Of all the offerings from internet giant Google, a robust Google My Business account should be one of the first goals for any company or law firm that wants to make sure they can be found online by the right audience, advises Bruce Vincent of Muse Communications.

In the post on the Muse website, Vincent explains that the information provided on a Google My Business listing is used by Google along with other online information to create the “knowledge panel” that appears on the right side of a Google search results page when you search for a business name.

He explains how to set up the account in Google and how to update and monitor the account.

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Smart lawyers find ways to get multiple uses out of their best marketing efforts by recycling their content in a variety of other formats, writes Amy Boardman Hunt for Muse Communications.

“Recycling your best content – particularly ‘evergreen’ content that’s not tied to a breaking news story, such as a court ruling or current event – can save you time and effort and give you valuable material that you can use for months or even years,” she explains.

She gives examples of ways to turn existing content into multiple formats and how to produce content that has lasting value.

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For marketing a law practice with email campaigns, a well-maintained email distribution list could mean the difference between engaging or alienating your audience, writes Christina DiPinto of Muse Communications.

“Creating a strong distribution list requires a large investment of time at the front-end,” she explains. “But if you take the steps to create an organized list, it will allow you to get more creative and intentional with your email marketing. Plus, it shows your audience that you’re taking the time to send content that is meaningful to them.”

In her post, she offers some tricks of the trade, and a brief warning.

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Having a robust LinkedIn profile is critical to anybody who wants to improve their online presence, but  a LinkedIn profile is fairly static, however, only changing when there’s a new job or award, etc.

Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications points out that publishing an article – quarterly, monthly, or even weekly – is a solid way to keep your profile updated and maintain your presence on LinkedIn.

After explaining the difference between a LinkedIn article and a post, Hunt gives some pointers on how to write an article.

The post covers how to select subjects for articles, how long they should be, writing headlines, avoiding jargon or legalese, formatting, sharing the content beyond LinkedIn, and then checking on LindedIn analytics.

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Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications, writing in the company’s blog, provides an overview of search engine optimization, or SEO, as it relates to the marketing of law firms.

She turned to Sarah Hadden of Words and Pictures Marketing for some expert advice.

Hadden answers questions such as: How does SEO work? What common SEO mistakes do you see people make? What’s your favorite piece of SEO advice? How do SEO concepts apply to clients who get their business through referrals, rather than organic searches? What are your favorite SEO tools? If content is so important, what’s the game plan for making sure it does the job? And, Why is SEO expensive?

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Some legal rankings and guides truly do a good job of identifying top-rate attorneys in various areas of practice, but others are simply brazen attempts to capitalize on a lawyer’s vanity in exchange for a fee, warns Bruce Vincent of Muse Communications.

“Knowing the difference between a reputable listing and one that holds no real meaning or value is key for effective marketing,” he writes. “Imagine spending money and time to promote your selection to a ‘best’ list only to find out that the other lawyers on the list have no business being there based on their level of experience or expertise.”

He explains the importance of learning how to spread the word about earning a spot on a top-lawyer list, because there is little chance that your honor will get noticed by your most important audiences. Then he offers suggestions on how to get real benefit from the honor.

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In a post on the website of Muse Communications, Amy Boardman Hunt points out that many law firms make little, if any, use of one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to stay in touch with clients, prospective clients and referral sources: email.

“When done well, consistent email communications with a firm’s existing network can help raise the firm’s stature and reputation as thought leaders, showcase their successes on behalf of clients, and generally stay top-of-mind with the people most likely to send them work,” she writes.

The article discusses what should be included in a newsletter, who should receive it, how to send it out, how often to send it, how to grow your list, and what kind of results to expect.

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A host of online tools are available to keep law firm marketing projects organized, automate social media posts and newsletters, and just generally make life easier and more productive, advises Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications.

“If you’re looking to juice up your online presence, these tools can help save time and create a clean, professional look in all your marketing efforts. And best of all, they’re all free or very inexpensive, meaning you can easily fit them into your marketing budget,” she writes.

Some of those tools include spreadsheets, email service providers, social media management, project management, and photo sources.

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The rules governing legal advertising for Texas attorneys and law firms are scheduled for some significant changes in the coming months, writes Bruce Vincent of Muse Communications in an online summary of the revised advertising rules to help legal professionals prepare.

In his post, he discusses the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct rules governing lawyer advertising that are up for revision and the substantive differences compared to the status quo, including rules on trade names, verdict amounts and specialization, prohibited solicitations, submissions to ad review, and exempt communications.

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Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications has some advice for lawyers: If you want to promote your legal practice, think like an editor and publisher.

“By this, I mean think about your business objective (as a publisher would do) and then come up with a concrete schedule of content that helps you meet those objectives,” she explains in a post on the Muse website.

She points out that a daily newspaper isn’t just filled with breaking news about fires and car chases. It’s filled with analysis, untold stories, trend pieces, and intimidating household maintenance checklists. She follows with some examples of how lawyers and law firms can use their blogs, social media and newsletters for effective marketing.

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Promoting a legal case requires a different set of skills and tactics compared to defending a client in the court of public opinion, writes Bruce Vincent of Muse Communications. His blog post focuses on cases that lawyers and their clients want reported, rather than those that should remain below the media’s radar.

First, he advises, ask: “Is my case media-friendly?”

“Being honest with yourself and your client on the front end is crucial. No one wants to waste time or money promoting a story that honestly has little chance of generating positive coverage,” Vincent explains.

He also gives advice on thinking like a reporter and acting like a news producer.

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Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications offers some advice in a new post on how to combine “helping organizations I care about” with marketing and business development.

“Whatever your favorite cause is – whether it’s sports, politics, animals, social issues, children’s issues, or the arts – there are countless ways to indulge that passion while building your professional network,” she writes.

She provides some real-world examples of lawyers who have found impressive ways to combine their personal passions with business development.

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LinkedIn is the least popular of all the big social media channels, but it’s still considered a must for companies looking for business and individuals looking for work, writes Amy Boardman Hunt for Muse Communications.

She explains that “it’s one of the first places employers, recruiters and prospective clients go to vet potential hires. So if you’re interested in beefing up your firm’s or your personal online presence, LinkedIn is what we in the marketing business call low-hanging fruit.”

The article covers some of the best practices for using LinkedIn, including: using a professional photo, how to write a headline and a summary, making full use of various profile sections, using links to your articles and blog posts, keeping the profile updated, using recommendations, and sharing articles and updates.

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Unless your name is on the door or you’re already a major rainmaker, it’s a safe bet that your law firm’s marketing team isn’t spending much time helping you achieve your personal marketing goals, writes Amy Boardman Hunt in a post for Muse Communications.

She offers some advice for any attorney who is looking to take their marketing matters into their own hands.

Her post covers such issues as how to get clients, using content marking, building a contact list for your professional network, keeping your online presence up to date, and checking on your other online profiles.

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The annual holiday advertising blitz soon will begin signaling the year’s end, but lawyers and their firms still have plenty of time to lay the groundwork for effective legal marketing as we head into 2019, writes Bruce Vincent for Muse Communications.

He offers some recommendations, focusing on a few deadlines and easy-to-employ tactics prior to the New Year that can be used to market individual attorneys and firms.

First, now is the time to start working toward nominations for the “best of” and “best lawyers” lists, Vincent suggests. This also is a good time either to start or update a firm’s social media presence. And the end of the year is the time to send holiday-appropriate greetings to clients and potential clients.

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The central question, “What should I blog about?,” is enough to keep many people from launching a blog, let alone embarking on a more comprehensive content marketing program, points out Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications.

An hour or so of brainstorming probably can generate a dozen solid ideas that can populate your firm’s blog for months, she suggests. Add to that the occasional firm news, “best lawyer” listing, etc., and you’ve got a vibrant legal blog.

In her article, she discusses some legal blogger writing prompts to get the blogger thinking about good post content, and concludes with some common-sense advice.

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Some lawyers and law firms dismiss social media in terms of marketing, but it can be a difference maker if you know where to be online and what to do once you get there, advises Bruce Vincent of Muse Communications.

Once you’ve embraced the notion of devoting some thought and effort to social media marketing, it’s time to determine where the people you want to reach can be found online, and that requires identifying your social media audience.

The article also offers some advice on what lawyers should say online, and the importance of staying the course on social media.

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Although the main purpose of a law firm newsletter should be substantive legal information, it also provides a good opportunity to include more than just blog posts, writes Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications.

“Think of your newsletter as your firm’s hometown newspaper, and let people know about the interesting stories, people, and events that make your firm unique,” she suggest in a blog post on the Muse website. “Don’t go overboard, of course. The main focus should be legal updates, but feel free to add one or two items that veer outside those confines.”

She offers suggestions for additional content to include, such as client case studies, client victories, practice area promotions, recent publications or media appearances.

“An email newsletter isn’t simply an electronic communication. It’s a chance to deepen your and your firm’s connection with your network. Use that opportunity to its fullest,” she writes.

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The most marketing-adept lawyers find ways to get multiple uses out of informative content — such as CLE presentations, blog posts and media interviews — by recycling their content in a variety of other formats, writes Amy Boardman Hunt for Muse Communications.

In the article, she discusses two ways to recycle content.

Then she offers some real-world examples of great recycling, including, for example, an insurance coverage lawyer who republished  a CLE program on insurance changes as a white paper and a blog post. Another example is a jury consultant who co-wrote an article for a legal publication and aimed at general counsel. The consultant then posted a reprint of the article on her site, excerpted the article on her blog, promoted it on social media and in her firm’s e-newsletter.

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Winning recognition in such listings as The Best Lawyers in America presents a prime marketing opportunity that can go far beyond what many lawyers realize, writes Bruce Vincent for Muse Communications.

In his article, Vincent goes into detail about the six steps lawyers can use to amplify and prolong the good news.

Those steps are: First-level marketing, notify your clients, alert industry publications, issue a press release, get social, and everything else.

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