Unlock the power of law firm email newsletters & e-blasts
Email marketing is one of the most powerful digital marketing tools at a law firm’s disposal. Email marketing allows the practice to communicate directly with prospective and existing clients in a personalized way by serving valuable content and relevant news straight to their inboxes.
Not only does law firm email marketing deliver practice news, helpful information clients want, and initiatives the practice is promoting, it gets the practice’s name in the subject line of potentially thousands of clients’ inboxes. Moreover, it’s about skillfully guiding recipients back to a firm’s digital doorstep – the website. These are the prime benefits of well-designed, engaging e-newsletters delivered regularly to a firm’s client base and leads.
While over 70% of law firms use email to market their firms, only 41% use email newsletters, according to the American Bar Association. An email welcoming a new client is a form of email marketing. But an e-newsletter sent regularly and designed with goals in mind is perhaps the best form of email marketing, for efficiency and results.
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Email marketing is only one of several marketing efforts Vanguard offers through our LawMarketLink program. Use it, and we guarantee practice growth of 15%-30% in one year.
Crafting legal marketing e-newsletters that pop
By pop we mean standout from others, get noticed, get opened, and get readers to follow links back to the mothership (website). How do we do this? We start with designing an attractive e-newsletter template that is in step with the law firm’s brand.
Part of designing the template is choosing a layout that looks great on all screens and devices. This holds significant sway over reader engagement. We prioritize readability, bold images, and clear calls-to-action (CTAs), which also help with engagement rates.
In putting together each issue, we consider the content mix, which should be varied topics that offer something for most recipients. An issue should not focus on one topic; that’s best for an e-blast (see below).
Then we work with each feature as an ensemble of four elements: the image, the headline, the body copy, and the CTA, which is the wording on the button that links to the website page the e-newsletter article is about. These ensemble elements are complementary, with each adding value to the overall message while avoiding repetition.
Following the law firm email marketing metrics
We carefully track a law firm’s e-newsletter metrics, looking for an upward arc in number of subscribers and in engagement. We track how each issue performs as well as individual articles through open and click rates.
Furthermore, we note topics that aren’t performing well and rearrange our content mix to improve that if needed. We also pay close attention to the subscriber roll, adding new clients to it and removing those who aren’t opening the issues. Of course, we report all this to the client firm.
How to use an e-blast in law firm marketing
An e-blast is an aspect of law firm email marketing that is an email sent to a large list of recipients. In Vanguard’s world, an effective e-blast covers a single topic sent to opt-in subscribers on a law firm’s e-newsletter list. Usually, an e-blast includes timely information clients need to know about a practice or an upcoming event. It’s akin to a personalized letter in a world of virtual noise. Possible uses include:
- Announce a major change, like a new partner or branch office opening.
- Alert clients to firm closures due to weather or holidays.
- Invite clients to an event the firm is putting on or sponsoring.
- Request testimonials or reviews on the practice’s website.
- Inform clients about a major law change in the firm’s focus area.
- Notify clients about a free webinar the firm is offering.
In email marketing, less can mean more conversion rates
In email marketing, embracing simplicity can yield remarkable boosts in conversion rates. It can help create a more personal connection in the lawyer-client relationship with long-term benefits in retaining existing clients, while also helping to attract new ones.
While the ease of automated systems can tempt many to send out lots of emails, we don’t advise spamming every email contact you have with an e-newsletter. This will definitely irritate many recipients. Effective marketing engages rather than annoys readers.
Instead focus on precision. By sending your law practice e-newsletter to opt-in subscribers only, you’re engaging in one of the few marketing outreaches people have already chosen to accept. This increases conversion rates, which in email marketing means opening the email in the first place then connecting with your website, where the e-newsletter directed viewer can read an article, request an appointment, or fill out a form.
Fewer email newsletters, more engagement
Another less-is-more reality we employ for clients is to limit the number of e-newsletter issues sent out. One issue a month (or less) is typically sufficient. More than once a month appears a little needy and can try the opt-in subscriber’s patience, leading to opting out.
We’ve found sending too many e-newsletter issues results in lower open rates, as well as reducing other conversion rate activities. Opt-in subscribers are already interested in the law firm’s news, so don’t drive them away by stuffing their inboxes.
The PR payoffs of lawyer email marketing
Email marketing is actually an aspect of public relations (PR). A good law firm e-newsletter tells a firm’s clients and prospects that their lawyer is sharing relevant legal information and insights they can use. It shows the firm cares about the client’s needs. But how does this translate into a firm’s success?
- Good email newsletters are an extension of the practice’s website and PR.
- They encourage recipients to trust the attorneys who are sharing valuable information.
- An e-newsletter is a great vehicle to promote new blogs, service pages, and other website content.
- They can build loyalty, a fundamental aspect of personal recommendations of a firm to others; recipients can and do forward e-newsletters to friends and family.
- The overall presentation of a newsletter’s content and look supports the firm’s brand.
- Our newsletters perform better than the industry average in open rates and article click rates, because we know what law clients are looking for and how to grab them.
- This means driving traffic to the law firm’s website, where a visitor can check out more than just the newsletter article clicked on.
Lawyer email marketing vs. social media marketing
Many law firms utilize their social media platforms for the kinds of messaging done in e-newsletters as listed above. There’s a basic problem with that: it’s never certain the message will actually end up in a client’s newsfeed due to personal settings and the platform’s sharing algorithm. And the client might not be on social media around the time when a firm sends a post.
In stark contrast, an email newsletter resides in an inbox until it is opened or deleted: either way, one can be certain the message was at least encountered. Even if deleted unopened, the law firm’s name and something about the email content shows in the subject line, serving as a reminder of the organization.
With a social media post, that’s not the case. That’s why we often promote a new blog or law firm event in both social media posts and an e-newsletter.
The secret to a robust marketing strategy often lies in harmony. While law firm email marketing excels at targeted communication and guaranteed visibility, social media thrives in fostering engagement and extending reach. At Vanguard, we take pride in orchestrating the full spectrum of our clients’ marketing channels to their best advantage.
Vanguard’s edge in email marketing for lawyers
- A growth guarantee of 15%-30% in year one.
- A turnkey, fully integrated program that also includes social media, online reputation management, public/media relations and more.
- A proven team of experts in digital marketing, writing, design, public relations, SEO, and website building.
- 29 years of experience marketing professional services.