Gerry had his “Aha” moment, he says in his LawyersVideoStudio blog, about two years ago. He was working on a series of educational videos for his legal practice to educate and help viewers understand how New York personal injury and medical malpractice lawsuits work. A friend asked him whether he was a marketer, and up until that point, his answer was a definite “No.”

Gerry viewed himself as a medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney, not a marketer. He thought a marketer is businessman trying to make a sale, someone who wants you to part with your hard earned money. He thought “A marketer is sleazy.”  What he was trying to do with his videos was to inform and educate the public. It was at that moment he realized for the very first time that what he was actually doing was in fact marketing!

Gerry says “It took me a few months to come to grips that I AM a marketer of my legal services. I may be a lawyer who helps injured victims obtain compensation, but in order for the world around me to know that I am here and available, I must be able to TELL THE WORLD what I do and how I’m different from all the other people who market themselves. That’s marketing.”

Gerry now considers himself a “marketing maven.” He admits he loves to read about marketing and learns from smarter “Been there and done it” marketers. Gerry says if you’re a lawyer, you can’t get any better than learning from Ben Glass, a fellow trial lawyer from Fairfax Virginia. In Gerry’s opinion, Ben has changed/transformed the way lawyers market themselves to the general public. Gerry also thinks Ben empowers attorneys to be ethical, different, and “live life big while carving out a family life for themselves. His marketing system, Great Legal Marketing is a genius breakthrough. If you haven’t been to one of his seminars, you shouldn’t walk there, you should run there.”

Gerry is now proud to say that he’s a marketer of legal services. His educational videos are viewed around the country and even in different parts of the world. He is also proud of the fact that that he receives phone calls from people thanking him for providing helpful and useful information that no one else gives. Gerry knows how video works. It helps show he is different from other attorneys and lets his viewers get to know him and start to trust him before he ever meets them in person.

Gerry says “The sooner you realize that you are a marketer, the sooner you can transform your good video into great video.”

Learn more about Gerry here Lawyers’ Video Studio or see how he has marketed his legal services via his website Oginski-Law.com. Any questions, give him a call at 516-487-8207 or contact him by email at Gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com.

Hey Cindy, we talked a few times about law firm marketing, attorney websites, SEO, content marketing and much more. I know you worked for Findlaw – how do you help lawyers with their Internet marketing now?

I worked for Thomson/Westlaw as an SAR and Sales Representative from 1999-2001 until Findlaw began in 2001. My title was a Senior Client Consultant. It will soon be two years, since I decided to strike out on my own. Currently, I  do website Marketing for Lawyers and other industries specializing in Internet Marketing. I work together with a team of professional writers and designers to develop websites for law firm as well as other businesses.  

In your opinion what are the biggest mistakes lawyers make with their Internet marketing?

In my opinion, the biggest mistakes lawyers make is not taking the time to get involved with their own marketing. When you decide to create a website, you need to understand that a website is just a collection of photographs and words sitting on a platform and is useless unless you Market it. 

Creating a website takes time and requires special skills. You need a good content writer that understands the law, knows how to do their research of the law and understands how to write for the search engines. You need to pay money for this. You need to allocate funds to create a Website which is a representation of your firm, something that you are proud of then let the world know you are out there by Marketing it. If you just create a website and have it sit out there, don’t expect much return, it’s not going to happen.

Why? Because all the other attorneys are marketing themselves and your not!

What are the some of the best ways solo and small law firms can tap their local markets via the Internet, in your opinion? 

You must have a profile on LinkedIn, Why? LinkedIn is a huge portal with thousands of links which will help your website in organic searches by creating inbound links to your website.  

Local business directories, blogs, local Google maps, Yahoo maps, Bing, Chamber of Commerce, these are all free and you need to take advantage of them.  If you choose to create a profile on Facebook, just make sure you are comfortable with the information you are sharing with the world because the entire internet world is watching and reading.

You’re located in Long Island. Do you work with lawyers in NYC and in and around New York City as well?  

Yes!  ’HAVE CAR WILL TRAVEL!’

Feel free to contact  Cindy if you need an experienced and skilled Law Firm Internet Marketing Consultant at 631 765-8098. 

Web Perseverance, Inc.
Business:   (631) 765-8098
Mobile:    (631) 871-9227
Fax:          (631) 693-3200

Is there a more fundamental – and universal – marketing tactic than networking? Networking – at its most basic, the act of meeting new people in a business or social context – is at the heart of all other marketing activities as well. Even better, networking allows for endless variation and personalization. Each individual can network in the way that best suits his or her personality, practice and position.

Networking is cheap and easy, requires no equipment or tools (although a business card is certainly helpful), and does not even have to cost anything.

It requires simply a willingness to put yourself out there.

The explosion of social media – Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter being most prominent among them – allows you to reach out to virtually anyone you have ever met, reconnect and stay connected.

One of the biggest benefits of social media sites is they allow you to take it to the next level. By networking with people you know, however slightly, you can “meet” all of your contacts’ contacts and, by extension, your contacts’ contacts’ contacts. Six degrees of separation, indeed.

Professional networking can help you

• find the opportunities to meet the kinds of people who could become your clients or referral sources.
• establish a mutually beneficial relationship with other business people

What are easy ways to network and build professional relationships?

• Attend seminars, social gatherings and other events that professionals will attend
• Use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to build your professional network contacts exponentially

If your practice lends itself to referrals from other attorneys, attend events that attract lawyers. If hanging around with other lawyers does your professional development no good, stay away from bar functions and go where business people hang out.

With networking, the emphasis should be on the quality of contacts you make, not on how many people you meet. The idea is to make a good first impression and a lasting impression.

Networking is not just meeting people. Effective networkers have a plan for getting to know people, and they recognize that the first meeting is just the start of building the relationship.

Which attorneys are the best networkers? You might guess the natural salesmen, those with the gift of gab, the ones who never fail to get off even the shortest flight without a fistful of business cards. These are the people who have the easiest time making contacts.

But I vote for good listeners as the most effective networkers. The reality is that many lawyers are not good listeners. They have a lot to say, but do not take the time to say to their partner in conversation – “Tell me about yourself” – and mean it.

To get started, decide what you’re trying to accomplish through networking, find appropriate venues and get out there. Know what you want to say about yourself, but be ready to get to know the people you are meeting.

About the Author
Alan Levine has over 20 years experience working with attorneys and law firms of all sizes throughout the U.S. and abroad to develop and implement effective marketing strategies.
There are specific skills and techniques that work with marketing for law firms. He can help you use them to your advantage, so your firm can get — and stay — ahead.

As your marketing consultant, Alan can help you develop strategies that fit your practice and your style.

Law firm marketing consultant Alan Levine can be reached at 973.477.9155
LevineMarketingSolutions.com

Helping attorneys and law firms in New York and New Jersey (large and small)