This document discusses how law firms can use email marketing to nurture client relationships. It recommends identifying high-value topics that require immediate action to engage clients. Personalized emails that address the client's specific needs and provide relevant information or expertise build stronger relationships over time. Tracking email metrics and testing subject lines and designs helps optimize engagement. Nurturing loyal clients through regular, targeted communication delivers significant revenue for law firms.

1. ROE – Return on Email:
Email marketing for law firms

2. Why email is the killer app for
relationship-based businesses
You can develop a personalized, targeted
dialogue with your clients
Clients give you permission
It is inexpensive and easy (great ROI)
 Use email to nurture, convert, grow and retain
clients

3. Our goal as law firm marketers is to
nurture relationships
Loyal
Strangers Friends Customers
Customers
Email can do this!
Advertising, search, directories can’t do this!

4. The email that changed my view
of my law firm
Change to visa law for engineers during the
high-tech boom – immediate action needed!
Relevant Changed perceptions
High-value “They’re looking out for me”
Immediate action “They are delivering value”

5. 4 ways to improve your email tomorrow
1. Identify topics that deliver response
2. Have a communications plan
3. Personalize and target
4. Design for results

6. 1. Identify topics that deliver
response
News: “The law changed and you need to act now”
Relationship: “Let us introduce you people that
can help your business”
Expertise: “Let us teach you something to help
you run your business”

7. Madrid Protocol
This marketing program
drove over $200,000 in
revenue
- No fancy technology
- Emails were
personalized
- No fancy “creative”
- Part of larger program
- High value topic
- Urgent action needed
- Short
- Links to firm website

8. 2. Have a communications plan
Email is part of a communication plan that
includes
Web, Telephone, Articles, Memos, etc.
What is the goal of the email?
What is the follow up plan?
Track performance by setting up an “area of
law” number

9. 409A Compliance
This marketing program
drove over $550,000 in
revenue
- Campaign included
emails, memos, calls
- High value issue
- Urgent action needed

10. 3. Personalize and target
Ask your clients what they want
Irrelevant email will train clients not to open
them
Create a “Preferences Center” on your
website
Don’t be afraid to cleanup your lists
 Value quality over quantity

11. 3. Personalize and target
Opt In Email
-This email got a >20%
response rate
- Clients signed up for 300
new publications
 We gained much more
than we lost!

12. 4. Design for results
Track
bounces, opens, clicks, forwards, unsubscri
bes
Do A/B tests to see what design gets results
Test: Sender, Subject, Design, Call to
action, List segmentation
Throw away your templates
You may need to fire your design
department and your email vendor too!

13. Design for the message pane
- Who is the message from?
- Convey your message in 35-45 characters
 Step 1 is getting them to open the email

14. Design for the preview pane
- Text headline for main message
- Logo in upper left
- Use color/graphics to highlight call to action
- Readable type size
- Create a separate text version

15. Learn more
Books: Online:
Email Marketing By – EmailExperience.org
The Numbers
– MarketingSherpa.com
Chris Baggott
– BtoBonline.com
Permission
Marketing – ClickZ.com
Seth Godin – MediaPost.com
– eMarketer.com
Don’t Make Me Think
Steve Krug