Many people think of text messaging as just using your smart device to tap out quick messages to someone in your contact list. Text messaging is an advanced form of communication technology. For law firms, a text messaging feature, like the real-time two way texting function, built into Law Ruler, will offer a variety of options and uses and can be utilized in all areas including managing and marketing their law practices. Both front and back-office applications will keep attorneys on-schedule and clients informed on the progress of their cases.
Attracting new clients requires and focused approach that is different than it was in the past. It used to be that an attorney could generate new clients based primarily on his reputation or by word of mouth. While it’s true that personal recommendations are still something clients rely on when choosing a law firm, you can’t count on that alone. Today’s law firms need to stand out from the others by pairing every client interaction with a personal touch that includes text messages, emails, appointments, documents, and invoices all with powerful automation working quietly in the background.
Law firms have the responsibility to track all communication with their clients, the courts, and opposing counsel. Some data gathered in client interactions may need to be stored electronically for many years. Therefore, utilizing a text to email feature is beneficial. However, an attorney who texts his clients or text information to his staff on his personal smart device would not have his messages archived along with their other email communication. Therefore, a CRM software solution will let your firm handle everything on one platform. Legal case management software creates new leads automatically every time the phone rings or you get a text message. A good CRM creates new leads automatically each time a referral or lead is received. Before Law Ruler, there were no other systems with comprehensive legal case management software that was combined with legal intake CRM. In the past, you would be hard-pressed to find a legal vendor whoever offered a comprehensive solution before. Now all your communication either via Text Message or an Email can be archived in one place.
To keep legal cases moving forward, it’s critical that appointments are confirmed, and documents are requested from clients. Legal case management with texting built-in for legal firms helps accomplish that. Law firm SMS will help your team meet deadlines because the firm’s text messages are also automatically logged into practice a management system or exported. By utilizing law firm text messaging, legal staff can spend more time on billable hours and attracting new clients.
To attract new clients, you need a plan that includes email marketing and text messaging that will help keep cases moving forward. A good way to start is to focus on the following:
Choose Your Audience
Legal clients have different needs and cannot be expected to respond to the same email. Targeted emails will result in more revenue than those with a general message. Tailoring emails to a targeted audience is crucial to a successful marketing campaign. For example, you can send out an email to just previous clients that highlight or say thank you along with relevant or new information about your law firm.
Prospective clients should not be the only focus of email campaigns. Referrals can bring in revenue as well.
Building a List of Recipients
There are two ways of building a list of email recipients. You can purchase a list of contacts or create it yourself. Building a list on your own might sound labor-intensive, but it really isn’t. Plus, creating your own list helps you target your audience which translates to a higher rate of lead conversion for your firm. Having resources from which to build your list is only part of the challenge. The goal is to make every email that you send out count.
Selecting Content
After identifying who will receive your emails, it’s time to select the content that you wish to share with your recipients. The key is to choose content that will be meaningful and valuable to the person who opens it. You want the people who open your email to look forward to reading it, so the content needs to be relevant and engaging without sounding like a sales pitch. Content that solicits contact between you and your client, such as an invitation to a meet and greets, or perhaps a free consultation has the best chance of engaging future clients.
Selecting a Template
After setting up an initial email campaign, you will need to choose a template for your message. The template selected will determine how your email ultimately looks. That said, there are components that are important because they build trust in you and your law firm, which is an essential element of building leads that will turn into paying clients. Your email template should include these elements:
A headshot
People are less likely to contact you for advice if they don’t have a face to associate with your law firm.
Free consultation
An invitation for a free initial meeting makes it easy and encouraging to contact you.
Quality content.
Be sure that the content has value for your targeted audience. If it is a first time or introductory email, perhaps you could include a list of specialties offered by your firm.
Be sure that your template works on mobile devices.
Writing Your Email
Write your email so that it’s engaging and easy-to-read so that people who don’t work in the legal profession can understand your message. Keep in mind that the goal of your email message is to get new clients or generate referrals that will produce new leads. Having a hard time finding content ideas? Try one of these:
- Teasers for blog articles, with links that connect the reader to your site.
- Content that solidifies you as an invaluable member of the community.
- Press clippings
- Client reviews
- Op-Ed on legal cases
- Bits of free advice encouraging readers to contact you for more information
Perfecting Your Subject Lines
Even if the email has spectacular content, if the subject lines don’t induce people to open the emails you send, they will not read them and your time and efforts have been wasted. To motivate as many clients as possible to read your emails, you will need to design inspiring subject lines.
Scheduling Your Email
Once you are satisfied with the email you have composed, don’t send it right away. Your recipients should receive your email at a time of day when they are most likely to have time to read it. Think about when your ideal clients can invest a few minutes to read your message. Some research suggests that the best time of day to send an email to your legal clients is 11:00 a.m. (ET).
Texts and email messages are powerful additions to any law firm. They allow attorneys to keep in touch with both their office and clients. Whether they are used to set up appointments or to offer clients additional ways to contact you, your law firm will benefit significantly by using the wide range of text messaging service products available. Take a look at this video by Law Ruler a leading legal CRM that is available as a standalone solution that includes 6 apps in 1 including legal practice management.
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