ROE – Return on Email:Email marketing for law firms

Why email is the killer app for relationship-based businesses

You can develop a personalized, targeted dialogue with your clients

Clients give you permission

It is inexpensive and easy (great ROI)

Use email to nurture, convert, grow and retain clients

Our goal as law firm marketers is to nurture relationships

Email can do this!

Advertising, search, directories can’t do this!

Strangers Friends CustomersLoyal

Customers

The email that changed my view of my law firm

Relevant

High-value

Immediate action

Changed perceptions

“They’re looking out for me”

“They are delivering value”

Change to visa law for engineers during the high-tech boom – immediate action needed!

4 ways to improve your email tomorrow

1. Identify topics that deliver response

2. Have a communications plan

3. Personalize and target

4. Design for results

1. Identify topics that deliver response

News: “The law changed and you need to act now”

Relationship: “Let us introduce you people that can help your business”

Expertise: “Let us teach you something to help you run your business”

Madrid Protocol

This marketing program drove over $200,000 in revenue

- No fancy technology- Emails were personalized- No fancy “creative”- Part of larger program- High value topic- Urgent action needed- Short- Links to firm website

2. Have a communications plan

Email is part of a communication plan that includes Web, Telephone, Articles, Memos, etc.

What is the goal of the email?

What is the follow up plan?

Track performance by setting up an “area of law” number

409A Compliance

This marketing program drove over $550,000 in revenue

- Campaign included emails, memos, calls- High value issue- Urgent action needed

3. Personalize and target

Ask your clients what they want

Irrelevant email will train clients not to open them

Create a “Preferences Center” on your website

Don’t be afraid to cleanup your lists

Value quality over quantity

3. Personalize and targetOpt In Email

- This email got a >20% response rate- Clients signed up for 300 new publications

We gained much more than we lost!

4. Design for results

Track bounces, opens, clicks, forwards, unsubscribes

Do A/B tests to see what design gets results

Test: Sender, Subject, Design, Call to action, List segmentation

Throw away your templates

You may need to fire your design department and your email vendor too!

Design for the message pane

- Who is the message from?- Convey your message in 35-45 characters

Step 1 is getting them to open the email

Design for the preview pane

- Text headline for main message- Logo in upper left- Use color/graphics to highlight call to action- Readable type size- Create a separate text version

Learn more

Books:

Email Marketing By The NumbersChris Baggott

Permission Marketing Seth Godin

Don’t Make Me Think Steve Krug

Online:

–EmailExperience.org

–MarketingSherpa.com

–BtoBonline.com

–ClickZ.com

–MediaPost.com

–eMarketer.com