New Years Resolutions for Lawyers: Business As Usual? Certainly Not

 Posted on December 30,2013 in OVC Lawyer Marketing

Business plans are an essential for any legal startup. But, once up and running, is the original plan revisited or adapted on an annual basis? Give it some thought. Things change, especially in regard to how you or your firm may acquire new clients via a long-range marketing plan.

With 2013 coming to a close, this would be the opportune time to dust off the marketing plan and make some changes. This is especially important when it comes to increasing your exposure through social media. Before stopping by the marketing department, try a few of these tips.

I Will Maintain My Online Presence. – Google your name. Admit it, we have all done this. Take a moment to objectively assess what pops up. This would be the perfect time for you to add a few relevant blogs to increase visibility through the use of social media components featuring LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook or Twitter.

Reputation management is a new marketing technique some companies offer. You can collect client reviews and have them posted on major business directories such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, Citysearch, Judy’s Book, and more. This helps your business appear on multiple websites, thus strengthening your presence in search engine listings.

I Will Make Sure My Biography is Current. – You may be unintentionally excluding a year's worth of accomplishments. Clients who see you championing new areas of interest can increase professional visibility and drive new business. Remember to update your bio on all social media sites.

This can include updating your picture online. Your headshot should be your most current photo. Clients may be a little taken back when showing up at the initial meeting to find someone whose aged 10 years from the time they left your website and entered your office. Try not to give them false impressions.

I Will Review My Website. - Look at your website. Does it broadcast last year's news? Your website may be the first stop shop for prospective clients. Make plans to update by adding relevant and timely blogs or post a comment on a colleague’s blog and start a game of reciprocal tag. Inbound and outbound linking from one website to another can aid in boosting search engine rankings.

Your website also might not include the most recent Search Engine Optimization techniques. With search engine big shots constantly adjusting their algorithms, your website may be out of date. Improve your website by including the most recently searched geographic terms for your practice areas, and your rankings may improve. You can monitor the traffic to your website with tools like Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools.

These are just a few simple and quick year end tasks that could bring impressive results. New methods of integrating social media and making upgrades should make their way to the top of your 2014 “to do” list.

If you are planning on meeting with an online marketing company for lawyers as part of your New Year's marketing resolution, research your options. Ensure a prospective company specializes in the legal industry and is dedicated to expanding your online presence. OVC, INC. can help you make your law firm prosperous through the upcoming year and beyond.

About the Author: Greg Wildman is the President of OVC, INC. Since 1999, Greg has developed hundreds of websites for attorneys from his company's inception as Online Video Concepts, LLC to the modern era's OVC, INC. Greg's knowledge of law firm marketing has helped many law firms establish online presences through custom website development, Search Engine Optimization, legal directory partnerships, social media marketing, content writing and more.