MacLean Family Law - Social Media for Lawyers

MacLean Family Law Group Strategy:

– Position ourselves as a niche firm in medium to high net worth family law practice

– Rebrand to move upscale and get away from commoditization of family law fees ending up with repositioning in market place and identity change that won LMA best of show 2003

– http://www.fishmanmarketing.com/?t=26&PR=47

Winner: 2003 LMA Best of Show "Most Innovative" Award

Benefits of opening a branch in a small town

Be a big fish in a small pond

• Keep an open mind and don’t let your ego block you from taking risks and thinking outside the box

• We decided to accept files from a small North Eastern BC boom town called Fort St John BC and discovered more millionaires there per capita than Vancouver

• We built a brand new office with no real competition – booming fees within days of opening

2006

• Family Law clients have long been price sensitive and are clamouring to speed the process and reduce costs and we face competition from:

• Do it yourself kits and unbundled legal services• Mediation/Collaborative Law• New family law settlement franchise companies• Who knows but I suspect the next killer iPhone App for $9.99 will be called BC EASY FAMILY SPLIT UP!

It is clear that change is upon us and we need to embrace it and swim with the current, not perish by swimming against it

What works & what does not work?

• What are the Pros and Cons of fixed fee and alternative fee arrangements for litigation boutiques?

• Do individual clients as opposed to large companies really want a fixed fee or alternative fee arrangement?

• Disincentives to prompt settlement from fixed fee arrangements

• Shepherd Law Group in Boston USA• http://www.clientrevolution.com/ • http://www.clientrevolution.com/2009/08/how-do-you-set-your-prices.ht

ml

• http://www.shepherdlawgroup.com/approach.php

• Valorem Law Group and Founding Partner Patrick Lamb-9 man firm- business litigation• http://www.valoremlaw.com/• http://www.valoremlaw.com/what/value-line-adjustment.html • http://www.patrickjlamb.com/archives/cat-hourly-rates-and-alternatives.

html

How can fixed fee and litigation budgeting work for a small boutique litigation firm? Examples:

• Traverse Legal-Internet and IP law 6 man firm• http://www.traverselegal.com/about/ • http://greatestamericanlawyer.typepad.com/greatest_american_lawyer/v

aluebased_billing/

• Chinn and Associates 3 man divorce law firm• http://www.chinnandassociates.com/value.html

• Rosen Law Firm• http://www.rosen.com/• http://www.rosen.com/feecalculator/

• Illinois Divorce-unbundled services• http://www.illinoisdivorce.com/

• Cut marketing costs and broaden reach by being in vanguard of social media

• Use social media and video including BC Family Law TV to extend reach and position as the go to BC family law firm

• Be the first to build an online network through social media– Facebook business page, Twitter profile, LinkedIn profile, Flickr etc…

• Leverage social media marketing to build your brand – Build a “family law” minded community surrounding your brand– Reach out to your community of potential customers– Follow like minded individuals on social networks & learn from them (LinkedIn)

2009 Time to refresh & leverage social media

Reach out to your networks for answers!

For example: Fixed fee & Litigation budgeting

• Advertise • Facebook Cost Per Click• Google (Adwords)

• Build supporting content and organic search rankings• Website• Blog• Twitter

• Distribute and share content• RSS Feeds• Twitter• Facebook business page

Announcing a new business initiative

Advancing your reputation as the “go to firm” for high end family law• Interact with your social media community

– Provide feedback to comments and questions on Facebook– Engage with other like minded individuals on Twitter

• Find out what your competitors are saying online & induce your brand and expertise into their conversations

– Reply to their Twitter feeds– Comment on their blogs

• Twitter: @bcfamilylaw• Blog: http://www.bcfamilylaw.ca/resources/blog/• Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcfamilylaw/• Website: www.bcfamilylaw.ca• Email: lorne@bcfamilylaw.ca• Facebook Business Page : BC Family Law - MacLean Family

Law Group

Thank you!

What is Social Media Marketing?Slides 9-12

What did we do?MacLean Family Law Case StudySlides 13-25

Supporting Material

Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.

But that doesn’t quite do it…

What is Social Media?

Social Media allows people to engage, participate, and share their ideas online

Social Media is:

• open• decentralized• real time• impact• transparent• measurable

• 346,000,000number of people globally who read blogs

• 700,000,000number of photos added to Facebook monthly

• 273.1 minutes time on average spent watching online video each month

• 55% internet users who have uploaded and shared photos

• 57% internet users who have joined a social network

• 93% Americans online expect companies to have a social media presence

Social media has reach!

• Low-cost

• Increase Profitability

• Community/ Supporters

• Primary + Secondary Traffic

• Better Search Engine Rankings

Benefits

What we did?

What did we do?

New Site

New Blog

New Twitter Account

New Facebook Business Page + Facebook Advertising

New LinkedIn Profile Page + LinkedIn Advertising

New Yelp Business Listing

Measuring Success

Measuring Success

Measuring Success – Facebook + Demographics

Measuring Success – Facebook + Community Interaction

Twitter – Growing Followers

Take Away

The social Internet is a major opportunity for brands,

advertisers and marketers - it allows for a much more positive

relationship with consumers / potential customers

3 themes must be embraced for a SMM campaign to succeed:

CREATIVITY INTERACTION PARTICIPATION

Online Marketing and Social Media Marketing for MacLean Family Law

Group by 6S Marketing Inc.

http://www.6smarketing.com

Lyn WilsonManager, Client Services

6S Marketing Inc.phone. 604.282.7605

lyn@6smarketing.com