Category Archives: Marketing

General Practice Lawyer

A general practice lawyer is a legal professional who handles a wide range of legal issues. These attorneys have the knowledge and expertise to assist clients with various legal matters, including family law, criminal law, real estate law, and many others. They provide legal advice, draft legal documents, negotiate settlements, and represent clients in court. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about general practice lawyers, including their roles, responsibilities, and how to find one.

What is a General Practice Lawyer?

A general practice lawyer is an attorney who practices law in several different areas of law, rather than specializing in one specific area. They have a broad understanding of legal principles and can handle a wide range of legal issues. Some of the areas of law that general practice lawyers can assist with include:

  1. Family Law
  2. Real Estate Law
  3. Criminal Law
  4. Business Law
  5. Personal Injury Law
  6. Employment Law
  7. Estate Planning and Probate Law

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a General Practice Lawyer?

The roles and responsibilities of a general practice lawyer can vary depending on the type of legal matter they are handling. Some of the common tasks that they perform include:

  1. Providing legal advice: A general practice lawyer can provide legal advice to clients on various legal issues. They can explain the law, advise clients on their legal rights, and help them make informed decisions.
  2. Drafting legal documents: General practice lawyers can draft legal documents such as contracts, wills, and deeds.
  3. Representing clients in court: They can represent clients in court in civil and criminal matters.
  4. Negotiating settlements: A general practice lawyer can negotiate settlements between parties in legal disputes.
  5. Conducting legal research: They can conduct legal research on behalf of clients to find relevant laws and precedents.
  6. Assisting with legal filings: General practice lawyers can assist with legal filings, such as court pleadings and other legal documents.
  7. Advocating for clients: They can advocate for clients in legal proceedings and work to protect their rights.

How to Find a General Practice Lawyer

Finding the right general practice lawyer can be challenging, but there are several resources available to help you find an attorney who can meet your legal needs. Some ways to find a general practice lawyer include:

  1. Referrals from friends or family members: Ask your friends or family members if they know of any general practice lawyers they can recommend.
  2. Online legal directories: There are several online legal directories, such as Avvo and Justia, that can help you find a general practice lawyer in your area.
  3. State bar associations: Your state bar association can provide you with a list of licensed attorneys in your area who practice general law.
  4. Legal aid organizations: Legal aid organizations can provide low-cost or free legal services to individuals who cannot afford an attorney.
  5. Law firms specializing in general practice: Look for law firms that specialize in general practice, as they may have attorneys who can handle a wide range of legal issues.

Benefits of working with a general practice attorney

Working with a general practice attorney can provide several benefits to individuals who are facing legal issues. These attorneys have a broad understanding of various areas of law and can provide legal advice, draft legal documents, negotiate settlements, and represent clients in court. Here are some benefits of working with a general practice attorney:

  1. Versatility: General practice attorneys are well-versed in multiple areas of law, allowing them to handle a wide range of legal issues. Whether you need help with a divorce, personal injury claim, real estate transaction, or criminal defense case, a general practice attorney can provide you with the legal support and guidance you need.
  2. Cost-effective: Since general practice attorneys handle a wide range of legal matters, they can offer more cost-effective legal services compared to attorneys who specialize in a specific area of law. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have several legal issues that require legal representation.
  3. Personalized attention: General practice attorneys often work closely with their clients and provide personalized attention to their legal needs. They can take the time to understand your unique situation and develop a legal strategy that is tailored to your specific goals.
  4. Expertise: Although general practice attorneys do not specialize in one area of law, they still have a broad understanding of various legal principles and procedures. They can provide you with legal advice and guidance on how to navigate the legal system and protect your rights.
  5. Accessible: General practice attorneys are often more accessible than attorneys who specialize in a specific area of law. Since they handle a wide range of legal matters, they are more likely to be available to their clients and can provide them with timely legal advice and guidance.
  6. Collaborative: General practice attorneys often work collaboratively with other attorneys and legal professionals, allowing them to draw on a network of resources and expertise to provide their clients with the best possible legal representation.

Overlap in several areas of the law

General practice attorneys are well-versed in multiple areas of law, which allows them to handle a wide range of legal issues. However, this versatility can sometimes lead to overlaps in several areas of the law.

For example, a general practice attorney who handles both family law and estate planning may come across issues that require knowledge of both areas of law. For instance, a client who is going through a divorce may also need to update their estate plan to reflect the changes in their marital status.

Similarly, a general practice attorney who handles both personal injury claims and workers’ compensation cases may come across issues that require knowledge of both areas of law. For example, if a client is injured on the job and their employer is responsible for the injury, the attorney may need to navigate both personal injury and workers’ compensation laws to ensure that their client receives the compensation they are entitled to.

The overlap between different areas of the law can be both a challenge and an opportunity for general practice attorneys. On the one hand, it requires them to have a broad understanding of various legal principles and procedures. On the other hand, it also allows them to provide their clients with comprehensive legal advice and representation that takes into account all the relevant areas of the law.

Moreover, some general practice attorneys choose to specialize in certain areas of law, even though they handle a wide range of legal issues. For example, a general practice attorney who focuses on real estate law may still handle other legal matters, but will have a deeper understanding of real estate transactions and related issues.

Overall, the overlap between different areas of the law is a natural consequence of the versatility of general practice attorneys. While it can be challenging at times, it also allows them to provide their clients with comprehensive legal services that take into account all the relevant legal principles and procedures.

Routine and non-emergency issues

General practice attorneys are often called upon to handle routine and non-emergency legal issues for their clients. These may include matters such as drafting legal documents, negotiating contracts, and providing legal advice on a variety of legal issues.

Routine legal issues are those that are common and often require standard legal documentation, such as drafting a will or a contract. These issues can typically be handled relatively quickly and efficiently by a general practice attorney who has experience in the relevant area of law.

Non-emergency legal issues are those that are not urgent or time-sensitive, but still require legal attention. These may include issues such as reviewing a lease agreement or advising a client on a potential legal dispute.

General practice attorneys can also provide legal advice on a range of issues that may arise in their clients’ personal or professional lives. For example, they may advise clients on issues related to divorce and family law, immigration, criminal defense, or employment law.

In addition, general practice attorneys can assist clients with legal planning and preparation for potential legal issues in the future. This may include estate planning, setting up a business entity, or developing a legal strategy for dealing with potential litigation.

Overall, general practice attorneys can provide valuable legal services for routine and non-emergency legal issues that clients may face. By providing legal guidance and support, they can help clients navigate the legal system and protect their rights and interests.

When to hire a general practice attorney vs a specialized attorney

Knowing when to hire a general practice attorney versus a specialized attorney can be a difficult decision. The choice ultimately depends on the nature of your legal issue and the level of expertise required to effectively handle it.

General practice attorneys can provide legal services in multiple areas of law, which makes them a good choice for clients who have a variety of legal issues. They can offer legal advice and representation for a broad range of legal matters, including family law, estate planning, business law, real estate law, and more.

However, there may be situations where it is more appropriate to hire a specialized attorney with expertise in a particular area of law. For example, if you are facing criminal charges, it may be more beneficial to hire a criminal defense attorney who has extensive experience in defending clients in criminal cases.

Similarly, if you are involved in a complex business transaction, it may be more appropriate to hire a business attorney who has experience in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements.

In general, it is recommended to hire a specialized attorney when your legal issue requires in-depth knowledge and expertise in a particular area of law. Specialized attorneys have a deep understanding of the specific legal principles and procedures that are relevant to their area of practice, which can be invaluable in complex cases.

On the other hand, if your legal issue is relatively straightforward and does not require specialized knowledge or expertise, a general practice attorney may be able to provide you with the legal assistance you need. General practice attorneys are trained to handle a wide range of legal issues and can offer valuable guidance and support in many different areas of law.

Ultimately, the decision to hire a general practice attorney versus a specialized attorney depends on the nature of your legal issue and your individual needs and circumstances. It may be helpful to consult with both types of attorneys to determine which option is best for you.

“Run your business” type of case

Running a business involves numerous legal issues that require careful attention and planning. A general practice attorney can assist with a variety of legal matters related to running a business, including business formation, contract negotiations, employment law, and dispute resolution.

Business Formation: One of the first legal issues to consider when starting a business is selecting the appropriate business structure, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. A general practice attorney can help you navigate the legal requirements and tax implications of each business structure and assist with the formation of your business.

Contract Negotiations: Contracts are an integral part of running a business, and it is essential to ensure that they are drafted and negotiated properly. A general practice attorney can assist with contract negotiations, review and draft contracts, and ensure that they comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Employment Law: Employment law governs the relationship between employers and employees, and it is essential to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. A general practice attorney can advise on employment contracts, wage and hour laws, discrimination, and harassment laws, and employee termination issues.

Dispute Resolution: Despite taking measures to prevent disputes, they can still arise in business operations. A general practice attorney can help resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation if necessary. They can also provide legal representation in court proceedings and protect your rights and interests.

Intellectual Property: Protecting your business’s intellectual property is essential to maintaining its value and success. A general practice attorney can assist with trademark and copyright registration, intellectual property licensing agreements, and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Overall, running a business involves a variety of legal issues, and a general practice attorney can assist with many of these matters. They can provide legal guidance and support throughout the lifecycle of your business and help ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

“Bet your business” type of case

A “bet your business” type of case is a high-stakes legal matter that can have a significant impact on a company’s future. These cases may involve complex litigation, regulatory investigations, or significant financial or reputational risks.

In such cases, it is essential to have specialized legal expertise to protect your business’s interests and minimize the potential risks. A general practice attorney may not have the depth of experience required to handle such cases effectively, and it may be more appropriate to hire a specialized attorney with expertise in the relevant area of law.

Here are some examples of “bet your business” type of cases:

Litigation: A company may face a high-stakes lawsuit involving substantial damages, significant liability exposure, or potential reputational harm. These cases may require specialized litigation skills and deep industry knowledge to mount a strong defense or pursue a successful claim.

Regulatory Investigations: A company may be subject to a regulatory investigation or enforcement action involving alleged violations of securities laws, antitrust laws, or environmental regulations. These cases require specialized knowledge of the regulatory landscape and experience in dealing with government agencies.

Mergers and Acquisitions: A company may be involved in a significant merger or acquisition transaction that involves substantial financial and legal risks. These transactions require specialized legal expertise in areas such as tax law, corporate finance, and securities law.

Intellectual Property Disputes: A company may be involved in an intellectual property dispute involving patents, trademarks, or trade secrets. These cases require specialized knowledge of intellectual property law and the ability to navigate complex legal and technical issues.

In “bet your business” type of cases, it is crucial to have a team of attorneys with the necessary expertise and experience to provide effective legal representation. Specialized attorneys can provide a depth of knowledge and understanding of the relevant legal issues, as well as the ability to develop and execute a winning legal strategy.

How do general practice lawyers work

General practice lawyers typically work with clients on a wide range of legal issues, from routine matters to more complex legal disputes. They offer legal guidance and advice across a broad spectrum of practice areas, rather than specializing in one specific area of law.

Here are some ways that general practice lawyers work:

  1. Initial Consultation: The first step in working with a general practice lawyer is usually an initial consultation. During this meeting, the lawyer will discuss the client’s legal issue and evaluate whether they can assist with the matter. If the lawyer is a good fit, they will discuss the scope of work, fees, and any other relevant details.
  2. Legal Advice: General practice lawyers provide legal advice and guidance to clients on a wide range of legal issues. They can offer insight into applicable laws, regulations, and legal strategies. They can also help clients understand their legal rights and obligations and develop a plan of action.
  3. Document Preparation: General practice lawyers can prepare legal documents such as contracts, agreements, and legal filings. They can ensure that these documents comply with applicable laws and regulations and that they protect their client’s interests.
  4. Representation in Legal Proceedings: If a legal dispute arises, general practice lawyers can represent clients in legal proceedings, such as negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, or court proceedings. They can provide legal advocacy and protect their client’s interests throughout the legal process.
  5. Referrals: General practice lawyers may not have expertise in every area of law. In cases where specialized legal knowledge is required, they can refer clients to attorneys who specialize in the relevant area of law.

Overall, general practice lawyers work with clients to provide legal advice and representation on a wide range of legal issues. They can help clients navigate the legal landscape and develop effective legal strategies to protect their interests.

How to assess if a general practice attorney is qualified

Assessing the qualifications of a general practice attorney is an important step in finding the right lawyer to handle your legal matters. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating a general practice attorney’s qualifications:

  1. Education and Experience: Look for an attorney who has completed law school and passed the bar exam in their state. Consider their years of experience practicing law and whether they have handled similar cases to yours.
  2. Professional Memberships: Check if the attorney is a member of any professional legal organizations, such as state or local bar associations. Membership in these organizations can indicate that the attorney is committed to their profession and upholds ethical standards.
  3. Reputation: Research the attorney’s reputation in the legal community and among clients. Look for reviews and testimonials from previous clients, as well as any recognition or awards they have received.
  4. Communication Skills: A good attorney should have strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal concepts in simple terms. Consider how well the attorney communicates with you during your initial consultation and whether they are responsive to your inquiries.
  5. Specialized Knowledge: While general practice attorneys handle a wide range of legal matters, some may have expertise in specific areas of law. Consider whether the attorney has specialized knowledge in the area of law relevant to your case.
  6. Fee Structure: Finally, consider the attorney’s fee structure and whether it is reasonable and transparent. Ask about their hourly rates, retainer fees, and any additional costs associated with your case.

Overall, assessing the qualifications of a general practice attorney involves evaluating their education, experience, reputation, communication skills, specialized knowledge, and fee structure. By considering these factors, you can find a qualified attorney who can effectively handle your legal matters.

A general practice lawyer is a legal professional who can assist clients with a wide range of legal issues. These attorneys have a broad understanding of legal principles and can provide legal advice, draft legal documents, negotiate settlements, and represent clients in court. If you have a legal issue, it’s important to find the right general practice lawyer who has the knowledge and expertise to help you navigate the legal system and protect your rights. By using the resources available to you, you can find a general practice lawyer who can meet your legal needs and help you achieve your goals.

FAQs about working with a general practice attorney

Q. What are the benefits of hiring a general practice lawyer? A. There are several benefits of hiring a general practice lawyer, including:

  1. They have a broad understanding of legal principles and can handle a wide range of legal issues.
  2. They can provide legal advice on multiple areas of law.
  3. They can represent clients in court in both civil and criminal matters.
  4. They can draft legal documents and negotiate settlements.
  5. They can conduct legal research and provide guidance on complex legal issues.

Q. What type of legal issues can a general practice lawyer handle? A. General practice lawyers can handle a wide range of legal issues, including family law, real estate law, criminal law, business law, personal injury law, employment law, and estate planning and probate law.

Q. How do I find a general practice lawyer? A. There are several ways to find a general practice lawyer, including:

  1. Referrals from friends or family members.
  2. Online legal directories.
  3. State bar associations.
  4. Legal aid organizations.
  5. Law firms specializing in general practice.

Q. How much does it cost to hire a general practice lawyer? A. The cost of hiring a general practice lawyer can vary depending on the complexity of the legal issue and the attorney’s experience. Some general practice lawyers charge an hourly rate, while others may charge a flat fee for certain services.

Q. Do I need a general practice lawyer for my legal issue? A. It depends on the complexity of your legal issue. If you have a simple legal matter, you may be able to handle it on your own. However, if you have a more complex legal issue, it is advisable to hire a general practice lawyer who has the knowledge and expertise to help you navigate the legal system and protect your rights.

Q. How do I know if a general practice lawyer is right for me? A. When looking for a general practice lawyer, it’s important to consider their experience, knowledge, and communication skills. You should also look for an attorney who you feel comfortable working with and who understands your legal needs.

Q. Can a general practice lawyer represent me in court? A. Yes, general practice lawyers can represent clients in court in both civil and criminal matters.

Q. What should I expect during my first meeting with a general practice lawyer? A. During your first meeting with a general practice lawyer, you should expect to discuss your legal issue and goals. The attorney will ask you questions to better understand your situation and provide you with legal advice on how to proceed.

Q. What types of legal issues can a general practice attorney handle? A. General practice attorneys can handle a wide range of legal issues, including family law, personal injury claims, criminal defense, real estate transactions, estate planning, and more.

Q. How do I know if a general practice attorney is right for me? A. When looking for a general practice attorney, it’s important to consider their experience, knowledge, and communication skills. You should also look for an attorney who you feel comfortable working with and who understands your legal needs.

Q. How much does it cost to work with a general practice attorney? A. The cost of working with a general practice attorney can vary depending on the attorney’s experience, location, and the complexity of your legal issue. However, general practice attorneys often offer more cost-effective legal services compared to attorneys who specialize in a specific area of law.

Q. What should I expect during my first meeting with a general practice attorney? A. During your first meeting with a general practice attorney, you should expect to discuss your legal issue and goals. The attorney will ask you questions to better understand your situation and provide you with legal advice on how to proceed.

Q. Can a general practice attorney represent me in court? A. Yes, general practice attorneys can represent clients in court in both civil and criminal matters.

Why Google’s Cracking Down On Non Mobile-Friendly Sites And What Attorneys Need To Do

You may have heard whisperings that Google is going to be cracking down on non-mobile-friendly websites starting April 21st.

That’s absolutely correct.

For a while now they’ve been keeping track of whether sites are optimized for small screens and slow data connections. Up until now they haven’t changed any of the rankings based on that information and instead, just show a little “Mobile-friendly” label on search results when searching from your mobile device.

But now, they’re taking the next step, and using mobile-friendly as a ranking signal when someone searches for your firm on a mobile device. We don’t know how much it will affect rankings just yet (but we’re watching closely and will report as soon as we can measure it), but we know that it will drop rankings for searches from mobile devices, and it’s expected to drop them considerably.

What does that mean for you?

Well, it depends on if your site is mobile-optimized. Here’s a link to check if your site is mobile-friendly. If it is, then you should be all set.

But if it’s not, come on back here and we’ll discuss the options you have for avoiding the Google hammer in a few weeks.

So here’s the link to Google’s mobile-friendly tester.

Go check your site and see if Google thinks it’s mobile-friendly. I’ll wait.

How’d you do? Did your site pass?

It passed!

That’s awesome. Gold star for you! You may want to read ahead though to see if one of the other options here might be a better option for you.

It didn’t pass?

Don’t worry all is not lost. Consider this a bit of a wake-up call. After all, you still have a little time to right the ship, so to speak.

First of all, these changes won’t affect your rankings when someone searches for your firm on their desktop. Which, is still somewhere around 75% of search traffic in the US depending on whose stats you use.

But, that still means you’ll start to lose out on 1/4 of your traffic.

A better way to think about this might be to consider the following scenario. Let’s say a potential client just got into a cab when they received an email from a friend referring your firm to fix their problem. The first thing they’ll do is google you or your firm.

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, your firm website might not be right there in the first spot in their search results. Instead, they might see your Avvo profile (which you may or may not have done anything with). Or maybe they’ll see a complaint a bitter client left on a review site.

All that effort crafting your brand and your message, and it’s all for naught because your site wasn’t the first one listed.

Obviously, that’s not a great place to be in. So it begs the question…

“How do I make my site mobile-friendly?”

Well, you have two options. You can redesign your site, or you can create a separate mobile site that lives at mobile.myfirm.com.

Each has their benefits and drawbacks, but I’m going to strongly recommend a site redesign over creating a separate mobile version of your website.

The main reason is maintenance. With two different web properties to maintain, you’ll need to have a way of keeping them in sync. And what’s more, you’ll need to be diligent about telling Google which version of a page is ‘canonical’. Meaning, which version is the “one true version?” Fail to stay on top of that and Google will dock you for having duplicate content.

The second reason is just common sense. For the same cost it would take to build a mobile-specific site, you could redesign your site to be mobile-friendly and avoid the mess of maintaining two properties altogether.

No need to worry about whether the mobile site matches your desktop branding. No worrying about duplicate content. And hey, you get a fancy new desktop and mobile website for the same investment.

How large is that investment? Well, it depends on what you’re starting with.

I use wordpress or another CMS.

If you already use a content management system like WordPress, it could be as simple as finding a theme you like. A decent responsive theme can be had for peanuts on sites like themeforest.net. You might get lucky and be able to just swap in the new theme and call it a day and you’re done in ~$50.

More likely, you’ll want to find a developer to customize the theme in a few places to fit your brand. That could cost you ~$50-$100/hr for a few hours of work. A far cry from building a new site from scratch.

I had a custom site coded for me.

But if your site was a custom job, as we typically see with agencies or with one-off website designs, your options get a (little) bit more expensive.

You’ll likely need to go through that process again. Which is a pain, I know. This time through though, keep an eye on an ability to upgrade in the future. If you’re working with a developer or agency, make sure they’re using a commonly-used CMS that will be around for a while. WordPress would be my recommendation (outside of using AmazeLaw of course.)

For an idea of what a site should cost these days, check out our guide to How Much a Law Firm Website Should Cost.

But regardless of your starting point. This update is a good thing for your firm. Sure it requires some investment. But that’s exactly what it is. An investment that you’ll most definitely see returns on.

Again. This is a GOOD thing. Think of it this way.

Imagine you had a 20 year old car. It’s worked well for you in the past. Sure, it’s not shiny, but it’s gotten you where you’ve needed to go.

But, a lot has changed in 20 years. Technology has gotten exponentially better. While you might say “I don’t need my car to talk to me,” it’d be hard to argue against the safety, fuel-efficiency, and reliability improvements that have come along with it.

On the road, states incentivize adoption of new technology through car inspections. On the internet, Google is taking on that role by rewarding sites that stay current with better search placement.

So rather than lamenting the fact that it’s become necessary to upgrade your website, you should also feel excited. You can now take advantage of advances in technology that make marketing your firm much easier.

Does your site need a mobile upgrade?

Our sites are all fully-mobile-optimized. If you want to see what mobile magic AmazeLaw can do for your firm…

Schedule a Demo Today

Lessons In Marketing For Solo And Small Firm Attorneys From A Solo Attorney

Hi, I’m Katie.  I’m an employment attorney.  I like what I do, and I’m good at it.  Oh, you want to hire me?  Great!

If only it was that easy.  I’ve been a solo attorney for a little more than a year and a half.  I’ve learned so much about attorney marketing, especially marketing online.  I know I’ve probably only scratched the surface of everything that I should know, but I’ve made huge strides.  I get calls from other attorneys telling me how much they like my blog.  Clients find me online.  Am I always on the first page of for the search terms I want?  No.  But I’m getting there.

I was lucky that I have a husband who understands all this stuff, but I still had to learn a lot of it myself, and I had to make a ton of mistakes along the way.  If you’re reading this, you might be where I was when I first started.  Let me help you by sharing a few of the lessons I’ve learned.

  • It’s hard and it takes a lot of time.  Sorry.  I know you were looking for lessons that are going to make your life easier, but let’s start with the principle that’s going to carry you through all of your marketing endeavors.  No one teaches you how to do this in law school.  If you started your career at a firm, the firm paid someone else how to do this.  So now not only are you starting a completely new business and lifestyle, but you have to learn another skill.  But that’s okay, because you can do it and there are ways to make it easier, but let’s just all accept that as lawyers, marketing is a skill that does not come easily to most of us.
  • Take time to figure out who you need to reach.  When I first started out on my own, I felt like I needed to get in front of anyone and everyone.  What if I missed out on an opportunity?  I need blogs that reach every audience.  I want to send my email updates out to everyone and their brother (and somehow find a way to be interesting to everyone on that list).  Then I realized that I only have so many hours in the day, and that I need to be efficient, effective, and focused.  Who are your best referral sources?  For me, it’s HR professionals and other attorneys who don’t do employment law, so my marketing efforts need to be specific to those groups.
  • Figure out the best way to reach them.  The people you want to reach may not always keep you top of mind, but your online presence can help with that.  I try to write blog posts and email newsletters that attract HR professionals (day-to-day information that helps them do their job) and other attorneys (legal changes/important cases).  I also only send my email newsletters to people who have expressed interest.  And it works.  I’ve actually gotten emails back from readers thanking me for putting the email together.  How often do you get a mass email and decide that want to thank the author?
  • Find the right tools to help you.  Everytime I write a blog post (shameless plug – it is so easy to do this through AmazeLaw), I make sure to put it out on social media.  I use Hootsuite and autoschedule.  I don’t have to think about the best times to post, and I only have to post once for it to go to Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook.  I also use Mailchimp to manage my email lists (more shameless plugging – AmazeLaw integrates with Mailchimp).  Yes, it took a little for me to learn how to use these early on, but now I cannot imagine marketing without them.

I know that I’m not an expert on marketing, but I’m learning and finding a way to make it work for me.  As a solo attorney, I can’t justify spending money on marketing consultants when I know I’m smart enough to figure it out for myself.  I became a solo attorney in part for the flexibility, and I’ve built my firm so that I can make time for marketing because it’s worth the effort.

If you’re looking for more information on marketing, AmazeLaw has a great email marketing bootcamp that you can sign up for at  amazelaw.wpengine.com/#newsletter.  And if you have any questions about your firm’s marketing efforts, you are always free to email me with questions at info@amazelaw.com.  Good luck!

Dated This Day Of

The phrase “Dated This Day Of” is commonly used in contracts to indicate the date on which the contract is being signed or executed. It is usually followed by the actual date in which the contract is being signed.

For example, if a contract is being signed on March 24, 2023, the phrase “Dated This Day Of” would be followed by “March 24, 2023” to indicate the exact date of execution. This is important because it establishes the effective date of the contract and helps to prevent any confusion or disputes regarding the timeline of the contract.

It is also worth noting that some contracts may include a provision stating that the date of execution is not necessarily the effective date of the agreement. In such cases, the contract may include specific terms or conditions that must be met before the agreement becomes legally binding.

Variations

There are various ways to express the date of execution in a contract. Here are some common variations:

  1. “Dated as of” – This phrase is often used when the contract is signed on a different day than the effective date. For example, if a contract is signed on March 24, 2023, but is intended to be effective as of January 1, 2023, the contract might include the phrase “Dated as of January 1, 2023.”
  2. “Effective Date” – Instead of using the phrase “Dated This Day Of,” some contracts simply state the effective date of the agreement. For example, a contract might state “This Agreement is effective as of March 24, 2023.”
  3. “Entered into on” – This phrase is similar to “Dated This Day Of” and is often used interchangeably. For example, a contract might state “This Agreement is entered into on March 24, 2023.”
  4. “Signed and dated” – Instead of using a specific phrase, some contracts simply require the parties to sign and date the agreement. This ensures that the date of execution is clearly indicated and can be easily verified if necessary.

How do you fill it out

To fill out the date in a contract using the phrase “Dated This Day Of,” follow these steps:

  1. Locate the blank space or line designated for the date in the contract.
  2. Write or type the words “Dated This Day Of” on the line.
  3. On the line below “Dated This Day Of,” write or type the actual date on which the contract is being signed or executed. For example, if the contract is being signed on March 24, 2023, you would write “March 24, 2023” on the line below “Dated This Day Of.”
  4. Review the contract to ensure that the date is correctly filled out in all instances where it is required, such as in the signature block or on any amendments or addendums to the original agreement.

It is important to make sure that the date is accurate and clearly indicated to avoid any confusion or disputes regarding the effective date of the contract.

I can provide an example of how to fill out the date in a contract using the phrase “Dated This Day Of.”

Fill it out in a contract

Assuming that today’s date is March 24, 2023, here’s an example of how to fill out the date in a contract:

“Agreement for Services Rendered

This Agreement for Services Rendered (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into on Dated This Day Of March 24, 2023, by and between [Name of Service Provider] (“Service Provider”), located at [Service Provider’s Address], and [Name of Client] (“Client”), located at [Client’s Address].”

In this example, “Dated This Day Of” is followed by “March 24, 2023,” indicating that the agreement is being executed on that date.

Fill it out in a form

Here is an example of how to fill out the date in a simple contract form using the phrase “Dated This Day Of:”

Agreement for Services Rendered

Service Provider: [Name of Service Provider]

Client: [Name of Client]

Services to be Rendered: [Description of Services]

Compensation: [Amount and Terms of Payment]

Term of Agreement: [Start and End Dates of Agreement]

This Agreement for Services Rendered (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into on Dated This Day Of ___________, 20, by and between [Name of Service Provider] (“Service Provider”), located at [Service Provider’s Address], and [Name of Client] (“Client”), located at [Client’s Address].

In the blank space following “Dated This Day Of,” enter the actual date on which the contract is being signed or executed. For example, if the contract is being executed on March 24, 2023, you would enter “March 24, 2023” in the blank space.

Be sure to review the rest of the contract form and fill out any additional required fields or sections before signing and executing the agreement.

Examples

Here are some examples of contracts where the phrase “Dated This Day Of” might be used to indicate the date of execution:

  1. Employment Agreement: A contract between an employer and employee outlining the terms of employment, such as job duties, compensation, and benefits.
  2. Non-Disclosure Agreement: A contract between two parties where one party agrees to keep certain information confidential and not share it with others.
  3. Lease Agreement: A contract between a landlord and tenant outlining the terms of a rental agreement, such as rent payments, lease duration, and use of the property.
  4. Purchase Agreement: A contract between a buyer and seller outlining the terms of a purchase, such as the price of the item, delivery date, and any warranties or guarantees.
  5. Service Agreement: A contract between a service provider and client outlining the terms of the services to be provided, such as scope of work, payment terms, and delivery date.

These are just a few examples of contracts where the phrase “Dated This Day Of” might be used to indicate the date of execution.

Takeaways

Here are some takeaways that you can apply to a contract when filling out the date using the phrase “Dated This Day Of:”

  1. Accuracy is important: It is important to ensure that the date is accurately filled out in the contract to avoid any confusion or disputes regarding the effective date of the contract.
  2. Consistency: Make sure that the date is correctly filled out in all instances where it is required, such as in the signature block or on any amendments or addendums to the original agreement.
  3. Clarity: The date should be clearly indicated to avoid any ambiguity or confusion. It is a good practice to write out the month, day, and year in full format to avoid any confusion, such as using “March 24, 2023,” rather than “3/24/23.”
  4. Standardized format: It is a good practice to use a standardized format for the date to maintain consistency and avoid any confusion.
  5. Legal advice: If you have any doubts about how to fill out the date in a contract, it is always advisable to seek legal advice from a qualified professional who can provide you with guidance and ensure that the contract is legally valid and enforceable.

5 Costly Attorney Website Mistakes

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Chris Small of The Art of Lawyering Podcast about legal websites, and thought I’d share a few points from the podcast.  If you’d like to check out the podcast (and the deal we’re offering its listeners), you can find it at theartoflawyering.com/021.

Let me start with a few words about why I started AmazeLaw, and why I understand what lawyers are dealing with when it comes to online marketing.  When my wife left her big law job to start her own practice, we were bombarded by all sorts of scummy sales-guys cold-calling her about all of these digital marketing solutions that were overpriced at best and downright harmful at worst.  She doesn’t have a marketing background, so everything was so new and foreign to her, and I know she found the whole learning process very stressful.  Luckily, I have a background in building marketing tools from my time building the Content Management System for Hubspot.  I knew I could help her.  Then I realized that I could help a lot of people who were just like her.

So I set out to build AmazeLaw to offer a do-it-yourself marketing solution for attorneys that focused on simple, sustainable marketing tactics that busy solos can manage themselves.

While doing research for the business and in helping our clients build or re-build their sites, I’ve come across a lot of common errors that solos make in their digital marketing, so I thought it would be fun to share some of those mistakes and how to fix them.  So I present…

The 5 Most Common Attorney Website Mistakes…and How to Fix Them

Not updating frequently enough.

If you haven’t made added/updated content on your site in the last month at an absolute minimum, your site will get stale.  Your audience will not understand how busy you are.  They will think you don’t care.  So how do you keep a blog updated?  First, your blog should be on your website.  Don’t buy into the malarkey that it should be separate.  Second, here are few easy ways to come up with content for your blog.  Write down the ten questions you get most often.  Write down 10 common assumptions your clients have that are wrong.  Now, write one or two posts per week explaining those in their language.

Writing for attorneys, not people.  

I think I can say this, because my wife has admitted it to me.  Solos often have this insecurity about competing with the big guys, a subconscious need to show the big law attorneys that they’re serious attorneys.  Resist that urge. You’re not writing for lawyers, you’re writing for clients.

Clients are PEOPLE. They want to work with REAL PEOPLE not stodgy old-school law firms (and the ones that really do, you shouldn’t care about because you’re fighting an uphill battle trying to compete with firms that have many more resources than you do).

Repeat after me.  Clients don’t care about case law.  Clients don’t care about case law. Clients don’t care about case law.  Don’t write about case law.

Sure it’s the stuff you can geek out on, but clients care about a solution to their problem.  They don’t care about the particulars. They pay you to know the case law and to recommend a solution in the context of their business or their situation, not in the context of a courtroom argument.

One key exception: a new case or new legislation somehow changes or contradicts a common assumption your clients have that impacts their day-to-day decisions.  You can mention it, but when editing, err on the side of “they don’t care, just tell me what I need to do differently with this new information.”

Not having a clear “next-step.”

Once you’ve explained something in their language, how do you get them to take action?  Each piece of content should end with a call to action. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a simple request written in italics at the end of your post is just fine.  As long as it’s clear what the next step is.

After all, they’re interested enough to read your entire post. They’re feel ingratiated because you gave away your expertise. Capitalize on that using reciprocity as a motivation to (1) ask for a consult request; (2) ask them to join an email list; or (3) ask them to comment.

Finally, your homepage needs an email address and a phone number.  Place it in the footer for sure, but consider placing it in prominent places in your copy.  Finally, make sure to hyperlink your phone number for mobile devices and never embed your contact information in an image (because Google will never find it).

Speaking of mobile…

Not having a responsive website, or not having a mobile site configured properly.

This is 2015, you need to have a website that not only “works” on a mobile device, but is optimized for it.  Why? Anywhere from 40%-55% of search traffic is on a mobile device.  Google started cracking down on April 21st, meaning that if your site isn’t mobile optimized, it will be virtually impossible to find it from a mobile device.  If you want to see if your site is mobile-friendly, you can check out at https://amazelaw.wpengine.com/googletest.  If you find out that your website isn’t mobile friendly, it’s time to upgrade to a mobile responsive site.  For more information about Google’s changes, why they’re happening and what you can do, check out our Mobilegeddon overview for attorneys.

Not having up-to-date and consistent local search listings.

Your #1 priority should be getting a google local listing set up and correct for your site.  This will make sure your business shows up with a map and details when they search for your firm directly, which in turn makes your firm eligible to show up in the local listings that appear on the first page of google just below #1 search position.  Go to the AmazeLaw Google Guide for step-by-step instructions for making sure you’re taking advantage of all of Google’s tools.

Your #2 priority is making sure you have a consistent web listing (with no duplicates) for your firm across the various local search aggregators.  Rather than managing this yourself each time something changes in your business, use Moz Local.  You enter your information once and they publish it and sync it across all of the major local search aggregators. A steal at $84/yr.

Are you making any of these mistakes?

You’re not alone. These are super common and we can help you avoid each and every one. Want to see how we can take your website from blah to blazing?

Schedule a Demo Today

20 Minute Marketing Plan For The Busy Attorney

We get it. You’re busy! On the long long list of things you have to do in a day, marketing is probably one of your least favorite and often gets lobbed to the end of the todo list.

But successful marketing depends on consistency, and we all know what happens to the tasks at the back of the to-do list.  So let’s set up a plan that will allow you to be consistent without causing the dread of staring at a blank screen wondering what to do.

We’ll start today with social media.  Yes. The amorphous, ubiquitous, and perpetually misunderstood side of marketing.

It can be a pain to sit down and come up with a single Facebook post let alone creating an entire social media strategy.

Well, what if it only took 20 minutes while you were sipping your morning coffee? Well that’s more manageable right? Today we’re going to outline a process and tools that will help you to do just that.

We’ll cover three components of a social media strategy that will allow you to create a bustling social presence without needing to spend all of your time dinking around in the productivity sucking waste-pool that is Facebook.

Without further ado, our first focal point – curation.

ABC – A – Always, B – Be, C – Curating. Always be curating!

What is curating you ask? Curating is collecting and filtering content from across the web that will interest your ideal clients and allow those ideal clients to interact and share with you, and more importantly, their peers, that are also ideal clients.

Everyone is drinking from a firehose these days, and with so much awful content being spewed into the ether by “marketers” it’s harder than ever to filter out the good stuff.  Your goal in this exercise is to be that filter for your ideal clients.

This does two things.  First, it distinguishes you as a thought-leader in your space, and second, it makes you the source for all things true and helpful.

Another way to think of your role in all of this is as a magic flower. No, I’m not on some other magical substance writing that. Your goal is to be like the magic flower in Super Mario Brothers.

For the uninitiated (read: those over 40 or under 25), the magic flower turns regular old Italian plumber Mario into Super Mario. Super Mario is bigger, faster, and stronger than his wrench-wielding alter-ego, and he’s also invincible.

Through your carefully curated information, you can make your ideal clients into super heroes.  They’ll be more on point with what’s going on in their industry. Able to impress their bosses, their clients, and maybe even their spouses with how in tune they are with the world of [insert ideal client’s industry here]. They might get promoted. They might close that deal. They might get their spouse to stop rolling their eyes (unlikely).

But you see where we’re going with this. By giving your ideal clients those super powers, who do you think they’re going to turn to when they have a problem even their super powers can’t handle?  That’s right.  You.

So how do we do this?

First we need a way to keep track of the content we find worthy of sharing. The goal is to find something that you have available at any time, because you never know when you’ll come across something you want to share.  The best tool is the one you have with you.

For capturing content as it flies past you, we recommend an app called Pocket.  Pocket allows you to instantly save the contents of a website while you’re looking at it.  They have a great mobile app so you can just quickly “share to Pocket” and the article gets saved for later review. They even have a browser plugin so when you’re come across a good article at your desk or on your laptop, you can quickly save them there.  You can find Pocket at http://getpocket.com.

But if Pocket isn’t your thing, Evernote’s web clipper can do a great job as well (though if you use Evernote for other aspects of life/business, it’s a little hard to control the clutter of constantly saving articles). And if you don’t want to learn a new tool, a simple note taking app on your phone or (gasp!) an actual notebook, work just as well.  Point being, find a tool that works for you.

So, when you are listening to the news in the morning, scrolling through Facebook or Twitter on your lunch break, etc. always be on the lookout for those magic flower articles.

What do you do once you find one? If you’re using pocket, just save it to Pocket. If not, take down the URL of the story, and then write down the first “take” you had on it. Your thoughts on where it was great or missed the mark slightly, or how it might fit into the bigger picture for your ideal clients.

Then move on, you’re all set.

Now you might be thinking, “Wait, I’m always doing this? I thought you said 20 minutes!” Well, you’re right. You need to be on guard 24/7. But the real benefit is that this takes just a few seconds as you come across great content, and it allows you to do GREAT things in just 20 minutes if you already have a starting point when you sit down each morning.

This next part is where we get into the meat and potatoes. The 20 minute social media habit.

Habits are super powerful when it comes to compounding the returns on your time investment. That’s our goal, to layer up little marketing habits that set you up for that month down the road where you’re suddenly turning away clients because you’re too busy, or thinking about hiring that associate to handle the workload.

So let’s commit to it, right now.  Let’s commit to 5 week days in a row of curating and scheduling social media each morning.  Then we’ll revisit.  Figure out what isn’t working, make tweaks and commit to another five days. Rinse. Repeat.

Here’s the 20 minute morning routine.

First 5 Minutes – (Gasp!) Original Posts

Original posts are always the hardest. But we don’t want to derail the process because we have writer’s block.  Give yourself 5 minutes to come up with an original post or two or three. But stop after 5 minutes, and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t think of anything. That’s why we have that hopper full of curated content, so you don’t always have to be on your A-game.  The juices will start to flow over time, so don’t get hung up here.

Next 10 Minutes – Queue up Curated Content

Next, dig into your treasure trove of curated content, and pick out three or four posts that you can share.  Use a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer to create posts on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn. Link to the articles, write in your “take” as the post content, and then get ready to schedule those posts.

Last 5 Minutes – Scheduling for Long Term Success

The powerful part of this plan isn’t necessarily that you’re generating social media posts every day, it’s actually that you’re going to be generating social media posts for weeks or months in the future. To the point that there will be a morning in the future where you’ll sit down and realize you already have two or three posts ready to go for the day.

So here’s how we schedule them.

First, you need to decide how “evergreen” the content is.  Once you figure out which bucket this falls into, follow the scheduling guidelines below.

Breaking News

This content is usually only good for one, maybe two days. Think – a comment on a big supreme court ruling, an announcement of a new staff member, or a comment about a the latest corporation to screw up, etc.  For these posts, we suggest scheduling the post to go out on each of your various channels today. Post once on Facebook and LinkedIn, and consider posting two or three times on Twitter.

Timely

This content is something that is useful now, and likely for the next few weeks or months.  For example, an article about this year’s trends in industry X, how a certain technology is affecting Y, etc.  For these posts, I’d schedule one post for today on each of your channels, then create posts for each channel that are 4, 14, 30, and 60 days out. Note, those numbers aren’t set in stone, but rather ball park values. The idea being to keep the posting going but at larger and larger intervals until you think the article won’t be relevant any more.

Evergreen

These are the holy grail.  They’re the articles that keep on giving, and they’re rarer than one might think. These articles are the ones that will be as useful today as they will be in five years.  For example, with attorneys, these might be articles that relate to handling common situations that ideal clients might not know about. They might be articles about how to think about a particular issue.  And sometimes they come in the form of an article so good that you couldn’t imagine someone covering the topic more completely (like, for example, a 1500 word lesson on how to do your social media in just 20 minutes 🙂

For these posts, schedule out as many as you can forever. For example, post one today, and then repeat monthly or bi monthly for the next year. Basically, for as long as you can go before your 20 minutes runs out.

Conclusion

And that’s it.  If you follow this plan for even a month, you’ll find that your social media hopper is filled out for weeks and months into the future. Your facebook page will no longer be a dormant ghost-town where we promoted that one blog post we wrote 2 years ago. Your twitter account will start to accumulate followers. You’ll start to hear the phrase “oh I saw you posted about that a few weeks ago” at random networking events from people you’ve never met before. You’ll get a referral and when you ask who it’s from, it’ll be from a person you’ve never met, and when you Google them, you’ll see that they’ve been following you for a few months on Twitter.

In short, you’ll start to see why social media can be a real benefit to your firm, and you’ll laugh at the big firms that don’t get why.
Finally, reach out to use here at AmazeLaw. Tell us how this is working for you.  Suggest tweaks. Let us know when you get that superfan client that you realize has been stalking you just a little too creepily on Facebook.

Slow Drip Is Better Than A Big Splash: Consistency Is King

Lately we have received several questions revolving around the difficulty of maintaining a consistent marketing presence without having to spend all day doing marketing instead of client work.

Most attorneys have heard the advice that they need a consistently updated marketing presence, but you’re already busy with your client cases and maintaining the business. Taking time away from the work that pays the bills to “work on marketing” is a tough ask without even considering that most of the time, it’s not always clear what needs to be updated or how often.

Here at AmazeLaw, we’re trying to take the generic guru-ish marketing advice that experts spout like gospel, and deconstruct it to teach attorneys what it really means and how they can use that advice to grow their firm.

The point of this post is to show you what consistency really means and how mastering it can benefit your business. Not only will we tell you what consistency online can do for you but we will also help you to keep up online while you keep up with your busy schedule.

What does it mean to be consistent?

What it means to be consistent varies depending on the activity, but the general goal, is that any time a prospective client stumbles upon your firm, either through your website, a facebook page, a tweet, etc, it needs to look like you’re on top of your marketing.

There are some technical reasons why this is beneficial, but let’s focus on the feels.

As a prospective client of your firm, I want to know that I’m going to be working with someone that I can relate to. Someone that’s on top of the latest trends in the area of my problem. And having marketing that’s up to date checks both of those boxes for me. And as a tip, another signal it sends, is that you’re not an overwhelmed solo. It shows a position of friendly strength. That you can afford to spend time teaching people about your craft because you’re good at what you do and you’re confident in it.

Consistency online helps to build professionalism, clarity, and trust from your viewers while also boosting your google standings. When your viewers are on your pages and you have only updated some of the content or haven’t updated in a really long time it looks as if you don’t care about the details.  As a solo the details can make or break a referral so keeping up online sends a message to your current and potential clients.  Your viewers will respond well to your commitment to be consistent online and take it as a sign that you are willing to commit to their issues and build a bond of trust.

So now you know you have to be consistent but you need to know how consistent do you need to be with each avenue that you have online. Does that mean every day? Every week? Every month? Well, it depends on the activity, so let’s break it down.

Social Media

Putting content on your social media posts can be simple and easy. An original thought everyday. Do you have more than one? Post it! Do you want to promote something more than once? Schedule it! Social media is a way to draw the attention of everyday viewers into things that you are mutually interested in. The idea behind social media is to constantly be grabbing the attention of  people online. Social should be part of your everyday morning routine. Get up, stop at Dunkin Donuts, get to the office, POST.

But it’s easy to say “Do social media every day!” That’s where most gurus stop. We put together a detailed 20-minute daily marketing plan, so check it out and commit to it for just one week.  

Blogging

Ah blogging, ranking second just behind social media for the buzzwordiest marketing advice that never gets into the details.

We’ll cover a simple plan to get you started in a few seconds, but let’s talk about what consistency means when it comes to blogging.

First off, the idea isn’t necessarily to drive a ton of traffic to your site today (though it’s possible and can be a nice side benefit), the idea is to build up your blog like a long-term savings account. And the easiest way to do that, is to make small weekly deposits. Over time your bank account (your website) will grow enough to the point that it has a large number of pages. And just like compounding interest, as a site grows and ages, it’s ability to attract more traffic increases as well.

We recommend weekly blog posts, mostly because it makes it easier to keep up with. Two weeks in between posts and you’ll get out of the groove, and blogging will remain that “activity I’ll get to later when I have lots of free time.” Twice a week can work even better, but we’re also trying to be realistic. It’s hard to set aside that much time every week.

Pick your slow day of the week if you have one. Friday is my favorite. Make a recurring weekly appointment on Friday morning (avoid the afternoon because we all know what happens to tasks relegated for Friday afternoon) to draft a blog post.

I would allocate an hour.  And all you do is spend one hour answering one common question you get from clients in the simplest terms possible. It might feel like you’re giving away your secret sauce. You’re not. The clients that take your info and try to run with it on their own, were never going to be clients anyways. The clients that look at it and say, “Whoah, she knows what she’s talking about and I really don’t have the time or the expertise to handle this on my own” are the clients you’ll love.

Alright, back to it, spend one hour answering one of your common client questions. The headline can be verbatim what clients usually ask, i.e. “How often should I update my will and what should I be looking out for?”

If you’re happy with the post after that hour, go ahead and post it you’re done. If you think it’s a bit rough, put it away and schedule 20 minutes of time on Monday to edit it.  You’ll find that having a weekend for the thoughts to settle in your head can really add to the clarity of your answers.

There’s no rocket science to blogging, and we could go into all sorts of advanced advice, but that plan will make it easy to get started, and could provide you many months of great blog posts.

Email Marketing

There aren’t many firms out there that are using email marketing to their advantage. And in an industry where you’re typically not needed until you’re really really needed, having a medium that puts you in front of prospective clients on an ongoing basis can be key to making sure that you’re top of mind when they do have the need.

We’ll be posting an epic email marketing tutorial soon that will go over all of the how’s and why’s of email marketing, but for the sake of completeness, we recommend that you’re emailing your list anywhere from once to twice a month.  More than that, and it’ll be tough to keep your newsletters stocked with great content, and any less and your list will go stale. Meaning your readers will start ignoring your emails, or perhaps even forget why they’re getting the email in the first place.

Don’t have an email list yet? Don’t worry, we’ll get to that soon. Better yet, sign up for our marketing bootcamp and you’ll get a weekly email that explains the whole process.

Consistency Is The Golden Ticket

It really is. Over time a consistent marketing approach will be out the best marketing campaigns or PPC ads, or TV commercials. So look at your schedule and see where you can add those small marketing nuggets to your daily, weekly, and monthly routine so that you never have to think about what to do next.

And if you need help, sign up for our Marketing Bootcamp,  and we’ll walk you through the basics and turn marketing your firm into a habit.

How To Build A Visual Identity For Your Law Firm

It may be unfair and hopelessly shallow, but clients will judge you based on how you look. You know to dress the part in the courtroom, but what about your website and social media presence? Does it look like you: polished, professional, and worthy of a client’s trust?

Be honest. Be brutal. Your clients will be.

A strong brand identity relies on the fine balance of cohesion, presentation, and personality.

There’s a sea of law firms out there that look either out of touch or overly generic. In fact, I’m pretty sure some of these law firms just copy and paste their entire visual identity from other brands. Yikes.

That may be okay (it’s not okay) for fly by night, side-eye worthy amateurs, but not you. You’re the best, and you’ve got to look the best, or no one else will know it, except for me and your mother.

By the end of this post, you’ll learn exactly how to create a visual identity that looks smart, savvy, and purposeful. This visual identity will make your brand more memorable and more trustworthy. Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Psst… Would you like to get 12 tools for creating a stunning visual brand? Subscribe to receive this free resource.

What message would you like to convey?

Here is the best place to start. Would you live to cultivate a friendly persona or an intellectual one? They aren’t mutually exclusive, however you’re looking for the dominant tone in your visual identity.

Perhaps it’s best to think of your ideal client. Are you in family law? Are you an entertainment attorney? Do you work primarily in real estate? Your target clientele shifts depending on what type of law you specialize in. Keeping that client in mind, you can create a brand identity that reaches and relates to them.

[Tweet “You can create a brand identity that reaches and relates to them.”]

How can a law firm that specializes in entertainment be satisfied with a dated and bland visual identity? Or, how can a firm that focuses on family law create a visual identity that’s aloof and unsympathetic?

Actually, it’s easy and a lot of brands do it unintentionally. However, it’s also easy to create a visual identity that deliberately gives off the vibe you wish to present. Let’s take a look at the components that create your visual identity.

The Components of Your Visual Identity:

Color

Color has a profound impact on us. One color can make us feel calm, another can make us feel creative. Studies show that the color called drunk tank pink can actually reduce violent and hostile behavior. There’s little doubt that color influences our psychology.

This is why you need to think about what colors to use in your visual branding. Each color affects us differently. Depending on the message you’d like to convey, use a corresponding color to subtly but effectively echo it.

Here’s a breakdown of each color and how the brain interprets it:

Green – Fresh, Organic, Natural, Eco-friendly, Gentle

Blue – Trustworthy, Secure, Peaceful, Calm, Loyal

Purple – Creative, Unique, Vibrant, Luxurious, Royal

Yellow – Friendly, Excited, Positive, Joyful, Energetic

Orange – Playful, Warm, Cheerful, Social, Confident

Red – Passionate, Bold, Strong, Dynamic, Brave

Pink – Feminine, Sweet, Compassionate, Affectionate, Caring

Brown – Reliable, Approachable, Stable, Dependable, Practical

Gray – Modern, Neutral, Conservative, Futuristic, Advanced

Black – Sophisticated, Traditional, Classic, Powerful, Elegant

White – Pure, Good, Clean, Honest, Open

You’ll probably want a combination of two or three colors to create a unique and intentional visual identity. For example, the color combinations of blue and gray say modern yet trustworthy, while brown and pink say dependable and compassionate.

Do you need help deciding which colors should represent you? Browse the most loved color palettes of all time over at ColourLovers. Pick up inspiration by the user-submitted color palettes and use it to jump-start your brand identity.

Graphics

Graphics are a huge part of visual branding. Along with color, graphics are an immediate way to communicate your brand’s unique identity. This includes images, photos, icons, infographics, and other visual elements.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you want to immediately impress your firm’s identity, personality, and tone, you need to intersperse graphical elements into your online content.

On your general website, your blog, and your social media accounts, use graphics to craft a uniquely identifiable visual brand.

When you post an image on your blog or social media accounts, make sure that it:

  • includes your brand logo. In case your image goes viral, you want to leave your calling card.
  • continues the same look and feel as the rest of your brand. Consistency is important for developing a strong visual identity.
  • supports the text if on your blog. Your image should make sense and emphasize the blog post.
  • is high quality. There’s nothing worse than a tiny image that your visitors have to squint to see.

Where to Find Images

Speaking of high quality, there’s no reason to settle for cheesy images when there’s plenty of free and amazing stock libraries on the web. Check out this list of my favorite stock images (and subscribe for even more resources).

Be sure to check the license and usage requirements. Most of these sites require no attribution, but terms can change at any moment.

Logo

Your logo is the best way to instantly impress who you are as a brand. Think of your logo as a first introduction. It can immediately convey the tone and personality of your brand before your client has an opportunity to look at your services, testimonials, or blog posts.

Because your logo represents your brand, don’t go ordinary and buy a template that every other law firm uses. To really stand out, commission an original logo from a reputable logo designer. Find designers, and their portfolios, on Dribbble or Logopond.

Fonts

Last, but not least, is your font choice. Your font says a lot about your brand identity. It can say that you’re fun and hip or serious and staid.
Font libraries like Fontspace and 1001 Fonts let you search for fonts based on the type of mood you’d like to convey. Simply type in “classic” or “modern” to find the perfect font for your brand.

Put it to Work

Now that you’ve been introduced to the four components to your visual identity, it’s time to put it to work on your blog and social media platforms. Here’s how:

Your blog

Be sure to include an image on each and every blog post you write. Not only will it provide visual interest to your post, it will subtly reiterate your brand identity.

Facebook

One in seven people on earth use Facebook. No doubt some of your clients use this popular platform. Take advantage of the cover photo as a prime opportunity to reinforce your brand message.

LinkedIn

With 300 million monthly users, LinkedIn is a powerful marketing tool. Use a professional image here to represent your brand.

Twitter

On Twitter, use the header photo as another opportunity to brand just like on Facebook.

Pinterest

Not on Pinterest? Pins last longer than Facebook posts, and can greatly expand your marketing reach. On Pinterest, use similar cover images to create a consistent visual branding.

Psst… Would you like to get 12 tools for creating a stunning visual brand? Subscribe to receive this free resource.

Final Thoughts

To create a visual identity that mirrors your brand message, remember to ask yourself what your clients need and expect from you. Once you understand what that is, use these tips to build your visual identity.

Don’t forget to download our extra set of recommended tools to help you create a winning visual brand identity for your law firm.

Choosing The Best Social Media Platform For Your Brand

Here’s a question that’ll give you a deer-in-the-headlights look: what social media platform should you focus on?

You’ve heard a little bit about Twitter, you use Facebook to keep up with your friends and family, and you watch YouTube everyday, but how can you use any of these platforms to advertise your legal services?

That’s not the only question you have about social media. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself one or more of the following:

  • Can I be on more than one platform?
  • How do I get more people to follow me on this platforms?
  • What if I don’t do it right?
  • How do I find time to post on social media when I’m already busy as it is?

If you’ve asked any of the above questions, this post is tailor-made for you. We’ll tackle all of them (and more). By the end of this post, you’ll be confident in which social media platform to choose and how to work it like a boss. Are you ready? Let’s do this!

[Tweet “Find out where your ideal client lives (online) and set up shop there.”]
Would you like an example of law-related brands that get it right on social media? Subscribe to receive this extra resource.

Here’s some totally non-creepy advice: find out where your ideal client lives (online) and set up shop there.

If you’re focused on corporate, tax, or labor law, your clients are probably on the social platform LinkedIn. LinkedIn is for professionals who are looking to hire for their companies. That’s why it would make sense to be there if your law firm services businesses and not individuals.

On the other hand, if you’re focused on individuals and not businesses, you’ll find more success on platforms like Facebook. Family law, personal injury, and bankruptcy lawyers can do well with a representation on Facebook.

We’ll go into more detail a little further down below.

Can I be on more than one platform?

Absolutely. You can be on one or five. That said, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. It takes time and effort to make posts for each platform. If your target client doesn’t exist on a specific platform, there’s no need to be there, no matter how popular that site is.

For example, if your client is all corporate all the time, there’s no need to be on a personal-leaning platform like Instagram.

How do I grow my list of fans and followers?

You’ll grow your list of people who follow you by posting valuable information and doing so consistently.

Don’t post sporadically. If you post multiple times per day every day for two weeks and then go dark for two months, you’ll lose a lot of subscribers when you decide to post again. Why? Because they’ll forget who you are and wonder why you’re posting in their feed—or they’ll just unsubscribe after your lengthy absence because they figure you’ve left for good.

Also, engagement matters. You can’t just post a bunch of self-promotion about you and your law firm. You should take the time to interact with your followers. Answer their questions, even if they’re not directed directly at you.

What if I don’t do it right?

Unless you infuse politics, religion, and too many cat pictures in your social updates, you’re going to be fine. Scratch that last part—there’s never enough cat pictures on the Internet.

bullet-cats

Image Courtesy of Know Your Meme

The most important thing to remember in your social strategy is to provide value to your fans and followers.

What does this mean for a law firm? Discuss current topics, especially those related to your area of practice. Are you an immigration attorney? Highlight human interest stories in the media that may inform or entertain your followers. Are you a labor attorney? Your audience may enjoy a series of visual infographics that illustrate (and make plain) current labor laws.

Remember: Don’t aggressively tout your services. Give as much information as you can. They’ll crave more.

How do I find time to post when I’m already busy as it is?

For just about every social media platform, there’s a scheduling service that can help you automate your posts. We’ll highlight them below.

Twitter

You have 140 characters or less to say something epic. The average Twitter user is between the ages of 18-49 with a college degree. Slightly more men are on Twitter.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Bankruptcy, Business (Corporate), Civil Rights, Criminal, Entertainment, Environmental, Family, Health, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Labor, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Tax

Why you should consider this medium:
Twitter is great for connecting with other lawyers, sharing inspiration with your followers, and providing quick bursts of useful information.

When to post: 1pm – 3pm Monday through Thursday and Sunday

post-planner

Image Courtesy of Post Planner

When not to post: 8pm – 9am everyday and Fridays after 3pm

How often: three times a day to as much as you’d like

Best practices:
+Use Buffer or Hootsuite to automatically post, even when you’re away from your computer.
+Ask questions and post polls to encourage interaction.
+Use a lot of #hashtags (around five is the sweet spot).
+Follow new people every day to grow your potential followers. Use Twitter’s “who to follow” recommendations to find more people who’ll love your content.
+Favorite retweets to show your gratitude.

Facebook

Approximately one out of every seven people on earth have a Facebook profile. That’s reason enough to create a business profile here.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Bankruptcy, Civil Rights, Criminal, Entertainment, Environmental, Family, Health, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Labor, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Tax

Why you should consider this medium:
Use Facebook to grow your community, promote events, and help explain complicated subject matter. There are a lot of people on Facebook, so it’s a good place to start no matter what type of law you practice.

When to post: 1pm – 4pm Mondays through Thursday

When not to post: 8pm – 8am or on Saturdays

optimizely

Image Courtesy of Optimizely

How often: No more than five times per day

Best practices:
+Ask questions.
+Include photos with every post to grab people’s attention.
+Upload a cover photo that shows off who you are.
+Keep your posts to 40 characters or less.

sumall

Image Courtesy of Sumall

Instagram

This visual medium appeals to the young crowd (under 30). It’s used mostly by women in urban areas.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Criminal, Entertainment, Family, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury

Why you should consider this medium:
Instagram is all about visual stimulation. Use this platform to share daily inspirational quotes, post behind-the-scenes images, and share a day in your life. You can also post graphics that illustrate a complicated law or idea.

When to post: Daily

When not to post: n/a

How often: Two times per day

Best practices:
+Hashtags are your friend. Use them to get discovered in organic search.
+Follow hashtag trends and engage in the conversation.
+Encourage user-generated content by asking your followers to post under specific themes with your personalized hashtag.
+Use captions for clarity.
+Follow those who follow you and like your posts.
+Use high quality images.
+Use services like Schedugram, Onlypult, and Latergram to schedule out your Instagram posts.

YouTube

The largest demographic on YouTube is between the ages of 25 to 44. It’s highly targeted to millennials, though.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Bankruptcy, Business (Corporate), Civil Rights, Criminal, Entertainment, Environmental, Family, Health, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Labor, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Tax

Why you should consider this medium:
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. It also serves as a wonderful discovery engine. Your client can reach you simply by typing in keywords like “bankruptcy law for Florida.” As long as you’ve added this term to your video, you’ll pop up in the search results.

When to post: Monday-Wednesday: 2pm-4pm EST

Thursday-Friday: Noon-3pm EST

Saturday-Sunday:  9am-11am EST

trackmaven

Image Courtesy of TrackMaven

When not to post:

Over the holidays (July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, end of December and beginning of January)

hypebot

Image Courtesy of Hypebot

How often: It’s more about consistency than how many per week

Best practices:
+Keep your videos under three minutes long.
+Unless your law firm is moonlighting as a sitcom, don’t include a long intro with a theme song. It’s a waste of your three minutes.
+Post on a regular schedule, whether that’s once per week or specific days each week.
+Respond to comments.
+Film your video in landscape mode, not portrait.

Pinterest

Approximately 69% of Pinterest users are women. Sorry James Brown: on Pinterest, it’s a woman’s world.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Bankruptcy, Family

Why you should consider this medium:

If most of your clients are women or families, you should definitely consider creating a profile on Pinterest. It may even be a good idea to pay for promoted pins (this is a paid ad on Pinterest).

When to post: 2pm – 4pm and 8pm – 1am

When not to post: 5pm – 7pm

How often: Five posts per day

Best practices:
+Add a thorough description on your pins (this is what they call a post on Pinterest) to make it easy for people to find you.
+Vertical images are better than horizontal.
+Use Tailwind, Viraltag, and Viralwoot to schedule your pins on Pinterest.

tailwind

Image Courtesy of Tailwind

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the social platform for professionals, most between the ages of 30-64. It’s strictly business here.

Types of lawyers who should consider this medium:
Business (Corporate), Entertainment, Intellectual Property, International, Labor, Real Estate, Tax

Why you should consider this medium:
LinkedIn is the best place to reach businesses who may need your service.

When to post: 7am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm Tuesday through Thursday

When not to post: 10pm to 6am and the weekends

coschedule

Image Courtesy of Coschedule

How often: One post per day Monday through Friday

Best practices:
+Give endorsements and get endorsements.
+Write posts on your legal discipline to increase your expert status. +Focus on writing how-to and list-based articles.
+Add photos and videos to spice up your posts.
+Join legal groups.
+Don’t include #hashtags (it’s not useful).

Overall Tips

+Interact with your audience whenever possible. Respond to comments.
+Use the 80/20 rule. Post helpful content 80% of the time, and market yourself 20% of the time.
+Only focus on the social platforms that provide you with the most engagement.
+Create a consistent visual brand on your social media platforms. Check out this post for more details on how to build a visual identity.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the perfect social media platform isn’t so hard now that you’ve got this guide to help you out. Remember that there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for your legal practice, and you may have to experiment with different platforms to see which one gives you the best results. If you need extra guidance, we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Would you like an example of law-related brands that get it right on social media? Subscribe to receive this extra resource.

The One Thing You Need To Do To Grow Your Email List

You’ve heard of email lists and how you need to build one, right? Or maybe you haven’t.

Not to worry. In today’s post, we’re going to delve right into what an email list is, why you need to build one, and how to get people to subscribe to your list.

What is an email list?

An email list is a catalog of email addresses that you’ve collected. You may collect these email addresses from your website visitors, social media followers, or the prospects who’ve stopped by your law firm to inquire about your services.

An email list should always consist of those who’ve willingly volunteered their email address. It’s never a good idea to purchase or rent email addresses, for more than one reason.

email-lists

Image Courtesy of HubSpot

Why do I need an email list?

These days, having a website isn’t enough. An estimated 500 websites are created every minute. That means that a site visitor can easily leave your website, never to return again. That’s not because they don’t want to return– maybe they’ve simply forgotten how to find you.

That’s why an email list is crucial. When a visitor loves the information on your site and signs up to receive regular emails from you, you don’t have to worry about them getting lost ever again.

Here are a few other reasons you need an email list:

It helps you stay top of mind. Your email subscribers may not need your services yet, but if you keep in contact with them on a regular basis, they’ll know where to turn when the time arises.

It provides valuable information to your email subscribers. You can educate your email subscribers and keep them in the know about things going on in your practice.

You own your email list. You may have a lot of fans and followers on social media, but at any moment, a social platform could deactivate your account and poof! goes all of your hard work. With an email list, you’ll always have access to your subscribers.

Email is better than social media. A post on a social media timeline or profile only lasts for a few moments before new posts take their place. With email, you have a permanent spot in a subscriber’s inbox until they manually delete you.

Need a step by step checklist for growing your email list? Subscribe to resource our free checklist.

How do I get people to subscribe to my email list?

To get people to subscribe to your email list, you need to present it as an option. People won’t subscribe if they don’t know about your email list. They won’t go searching for it, either.

Here’s how to get people to join your email list:

Ask them. It may seem obvious to you, but it’s not obvious to visitors. They may not notice your email list unless you tell them it’s there. Ask in your blog posts, on your website (have a permanent spot for email signups– we’ll help you with this), and on your social media pages.

Give them a reason. Sometimes, asking isn’t enough. You may also need to encourage them with a lead magnet. This lead magnet will draw subscribers in and give them an instant reward for signing up to your email list.

[Tweet “Sometimes, asking isn’t enough. You may also need to encourage them with a lead magnet. “]

Wait, what’s a lead magnet?

You’ve seen lead magnets before, but probably didn’t know them by name. A lead magnet is an incentive offered to site visitors in exchange for their email addresses.

A lead magnet should be valuable and relevant for site visitors. It’s not about stroking your ego (i.e. ‘check out why we’re so great’). It should be about helping, informing, or entertaining your audience.

We have our very own lead magnet right here on our site. By entering your first name and email address here, you’ll receive a weekly marketing plan delivered straight to your inbox.

weekly-marketing-plan

Join our weekly marketing plan here

Here are a few takeaways from our lead magnet:

It’s not smarmy. We’re not trying to trick you into joining our email list with smoke and mirrors. You know that by giving us your email address, we’re going to email you.

It’s valuable. It gives something in exchange for joining. We tell you how you’ll benefit from joining our email list (you’ll receive a free actionable plan every week).

It doesn’t ask for too much. Anytime you’re asking your site visitors for more than a name and email address, you’re scaring them away. Keep a simple form for your email signup.

How to create an amazing lead magnet

Now that we’ve gone over what a lead magnet is, it’s time to figure out how to make one that your site visitors will actually want.

First, settle on an idea for your lead magnet. As you can imagine, your lead magnet will vary depending on your area of practice and the needs of your client.

Here’s a few examples for different practice areas:

Bankruptcy – An ebook, Which Chapter of Bankruptcy is Right for Me?

Business – A guide, LLC, Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, Oh My! Which One Should You Choose?

Criminal – A guide, Is Marijuana Still Illegal? A List of States and Their Laws Concerning Marijuana

Entertainment – A video series, How Do I Know If I Need An Entertainment Lawyer?

Family – A guide, A Guide to Calculating Child Support in Your State

Immigration – An ebook, Understanding the Rules of a K-1 Visa

Intellectual Property – A guide, A Step by Step Guide to Copyrighting and Protecting Your Ideas

Labor – A printable, A Printable List of State Labor Laws

Medical – A guide, Medical Malpractice: Should You Settle or Go to Court?

Personal Injury – A checklist, What Should You Do Immediately After Getting Injured on the Job?

Second, create your lead magnet. Don’t worry– it doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be simply created and formatted with a program like Microsoft Word or Pages for Mac. If you don’t have either of those, you can create a lead magnet with the free web-based option Google Docs.

Start by creating an outline of what you’d like to talk about within your lead magnet. Don’t hold back. The more content you can add, the better. Next, type it all out and don’t edit yourself until you’re done. After you’ve written a rough draft, you can come back and edit for clarity and cohesion. Finally, add graphics to your lead magnet to spice it up and inject visual interest. Here’s a list of free stock libraries that you can check out.

Third and finally, set up an account with MailChimp, if you haven’t already. MailChimp is an email marketing service that allows you to send out your lead magnets to new subscribers automatically. Even better– AmazeLaw seamlessly integrates with MailChimp. Set up is easy, but if you have any questions, let us know.

Final Thoughts

Voilà! You’re done. A lead magnet will draw your clients in and grow your email list. You’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner.

Need a step-by-step checklist for growing your email list? Subscribe to resource our free checklist.