PRACTICE MARKETING blog

In addition to the blogs I typically read, I use Google.com/ALERTS to keep me apprised whenever any blog or article uses a phrase I’d be interested in (e.g., “practice marketing”): Often these two lists overlap. Case in point, this morning I read a great post by Kevin O’Keefe who writes the “Real Lawyers Have Blogs” (which conveniently, properly, and ethically promotes the LexBlog ‘bLAWg’ platform). His latest post berated an attorney who did what I refer to “on-line ambulance chasing”:

The latest comes from Dallas Attorney Shezad Malik who posts ‘Ambulance And Car Accident in Leonard, North of Dallas.’Of course the longest paragraph in the post:

If you or a family member has been injured because of the fault of someone else; by negligence, personal injury, slip and fall, car accident, medical malpractice, trucking accident, drunk driving, bad product, toxic injury etc then please contact the Dallas Texas Personal Injury Attorney Dr. Shezad Malik. For a no obligation, free case analysis, please call 817-255-4001 or Contact Me Online.

Blogs like this are being used to game Google and for no other reason at all. The lawyer is regularly updating his blog with keywords related to his locale and injury matters hoping that his blog will rise to the top of the search engines for related terms. And of course throw in a few links in target text like ‘personal injury’ linking to your website for added SEO effect.

To the majority of bloggers, the media, and sane people, the lawyer looks like an idiot at best. To me, he’s an embarrassment to our profession.

To which I commented (and felt it was worthy enough for re-print as a post here): Well, there are 4 issues going on here: 1) codes of ethics 2) personal ethics 3) value of blawg and other educational marketing 4) SEO.

1) The above example (and the many, many others) are the on-line version of “ambulance chasing,” which has given the PI atty a bad brand to begin with. Hence, there are codes of ethics on how to use the web — and they will be improved (that is, more specific - not just more words, hopefully) as years go on.

2) Of course, like other regulations and laws (like speeding), there is only so much policing to be done. It’s comes down to personal responsibility, values, ethics, and pride. Thus, the PI/trial world been able to overcome much public derision (and good jokes).

3) As blawgging, podcasting, video, e-book marketing grows more mainstream (in the legal community), more attorneys (and para staff) will realize that the real value isn’t just mere “display advertising,” but rather credibility and remark-ability as they share insight, thought, perspective (though not advice).

4) SEO: keyword-dropping, like name-dropping, will be a perennial if not pretentious issue. SEO algorithms have grown more sophisticated and we should always blog with it in mind. It isn’t WRONG; heck, as an intelligent form of marketing, blawging should be SEO conscious: Though our SEO-friendly posts & comments should be checked with the above 3 principles.

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I recently received an unsolicited email “Newsletter” from a well intended but misinformed motivational speaker. It was sent TO: me from an MS Outlook account, with 70 or so other recipients plainly listed in the TO: field as well. Effectively distributing to all the recipients - all the other recipients email addresses. The “Newsletter” was in the form and attached PDF of a scanned, blurry, & tilted paper document. Additionally there was no obvious or automated way for me to “Opt-Out” from future emails.
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What do your clients think about you, but aren’t telling you? What comes to their minds when they think about making an appointment with you? What do they unconsciously know they can count on from you?

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Ever engaged a new client, enrolled a new customer in a service, or sold a new customer a product, only to have the customer back-peddle or worse - cancel after making a purchase commitment because they said - “You didn’t tell me…!!!”?

Client’s back-peddling or canceling after the sale hurt. They hurt not only the bottom line and your confidence, but waste valuable time. Ultimately it hurts the client/customer as much or more than you, because in their minds they had their hopes & trust in you dashed, and have wasted their time too.

This thumb rule is in part an incredibly powerful sales tool, part “managing customer expectations”, and part practicing making a “complete sale” – that sticks.

Recent brain research has revealed that the human mind is a prediction machine. Always wanting to know what’s coming, what’s around the corner, and in respect to you and your service, wanting to predict what their experience of you, and your product and service will be like.

So here’s the short answer; People don’t expect perfection, they just want whatever they spend hard earned money on to work. They don’t really want “cheapest” they really want to solve a problem, or at least make it go away. They hate being misled and manipulated, they appreciate honesty and integrity. So the more you can paint an accurate and authentic picture in their minds of what engaging with you will be like, so that they sense they have a “real” idea about what’s coming, the more accountable they will be to honoring their commitment to buy.

Lastly, of course – they want value from you. Never pretend that there are no downsides – that there is ever a payoff without a cost. If you are the one to bring up not only the “pay off’s” (upsides) but also the “costs” (downsides) of what you are proposing – you will be perceived as trustworthy. The salesmanship comes in being able context those downsides for them, in advance, in a way that empowers them to make an educated choice, and stick with it.

Mark V. Bullock Partner/PMA PracticeMarketingAdvisors.com

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It’s growing at an exponential rate: But I’ve found there is still a humongous part of the professional world — especially accountants and financial advisors — who aren’t into blogging & podcasting because they feel it doesn’t apply to them.

First of all, they don’t quite understand the technology - and that scares them. And then, these professionals rarely take part in such media (blogs, podcasts, on-line videos, communities). And when they do (like many those reading this), it’s a foreign experience. Hint: You’re supposed to leave a meaningful comment, and link back to your website.

Moreover, the vast majority of CPA’s, bookkeepers, tax professionals, investment advisors, insurance brokers, and financial planners don’t know if blogging & podcasting will bring more qualified prospects and referrals. They don’t know - and they’re afraid it won’t work….

Here’s how accountants & financial advisors can use “Web 2.0 social media” to market themselves better, even with all the compliance & ethics regulations.

On Friday, I was invited by a large financial services firm to address this question, in context of personal brand marketing. The full 42 minute session will be on Google Video shortly… a juicy 10-minute excerpt is now on YouTube:

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