Section Two: Advertising Legal Services Through Attorney-Client Matching Platforms

 Section Two: Advertising Legal Services Through Attorney-Client Matching Platforms

Final Thoughts and Suggestions Regarding Attorney-Client Matching

I will lay out my present thinking and conclusions about this area of attorney-client matching services marketing for law firms, and then you can decide:

There is undeniable value in this marketing vehicle for legal firms. Using this method, you can quickly and easily attract clients that you would not have otherwise. If you know what you're doing when it comes to online attorney marketing, you can certainly do better—and maybe even cheaper—for yourself (check out my website). But that won't happen tomorrow; tomorrow, attorney-client matching will take place. You can use these systems as a foundation for your own systems, and then you can choose whether or not to keep using them. No matter how well-organized your own internet systems are, they will almost certainly attract customers you would not have reached otherwise.

You don't actually "own" the business methods used to get the business sent to you; you're just "renting" them. In the long term, most, if not all, attorneys would be better off with an effective Internet marketing system for law firms in place, since it would turn your website into a marketable asset and direct all website visitors to your practice. The general rule is that you shouldn't rely on just one referral source, which you are probably already aware of. The use of attorney-client matching services remains, in my opinion, a viable alternative to establishing in-house Internet and other forms of marketing systems. Even after you've set up your own systems, you might find that these services are still useful. When you set up your own systems, you're better protected, and you can decide for yourself whether to continue using the service or not.

Three, for whom exactly is this advertising vehicle for legal firms intended?

a. A person in immediate need of additional business. These systems are currently receiving a flood of business and are ready to direct it to you. Other methods of advertising legal services will take more time to implement and start producing results.

b. Someone who makes it crystal clear that they do not want to be involved with marketing and is prepared to "rent" the service of someone else to handle it, regardless of the cost. It would be wise for you to do this if that describes you. Although there will be less marketing involved at that level, you will still be responsible for "closing" clients that are sent to you via email or phone. Without being an associate who performs purely technical work for another practice, you will never be able to escape that aspect (not that there is anything wrong with that).

c.An attorney whose current marketing strategy is either not making enough money or isn't producing the desired results; by shifting their focus to this strategy, they may be able to cut costs without sacrificing effectiveness.

d) Lastly, a partner-level attorney with a senior associate with strong people skills could operate this marketing vehicle for the law firm and close the referred clients.

Who does this kind of legal advertising not target? 4.

a. An employee who disregards the matching service's recommendations on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

b. A person with average to poor "bedside manner" or "closing skills" (Take note: these companies offer coaching to help with this, and my website has more info on this topic if you're interested). The match firm is referring you to other attorneys, so you'll need to "shine" to stand out. Still, there's some rivalry since there are probably three or five other lawyers who got the same referral.

c.An individual whose location does not typically result in many referrals to your practice. It could be a low-income neighborhood, a rural area, a small town, or even an estate planner. You can see that this vehicle for advertising law firms isn't for everyone.

Even though most of the bad stuff on LegalMatch and CasePost is old and has been fixed, it still makes me nervous. It would appear that the Utah Bar, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have been unconcerned by the previous content on LegalMatch. That makes me feel better.

Using LegalMatch would be my first choice if you were fairly certain that this vehicle type was right for you. Assuming you have average "closing" skills and are prepared to put in the time and effort to improve them, they will help you increase your closing ratio. What makes LegalMatch stand out? Plus, they've been around longer, have more than 90 employees, and more than 1,500 members, which is encouraging. Their knowledge, results, and ability to stay in business over time are all given an advantage by that, in my opinion. Furthermore, with more resources to attract customers to their site, their "footprint" of bringing business to their members is likely bigger than the others. I would recommend LegalFish as a starting point if you are still unsure about this kind of marketing for legal firms. What makes LegalFish the best? You can enter the realm of marketing for law firms with LegalFish at a lower cost and with less risk than with LegalMatch or CasePost. Keep in mind that the attorney marketing "footprint" of LegalFish will be significantly smaller compared to the other two services, meaning they will most likely not send you as much business. Guarantee that LegalFish will not charge you for the months they do not send you business by including this provision in your agreement. I would recommend looking into LegalMatch if you were successful with the referrals from LegalFish, used the system consistently (daily at least), saw a healthy return on investment, and were eager to take your business to the next level. Starting with LegalMatch or LegalFish is a good place to start, but if you like this method of advertising law firms, there's no harm in joining two or even three.

Keep in mind that the terms of your membership and the amount you pay are highly negotiable if you choose to join LegalMatch, Case Post, or LegalFish. Get yourself into an agreement where you both come out ahead. It is highly recommended that you contact current members in your practice area and a similar market type for references before signing an agreement.

Presently, I am not sure that Lawyers.com is the way to go. Why? Firstly, there is absolutely no assurance. In my opinion, Next Lawyers dot com isn't doing nearly enough to promote that section of their site. On top of that, I'm still not convinced it's worth the $2,400 annual fee and bio combined. It seems to me that one of the "big three" would be a better use of this funding. Finally, I'm worried that you'll be overwhelmed by the number of attorneys on the consumer's list, especially if your zip code and practice areas are included. Based on this information, it appears that there is little business and no clear way to influence customers' decision-making process when choosing a contact. As an exception to this rule of thumb, this add-on service could be a smart move in attorney marketing if you already have a bio listing with them and it's bringing in business. After all, you're only paying $495 more per year. Still, make sure you document everything well and see if it brings in any revenue. Otherwise, the service would undoubtedly be terminated.

As for LegalConnection.com, I am not sure I would use them right now. Why? Without assurance. Being separate from the FindLaw site is actually an advantage, in my opinion. Just because of that, I'd choose it over Lawyers.com. However, neither LegalConnection nor Lawyers.com can be considered one of the "big three" in the industry.

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