Jim Calloway, attorney and director of  the Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Program, and long time blogger at Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog has a new venture. Under the auspices of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Law Technology Today, Jim has started a podcast series called “The Digital Edge: Lawyers and Technology” with Sharon Nelson.

Their first podcast entitled "Electronic Marketing: Harnessing the Web’s Whizbang," runs 33 minutes and can be heard here. Some of what they discuss includes:

Electronic Marketing, generally:

  • Plan your strategy, and for audience
  • It’s a long term process, so be patient
  • Measure intake as to how clients came to firm, and ask if they went to your web site to check out firm

Web Sites:

  • Must have one
  • Content is still “king,” change often
  • Get domain name that is short, focused and reflects your name/practice (initials as in xyzlaw.com not memorable)
  • Avoid flash (search engines can’t read, too slow to load)

Search Engine Optimization:

  • Forget metatags, search engines don’t use them anymore
  • Rather, focus on domain name, title of site and headers, rich and new content, keywords
  • Caveat emptor when it comes to SEO consultants (too many “snake oil salesmen” out there)

Design:

  • Hire a professional – prices vary, but $2,000-$5000 is a good range
  • Design for your audience
  • Full contact info on home page
  • Change content frequently

Podcasts:

  • Nothing but “Internet radio”
  • Ensure new content often

Electronic Networking:

  • Listservs are good; e.g., solosez (for solos and doesn’t require ABA membership)
  • Have electronic version of 15-20 second elevator speech to send upon request
  • Remember clients’, friends’ special occasions

E-mails

  • Avoid spam (if no business relationship, bad idea)
  • Never send e-mail when angry
  • Always include signature and contact information
  • Self promotion (even at bottom or in signature) is bad idea

Electronic Ads

  • Banner ads are “worthless”
  • Many directories are not worth money, even big name directories “haven’t really paid off”
  • Make sure you cap dollar levels for Google ads ($ can get away from you)

There is more, so give it a listen