TIPS FOR A GOOD PROFILE PHOTO

The results of a recent survey published by Photo Feeler provide a nice set of “Dos” and “Don’ts” for profile photos. The results are based on a survey of 60,000 ratings of more than 800 photos. Whether you are putting your photo on your website, a social media site or in marketing materials, you want to convey a professional image that is also consistent with the message you are trying to communicate.

Here is a quick summary of some of the results:

• Don’t cover or block your eyes with sunglasses or dark tinted lenses.
• Keep your eyes open. Don’t squinch (you know who you are).
• Smile.
• Dress professionally and appropriate for your position. Wear what you would wear to an important client meeting.
• Head shots are preferable to full body photos.
• Don’t use extreme photo settings. If your photo is too bright or too dark, fix it with a photo editing app.

These are just a few of the more salient tips. You can read the full survey results and review the data at

https://www.photofeeler.com/blog/perfect-photo

OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com

LAW SCHOOL ENROLLMENT - SOME INTERESTING NUMBERS

A recent article in The New York Times caught our attention. Steven Davidoff Solomon, a professor of law at University of California, Berkeley, discusses the diminishing enrollments at American law schools. We were struck by some of the numbers he cited from recent surveys:

52,488   Law school enrollment in 2010, the year it peaked

37,924    Law school enrollment in 2014

27.7       Percentage decrease over the past four years

2.9         Percentage by which law school applications are down this year compared to the prior year

93.2       Percentage of 2013 Georgetown Law School graduates who are employed

$160,000         Median starting salary of those graduates who are employed in the private sector

86.4       Percent of all 2013 law school graduates who were still in school or had a job

91.9       Percent of all 2010 law school graduates who were still in school or had a job a year after graduation

So, what do these numbers mean and, more importantly, what do they mean for you? Unfortunately, and as the article points out, the predictions are conflicting and the overall numbers don’t necessarily portray what is happening in a particular market, type of practice or other demographic. 

The author tries to sum it up as follows:

“Still, it is hard to see lawyers going away in the United States economy. Whether or not you like it, their importance is greater now in terms of filling needs for compliance and regulation. . . . Twenty years from now, whether the economy is up or down, there will still be lawyers, and plenty of them.”

You can read the full piece at

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/01/business/dealbook/despite-forecasts-of-doom-signs-of-life-in-the-legal-industry.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=0

OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. 

You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com

8 WORDS TO AVOID WHEN DESCRIBING YOURSELF OR YOUR FIRM

We recently came across an excellent blog post by Don Heymann, a writer and communications expert whose website can be found at

http://www.donheymann.com/

Entitled “8 Words to Avoid When You Need to Talk About Yourself,” it provides some sound, common sense advice to individuals who are putting together their resumes, elevator pitches, etc. Although it is directed at individual job seekers, we found Don’s advice to be particularly apropos to small law firms seeking to market themselves to prospective clients. With Don’s permission, we are pleased to pass along his advice. Here are the words to avoid:

1. Expert / 2. Guru

In the case of an individual, you come across as pompous and egotistical when you call yourself an expert. For attorneys, however, there is an added level of taboo – the attorney advertising rules of most states prohibit an attorney from holding himself or herself out as a specialist unless specifically credentialed as such. Words that convey a similar thought, such as expert are equally prohibited. While it is fine to trumpet your many years of experience practicing in a particular field, or explaining that your practice is concentrated or focused on a particular area, be careful to avoid language that could be construed as running afoul of the specialist prohibition.

3. Motivated

Everyone is motivated. Saying it doesn’t distinguish you in any fashion.  As Don so succinctly puts it, “let your accomplishments demonstrate your motivation.” Talk about what you’ve done, not how hard you intend to work.

4. Passionate

This is another overused word that accomplishes little. Again, rather than describe yourself with a bland generalization, give an example of how your passion has translated into concrete results.

5. Creative

Once again, everyone likes to think of themselves as creative. Instead of using this to describe yourself or your firm, give specific examples of creative solutions you have devised to solve difficult problems.

6. Driven

People like to use this to demonstrate motivation, passion, intensity or ferocity, with phrases such as “we are results-driven” or “results-oriented.” Everyone is results driven. Everyone wants to win in court or obtain the highest possible settlement. Everyone wants to close the deal. People are under the impression that “driven” conveys a positive message. It doesn’t. It’s just meaningless filler.

7. Responsible

This is another redundant, meaningless word. If you’re an attorney or law firm, you’re probably not using it. If you have to say it, you’re probably in trouble. Who is going to hire a firm that has to tell you it won’t commingle funds or breach ethical obligations? Better to say that your clients rely on you to give them good counsel, or something along those lines.

8. Strategic

 Everyone likes to think of themselves as strategic thinkers. That’s why it’s become so overused and tired. If you can, give examples of specific strategies that you have developed for your clients that resulted in successful outcomes.

We’ll let Don sum it up: “Remember the adage, “show, don’t tell” when you’re describing your capabilities. Let others come to realize that you’re motivated, passionate and creative by seeing what you’ve actually done. You’ll come across as more confident, and you’ll avoid sounding like everyone else.”

You can read the original post at:

http://www.donheymann.com/2015/03/8-words-to-avoid-when-you-need-to-talk-about-yourself/

GOOGLE +: A POSTSCRIPT

Earlier this month we put out a post explaining our rethinking of Google +, Google's social media platform. In our post, we explained that we were initially skeptical of the value of Google +, but that as it had developed, its added features and importance in the Google search algorithm made it a social media tool worth using.

However, an article published in the New York Times on February 14, 2014 sheds additional light on Google +, arguing that the benefits to Google far outweigh the benefits to Google + users, many of whom are inactive members.

According to Nielsen data cited in the article, Google + has 29 million unique monthly users on its website and 41 million on smartphones. Facebook, on the other hand, has 128 million users on its website and 108 million on phones. Furthermore, "Google says Plus has 540 million monthly active users, but almost half do not visit the social network."

According to the article's author, Claire Cain Miller:

"Google Plus may not be much of a competitor to Facebook as a social network, but it is central to Google’s future — a lens that allows the company to peer more broadly into people’s digital life, and to gather an ever-richer trove of the personal information that advertisers covet."

The reason is that once you sign up for Plus, it becomes your account for all Google products, from Gmail to YouTube to maps, so Google sees who you are and what you do across its services, even if you never once return to the social network itself. 

Before Google released Plus, the company might not have known that you were the same person when you searched, watched videos and used maps. With a single Plus account, the company can build a database of your affinities."

All of this is true, of course. But just because the balance of value may be in Google's favor, it doesn't negate the value of Google + as a social marketing, and therefore a business development and client relations tool. Google's ability to see what videos you're watching, what maps you use, and what you're searching doesn't diminish the value of using those tools. 

What the article does underscore, however, is the need to be careful and diligent when using Google +. Make sure you have your privacy and other settings and permissions set to meet your needs. That is true of all social media and other sites you use, both personally and for your practice, but it may be doubly important when using Google +.

You can read the New York Times article at

New York Times article on Google + 

OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. 

You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com

  

RETHINKING GOOGLE+

We were extremely skeptical when Google launched their social media platform, Google+, back in June 2011. We saw Google + as a relatively weak attempt to compete with Facebook, with few benefits and little innovation. We were also wary of getting drawn further into the Googlesphere, that cyberworld of products and functions Google uses to collect more individual information they can translate into advertising revenue. After all, who needs to be on a platform that is just trying to out-Facebook Facebook? Who has the time to provide content to both platforms?

As Google+ has evolved, however, we’ve increasingly warmed to it, particularly with the introduction of several new features. 

First of all, it’s important to remember that regardless of how you feel about Google, they are still the overwhelmingly dominant search engine on the planet. They didn’t get there just by being first; they got there by being smart. And by leveraging the enormous power of the Google search engine. 

All of which means that the first reason it is worth being on Google+ is that it helps your Google search results. Google’s search algorithm favors content that originates in Google+ (rather than Facebook or Twitter). Moreover, the Google algorithm gives even greater weight to Google+ posts that have been shared or commented on by others. Like we said, they’re very smart.

The Google algorithm also weighs frequency of posting and whether content is original. When Facebook launched its own self-contained search engine in 2011, it cut off Google’s access to its data. Google+ data, on the other hand, is not only accessed by the Google search engine, it is given value in the algorithm.

For local businesses, like small law firms, the local search features of Google that are incorporated in Google+ are another way to improve search engine results. 

Like Facebook, but unlike LinkedIn, Google+ has been conceived as a platform for businesses, not just individuals. Although LinkedIn offers business pages, they must be connected to an individual LinkedIn member. That is not the case with Google+. Although Facebook allows businesses to independently create and maintain Facebook pages, their model is moving increasingly toward enticing companies toward having to pay for improved visibility and enhanced services. At least for now, that is not the case with Google+. 

Google+ now also incorporates a number of useful features, including

Hangouts on Air      This is a free web and mobile platform for video conferencing, live events, broadcasts, and live collaboration. This is a great video conferencing platform, and because Google also owns You Tube, content from Google+ is integrated with YouTube.

Shared Circles        You can share a circle of contacts you have created, making networking simple and fast. Conversely, the circles concept allows you to access the contacts of those in your circle. Similar to LinkedIn, but it takes the LinkedIn idea a step further by allowing you to create circles of specific groups of contacts, not just with all contacts. Plus, it has all the horsepower of the Google universe.

Live Events              This is a unique sharing solution that makes interaction easy before, during and after the event. These can be public or private and can allow collaborative sharing of documents, presentations, white boards and much more. Ever want to conduct your own webinar? Here’s a free way to do it.

Authorship                 Google Authorship connects the original content you create (on your own site or someone else's website) to your Google+ profile and indexes it in Google search. The same is true for blog posts on Google’s Blogspot.com. 

Google+ also contains its own internal search engine. It’s easy to find content within Google+. After all, it’s powered by the Google search engine technology.

In sum, we’re continually warming to Google+, which has come a long way from being a Facebook wannabe. As Google improves it and enhances its features, and as it grows in popularity and usage, Google+ is becoming much more of a significant component in
marketing strategies. If your firm is not yet on Google+, you need to be.


OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. 

You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com

10 EASY DO IT YOURSELF MARKETING TIPS FOR SMALL LAW FIRMS

Don’t you hate it when you’re at a party or soccer game or family gathering and people are always trying to talk you up so they can get some free legal advice out of you? Being a small law firm marketing company, you would think we feel the same way. Yet, here we are, completely immersed in the spirit of the season, handing out some free legal marketing advice on our blog. But that’s just the kind of people we are.

Here they are - ten things you can do yourself to improve your firm’s marketing. Each one a beautiful pearl just for you.

1.       Update your personal and/or firm profiles on attorney listing sites like FindLaw, Martindale, etc. For those sites, like Avvo, that include client reviews, ask a few clients to write nice things about you.

2.       Investigate the requirements and procedures for inclusion in Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers and follow through on getting nominating.

3.       Take control of your firm profile on business sites like Manta and yp.com. Google your firm name and see what comes up in the results, then go into the various listing sites and update your information.

4.       Give out promotional items – pens, key chains, messenger bags, etc. – with your firm name, phone number and website address.

5.       Update your website – both cosmetically and substantively.

6.       Set up a Linked In profile, or update your existing LinkedIn profile. Use LinkedIn’s contact features to invite new people to connect with you. Build your network!

7.       Join some relevant LinkedIn groups.

8.       Seek out local business, professional, civic, religious, business and other groups that may have potential clients in them. Make yourself available to speak to them on subjects within your area of expertise.

9.       Start a blog to discuss your area of expertise. Make sure your clients, referring attorneys, etc., all know about it.

10.   Give out calendars with your firm name, phone number, address and website. The kind that attach onto a computer monitor are the best; everyone looks at them every day.
 

Or you could just call us at (800) 747-0142. We’ll do all this and a lot more for you while you’re busy practicing law. (You knew there had to be at least a small commercial in there, right?)

Happy holidays to all.

OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com

ATTORNEY RANKINGS, LISTINGS AND AWARDS – BE SMART AND BE CAREFUL

The recent publication of the 2013 Super Lawyers listings prompted us to think a little more about the various attorney ranking and rating lists that seem to proliferate.

By some accounts, there are more than 900 different attorney ranking lists out there today. Some of them are local and others are highly specialized, but most lawyers are familiar with the largest lists and rankings sites – Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Avvo, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. Of course, this doesn’t take in sites hosting firm reviews, like Yelp.

With so many of these sites out there, firms and individual attorneys need to determine the value of trying to be included. If so, then which listings are worth pursuing? And once the decision to pursue a listing or ranking is made, one needs to be careful about how the listing is utilized.

Make no mistake. These lists aren’t put together by altruistic non-profit organizations looking to provide a service to the public. They are operated by for-profit ventures for the purpose of making money for their owners. So beware of “opportunities” to pay for placement, banner ads, etc. These may be profit centers for the list operator, but is the expense a good use of your marketing dollars? Before participating in any ranking or listing, make sure the sponsor has a real methodology and established criteria for inclusion that are at least  arguably objective. Compare listings and do your homework – understand how they work, what kind of information they collect and remain involved in the process.

Be careful when choosing a ranking site. Try to pursue only those you feel will have some influence on your client base. A listing or ranking that may be impressive to an unsophisticated individual looking for a personal injury lawyer may not impress the general counsel of a public company. 

Determine in advance how much time you have to spend on the process and how much of your marketing budget you want to devote. It may not be worthwhile or efficient to pursue inclusion in both Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers, for example. Give some thought to what kind of return on investment you expect to get from highlighted or more prominent listings or firm advertisements. All of these "enhanced" advertising opportunities have costs associated with them.

And don’t forget that these listing are attorney advertising. As such, they are subject to all the attorney advertising rules of your state. Listings and rankings can make good content for press releases, e-mails, newsletters, announcements, etc., but be careful how you use them on your website or in your marketing materials. Don’t use a “best” attorney ranking in a manner that could be construed as misleading or deceptive. The basic ethical rules still apply.  Some of the lists have recommendations or guidelines regarding their use. If you’re in doubt, however, read the relevant state rules or guidelines, or request assistance from the state bar or court system.

In this regard, Elizabeth Clark Tarbert, Ethics Counsel of The Florida Bar, has compiled a good list of pointers for avoiding ethical problems when using ratings or awards:

1. Check out the organization giving the rating/award to make sure it is a bona fide organization with legitimate selection criteria

2. Use the actual name of the award/rating in advertisements

3. Use the actual name of the organization giving the award/rating in ads

4. Give the year the award/rating was given in the advertisement

5. Distinguish in the ad whether the award/rating was given to the firm or an individual lawyer in the firm

6. If the rating is not current, don’t use it

7. Don’t publicize awards that use “specialist” “expert” “certified” or other variations of these terms unless the organization is accredited by your bar association

8. Be careful how you characterize the award – do not call it “prestigious” or “distinguished” e.g.

9. Check with your state bar to see if the bar has a rule, opinion, case, or guidelines on use of awards/ratings in advertisements

10. Check with your state bar to see if you are required to file advertisements that include the award

           

(Reprinted with permission of The Florida Bar)

If used wisely, ratings, listings and/or awards can be good marketing tools. Remember, though, they are just tools. It’s okay to make them part of your marketing, but don’t rely solely on them to be your marketing.

OMEGA LEGAL MARKETING is a dedicated, specialty marketing company serving only small law firms and solo practitioners in the metro New York City area. Much more than just a web design firm, we put together affordable, comprehensive marketing programs that enable our clients to stand out from the crowd and grow their practices. You can find us at www.omegalegalmarketing.com