Blog Posts in the 'Internet Marketing Success Story' Category

There’s no highfalutin talk coming from attorney Robert Kraft. He’s a self-proclaimed “slow talking, small town, country lawyer.” Although he practices in Dallas, which is not a small town, his mannerisms do resemble those of a country lawyers’. His use of truth in marketing has helped him to grow into a firm with 3 other attorneys and a total of 17 employees.

The tag line his firm has adopted, “You’ll find we’re easy to talk to” can be extended to include “easy to listen to.” Kraft’s articles are all geared towards his target market. One of his blogs, pissd.com, stands for Personal Injury, Social Security Disability. He says, “The title of this blog reflects my attitude toward those government agencies and insurance companies that routinely mistreat injured or disabled people.” In making such a statement, he positions himself as an advocate for the little people. An example of a post on pissd.com is Cell Phone Use in School Zones Still OK in One North Texas City. It talks about how cell phones in school zones have not yet been banned in Garland because of inaction on the part of the city government. The post is consistent with Kraft’s style which is to communicate clearly and to springboard off current events and news.

Prior to blogging Robert published articles and brochures on his website, kraftlaw.com. The articles include information about auto collisions, bankruptcy, and medical malpractice. It is Kraft’s intention to educate consumers through his content, which he disseminates through Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. He writes about things that are important to him, and views the resulting business as a bonus.

In addition to articles and brochures, Robert’s main website converts web visitors into clients with “trust factors.” One of his web pages features his employees, and the number of years they have been employed with him. One of his employees, Dot Gordon, has been working for him since 1971. What a statement! Other trust factors include a full web page of favorable client comments and a video in which Robert welcomes web visitors with a friendly Texas drawl.

The Kraft and Associates email newsletters, which are also cleverly positioned on kraftlaw.com, are effective for several reasons. First, they relate to current news within Kraft’s geographic service area. Furthermore, they offer free legal advice. Finally, they contain a “featured employee” which shows that the firm takes pride in its employees.

In summary, attorney Bob Kraft connects with his market through writing blog posts, articles, brochures, free booklets, and newsletters. He posts the content on multiple websites, and distributes it through email newsletters and social media. The reason for Kraft’s success is that he makes no pretenses. He writes for his audience in his own voice and on topics that he enjoys. His genuineness has paid off.

People turn to an attorney to get help with a specific problem. Personal injury attorney Jeff Rasansky understands this perfectly. Although he can help with a wide variety of problems, he doesn’t overwhelm people with solutions that they don’t need. He offers the right help at the right time. He does this by owning multiple websites, with each one offering a solution to a specific problem.

Have you been in a car accident? You can find help at Rasansky’s website www.dallascarcrash.com. Are you worried that your child is being abused at day care? Read about the warning signs of child abuse at www.daycareabuse.com. Considering nursing home care for a loved one? Check out www.nursinghomelawyer.com, and make an informed decision. Does your child suffer from cerebral palsy? Read www.cerebral-palsy-information.com to find out about how cerebral palsy is sometimes the result of negligence by medical staff.

Rasansky does own a “jack-of-all-trades” law firm website which lists all of his practice areas from vehicle accidents to product liability. However, help with a specific problem is only a click away. Each practice area is introduced with a video starring Rasansky.

His websites aren’t merely informative, they are magnetic. First of all, people are drawn to them because of their keyword loaded domain names. Then web visitors stay on the websites because they are sticky with FAQ sections, videos, and articles. Finally, visitors are likely to take some kind of action on his websites because they have several choices. They can fill out a contact box, opt-in for a free book, or even chat with the firm.

Because websites are nothing without visitors, Rasansky uses social media to promote his websites. He has accounts with Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. In fact he recently wrote an article advocating social media use by law firms titled Seriously, Everybody is Doing it. Social Media Tips for Lawyers. In the article he mentions that Facebook has become the biggest source of traffic to his websites.

In conclusion, Jeff Rasansky divides his practice areas among many websites. In doing so, he is able to focus on one problem at a time, and to provide resources and information related to the problem. He directs people to his websites using social media. This multi-pronged approach to internet marketing has allowed for Rasansky to become so successful that he has expanded his practice to include the entire United States.

If you run a search in Google on the phrase “game patents lawyer Seattle WA,” Mason Boswell comes up first in the search results. The same is true for the phrases “electrical patents lawyer Seattle WA” and “software patents lawyer Seattle WA.” That is because Boswell’s website is search engine optimized for long tail keywords.

Topsidemedia.com defines long tail keywords as “keyword phrases composed of three or more words that collectively are more specific than a single keyword. Long tail keywords are more likely to convert to sales than shorter, more generic keywords because there is less competition for them.” Ideally long tail keywords are placed throughout a webpage in the title tag, description tag, url, and page header. Then Google, and other search engines, will “read” the long tail keywords throughout the page, and the website will be optimized for them.

Here’s an example. One page on Boswell’s website is optimized with the long tail keyword “game patent practice area.” In the image below, you can see that: 1) the title tag contains the keywords 2) the URL contains the keywords 3) the page header contains the keywords.

As a result of this long tail keyword usage, Mason receives plenty of organic (unpaid) traffic to his website. In fact he has such an inflow of work that he stopped paying for Google AdWords 6 months ago. Now he relies on organic traffic to his website and traditional marketing efforts for new leads.

If you’d like to optimize your site with long tail keywords, but don’t know which keywords to use, try using Google’s Wonder Wheel. Start by searching for a nonspecific term like “patent attorney,” then choose “Wonder Wheel.” See the image below. The Wonder Wheel is highlighted in yellow.

Google will return a wheel with spokes. See the image below. Then you can click on a spoke of interest, such as “invention patent” to create another wheel.

See the invention patent wheel below.

Using the Wonder Wheel can help you identify related, but more specific terms to use throughout your law firm website.

In summary, IP attorney Mason Boswell has optimized his website with long tail keywords. This helps him to be found by potential clients who are searching for a specific type of patent attorney in the Seattle vicinity. If you’d like to optimize your law firm website with long tail keywords, you can use the Google Wonder Wheel to help you find them. Then include them throughout your webpage tags and content. You’ll likely find that long tail keywords are long reaching.

Texas attorney Alison Rowe spends her days trying equine law cases, speaking to industry organizations, and (remarkably) using the internet to market her practice. As a part of her marketing efforts she blogs, tweets, and posts on Facebook and Linkedin.

Alison started her blog, Equine Law Blog, in 2007. She recently hit a milestone of 30,000 unique visitors to her blog, where she addresses equine related legal issues. For instance, one article explains how to avoid legal issues when selling a horse by reviewing all health records to verify that they are correct. Another article from the buyer’s perspective describes what to do before buying a horse, like getting a pre-purchase exam from a trusted vet.

Alison’s blog is popular among horse owners and lawyers alike. A majority of her clients read her blog. Also, she receives many referrals from other lawyers as a result of her blog. She estimates that about 50% of her current clients came as a direct result of her blog. In order to find blog topics, Alison listens to people, reads equine publications, and subscribes to horse blogs. Many of her ideas come from answering other people’s questions.

In an interview with Cordell Parvin, Alison explains how she finds the time for blogging and other forms of business development. She says she spends her mornings keeping up with industry trends and news by reading articles in her Google Reader feed. Further, when she is between trials, she writes a back log of articles for her blog. Finally, she checks her Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin accounts in the mornings and evenings.

Among her Twitter followers is: PandPWowRanch (which breeds, raises, and sells registered AQHA horses), Greenhill Racing (thoroughbred racing), Gary Clay (master horseman), and LLR quarter horse (which trains, shows, breeds, and sells quarter horses). You get the idea. Her followers are in the horse industry. One follower tweets “@txequinelawyer you have a great blog up to date and informative.”

Her Facebook group Alison Rowe Equine Legal Services has the same type of followers. Alison uses her Facebook group not only to promote her blog posts, but to answer questions. It is interesting to see how she interacts with her followers. For instance, one group member writes on her wall, “Are there any Texas laws on minimum acreage requirements per horse?” Alison replies, “No, but there are city/HOA laws.” Alison answers such questions freely, in her attempts to get even more familiar with her client’s needs.

A third social media site through which Alison connects with equine enthusiasts is Linkedin. She is a member of multiple horse groups on Linkedin, and has formed her own Equine Lawyers group. Linkedin is also a forum through which she can link to people following presentations, and provide them with presentation materials.

In conclusion, Alison Rowe has successfully created business for herself through internet marketing. She does not need to pay for ads, as she has acquired enough leads with her blog and social media interactions. She’s got horse sense, and her clients know it because they hear it in the courtroom and detect it in her blog.

If you or your loved ones are going to grow old some day, you need to listen to New Jersey attorney Yale Hauptman. He helps people to plan ahead for growing older. He does this by educating them through his podcasts, blog posts, and workshops. Of course he and his law firm help people to be proactive by providing them with legal services, such as creating wills.

Educating with a podcast, or downloadable radio show, is smart for a couple of reasons. First, a person can download the podcast onto his MP3 player or iPod and listen to it “on the go,” like while driving or exercising. Furthermore, the human voice conveys messages, such as enthusiasm, that can’t be communicated through print.

Hauptman’s podcasts can be downloaded from his law firm website. He says that the reason for his podcasts is to “educate the general public about elder law and the need to be proactive and not reactive in planning for long term care.” One of his podcasts, show #17 of Elder Law Today, describes the pitfalls of not having a will. It explains that when people do not have a will, the state takes charge and the assets do not go where they were originally intended to go. Explanations like this are particularly effective in getting people to take action because they motivate people through fear.

In addition to podcasts, Yale has blog posts on his law firm website. His posts are excellent for their simplicity and empathy. He answers questions without using legal terminology. One recent post, If We Apply for Nursing Home Medicaid are We Giving Up?, addresses whether or not Medicaid will cover home based care versus nursing home care. These kinds of questions are going to become more frequent as the elderly population grows.

Hauptman has a third venue for educating, and that is workshops. He conducts continuing education classes for social workers, which he advertises through his website. He also holds workshops, such as “How to protect you or your loved one from ending up in a nursing home and what to do if you can’t,” at the public library. Once again he uses the internet, like his Facebook page, to promote these events.

In conclusion, elder law attorney Yale Hauptman makes full use of the internet to educate potential clients. He answers questions online, through podcasts and articles. His demonstration of knowledge results in the acquisition of highly qualified clients for his law firm, Hauptman & Hauptman. Lawyers who are growing older should listen to him.

When you are committing a crime, leaving a trace can lead to a conviction. When you are practicing law, however, leaving a trace can lead to business. This is proving to be the case for San Francisco attorney Jason Beahm, who is leaving a trace on the web by setting up online profiles, commenting on blogs, publishing online articles, and answering questions online.

Recently Kevin O’Keefe posted an article titled Not connecting with people on LinkedIn is short sighted and damaging to your reputation. In the article he lists the objections that many lawyers have to becoming a part of LinkedIn. He also says that “Connecting with other professionals is not a bad thing.” Indeed it is not, especially if that connection comes with a recommendation, as it so often does for Jason Beahm.

Jason has 11 recommendations on his LinkedIn profile. They are especially beneficial because they validate the content on his Beahm Law website. His website home page says, “The most important value we provide clients is problem solving, so we begin by focusing on the resolution.” Upon reading that content a web visitor might or might not believe that Beahm can solve problems. But if the visitor checks out Beahm’s LinkedIn profile, he will know it is true upon reading the recommendations. One recommendation says, “I recommend his work because he is quick on his feet and can offer a myriad of solutions to any given problem.” Another says, “Jason has the uncanny ability to look at problems through a different lens which allows him to quickly and creatively solve them.” According to Lee Rosen, these kinds of recommendations work because other people can sell you, better than you can sell you.

In addition to having a profile on LinkedIn and being actively involved on Twitter, Beahm publishes content on the web. He contributed to the article Widgets and Apps, which was published online in the ABA’s GPSolo Magazine. He also has an article posted on the HGB Law Blog, Pass on Data Pass: Murky Credit Card Tactic Banned, and he regularly posts articles for FindLaw.

Publishing online content demonstrates Beahm’s knowledge of the law, and commenting and answering questions online establishes him as a part of the legal community. Jason answers legal questions for people through Avvo.com. He also reads and comments on blogs. Recently he made this comment on the Mashable post How Lawyers Are Using Social Media for Real Results: “Building my brand as an attorney online has been enjoyable and beneficial. As Black said, by connecting with attorneys and following blogs, I have made all kinds of great connections and gained insights I wouldn't have otherwise had access to.”

In conclusion, Jason is leaving plenty of digital tracks as he comments on blogs, publishes online articles, sets up online profiles, and tweets. He believes that social media presents “incredible opportunities for law firms.” He reminded me that “everyone Googles everyone and in order to have the right image, you need people to find relevant information about you when they search.” That is very true, and something every attorney should keep in mind. What do you want people to find when they Google your name?

How does a 28-year-old attorney gain clients in a place like Brooklyn, NY?

A. He provides excellent customer service.

B. He gets listed in local online directories.

C. He provides interesting content on his website, blog, and videos.

D. All of the above.

Based on the title, you might have guessed B. The answer is all of the above. Daniel gains clients by providing exceptional customer service, having proof of such service in local online directories, and by providing interesting content through the internet.

Daniel’s niche is customer service. He advertises this differentiator through his website content, Facebook page, and blog. On the “About” page of his website he says, “We make a commitment to putting our client’s interest first.” In another place he claims, “We will return phone calls on the same day.” The testimonials on his website and in local directories show that he actually delivers on his promises. He has 21 testimonials on his website, which are pulled from the directory Citysearch.com. He averages 5/5 stars. Many of the testimonials provide evidence of good customer support. For example, one says, “He (Daniel) was accessible and quickly answered my many questions and concerns.”

The main directory through which Daniel set up a profile, Citysearch.com, has connections with many other directories. As such he is listed in: judysbook.com, insiderpages.com, yellowpages.com, kudzu.com, and superpages.com. Getting listed in local directories gives great visibility. It is becoming more common for people to search within their geographic region for services, entering terms such as “Brooklyn Real Estate Attorney.” Having a profile in local directories ensures that Gershburg will be returned for consideration. In addition to setting up a profile on Citysearch.com, Gershburg set up his own free Google local business profile. This helps him to come up on the first page in a local search return.

When people find Daniel in a local directory, and see his fabulous 5 star ratings, they can go to his website for more evidence that he is worth retaining. His website content is right on the mark with emphasis on how he can help people through every step of the real estate or bankruptcy process. If people search further, they will find his blog and videos, through which he provides practical advice in plain language. One YouTube video titled “Brooklyn Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer discusses keeping your home in bankruptcy” explains that people should get an appraisal before they file for bankruptcy.

In summary, Attorney Daniel Gershburg provides great customer service, and it shows on the internet. He wisely sets up online profiles, and asks clients to submit comments (good or bad) immediately upon fulfilling his obligations. He educates potential clients through his videos and blog. In his own words, “I find that online is not only the best way to do business for lawyers these days, but literally the only way.”

In general, attorneys have been slow to adopt internet technology. Nicole Black and Carolyn Elefant are exceptions. They are internet pioneers. By 2002 Carolyn was blogging, and Nicole was developing a website for a law firm. That is pretty progressive considering that Google didn’t evolve until 1998.

Since then they have made full use of the tools available to them. They both have profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Further, they both maintain multiple blogs.

Carolyn serves as a champion to solo practitioners with her blog, MyShingle. Her blog has a Google page rank of 6/10 (a high score). This is a testament to the value that she provides in her posts. Carolyn is a meticulous writer, and always provides evidence for her suggestions. Her other blog, The LOCE Renewables Offshore Blog, is dedicated to providing current information about wave, tidal, and offshore wind energy laws. She conveys her passion for energy law by providing up to date news.

Nicole began blogging in 2005, when she started her first law blog, Sui Generis. Her lawyer-directed posts range from seriously technical (Minimize Cloud Computing Risks) to seriously funny (Answering Machine Hell). Nicole is also currently very active on Twitter, with 6,333 followers. That is a large number of followers with which to interact but she manages to make it happen.  In addition to tweeting and blogging she serves as a consultant to lawyers through lawtech Talk, where she educates lawyers about emerging legal technologies.  She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York", a Thomson West treatise,  is working on a book about cloud computing for lawyers that will be published by the American Bar Association in 2010, and writes a weekly column for the Daily Record that is distributed on Dolan Media's national newswire.

Nicole and Carolyn have both been so successful with creating their respective web personas that they get referral business frequently. Nicole, who is of counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach, receives a number of criminal law inquiries every week as a result of her internet presence. She refers criminal law matters that are not DWI-related to other local attorneys. Carolyn, owner of Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, says that she benefits indirectly from her blogs. Her energy blog is popular among government officials, technology developers, and resource agencies. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as a result of her blog, and that has given her credibility within the industry. Furthermore, Carolyn has received invitations to speak at high profile events such as trade association conferences, National Academy of Sciences, Woods Hole, and UNESCO in Paris.

In summary, Nicole and Carolyn were front runners in the adoption of the internet among legal professionals. They saw the potential then, and they are maximizing its potential now. It is no wonder that they jointly wrote a book titled Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier, due to be published by the ABA on June 16th, 2010. They know the value of networking through the internet, and have teamed up to share that knowledge with fellow attorneys.

Disclosure: Carolyn Elefant and Nicole Black are not Impirus customers. Further, Impirus does not receive any compensation for promoting their products and services.

Content marketing is all the rage these days. The philosophy is that if you deliver valuable content to your potential clients (and referral sources), you will get more business. This certainly seems to be true for California Employment Law Attorney Eugene Lee. He delivers valuable information online through his blog, “California Labor and Employment Law,” and gains clients as a result.

For instance, a doctor who found Lee through the internet, turned out to be one of his biggest clients. Furthermore, a client testimonial on Avvo.com states “When I needed help and a better understanding of my situation, I happened upon Eugene Lee on the internet.” Clearly Lee has made himself available to his market with his web presence.

Lee started blogging in 2006 about labor and employment matters. His writing style is perfect for his target audience (employees). In plain language he covers topics such as taking a leave of absence and filing a discrimination complaint. Furthermore, his articles are sorted into “Topics” so prospects can find pertinent articles.

In addition to having remarkable content on his blog, Eugene has a FAQ section on his law firm website. He answers questions such as, “Can I be fired because my boss doesn’t like me?” A FAQ section is ideal for a legal website because an attorney can answer a commonly asked question, without repeating himself time and again.

Lee supplements his web presence with Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Avvo. Through Facebook he has a “California Labor and Employment Law” page, where he broadcasts links to employment law tips and news. His profile on Avvo.com is really exceptional with a perfect score of 10. This may be explained in part by the glowing client reviews and 39 endorsements he has received from other lawyers.

In conclusion, Attorney Eugene Lee has truly honed his content marketing skills. He uses the internet to educate employees about workplace rights. And because “what goes around comes around” he has attained success as a labor lawyer as a result.

Last week I blogged about how the public perceives lawyers to be greedy and selfish. Fort Collins attorney Kevin Houchin has used his internet presence and published books to show that he is exactly the opposite. Instead of hoarding his great ideas and sources of inspiration, he shares his knowledge and inspires others.

Kevin is a creative individual. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he was a graphic designer. But the fascinating thing is how he is able to incite others to be creative. His published online article Creativity – You’re Full of It! encourages young lawyers and individuals to recover their creativity. It is a brief, inspiring article explaining how we lost our creativity, and how to get it back in order to lead a satisfying life.

Houchin frequently offers great advice on his blog, houchinlaw.com, and through Lawyerist.com. On one post he poses the question, “Are you attracting the type of clients you want?” The question is directed at lawyers and non-lawyers alike. For those who answer “no” in response to his question, he offers the following advice: Use the internet to distribute information of value to your target market. Then, allow people to hire you.

In addition to posting articles, Houchin distributes information through internet videos. One video posted on Vimeo offers advice on how lawyers can perfect their elevator pitch. Kevin was videotaped giving a presentation for the Colorado Bar association, and then a segment was posted online.

Kevin has 9,539 followers on Twitter. The reason people like to follow him is because he is a positive person. He likes to nourish people’s hopes and dreams. As he is an entrepreneur himself, he can really identify with his clients and followers.

Years ago, he founded Wooden Pencil, which provides admissions marketing for law schools. More recently he has devoted his attention to The Space Between Center for Creative Spirit in Business. He founded the center to help entrepreneurs, legal professionals, and investors.

In conclusion, Kevin has done a great service to the legal industry by developing his web presence. He has shown that lawyers can be creative, nurturing individuals. And in the process of revealing himself and his philosophies he has gained clients. If you would like to gain insight from Kevin you can read his blog, sign up for his Small Business Attorney Mastermind Program, or read his book Fuel the Spark: 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law & Life.

Ryan Roberts is a common name. There are 13,100,000 Google search returns on the name “Ryan Roberts.” Despite this fact, Southlake attorney Ryan Roberts edges out major league baseball infielder Ryan Roberts for the #1 spot. If that isn’t amazing enough, he also holds the #1 spot in the Google returns on the phrase “startup lawyer” with his blog. His cleverly chosen domain name “startuplawyer.com” helps with his search engine optimization (SEO) and with his branding.

Ryan’s blog had 94,685 visits in 2009. He accomplished this following within a period of 2 years. He posts articles for startups and entrepreneurs on legal matters. One recent blog post included a “When to Incorporate Decision Matrix.” It consisted of 8 yes or no questions. The post concluded with a recommendation for the participant to “Incorporate Now” OR “Save your $$$ on incorporation and spend it on an iPad.” Then he smartly adds, “Of course, this is meant to be more of a fun exercise for entrepreneurs rather than an absolute guide.”

He also has a successful following on Twitter (@startuplawyer). The number of people that follow Ryan is especially remarkable because he is so young. He graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2003. Ryan immediately capitalized on the power of the internet when he started as a solo practitioner in 2006.

He says, “Before I started out, I was warned by an older attorney that I wouldn’t be able to go out on my own because I couldn’t afford the overhead expenses like Yellow Page advertising. Yellow pages? The last time I saw one of those books it was being torn in half by the Power Team in my high school’s auditorium. Forget about large marketing expenses and bootstrap your law firm’s marketing. If you are going to spend, do it on your business cards and website.”

Obviously Ryan has done quite well without a Yellow Pages listing. Although Ryan’s success is extraordinary, all solo practitioners can facilitate growth through the internet. As Ryan suggests, investing in a website is a good start. Furthermore, publishing online content through articles, blog posts, or newsletters works really well.

In conclusion, Texas attorney Ryan Roberts may not be an infielder, but he is most certainly an inbound marketer. He demonstrates that it is better to create a web presence, and be available to interested parties, than to pester people with outbound ads. He is poised to catch queries from incorporation to mergers & acquisitions.

Attorney Cari Rincker says, “The best leaders I know don’t demand respect; instead, they lead by example.” Fellow attorneys would do well to follow Rincker’s example. She has taken the time to market herself online, and has gained national recognition as an agricultural and environmental attorney.

If you run a search in Google on “Cari Rincker attorney” you will find a page full of results about Rincker. That is because she set up profiles with the following social media sites: Avvo, Twitter, Facebook, Cornell Law, JDSupra, and LinkedIn. She has done a remarkable job of representing herself online. She is very forthcoming. From reading her online profiles one can learn about her roots, morals and values, interests, and her education.

I learned the following facts about Rincker by reading her internet profiles. Although she is currently a city attorney in NYC, she has country roots. She grew up on a cattle farm in the small town of Shelbyville, Illinois. Rincker believes in working hard, contributing to the community, and conducting herself with class and professionalism. In addition to practicing law she enjoys photography and judging livestock shows.

Rincker has a BS in Animal Science and an MS in Ruminant Nutrition. She is highly qualified to practice agricultural law, and demonstrates her expertise through online articles. One of her recent articles, “What NY Livestock Producers should do when a peace officer comes knocking on their barn door” was published in JDSupra as well as “The Legal Edge,” a publication of the NYFB legal affairs department.

Rincker connects with her market through her Agriculture Law and Policy Blog. She posts about everything from upcoming agricultural conferences to “how to repair America’s impression of the Ag industry.” Additionally she promotes her live book discussions, which she conducts by Google Wave.

In conclusion, Rincker makes full use of the internet to market her practice. She maintains online profiles, publishes articles, and utilizes current technology. Lawyers who would like to develop a web presence, in order to gain clients, would be wise to follow her example.

Here are some tips that a lawyer can learn from Rincker: Setting up online profiles helps potential clients get to know you before they set foot in your office. Plus a profile in Cornell Law’s LII Lawyer Directory, in which any US lawyer can be profiled, gives great visibility. Publishing online articles in multiple places provides proof of your industry knowledge and legal expertise. Finally, making use of current technology, like Google Wave and Skype, makes you more accessible to your market.

Lee Rosen might not be a household name, like Johnnie Cochran, but he is somewhat of a celebrity. If you search the internet for a divorce attorney in North Carolina, you’d have to be deaf and blind to miss him. He has a presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and more. It seems like I can find him in a new place each day. I’ll look for him intentionally in my RSS reader for his blog called “Divorce Discourse,” and then I’ll pop over to my email inbox and surprisingly find him as a contributor for TechnoLawyer.

Rosen was an early adopter of the internet. He’s had a website since 1994. He sees the reach of the internet, and the possibilities. Although he practices in North Carolina, he helps people throughout the US with his messages. He has had to turn people away because they are not in his geographic area.

He opened The Rosen Law Firm in 1990. It has expanded to Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Cary, and Chapel Hill. Rosen has facilitated this growth with marketing. In addition to using internet marketing, he still uses traditional forms of marketing, such as taking referral sources to lunch.

Here are some indicators and reasons for his success.

Number of Twitter followers: 18,560 Rosen has such a large following because he engages people. He thanks people for their re-tweets, and responds individually to followers. He promotes himself sparingly.

Number of Divorce Discourse readers: 2,363 http://divorcediscourse.com/ Rosen blogs on marketing, law practice management, and technology. He is not afraid to share advice with his peers, and probably gains referrals as a result.

YouTube Views:

“Why do people divorce?” 152,985 views

“Raleigh Divorce Lawyer - Keep the house?” 137,322 views

“Hiring a Divorce Lawyer?” 129,134 views

Why do so many people watch his videos? It is because they are searching for help on the internet. If they search YouTube for “divorce lawyer” he comes up as #1 on the first page with his video “Charlotte Collaborative Divorce Lawyer.” If they search Google videos for “child custody” he comes up on the first page with his video “How to Get Free Child Custody Help.”

ABA Law Practice Management Section’s 2010 James I. Keane Memorial Award:

His family law website “North Carolina Divorce” http://www.rosen.com/ earned him the award for online legal service innovations. The website features educational articles, videos, podcasts, e-courses, a live call-in radio show, and a downloadable iPhone child support calculator.

Here are some other factors that have contributed to Rosen’s internet marketing success. He offers consistent, educative advice through multiple vehicles, and he tracks his progress.

Rosen has been consistently trying different forms of marketing since he became a practicing family lawyer, 23 years ago. He is not afraid to try new marketing strategies. This is important because some people prefer to read articles, some prefer to listen to podcasts, and others prefer to watch videos.

His blog posts, videos, and podcasts are remarkable in that they are educative. Hugh Cox says, “His law firm and his web presence are unmatched for invaluable information.” He focuses on explaining, instead of selling.

Finally, Rosen is successful because he tracks the leads that he receives through each form of marketing. He says, “It’s important to master these calculations because it helps you figure out how much time to spend on marketing to keep your calendar full.”

In Conclusion, Lee Rosen has achieved celebrity status through the internet. The growth of his practice, the large number of loyal followers, and the awards that he has received all demonstrate his success with internet marketing. If he continues on this track, I expect he’ll expand into Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

Run a search query in Google on the phrase “New York medical malpractice lawyer,” and you will find more than 4 million search results. Gerry Oginski’s website consistently tops the list. That’s right; he is #1 among millions of other websites. This is an amazing accomplishment. It is especially remarkable because he is a solo practitioner, and he doesn’t pay Google to be ranked at the top.

Most lawyers are content with owning a website, and maybe setting up a profile on LinkedIn. Gerry has gone beyond the expected to achieve great visibility on the internet. He has a profile on Twitter, where he has 966 followers, and a Facebook profile where he has 780 friends. Furthermore, he educates the public through his blogs, website, and videos.

While some solo practitioners struggle to maintain cash flow and keep clients in the queue, Gerry has been a solo since 2002. His main office is in Great Neck, Long Island. Gerry’s web presence has undoubtedly contributed to his success. One of his blogs, NY Medical Malpractice Video Blog contains videos on topics from misread Pap tests to anesthesia overdose. His other blog, “NY Medical Malpractice and Accidents” educates the public about a lawyer’s professional responsibilities, among other things. It even has a funny post about his own experience with a “slip and fall.”

The videos that he creates are really effective for a couple of reasons. First, they give him search engine optimization. This means that people looking for help with malpractice suits in NY will find him, even if they don’t know him by name. They will find him on YouTube if they are searching for “medical malpractice lawyer New York.” Furthermore, the videos are effective because they contain tips and case studies.

Gerry’s website is optimized in several manners. He has a comprehensive list of practice areas. If you click on a practice area, such as Gallbladder Surgery, you will find a layman’s explanation and a call to action. Also, Gerry offers a free book to potential clients, in exchange for their contact information. This is an especially good way to build an email list. Furthermore, he has a FAQ section on his website, and it includes the answers to questions like, "The Doctor Delayed My Diagnosis - Do I have a Case?"

In conclusion, Gerry’s enthusiasm for internet marketing has made it possible for him to be a successful solo practitioner and to get preferred or pre-qualified clients. He has also become so adept at making his own videos that he now creates videos for other lawyers. So if you are thinking of marketing yourself with videos, you can contact Gerry through his Lawyer’s Video Studio. At the very least, you can draw inspiration from one lawyer’s huge internet marketing success.

I’ll leave you with one of Gerry’s excellent videos: