businesses.

And now another implementation of this model is slowly coming into its own: website as a service (WaaS). Lawyers need to know about WaaS because it is part of a dynamic marketing process that is relevant to clients and potential clients. Law firm websites must be continuously monitored, updated on the fly and must reflect changes in the market, legislative reforms, demographics and competition. The typical cycle of redesigning websites every so often is time consuming and costly. WaaS may be the cutting edge solution for keeping content, design and back-end framework up to date. It also provides the flexibility to sync with new devices.

WaaS is not here yet, but it may be available in five to six years. In the meantime, law firms can budget for monthly website updates and be ready for WaaS when it arrives. Updating every month keeps an attorney’s site fresh and current. Static web design can’t keep up with the pace of cyberspace. Websites need to evolve to market demands.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

What Law Firms Must Know About Information Governance

Posted on August 11, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 11, 2015 - The most recent issue of The Bigger Law Firm magazine (BLF) discusses the importance of information governance as a way for law firms to effectively and efficiently manage their large amounts of data. In this issue, James Ambroff-Tahan explores the ways in which information governance can help law firms gain control over their data and thereby operate with more efficiency and reduced costs.

Law firms have traditionally been part of a very paper-intensive industry that one might expect to embrace the digital world. Ambroff-Tahan writes that as challenging as it might be to manage information in tangible form, intangible data also needs to be correctly managed. Information governance is a way of managing, using, and processing information in order to increase its advantages for a business while complying with legal, security and other regulations.

There is a growing necessity for a method of organizing enormous quantities of data. The production of data is doubling every two years, and it has been predicted that the amount of data in the digital world will increase 10 times from 2013 to 2020. Litigation and its attendant process of discovery are primary reasons for law firms to use information governance to manage their voluminous data.

Specifically, one statistic illustrates why it is imperative that law firms adopt information governance. Just one page of evidence is produced for every 1,000 pages that undergo processing via e-discovery. Thus, Ambroff-Tahan states, the ability to return solely relevant information via e-discovery would cause one to realize significant savings of up to a 1,000 percent decrease in costs.

In 2014, a survey was conducted concerning different kinds of businesses. The survey showed that half of all businesses were compelled to reproduce information because they were unable to find the original. Ambroff-Tahan also notes that 90 percent of the businesses lacked any knowledge of what their data contained.

Ambroff-Tahan’s article in the latest issue of BLF can guide attorneys with effective strategies for managing their data and facilitating the recovery of information.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Is Paper.li a Good Match for Lawyers? BLF Magazine Readers Finds Out

Posted on August 7, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 7, 2015 - The latest issue of The Bigger Law Firm magazine (BLF) explores several tools law firms can use to improve their online outreach to clients. In the issue, Brendan Conley reviews Paper.li, a news aggregation site that can help law firms, as well as other businesses, find and share the right content.

Conley outlines some of the biggest content marketing needs of law firms: Content must be topical and in plentiful supply, while also of high quality and of interest to readers. All content creation and social media use must be done with an eye to search engine optimization.

Robo-journalism, or automated tools for content marketing, can be a valuable tool for many law firms, writes Conley, and Paper.li is one such program.

Paper.li allows users to create a customized online newspaper based on news feeds and Twitter accounts that the user follows. The result is a readable online newspaper that updates regularly. Each article includes a photo and brief excerpt, as well as hotlinks to the source site. Users can customize their page as desired with the program's drag-and-drop interface. This can keep law firms up to date on the latest, most shareable news.

Conley discusses the potential applications of Paper.li for law firms. A firm may use the program to create its own online newspaper, which could help the firm become a trusted news source and position itself as an expert in the field. However, Conley notes that law firms need to continually maintain their page, reviewing pieces before publication to ensure that the site is up to par. Law firms who do not choose to run a site through Paper.li can still benefit by becoming contributors, which can result in a wider readership.

The most recent issue of BLF includes several other pieces about how law firms can improve their online marketing efforts.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Attorney Locators and Encore Digital Media’s EmPower App Discussed in Latest Bigger Law Firm Magazine

Posted on August 4, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 4, 2015 - Finding an attorney online with the assistance of a legal app is not new. However, new additions to the market are increasing competition, particularly in the mobile app niche.

Information technology is not a term solely related to software engineers, app developers or search engine optimization. These days, mobile technology has become a companion to, and in some cases almost replaced, the conventional tower for online searches. EmPower is one such application that may appeal to online users wanting to find an attorney quickly.

Online searching for everything from best tire prices to criminal attorneys is increasingly being done with smartphones or other mobile technology. This is important news because Google is now showing apps in mobile search results, and Google App Indexing provides a new vista for marketing law firms. The Index already contains 30 billion links, and when accessed by someone looking for legal information, the searcher receives related apps in the results.

Since install buttons appear beside the apps in the search results, with one click searchers will be sent to the Google Play store where they can download the app to their smartphone or other mobile device. This allows for immediate access to information, which can be especially helpful when a legal issue arises and someone needs an attorney right away.

EmPower, a new player in the app market from U.S.-based Encore Digital Media, LLC., includes an attorney search platform based on name, location and practice areas, and offers a full digital directory with lawyers’ website, office, biography and name. Directions to the attorney’s office are provided with an interactive mapping feature. All attorney biographies are available, and the app offers the option to call or directly email attorneys.

Are attorney locator apps worthwhile? Google is continuing to adjust search results to fit user needs, and law firms should be actively seeking ways to proactively stay in front of the most online viewers possible.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Finding the Right CRM for Law Firms

Posted on July 28, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) July 28, 2015 - The latest issue of The Bigger Law Firm magazine provides an in-depth look at Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems for law firms.

BLF helps attorneys and law firm marketers take advantage of the latest strategies and technologies for connecting with clients. In this issue, Ryan Conley gives a broad overview of various types of CRM systems, from simple online tools to full-fledged CRM software suites.

When people think of CRM software, they may think of law firm management software, and that is certainly an important tool in managing client relationships. However, Conley points out that there are some simpler tools that can help with important client communication. He discusses two add-ons for Gmail that can help attorneys communicate with clients and manage their inbox. Boomerang is an add-on that allows users to schedule emails to be sent at a future date, or remind the user to reply to an email or follow up about one that has been sent. Streak is another add-on that has some of the same features as Boomerang, but also turns Gmail into a business productivity tool by moving contacts through “pipelines,” or series of categories, such as prospective clients or closed matter.

In the middle range of CRM products are law practice management solutions such as Actionstep and Rocket Matter, which provide more full-featured management tools but are not comprehensive CRM suites. Many of these products are “software as a service,” or cloud software, meaning that the software does not reside on the firm's own servers but is accessed solely over the internet. Conley addresses the issues that arise with this type of system, and concludes that a firm's data may be safer in the cloud than it is in the office, and its heightened mobility and flexibility mean that cloud computing is here to stay.

Larger firms will need a full-fledged CRM software suite, and Conley discusses the features offered by a few of the most popular solutions available, including InterAction, CRM4Legal and i/o Grow. While all the major CRM suites offer integration with the most popular email, invoicing and word processing programs, firms will need to research which software suite will best meet their needs.

Conley's article is one of many pieces in this issue of BLF that focus on helping law firms use technology to grow their business.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

BLF Magazine Publishes a Simple Guide to HTML 5 for Attorneys

Posted on July 22, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) July 22, 2015 - The latest issue of Bigger Law Firm magazine offers cutting-edge analysis of technology issues relevant to law firms in the Internet age.

In this issue, Justin Torres examines HTML5, the latest version of the computer language used to create websites. This version was recently finalized and represents the first complete overhaul since HTML4 was finalized in 1997.

Torres starts by pointing out new, simplified “elements,” or discrete bits of code, that not only make the HTML language easier for humans to read, but also easier for search engines to distinguish between content and navigational elements.

New application programming interfaces, or APIs, represent great leaps in simplicity, security, and available features. The new audio and video tags allow site designers to embed media with as little as one line of code, eliminating the need for browser plug-ins such as Flash and all the security vulnerabilities they entail.

Torres touches on a number of other APIs: The canvas element allows the user to manipulate images within a website; Scalable Vector Graphics greatly increase load speed for simple images; web storage allows the browser to store data for offline use; and server side validation eases form submissions by validating data before it is submitted. And Torres wraps up with an explanation of how the latest version of cascading style sheets, CSS3, gives websites visually striking features that perform reliably on displays of all sizes.

Each article in the latest issue of Bigger Law Firm magazine is full of accessible information to help attorneys and law firms understand how the latest technology affects their practice.

Download Bigger Law Firm Magazine

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Litigation Landslide Looms on Horizon for Energy Industry, Local Markets – Oil & Gas Attorney Prepares for Spike in Legal Actions as US Oil Crunch Intensifies Impact on Houston Economy

Posted on May 19, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

Houston, TX (Law Firm Newswire) May 19, 2015 - First-quarter reports for 2015, released by US oil producers in mid-April, showed record losses across the energy sector – as industry insiders and analysts had been predicting since January. Meanwhile, falling profits hit close to home, spurring large-scale employee layoffs and priming the local legal arena for an influx of market-driven litigation.

Civil litigator Pete T. Patterson, who represents both businesses and individuals within the oil and gas industry, has followed the turbulent market closely over the past ten months in anticipation of broad-scope legal backlash.

Oil prices reached multi-year lows early in the quarter – with WTI crude down almost 60 percent per barrel – but were then steadily climbing as March came to a close, giving some stabilization to a market that has been in freefall since last summer.

The world’s first and second largest oil services providers – Schlumberger Ltd.and Halliburton Co. – survived the brutal first quarter relatively well, according to individual press reports released on April 20 and 16 respectively. Both of the Houston-headquartered firms implemented cost-cutting initiatives – including drastic reductions in drilling activity – early on, effectively mitigating the effects of plunging prices per barrel.

Patterson commented on those kind of preemptive efforts in a mid-March interview. He called resultant employment layoffs and contract terminations a “trickle-down effect” of the technology-driven domestic drilling boom as it began hitting companies at the production and manufacturing levels.

“The big guys can weather the storm,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that a flooded market won’t have overflow – which will then create significant effects on industry employment, across the board.”

In a quarterly reporting call on April 20, Halliburton announced that major operational scale-backs over the past six months had forced the firm to cut 9,000 jobs – more than 10 percent of its total workforce. Schlumberger took even more drastic action, announcing on April 16 a plan to cut 11,000 jobs. That move will bring the top producer’s year-to-date layoffs to more than 20,000 – including at least 9,000 preemptive cuts implemented over the past three months.

Patterson said he expected those mounting consequences on the City’s heavily energy-dependent workforce to inevitably affect other sectors, producing a “ripple effect within the Houston economy.” With oil-crunch after effects creating discernible uncertainty in multiple local markets, his firm is preparing for an inevitable litigation spike involving broken contracts, corporate mergers, O&G lease disputes, severed employment relationships and other industry-related conflicts.

Patterson recently represented Houston-based exploration company Cathlind Energy Ltd. in one such dispute over a hotly contested O&G lease with Midland-based Great Western Drilling Ltd. Patterson P.C. partnered with the Kim Law Firm in that case [Great Western Drilling Ltd. v. Pathfinder Oil and Gas Inc., No. 2005-45031] – ultimately winning a trial verdict for their client worth more than $20 million in past and future profits from the disputed lease.

About Pete T. Patterson

Pete T. Patterson is an experienced, Houston-based attorney whose practice areas include civil, commercial and business litigation as well as employment law. Over the course of his career, he has secured substantial trial verdicts, judgments and recoveries for clients in cities throughout Texas and across the U.S.

A State Bar of Texas member for 25 years, Patterson is among only 5 percent of practicing attorneys with Board Certification in PI Trial Law and an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He holds professional memberships with the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the National Trial Lawyers of America as well as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Patterson has been featured as a Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly Magazine for multiple years running and was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) in 2001. He remains an active member of EO today.

Pete T. Patterson provides confidential, no-cost case evaluations from his Neartown-area law office, located at 309 Yoakum Blvd.

New Courses in Law Firm Financial Management and Legal Business Trends: Offered Live or On-Demand, For Leaders in Business Of Law

Posted on April 22, 2015January 9, 2021 by Law Firm Newswire

Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) April 22, 2015 - The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) has opened enrollment for two new eLearning courses focusing on the Financial Management and Legal Industry Business Management. The newly developed curricula offer fresh ideas and solutions for legal management professionals to gain expertise in law firm financial and legal industry trends. Those working toward the Certified Legal Manager (CLM) designation may earn educational credits through these innovative online sessions.

The business of law is changing every day, and ALA’s eLearning system is designed to meet the needs of industry leaders in a flexible format to fit busy schedules. Online courses can be completed either live – with peer collaboration and networking opportunities – or on-demand, at the learner’s convenience.

Course descriptions are as follows:

FM1: Law Firm Accounting (July 6 – August 16)

Expand your knowledge of federal payroll and employee benefit procedures, tax and reporting requirements, and general accounting procedures, laws and regulations. Instructor Lisa Waligorski, CLM and Firm Administrator at Carmody MacDonald P.C. in St. Louis, MO, will cover the following:

• General accounting
• Banking and investment
• Trust accounting
• Payroll, taxes and reporting
• Legal organization structures
• Special accounting issues

*Note: This course may be purchased as part of an FM package at a discounted rate. FM2: Financial Information & Analysis, also included in the package, takes place September 7 through October 18.

LI: Business Trends for the Legal Industry (July 6 – August 16)

Get up to speed on professional liability issues, disaster planning, and changes in confidentiality, along with other hot topics. Instructor Tracey Gallegos, CLM and Legal Department Operations Manager for Argonne National Laboratory, will cover the following:

• Business development and client service strategies
• Planning techniques
• Procurement and outsourcing
• Law firm ethics and legal trends
• Records management
• Mergers, acquisitions, and dissolution

For more information and to register, visit http://www.alanet.org/eLearning.

About the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
ALA is focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. It identifies and provides solutions to the most critical strategic and operational challenges its members and customers face today, and prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org.