Email Marketing for Small Law Firms
When you first think about email marketing for small law firms, you might shudder and think about spam. Yet, done correctly, email marketing for small law firms (or even solo practitioners, boutique law firms, and even large firms) can greatly increase your business and provide the highest return on investment (ROI) out of any type of marketing campaign. So, how can you make email marketing work for your small law firm?
Newsletter VS Targeted Emails
First of all, there are two different kinds of email marketing campaigns for small law firms out there. The first type, the newsletter, is sent to everyone that your firm has permission to contact. The second type, targeted email, is sent to a specific group of people that the message relates to. Both are important and have their uses, but are extremely different.
The Newsletter
Email newsletters, which are sent to everyone you have permission to contact, are designed to keep your firm in the minds of your clients and prospects. The messages are simply to keep in touch with your general email subscription base, but should be written with the audience in mind. Readers don’t want to know about the big case you just won, or a new addition to the firm. These messages can go at the end of the email. The hook and body of the message, however, should be something that is of interest to the audience. Examples include mentioning some of your lesser-known services, or providing a professional commentary on a relevant news story. The more of an add-value message the email is, the more likely it is that someone will actually open and read the email.
Targeted Emails
The second type of email marketing campaigns is the targeted email. These campaigns are targeted directly at people who have shown an interest in a particular topic or service. The purpose of these is to build trust with prospective clients. With this type of email, you want to show that you can provide relevant tips and legal services for their needs.
Email Marketing for Small Law Firms on a Budget
It is relatively easy to implement an email marketing campaign, even on a tight budget. You already have the email addresses of current, former, and perspective clients, and people will gladly submit their email addresses in return for the legal tips that your newsletter will provide. Unfortunately, many small law firms mean to start and maintain a regular email campaign, but get caught up in work and forget. If you find yourself forgetting to send out regular newsletters and emails, consider hiring a service to handle your email campaign for you. Most services are inexpensive and will work with you to brainstorm and generate content. These services offer you as much or as little control over the campaign as you desire.
Email Marketing Options for Small Law Firms
Here is a list of our favorite and easiest to use websites that help you send newsletters and targeted email campaigns within minutes. Choose from a list of pre-made templates, or create your own! Our favorite option is MailChimp.com since we love how easy and quick it is to get started.
Lastly, before doing ANY sort of email marketing – we always advise checking with your local state and federal laws to ensure you are doing email marketing correctly (and if you’re even allowed to at all). It’s always best to get your customer’s written permission beforehand and ALWAYS observe the cardinal rule – include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email (this is usually mandatory with most email campaign websites anyhow).
These tips should let your small law firm start and maintain regular email marketing newsletters. If you have any more tips for email marketing for small law firms, feel free to leave a comment below.
