There is nothing new or sexy about a law firm newsletter, but don’t let that distract you from the real benefit a newsletter delivers: keeping you in front of your clients and prospects every month.
Too often, marketers get distracted by the latest shiny object and neglect the tried-and-true. Email still remains the most trusted form of communication, and is also one of the most cost effective ways to market your law firm. One of the greatest values of a newsletter is that it allows you to strengthen your relationship with your entire network simultaneously. This cannot replace personal interactions, but will certainly help keep you top-of-mind.
By sharing pertinent information with your network of contacts, you will ensure that you are at the forefront when it comes to any type of legal challenge they may encounter. The more valuable and relevant you make the information, the more positively they will think of you and your firm. By giving them information that is relevant to their legal needs or industry, they will see you as a constant asset to them. It is a long road of small interactions, but by focusing on creating a solid relationship with your network, your firm will benefit in the end.
To create a successful law firm newsletter, be sure you keep these 5 elements in mind:
- Permission
Don’t send your newsletter to anyone unless they have asked to be on your mailing list. Sure, it’s tempting to add email addresses from purchased lists or people who you think might be interested, but it’s not a good idea. Keep in mind that old saying: “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” Adding people to your newsletter list without their permission simply annoys them and is a waste or your time and resources.
- Relevant
I’m sorry to break it to you, but no one cares about the award you received unless they are related to you. Your law firm newsletter is NOT about your law firm! It’s about your readers — the problems they are facing and what they need to know to make their lives/businesses function better. Unless your content is relevant to the person receiving it, it will be ignored. If you have a blog, look at your analytics and see what topics are resonating with readers. Then use that information to create content that will interest your newsletter readers.
- Brief
No one is going to read your 6-page newsletter. It’s just too much. Keep it to one or two articles with a snappy headline for each, a couple of sentences to let us know what it’s about, and then a link that takes us to your website or blog if we want to read the whole thing.
- Customized
If you have more than one practice area, you absolutely must segment your list and customize newsletters for each practice area. I know it’s tempting to try to cross-sell services, but resist the temptation for the good of your readership.
- Focused
Don’t send something just to send something. Your content must focus on your practice area and reflect what you do. Don’t add superfluous content like recipes or crazy cat pictures in an attempt to entertain. Your readers can always find plenty of that stuff on social media.
We can show you a way to get your monthly newsletter done in just 45 minutes a month — click below for details.
