Business development and marketing efforts have been evolving for years. Professional service providers can't solely rely on lunches, networking events, and overseas conferences etc for visibility. This is why we are working hard on content marketing - blogging, social media, email newsletters, podcasts, e-books, videos, and webinars.
A post on business development for law firms stated, “law firm newsletters are a lot of work. And honestly, I don’t know any firm that does them well. In fact, you probably should not send a boring newsletter stuffed with tidbits about your firm’s new staff members and sales pitches”. We couldn’t agree more.
If emails remain the most popular way of communicating with people, how can law firms ensure that clients appreciate the newsletters you send them? Everyone is inundated with marketing messages, so why are some emails a ‘must-read’, and not others. And how do you guarantee that yours is in the first category?
Regardless of industry or practice area, it is possible to create a newsletter that people will want to read. If you imagine it as an example of networking, what would people think of your topics of conversation? You want to come across as knowledgeable and informed, well rounded in an entertaining way, but above all, interested in what the other person has to say.
An instagram influencer is going to have different expectations compared with a senior banking regulator. Your newsletter would need to reflect their business - and personal - ethos with a different balance of conversational content. Which individual would want to read commentary about industry news? Or a ‘chatty’ newsletter with an emphasis on social events and alumni? The answer may surprise you.
Finding the right balance of interesting and informative content in your newsletters and alerts can be tricky. As the quote above makes clear, ‘salesy’ newsletters will bore your client, so information you produce for marketing purposes cannot be just about your firm. You must provide content that addresses the needs and interests of others.
If only it was as easy as creating a balance of fantastic content! Now that we have agreed that boring sales pitches and new joiners are out, business development teams have to think about the way the information is presented in the newsletter. Again, this depends on the recipient. Think about:
And finally, the right call-to-action (CTA) is essential if you want readers to make contact with you. CTAs should be easy to find, well-designed, and interest your readers so much that they immediately want to click on it! Ideas include links to a recently published white paper, or to register interest in an event.
The conversation I had with my BD contact made it clear that the law firm newsletter has evolved over the past 20 years. We are subject to legal requirements under GDPR and we no longer send out expensive paper newsletters. As a society, we are so used to sophisticated marketing campaigns, that second-rate efforts can be damaging.
Organisations owe it to themselves and their clients to be smart with email marketing.
It is hard work but if it is done right you are connecting with people in a more meaningful way. An email newsletter isn’t simply an electronic communication. It’s a chance to deepen your and your firm’s connection with your network on a personal level. Use that opportunity to its fullest and reveal the people behind your ‘must-read’ message.
The key to a successful law firm newsletter to clients is more than just the right content. Include information that is relevant to the clients’ business, as items that may be interesting on a personal level. Then ensure you present it in the right way and remember to include a meaningful CTA - to have conversations further down the line.