LawyerCasting

Digital Document Delivery for Law Firms (a/k/a Avoiding Email Attachments)

Often, when distributing an email announcement to a large number of clients and other contacts, a law firm would like to include a document (e.g., PDF, Powerpoint) with the email. For example, if the email is an alert, the firm may want to include a PDF version of the full alert. Or if the email is an invitation, the firm may want to include a copy of Powerpoint slides.

The absolute worst way to deliver digital documents to multiple clients simultaneously is as an email attachment. Distributing large attachments to a sizeable distribution list will tie up the law firm's mail server. Large email attachments also greatly increase the chance of the emails getting filtered or blocked. Many clients are also fearful of downloading large attachments due to viruses (unless they were alerted in advance to expect to receive it).

Instead, if a firm wants to distribute documents with a mass email, the "best practice" is to include a URL link to the document within the email that recipients can click to access the file.

One option to create a permanent URL for a document is to host the document on the law firm's website, and then insert the URL for the document into the email. If the document is a small HTML file, then this solution is fine. However, if the document is, say, a large PDF file, then heavy demand for the file generated by the email may degrade the performance of the website.

As an alternative, many email service providers (including eLawMarketing) offer "document libraries" to which clients can upload a file and generate a permanent URL where the file will be hosted. The URL can then be used to create a link to the file within an email (such services are designed to handle peak demand for the file shortly after the email is distributed).

Tracking Internet Usage: The Pew Internet & American Life Project

The Pew Internet & American Life Project website produces reports that explore the impact of the internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source on the evolution of the internet through collection and analysis of data concerning Internet usage in different contexts.

We encourage readers to browse the reports on the site - you may find some interesting statistics or trends to build support for an online marketing initiative you've been recommending at your law firm.

The Growing Podcast Audience Numbers and What They Mean for Law Firms

A recent study published by eMarketer estimates that, in 2007, the number of individuals in the United States who ever downloaded a podcast reached 18.5 million, while the number individuals who download and listen to an average of one or more podcasts per week reached 6.5 million. eMarketer further estimated that by the end of 2008, these numbers will increase to 28 million and 10 million, respectively, while by 2012, they will rise to 65 million and 25 million.

While the eMarketer study doesn't break out the numbers by adults versus youths, a 2005 Pew Internet & American Life Project national phone survey (PDF) found that more than 22 million American adults (defined as 18 or over) own iPods or MP3 players, and 29% of them (i.e., over 6 million) had downloaded podcasts from the Web so that they could listen to them later at a time of their choosing.

eMarketer cites the following factors driving the growth of the podcast audience:

• Greater ease of consumption for podcast content
• Growing awareness of podcasting
• Terrestrial radio’s use and promotion of podcasting
• Increased penetration of portable players
• The evolution of smart phones and proliferation of affordable mobile data plans

Click here for further details on the eMarketer report.

What this trend means for law firms is that it may be time to start considering podcasting as a marketing tool. While the podcast audience may be somewhat younger now, current podcast consumers will, over time, eventually rise to positions of greater responsibility at the companies that law firms serve. Now would be the time for a firm to begin rolling out podcasts and building a "tech-savvy" image -- before everyone else is doing it.

For law firms interested in podcasting, please see our earlier post "Law Firm Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts."

Helpful SEO Website for Lawyers and Legal Marketers

For lawyers and legal marketers trying to keep up with the latest search engine trends and tools, Search Engine Watch is a great resource. Information is provided in an easy-to-read format.

Boost Response Rates With Value-Oriented Submit Button Copy for Forms

Every form on the web ends with a "Submit" button that users must click to submit the information they filled out in the form. For most companies, this button says "Submit" - makes sense, no? That's what you want the visitor to do.

However, tests show that changing the "Submit" button copy to something more engaging and value-oriented than just "Submit" can generate stronger results. According to MarketingSherpa, with just about every "button test" they've reported on, the winning copy was not the word "submit."

Instead, it was copy that either reinforced the value to the user from submitting the form, or encouraged the action you want the visitor to take. Copy like: "Get Free White Paper" or "Subscribe Now." In one study on MarketingSherpa, a brokerage copy got far better results from a button that said "Get your FREE Listings" at the bottom of their form, instead of just "submit." (subscription required to access report).

On eLawMarketing's "Contact Us" page, we use the following "submit button" copy: Contact Me.

In sum, start paying attention to your "submit" button copy.

P.S. - further reinforcing the importance of keeping your registration forms short to maximize response rate, in another MarketingSherpa case study, a company tested two versions of a form. The short version asked for contact information and one single non-required additional question. The longer version asked for contact information plus three not required questions. The short form won hands down, garnering a 74.6% conversion rate (prospects who visited the landing page and completed the form), compared to only 50% from the longer form.

So prune those forms!