By Tom Trush
If you actively market your firm, you likely have profits hidden in the message you put in front of your prospects every day.
Here's what I mean: Think about the last time you spent money on a marketing piece. Let's say you ran an ad that cost $1,000. If you made $2,000, then your ad was successful because you doubled your money.
But what if you used that same ad, made a few changes to the text and pulled in $10,000? After all, you spend the same amount running your ad whether it generates $2,000 or $10,000.
Every time you send out a marketing piece with ineffective copy -- whether it's an ad, website or mailer -- you leave money on the table. That's why the secret to getting more clients without any additional costs is your copy.
Here are 6 ways you can adjust the text in any marketing piece so you receive more responses:
1. Use a headline. The headline is the most frequently read section of any marketing piece. When you write your headline, include a big benefit of using your services and give prospects a reason to continue reading.
2. Create curiosity. One common reason prospects read past your headline is curiosity. Look again at the title of this article -- you can't find out the answer unless you read further.
3. Talk to (not at) your prospects. They don't care about you or your firm. All prospects want to know is how they can benefit from your services. Words such as "we," "our," "I" and your firm's name are clear indicators of a message that's all about you.
4. Provide value. Give prospects information they can't find elsewhere and they will reward you with responses. You've done your job well if prospects feel like they learned something after reading your copy.
5. Write clearly. Short sentences with small words make your copy easier to understand. Many people are already intimidated by lawyers -- legal jargon only adds to their anxiety.
6. Give a direct command. Don't assume prospects know what to do next. Tell them the next step and encourage action by giving them a reason to contact you.
One final note... don't be afraid to test your text. You make a big mistake when you label your marketing piece a failure after only one use. Sometimes a simple change in your headline will explode your response rate.
Tom Trush is available at https://www.writewaysolutions.com.
---
© Trey Ryder
FREE LAWYER MARKETING ALERT: If you'd like to receive Trey Ryder's weekly Lawyer Marketing Alert, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Write "Subscribe LMA" in the subject line and write your name and e-mail address in the body of the message.