Integrity Marketing

Paying Attention to AVVO

Please take a look at Kyle's website: http://www.kekpa.com/ and notice the AVVO badge in the left column. The badge displays Kyle's AVVO rating. If you click on it, you can read his AVVO profile.

If you haven't heard of AVVO yet, Avvo.com is the nation's fastest growing attorney rating service. Despite being only a few years old, it's already approaching Martindale-Hubbell in the number of lawyers rated and number of unique visitors to their website. Avvo's mission statement says it best, "At Avvo, our mission is to help people navigate the complex and confusing legal industry. Choosing a lawyer is an incredibly important decision—yet most people have no idea how to go about doing it, and resources to guide them are scarce."

Avvo has written a complex algorithm which rates virtually every lawyer in the United States based upon a variety of factors including experience, education, reputation and whether the lawyer has faced disciplinary action from their state bar association.  Unlike each State Bar's website which typically only tells you whether the attorney's license is in good standing or not, Avvo assigns a numerical value based upon 0-10 and red flags any attorney who has faced Bar discipline in the past, making it extremely easy to understand. Ease of use was one of Avvo's top priorities when developing the website.

Consumers searching online, using legal keywords such as estate planning or elder law, frequently see the Avvo.com website on page one. Consequently, claiming your profile on Avvo, updating it, and working to boost your rating are all important aspects of your online marketing efforts.

Kyle's rating recently jumped from "Excellent" to "Superb", or a perfect 10.0 on the 10-point scale. We don't know all of the factors built into Avvo's complex rating algorithm, (you can learn more about their rating system here: http://www.avvo.com/support/avvo_rating) but we do know that Avvo considers information it gleans from your own profile (which you can edit), your website and your blog.

I know there is a lot of controversy about Avvo, and some lawyers vehemently oppose their system. But that does not change the fact that Avvo does a great job of landing on page one for Google searches and consumers are finding -- and using -- their platform.

Stephen Fairly of the Rainmaker Institute wrote a more extensive overview of Avvo, both pros and cons, as well as a good list of ways to use Avvo in your online marketing. Read his blog posting on the topic here: http://www.therainmakerblog.com/2010/05/articles/law-firm-marketing-1/using-avvo-to-market-your-law-firm-on-the-internet/

Are You Ready For Good Luck?

Because I believe blogging is one of the most important things you can do to build your practice, and I believe that one should "practice" what one "preaches," I've been contemplating all morning about what to write here that would be inspirational, informative, or helpful to you -- our clients and readers. And yet, whenever I break away long enough from working (dealing with copyright issues, managing the design team, editing new legal content, coordinating priorities, etc.) ... all I can think about is Cooper.

Cooper is the jockey-club-registered, Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (aka OTTB) that I fell in love with and purchased yesterday. What can I tell you about Coop? He is a big bay gelding. He is nearly 16h tall. "Bay" means he is dark brown with a black mane and tail. Gelding means, well, he's a boy but there's nothing he can do about it! He has a jockey-club tattoo under his upper lip which proves he is 16 years young, a registered TB, and had at least one start at the gate.

But that doesn't really tell you anything about him at all. And there isn't much I can tell you from here. To understand Cooper, you would just have to look into his eyes. Just one look and you would see the trademark Thoroughbred courage. This boy is nothing but heart and soul. Intelligent. Kind.

I read the sale ad. I looked at my budget. I considered my other horses. I added up the costs. But it was all over when I to see him.

He had me at Hello.

And for the life of me, I'm having a really hard time figuring out how this relates to marketing an estate planning or elder law practice.

Except to say this.

Luck arrives at the confluence of preparation and opportunity.

I have dreamed of a horse like Cooper since I was the size of my granddaughter, Lexi. I drew his picture a thousand times on every scrap piece of paper until I was old enough to realize it was never going to happen. I lived almost a whole life that was mostly just fine without him.

A few years ago, I did not know it, but I started preparing for the opportunity to meet Cooper.

I learned to ride -- really ride and not just hang on (an essential if you dare to climb aboard a 16h Thoroughbred!). I bought a farm. I bought three other horses, each one of them a special blessing in his own way. I grew the business and along with it, a certain degree of financial independence.

When I looked into Cooper's eyes yesterday, and my knees went weak, I was thankfully READY for this great gift.

Cooper comes home tomorrow.

What great things are you preparing for today? Will you be ready when it's time for your dream to come home?

More Practice Fitness Challenges

My husband, David, and I just got back from vacation. Waiting for us in the gargantuan pile of mail was a letter from David's doctor. We both knew it contained the results of the lab work he'd had pulled just before we left.

Now, we weren't really nervous about it. David is in great health (thankfully). He has excellent fitness habits. He runs several miles almost every day, with long runs of around seven miles on the weekends. His breakfast is the same almost every day -- yogurt with wheat germ, fresh-cut fruit, and a piece of whole grain toast. Mid-morning, almost every day, he peels and eats two fresh oranges. Lunch is usually a half sandwich and an apple. Yes, he really does eat like this! His one vice is ice cream. The man adores his ice cream.

He also has a touch of high blood pressure. Well, he has a "touch" of it now. Once upon a time, it was sky-high, back in the day when he used to catch the commuter train to his office in NYC every day. Since moving to the farm here in Kansas and telecommuting to NYC, his blood pressure has plummeted to well within "normal." His doctors keep an eye on it, though, "just in case."

Hence, the report that arrived with the mass of vacation mail.

Everything checked out beautifully. His cholesterol is an un-surprising 140! (I mean, really, the way the guy eats, wouldn't you expect his cholesterol to be low??)

David is 64 years old. He ran a marathon in Dublin, Ireland when he was 62. He got married (to me) when he was 63. He runs seven miles on Sunday afternoons "for fun." And last week, he danced my socks off during the Jazz Festival in Vail, Colorado (at altitude!).

Yes, he is truly blessed with good health. But don't think for a moment that he is "lucky." He nearly died from kidney failure when he was in his 30s. He has a heart murmur, the same type of murmur that cut his father's life short. And he has a "touch" of high blood pressure.

Despite those challenges, or perhaps because of them, David is a runner. And a healthy eater. And he left his high-stress NYC lifestyle for something more laid-back here on a Kansas horse farm.

Let me see, what is it the doctors keep telling us? As Americans, most of our health problems are lifestyle-related. We need to eat healthier. Get more exercise. Reduce our stress.

You know what? These things really work! They are The Essentials of good health. David has learned to Practice Fitness, and it's paying off!

When we work with clients to build their practice, we stress The Essentials of good business / financial health. Those who embrace these Essentials find rewarding success. They get good "lab results" every month on their P&L statements!

But, all too often, we find clients who will embrace only one or two of The Essentials. They are like the patient who says he will "eat right," except for the irresistible Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Or they promise to "eat right," but just can't find time to exercise. Or -- they try to add "exercise" to their already over-filled work schedule ... somewhere between sleeping, eating and catching the train they will work in some exercise...a vow that only adds more stress to their lives.

If you want to really Practice Fitness in your estate planning or elder law practice, then you will need a SYSTEMATIC approach to your marketing. That approach should incorporate lead generation, qualification, follow-up and conversion. It should help you build quality relationships with allied professionals and with your clients. It should, over time, help you build a practice that virtually runs itself.

A website is not a marketing system.

A newsletter is not a marketing system.

A blog is not a marketing system.

In fact, a website, a newsletter and a blog are not a marketing system. They may be the components of a marketing system, but only if they work together in a cohesive, integrated fashion.

For more Practice Fitness tips, visit the Practice Fitness blog.

Practice Fitness -- In Practice!

I have been reading with more than a passive interest James' new practice development blog, Practice Fitness. James is applying fitness lessons he learned as a nationally-ranked bodybuilder to practice development challenges. So far, the feedback on his blog has been tremendous.

 My interest is keen,  however, not only from a business perspective -- but also on a personal level. Two years ago, I was in the best physical condition of my life. Ran a half-marathon and had a terrific time with it. Today, however, I find myself once again overweight and needing to either get back in shape or buy a new wardrobe! How did this happen?

Well ... not to be making excuses, but the truth is, LIFE happened. An illness. An injury. A death in the family. A new romance. A wedding. A honeymoon. The world made a few revolutions and the next thing you know I need a new suit!

Maybe the story of your practice is a lot the same? A few years ago everything seemed to be going so well. And then the world turned, a recession hit, the estate tax (temporarily) disappeared and suddenly ... your practice is just not quite as fit as it once was?

I know one of my mistakes was a bit of over-confidence, maybe even arrogance. When I was running 12 miles on a Sunday afternoon, and 7 or 8 miles most weekdays, I could eat virtually anything I wanted. I had a personal trainer and in addition to my running schedule, I was lifting weights and feeling ... perhaps a bit invincible? Did I really think I could continue eating pizza and drinking beer while I was sidelined with a hip injury? Of course not. The truth is, I guess I just didn't think about it. I really didn't want to.

You may feel the same way about your practice. Maybe you don't want to step on the scale and face the music? Maybe you think that if you just keep your head in the sand a little longer, you'll wake up one day and things will be right again.

Well, let me give you a wake-up call. It doesn't work that way. Every day that you avoid the scale is a day you are NOT getting better, more fit -- financially or physically.

Fortunately for both of us, James is offering up some terrific advice on his blog. I've asked him to help whip me into shape, and let me just say that it's not particularly fun. I had to step on the scale (ugh!). I had to carve out 45 minutes EVERY day for cardio. I had to cut out the pizza, the ice cream and the beer. I had to change my eating. In short, I had to get a plan for ESSENTIAL fitness, and start following it.

I've stuck with the program now for two weeks. And Dang! I'm still not thin and fit like I used to be! You see, that's the other side of the fitness story. Whether it's physical or practice fitness -- getting in shape takes time and consistent effort. You don't get there just by running twice around the track ... or by sending out one newsletter. You have to put all of the ESSENTIAL components together, and then you have to keep working at it every day.

So far, I'm down five pounds! And the best part is, I know I'm finally back on the right track. 

If you need some inspiration, visit James' blog online at: http://blog.practice-fitness.com/. In fact, click the subscribe button and get his posts delivered right to your inbox via RSS feed!

BLOG CONTENT & SUPPORT SERVICE

What are some of the benefits of blogging? You would be surprised! Not only will blogging drive more traffic to your website and improve your search engine ranking, but it will help establish your credibility in the marketplace. We continue to see more and more examples of this as we (and you) continue to blog.

We, at Integrity Marketing Solutions, provide BLOG CONTENT, SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT to help our clients take full advantage of online social media. As the old saying goes " Talkers are Hawkers ... Writers are Experts." Blogging helps you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Our service includes weekly blog content support with blog post ideas and even sample posts that you can paraphrase or copy-and-paste into your blog. Your weekly email also includes handy tips to make blogging quick and easy, and to help promote your blog. Additionally, you will join us once a month for live coaching and training online.

Whether you already have a successful blog, or need IMS to design, build and integrate your blog with your website and other social media, we are ready to help.

Learn more about our Blog Content, Support and Development services on our website.