The Atlanta Lawyer August / September 2018 | Page 26

D-I-Y Communication: Three Simple Steps for Getting Your Marketing Up and Running Dr. Megan Hodgkiss Hodgkiss Consulting, LLC [email protected] For some attorneys, the idea of marketing their law firm may seem daunting or overly time- consuming. Lawyers may not be aware of what communication resources they should be using or even the best ways to get started. For those trying to tackle their own legal marketing, there are a few simple steps you can take to increase your online presence and boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 1. Update Your Website for Your Potential Clients. One of the first and most important steps to take is to make sure the information you are putting out there is correct and up-to-date. Take a look at your website. Is all of your contact information correct? Are all of your practice areas listed appropriately? Have you had any changes in staffing that should be added to or removed from your website? Once your have verified that all the basic information is correct, the next task is tailoring the content for your clients. Many attorneys make the mistake of writing their website content with other attorneys in mind when they should be writing with their potential clients in mind. To do this, start by using local terms whenever possible (ex: Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown) and staying away from legal terminology that might be unfamiliar and/or confusing to non-lawyers. One way to attract clients is to take a “Why should I care?” approach to your service descriptions – introduce a legal problem (using layman’s terms) and then explain how you can help clients solve that problem. 2. Set Up Your Social Media Accounts and Start Sharing. There are a multitude of social media channels available (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association THE ATLANTA LAWYER 26