Your Website Is Just the Beginning: Why Ongoing Marketing Matters for Estate Planning Attorneys

June 11, 2025

by Saima Omar Uncategorized

In estate planning, your clients aren’t just hiring you for your legal knowledge. They’re placing their trust, and their legacy, in your hands.

But long before they ever sit across from you in a conference room or show up on a Zoom call, they meet you online. Your website is their first glimpse into who you are, what you offer, and whether you’re the right attorney to guide them.

And yet, a website is not enough.

A beautiful, well-written site will help, but if it just sits there without a marketing strategy to support it, you’re leaving opportunity on the table.

In this post, we’ll explore:

Why a high-quality, current website is essential for estate planning attorneys
How failing to maintain your website can quietly harm your practice
Why marketing can’t be an afterthought anymore
How Lawyers With Purpose supports firms with tools, strategy, and systems designed to turn websites into revenue

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or running a multi-attorney firm, your digital presence plays a critical role in your growth—and it’s time to make sure it’s working for you.

The Website Is the New Waiting Room

Most clients begin their estate planning journey online. They might search for “estate planning attorney near me” or “do I need a will or a trust?” and if your firm doesn’t show up at that moment, you’re already out of the running.

Your website functions as:

A digital handshake
A 24/7 receptionist
A hub for information, education, and conversion

But more importantly, it sets the tone. If your site is outdated, confusing, or slow to load, it signals that your firm may be behind the curve.

On the other hand, a professional website with clear messaging, intuitive navigation, and valuable content helps potential clients feel confident before they even reach out.

But the Website Alone Doesn’t Drive Growth

Let’s be clear: even the best-designed website won’t generate leads if no one sees it.

Too often, estate planning attorneys fall into the trap of treating their site like a one-time project. They launch it, maybe post a few blogs, and hope it attracts traffic. But a website without an ongoing marketing strategy is like a car with no fuel.

To drive growth, your site needs support from a consistent marketing system that:

Attracts new visitors through search and content
Captures leads with compelling calls to action
Nurtures relationships with email follow-up
Converts qualified prospects into paying clients

And that system doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does have to be intentional.

The Risks of Letting Your Website Sit Idle

Failing to maintain or update your website can lead to several business challenges that go unnoticed until it’s too late:

1. Outdated content signals neglect.
If your blog posts are from 2019, your readers may wonder whether you’re keeping up with legal trends or even actively practicing.

2. SEO performance declines.
Search engines reward fresh, relevant content. Without regular updates and optimization, your site will gradually fall in rankings.

3. Missed client expectations.
If your site doesn’t clearly outline your services, pricing model, or approach, you risk attracting the wrong leads—or losing the right ones.

4. Missed conversion opportunities.
Broken links, slow loading times, or confusing layouts can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave before contacting you.

In short, your website is a living part of your business. And like any living thing, it requires regular care.

Marketing Is Not Optional Anymore

In the past, estate planning practices could grow on referrals alone. But today’s legal consumers are more digital, more skeptical, and more selective than ever.

Your competitors aren’t waiting around. Many are investing in social media, blogging, email marketing, webinars, and targeted ads to reach the exact same clients you’re trying to attract.

To stay competitive, you need:

A professional brand image across all channels
A pipeline of educational content that positions you as the trusted authority
A lead generation and follow-up system that works while you’re in client meetings
Performance tracking tools to know what’s working—and what’s not

That’s where the Lawyers With Purpose Marketing Membership comes in.

How LWP Helps You Build a Marketing System That Works

At Lawyers With Purpose, we understand the unique challenges estate planning attorneys face when it comes to marketing. You’re busy managing client work, compliance, team training, and firm operations. Marketing often ends up last on the list.

That’s why we created a dedicated Marketing Membership to make marketing more accessible, more effective, and more aligned with your firm’s long-term goals.

This membership can be added to any LWP plan, or accessed through our Growth and Robust membership levels and gives you access to both foundational and advanced marketing tools.

Let’s look at what’s included.

The Do-It-Yourself Marketing Toolkit

For attorneys ready to take control of their marketing without starting from scratch, the DIY Toolkit includes:

Website Lead Generation Booster Packages
Pre-written content and strategies focused on estate planning, elder law, and probate to help you attract more leads directly from your site.
Monthly Newsletters
Keep in touch with your audience and stay top of mind with customizable, client-friendly newsletters.
Professional Brochures
A full library of printable and digital brochures that communicate your services clearly and credibly.
Blog Library
Dozens of pre-written blog posts that you can use as-is or personalize to your voice and region—saving hours of content creation time.
Workshop Email Follow-Up Series
Turn workshop attendees into clients with a complete series of follow-up emails designed to educate and drive action.

These resources help eliminate guesswork and ensure your messaging stays consistent, professional, and client-centered.

Strategic Marketing Services (Done-With-You and Done-For-You)

Depending on your membership level, LWP also offers access to a suite of personalized services:

Marketing Strategy and Consulting
Work directly with legal marketing experts to create a step-by-step plan tailored to your firm’s goals and budget.
Branding and Image Development
Position your firm visually and verbally to stand out from competitors in your local market.
Workshop Marketing Support
Get help promoting live or virtual events to maximize attendance and ROI.
Mass Media and PR Guidance
From local news outreach to advertorials, we’ll help you find new exposure opportunities.
Email, Blog, and Social Media Services
Options for assistance or outsourcing, depending on your firm’s capacity.
Digital Advertising and Lead Generation
Get expert help with campaigns that drive targeted traffic to your site and convert that traffic into leads.

This full-spectrum support is especially powerful when paired with your existing website and intake process—bringing your online presence to life with fresh content and real-world results.

Relationship Management System (RMS)

Websites and marketing bring in new leads, but referrals are still one of the most powerful (and profitable) sources of clients.

Unfortunately, most attorneys struggle to create and maintain strong relationships with allied professionals. That’s where LWP’s proprietary Relationship Management System (RMS) changes the game.

RMS gives you a proven, repeatable framework for:

Identifying the right referral partners
Structuring conversations to demonstrate value and build trust
Tracking referrals and analyzing results
Measuring the health and ROI of each professional relationship

It’s a system that works quietly in the background to build consistent referral pipelines—one of the smartest ways to grow your practice without increasing ad spend.

The Investment That Pays for Itself

The LWP Marketing Membership is available for just $497/month—and it’s structured to help you see results that far exceed that investment.

Included in this monthly fee:

Monthly strategy sessions with marketing experts
A customized roadmap aligned to your goals
KPI tracking and reporting tools
On-demand tools to support workshops, online campaigns, and more
A consistent stream of actionable guidance and proven content

If you’re part of the Growth or Robust LWP memberships, this marketing support is already included. That means you get both the legal tools and the marketing horsepower needed to grow and sustain a thriving estate planning practice.

Your Website Isn’t the Finish Line—It’s the Starting Line

You don’t need to be a marketing expert. You just need the right tools and guidance to make sure your website and digital strategy are working as hard as you are.

Your clients are online. They’re searching for answers. And they’re deciding—often in seconds—whether to trust you with their most personal, important life decisions.

Let your website show them who you are. Let your marketing bring them to your door.

And let Lawyers With Purpose give you the support you need to make it all work.

Ready to build a system that attracts, educates, and converts your ideal clients?

Reach out to the LWP team to learn more about the Marketing Membership and how it fits into your practice’s growth plan.

https://www.lawyerswithpurpose.com/join/

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What Is A Successful Workshop? Here’s All You Need to Know…

August 17, 2016

by David Zumpano with One Comment David J. Zumpano Estate Planning Drafting Software Legal Marketing Systems & Processes

I've been working with estate planning attorneys around the United States for almost 20 years, and I am always intrigued about how excited they get when they deliver a presentation, seminar or workshop. The interesting dynamic is how pumped they get in front of a room full of people. It might surprise you to learn that such a situation is not exciting to me or to any LWP attorney, for one simple reason. We have learned that it is not the number of people in the room or your ability to speak to them that matters, but rather your ability to communicate and create relationships with them so they trust you and understand how you can help them accomplish their goals. That’s when they hire you.

Under the Lawyers with Purpose workshop system, our members are provided three different workshops, depending upon which best matches their personal objectives. We offer members the “Estate Planning Essentials” workshop, the “Seven Threats to Every Estate Plan” workshop, and the “How to Protect Your Stuff in Three Easy Steps” workshop. All three teach the same concepts and utilize similar stories, but most importantly, all connect and relate to the Estate Plan Audit™ utilized in the Vision Meeting™ with individuals who attend the workshop and opt for a meeting with you. They also delve into what estate planning is and the specific issues you want them to know (all contained in our trademarked and copyrighted workshops).

Why is this relevant? Because the excitement over the number of people in your workshop is baseless if none of them hire you. If your workshop can't show people how you can help them and explain how your solutions are relevant to them and will benefit them, then stay home with your family rather than waste the time.

So, to avoid that scenario, let’s consider the core elements of a successful workshop. First, ensure in advance that you are clear on who is registered to attend your workshop. You should also ask how each attendee heard about you; that is, what source of marketing got them to call your office (a professional relationship, a retail advertisement, or other). Second, your staff should welcome all attendees during enrollment, excite them about the workshop they're going to attend and touch on how it will offer new ideas to solve their concerns. Third, your team should follow up with attendees ahead of time and confirm attendance. Fourth, during the workshop it is essential to set the expectation up front that you will make commitments to the audience, and to make sure the audience understands that you expect them at the end of the workshop to complete the evaluation and request a meeting if they think it's appropriate. This is perhaps the most important part of the workshop – not all the education you provide, but rather the invitation for them to move forward with you at the conclusion. You must be enthusiastic and excited for them to come in and apply what they learned to their personal situation, in hopes of helping them accomplish their goals and objectives based upon what they’ve learned in the workshop. If you don't believe in yourself, why would they?

And finally, another very important element of every workshop, one in which I have found that most lawyers fail, is to follow up with the attendees to schedule the appointment. I cannot tell you how many times I've worked with attorneys who either neglected to get an evaluation at the end or got the evaluation and failed to follow up on it.

Life is busy. People don't have “free time” to just pop into a workshop, and oh, by the way, I can't wait to go see a lawyer tomorrow to talk about all this crazy stuff. For most people, their lives are busy and complicated, and they're confused. You must be the one who clarifies the confusion and shows them a simple approach for them to get their concerns solved.

That's what the Lawyers with Purpose workshop system does. In fact, we call it the Client Enrollment System™ because it's a complete process, from identifying the client's needs after their initial contact with you, to the point of their engagement with your firm. That's the significance of workshops and seminars: not the excitement of delivering them, but the excitement of actually being able to help people implement great planning solutions that protect them and their family. Contact Lawyers with Purpose today if you want to learn more about what we can bring to your estate and/or elder law practice. Just click here and give us a little information then download our membership brochure.

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

Sales Lessons from Italy

August 10, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with One Comment Legal Marketing

When I was in high school, I took Latin for two years as my foreign language elective. “What a waste,” I thought, until a few weeks ago, when I took my family to Italy. The trip was actually a business trip to brainstorm with colleagues in Florence. Time away from my office to work on my business with extremely intelligent, successful lawyers is always beneficial. But I had no idea how much I would learn about business and sales just by walking the streets. Based on the questions my children asked, they too learned valuable lessons.

First, the canals in Venice were lined shop after shop with uniquely blown glass of jewelry, animals, tableware, and anything else imaginable. On each Florence corner, and between each corner, were gelato (ice cream) stores. The plazas in Rome were bordered by restaurants, shoulder to shoulder, each with virtually identical menus. Nothing stood out. How did any of them get business? Why were some packed while others were bare?

On our last night in Italy, we wanted a place to eat that was close and easy. We had already eaten 18 meals of pasta and had at least 12 gelato treats. We stopped at the first restaurant on the corner of the big plaza near our hotel to review its posted menu. An employee, specifically stationed in the street in front of the outdoor seating, walked over to us and immediately began to share that they have only the freshest ingredients and no microwave or freezer on the premises. He understood that his menu was like everyone else’s, but he focused on how their food was better. He then got personal and asked my son, “What would you want to eat if you were here? … We can do that.” Naturally my son was sold. After sitting down, I began listening and watching our salesman and noticed the following:

He started with something small – “Would you like to sit and have a special drink” – without presuming a person was hungry for a full meal.
He walked toward the table and said, “Table for four right here for you,” confidently, as if the sale had already been made.
When asked by another prospective customer, “What is the best place after yours?” he replied, “You are already here, why would you want to keep walking only to find the second-best place?”
They filled the tables closest to the walkway first, then behind, to provide social proof of those walking by that the restaurant was desirable.

Since gelato is an impulse buy or a “treat,” the menu was not as important. But since there was a gelato stand on just about every corner, I looked for what made one more attractive than another. For starters, the shops where you could see the gelato from the street through windows were eye-catchers, versus having to go into the shop. Second, a clearly visible sign that said gelato and pictures of gelato were helpful. Shops that only sold gelato and not other items (sandwiches, water, souvenirs) attracted more business. Thus, the takeaway points were:

Be visible and use visuals;
Specialize and don’t confuse the market by selling too many products.

Not all sales strategies I observed were effective. In fact, some were quite offensive. First, after we climbed next to the Spanish steps (the actual steps were under construction), a rose peddler approached and I said, “No, thank you,” then, “No, grazie.” He persisted and said, “It is a gift for you to give to Saint Mary (in the church at the top of the steps).” He handed me three roses as a “gift.” I turned away and he then pulled my arm and held out his hand for money. I reluctantly put in two Euros and he asked for more based on the value of three roses. Jennifer was not as considerate as I was: She took two roses from my hand, thrust them back at the guy and said, “Take your roses and leave us alone.” There was no way I was getting the third rose out of my daughter’s hands.

Similarly, while walking through a plaza toward a merry-go-round, a balloon artist handed my daughter a balloon and said, “This is for you.” Naturally, Katherine took it, said, “Thank you,” smiled real big, and began skipping. The balloonist looked to Jennifer for the money (who had none). Jennifer had to take the balloon out of Katherine’s hands, to a crumbling face, and ask her, “Do you want the balloon or the merry-go-round?” A good lesson for Katherine about choices and priority, but an ill-attempted sales strategy by the balloonist.

Two other lessons we picked up based on questions or observations from my son. First, in all three cities we visited, we saw panhandlers, many of whom presented as homeless. Then, on the plazas we enjoyed individuals showing off their talents (juggling, singing, magic, etc.) to earn money thrown into a pan or hat. Christopher asked, “Do only homeless people do tricks for money?” I replied, “No, honey, only the hungry.” That is a generalization, of course. The meaning behind my response was, “Those willing to put themselves out there to earn a living for their needs will do what it takes to earn money.” Satisfied with that response, when we stumbled upon the Roma Gay Pride celebration near the Colosseum, both children were dancing and really enjoying themselves. Christopher said without any hesitation, “Mommy, can I have a can so people can put money into it for our dancing?” I laughed and told him no, but the real lesson was that he was willing to unabashedly “entertain” and make money while I, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to let him. How many people engage in marketing strategies that work very well, but that you refuse to do based on your own limiting beliefs or pride?

The second lesson my son pointed out was at the Trevi Fountain. The legend is that if you throw a coin in the fountain, then you will return to Rome. My son aptly pointed out, “That is just a trick to get you to give them money.” True. Nonetheless, how many people throw the coin? It’s not about throwing the coin or not, it’s about the experience of throwing the coin. How can you be a fountain to your clients, where they are willing to throw coins just for the ongoing relationship or experience (e.g. maintenance plan)?

When you are out of your office, pay attention to the sales strategies of other businesses. If you were in Rome, would you do as the Romans do? Can you incorporate any of the lessons in your own office?

Victoria L. Collier, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, www.LawyersWithPurpose.com; Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Founder and Managing Attorney of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC, www.ElderLawGeorgia.com; Co-Founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America; Entrepreneur; Author; and nationally renowned Presenter.

Congratulations to Andrew Jaloza, Lawyers With Purpose Member of The Month

February 12, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Systems & Processes Team Building

What is the greatest success you’ve had since joining LWP?

The greatest success is having created a thriving Estate Planning Practice run by a cohesive team of dedicated people who are passionate about helping as many families as we possibly can.

What is your favorite LWP tool?

It is not just the tools but the total client centered systematic approach of the LWP process that has allowed us to quickly go from zero to hero as an Elder Law and Estate Planning firm.

How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?

We have been impacted by our implementation coach Roz Drotar and our mentor Coach Candace Pollock, both of whom have held us accountable and challenged us to reach our highest possible potential while imparting their years of experience-based suggestions to help us achieve amazing growth over the past year.

Share something about yourself that most people don’t know about you.

Something that people don't know about me is that I am transparent. What you see is truly what you get.

What is your favorite book and how did it impact your life?

My favorite book is called Man's Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankl. This book has impacted my life because after reading it, it has taught me that everything in your life is a matter of perspective, and how you look at something creates your world.

10 Ideas to Make Your Law Firm Website Better Today

February 8, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with 9 Comments Legal Marketing

Today we welcome Guest Blogger Mike Ramsey, President of NiftyLaw. He writes and speaks across the nation about all things search, social, and local.

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Most law firms have active websites, but not many of them are good. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to improve your website and stand out from the crowd. After all, a professional website can create the much-needed positive impression, strengthen credibility, and generate new business for you.

In this post, I’m going to share 10 ideas to make your law firm website better today.

Let’s get started…

1. Use Images of Attorneys and Your Office

A professional law firm website needs to build trust, authenticity, and credibility. And nothing does that better than images of your own office and attorneys.

Here is an example.

You can always use stock images on your website, but that’s not recommended. It looks generic, and stock images can never reflect the personality and values of your business — which are important factors.

Pro Tip: Use PhotoFeeler to get unbiased feedback on your photos and control the impression it sends to your potential clients.

2. Start Publishing Blog Posts Regularly

Blogging plays a significant role in lead generation — especially for law firms. According to studies, marketers who blogs generate 67% more leads than those who don’t. Also, businesses with over 200 blog posts generate 5x more leads than those with 10 or fewer.

So, as you can see, blogging is a great long-term investment.

Furthermore, your entire content marketing efforts will be based on your business blog. Let’s discuss it more.

3. Target the “Right” Audience

Here is another tip about blogging.

When you are creating content, it is important to identify the type of audience you are targeting. You are not creating content for other lawyers. It’s a rookie mistake that actually a lot of law firms make.

You should be creating content for your potential customers. Other lawyers are not your potential clients in many cases and there are better ways to create relationships with lawyers in person compared to blogs.

So choose your topics wisely.

4. Local Area Keyword Targeting

Okay, this is the last tip on blogging and content marketing. I promise.

When you are creating content for your law firm website, make sure that you are targeting the right keywords.

One tip is to target keywords for all the local places where you provide services. For instance, if you are a lawyer in Chicago, you probably work with people in the entire metro and should be targeting multiple local areas, e.g., Cicero estate planning, Evanston elder law, Oak Park, Skokie, etc.

Create content to publish on your website with these areas as primary keywords. Optimizing these location keywords will help you get more search engine traffic and potential leads from those geographical regions. This will also expand your website dramatically.

You can use the Google Keyword Planner to find all the relevant keywords and keyword phrases.

5. Responsive Mobile-Friendly Design

Mobile searches have become an important component of online marketing. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it can have several negative impacts on your online business.

First of all, nearly 50% of the website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website isn’t compatible, you are simply going to lose all that traffic. Secondly, search engines prefer mobile-friendly websites.

In April 2015, Google announced their mobile-friendly search engine algorithm update. According to this update, if you are website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google may not rank it higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Following that, Bing has also announced their own mobile-friendly algorithm.

6. Building an Email List

An email list of targeted subscribers and potential leads is, by far, the most valuable asset of your online business. It’s important that you start building an email list right from the start.

Why is an email list so important for a law firm website?

It’s simple.

Approximately only 4% website visitors are ready to buy right away when they visit your website. The rest of the 96% need to be properly nurtured. And there is no better way to nurture potential leads than email marketing.

Moreover, when you stay in touch with your email subscribers and send them useful information, they are more likely to hire your services and trust your recommendations.

7. The Psychology of Color

Sometimes, just choosing the right color for your website can make a huge difference. It’s important because each color sends a different message and that can change the perception of your website visitors.

For instance, blue is a color that builds trust, credibility, order, loyalty, and authenticity. This is the reason so many financial institutions and banks use blue.

You can leverage this information and use this to your own advantage and ensure the color choices of your firm are in line with the messaging you want to send.

8. Focus on Reputation

Your website can create a great first impression that you need so much.

For instance, take a look at the following image.

The website specifically focuses on building the good reputation. It shows achievements, highlights different accomplishments, and has a great tagline to go with it.

You should also use testimonials of satisfied customers to complement other elements on your website. A great tool to help generate feedback from customers is GetFiveStars where you can manage reviews, ask for testimonials, and address issues before they become reputation problems.

9. Stand Out with Video Marketing

Video marketing can have great rewards if done properly.

The idea is to rise above your competitors by having engaging videos on your law firm website.

You can create testimonials videos, educational videos, or promotional videos. And when all else fails, you can just be “memorable”.

10. Contact Information

One of the major reasons why people visit your law firm website is to find your contact information. It is, therefore, your job to make it as easy for them as possible.

Don’t forget to mention the physical address of your firm, your local phone numbers, an active email address, and a map. It is important that the contact information — Business name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere on the web.

Also, depending on your website design, it is a good idea to display the contact information on every webpage. You can easily achieve that by displaying the contact information in the header or the footer of your website.

It can also be a good idea to clarify that an email or contact form submission does not initiate an attorney-client relationship — as shown in the following image.

Final Words

It is important to understand that your law firm website is a crucial component. Without it, you won’t be able to manage content marketing. 81% people search online before buying, and that makes it imperative that you have a great law firm website in place. And you can use these 10 ideas to make your law firm website better today.

Mike Ramsey, President of NiftyLaw

Mike is one of our sponsors for the February Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat…. and he's also a guest speaker! Join the conversation during his focus session on the Thursday, 2/25 Marketing Track at 8AM : "I'd Like to Hire You, But I Can't Find You" and learn all things local search to dominate online in your area!

If you're not a Lawyers With Purpose member and want to know more about our Cloud Based Workflow System, join our webinar on Thursday, February 26th at 2EST – Click here to register for our Live Law Firm CRM Workflow System Demo for estate planning and elder law attorneys.

Roslyn Drotar – Lawyers With Purpose, Online Marketing Strategist

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3 Time Concepts To Break Through Your Time Constraints

July 13, 2015

by David Zumpano with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Estate Planning Drafting Software Systems & Processes Team Building

Many lawyers I coach complain they don't have enough time to get everything done. Interestingly, I remind them the most successful people in the world have the same amount of time in a day as they do. How do they do it? I've been practicing law for 20 years and the last 17 as a solo practitioner. I've grown my practice from me and a secretary to a firm with over 20 employees, including five lawyers. I can honestly say that's not for everybody. I never expected it; it’s where I ended up. I will share the time-saving strategies I utilized to grow my practice. Join me in a one-hour webinar:

Thursday, July 23^rd at 2:00 EST for our “Having the Time to Have it All – Three Time Strategies to Have a Practice with Purpose and Profit”

======== > REGISTER NOW HERE

You don't have to have a large practice to succeed, but you do need to get control of your time so you have enough of it to satisfy all the needs of your practice and your personal life. Most lawyers I work with are being pulled in so many directions based on different marketing schemes of the individual organizations that recruit them. Many attorneys belong to multiple organizations, including one for estate planning, one for Medicaid, one for VA, one for special needs planning, one for asset protection, and yet another for tax planning. And then wonder why they don’t have time to keep up with it all. Don't get me wrong, each organization has value, but the challenge I've always found is there is always a lack of time to get it done.

Should you attend? If you are struggling with a work-life balance, struggling with how to run a law "business," or feel you do not have enough time in your day to get all the work done, then this webinar will be a great use of your time. Click here to register for this special webinar.

In one hour, I will share with you the three key time strategies to have the time necessary to provide estate planning, elder law, asset protection, Medicaid, VA Benefits, special needs and tax planning all in the same time you have now. I look forward to sharing with you.

======== > REGISTER NOW HERE

Hope you don’t miss,

David J. Zumpano, CPA, Esq., Practicing Attorney, just like you & Founder of Estate Planning Law Center & Lawyers with Purpose LLC

P.S. For the first time ever, I will be showing non-members the exact technology platforms and systems that I use to manage and streamline my practice. Implementing what I’m going to teach you will not only save you a tremendous amount of time, but will finally help you lay a strong practice management foundation to take your business to the next level. Plus, YOUR STAFF WILL LOVE IT. Have them join you on the line!

======== > REGISTER NOW HERE

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Social Media Guide For Lawyers

May 27, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing

Let’s talk about lawyers getting social. What does that mean, and how can it support your marketing? Social media is an umbrella term for programs that connect individuals through an online platform (such as Facebook or Linked In). Social marketing is more of an approach to connecting with your audience for their “social good,” not necessarily for financial reasons.

One of the biggest challenges faced by small law firms is how to get started in social media. Where do you start? Which platform should you focus on? What and when should you post? How do you get followers and fans? It can be overwhelming!

There is so much to think about and so much to distract you, because researching this is like going down a rabbit hole. Information and opinions are everywhere. It can also be a moving target – the best practices of last year are often today’s don'ts. But one thing remains consistent: It’s not going away. So let’s do something with it.

One of my favorite quotes sums the situation up perfectly: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Start where you are: Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your practice or already have an existing client base, just start now where you are so it can begin to grow and evolve. Don’t worry about where it should be a year from now. Get started, because if you don’t, it can’t go anywhere.

Use what you have: You might not have a budget for social, or employees to support it, and you probably think you have no content. Remember, it’s social. So just showing your personality and your law firm brand, and sharing your moments, is enough. And, you have resources right there in your office, and you have opinions, so share them. That’s what’s valuable to your audience. I bet each person reading this has content sitting on their desk they could share and comment on.

Do what you can: If you can only post one time a day on one platform, start by blocking out the time in your calendar to make sure it gets done. Once you get the hang of Facebook, for instance, it won’t take as much time to add Twitter or LinkedIn after that. Don’t try to post three times a day if once is all you can commit to in the beginning.

Remember that quote: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

If you’re still stuck on why? The reason you should use social marketing is that it has become an integral part of our world and continues to evolve. The new theory with social marketing is that it is more than just a channel or tactic, it’s a strategy that should be present in your marketing plan. The question is no longer whether you should do social; it is, simply, why wouldn’t you do social?

Social marketing is really beyond your website and participating in social platforms. Statistics confirm that having a social presence (whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter) can boost your career and build your reputation. Prospective clients are Googling you and your name after hearing about you through word of mouth. And Google archives social pages! So 9 out of 10 times if you Google someone’s name, you’ll find a social profile on Facebook or LinkedIn along with their website – and it's typically the top result!

Think of social as lead nurturing, touching, top-of-mind awareness, further defining hot leads – or those that want to “think about it” to be sent to conversion at a later date. You are creating connections and showing up in their world.

How to Get Started:

It’s important to decide which social platform you want to start with and what your objective is. If the plan is to provide workshop information, Facebook is probably the best channel for that, and it’s a good place to start if that’s where you’re most comfortable. If you want to work your RMS, then the best platform would be LinkedIn.

If you already have your social going but it’s not active, then allot enough time to decide what you will post, create that content, and make at least one post two to three times a week. That will probably take you two hours if you include time to respond to conversations.

The content you want to contribute is valuable content or insight for prospective clients. Ask yourself, what’s in it for them? Why would they want to “like” your post? What do they get out of it? It’s not all about you!

Suggestions for Posts:

Have a sense of humor
Share pictures or photos of fun times within the firm
Relevant information and insight on estate planning – think educate to motivate
What do they want to know?
Share the most common questions you get asked, and answer them
Current events

Do’s & Dont's

Do:

Focus on the people
Experiment and have fun. It’s social!
Answer any questions posted, tweeted, etc.
Participate in conversations
Discuss the passions of your audience
Anchor to the 80/20 rule – only 20% about you and your offerings/selling props – 80% valuable content
If you have published work – a book you authored – share the content
Post photos of you at your workshop, or of you participating in community events

Don’t

Focus on making money
Do the same thing over and over again
Go dormant – ignore your audience
Be afraid to connect with others who do what you do
Don’t just talk about you and your practice

Best Times to Post:

Facebook – Best from 1-4 p.m.; peak time Wednesday at 3 p.m. Facebook is a good platform for engaging with your prospects, so you’ll want to run content relevant to them.

Twitter – Best from 1-3 p.m. or 5 p.m.; peak Monday through Thursday. Twitter is great for B2B. You’ll find a lot of other estate planning attorneys already on Twitter, along with marketing companies, power partners and other relevant connections.

Linked In – Best from 7-9 a.m. or 5-6 p.m.; peak between Tuesday and Thursday. LinkedIn is best for wholesale marketing. You’ll get a good array of referral sources.

Google+ – Best from 9-11 a.m.; peak during work hours. Google+ is good for SEO and authorship.

Reporting:

Do the best you can with tracking and reporting your social reach, but be aware that the reporting you get from the different platforms is all over the place. People don’t tend to always chime in or react when they see something they like. It’s like if you were to do something funny at a dinner party. People don’t come up to you and congratulate you, or pat you on the back after.

We all see things on social that we think are funny or interesting, but we don’t click “like” or “retweet” for every little piece of wonderful content we come across. So do not gauge your ROI on the likes, shares, etc., that you get.

I read an interesting anecdote on Lexblog that really illustrated the return you get. Dan Goldman, chair of Mayo Clinic’s business law practice group, was at a conference for legal marketing and business development professionals. When they began discussing the need to measure the return on investment on their social efforts, he chuckled a bit.

Goldman explained that Mayo’s 43 in-house lawyers taught him that people tend to hire the lawyers they know, like and trust. So the ones who got hired were the ones who use social media. Mayo’s in-house lawyers became known and trusted through their social efforts.

Goldman cited recent studies showing that lawyers who don’t use social media are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the people who would hire them, especially, as he put it, “when they’re just not connected.”

Here’s hoping the info above might help you avoid the same fate.

If you don’t nail all of this right out of the gate, don’t worry. It’s social; give yourself permission to just show up at the party and have fun!

Roslyn Drotar – Internet Marketing Strategist, Lawyers With Purpose

Informing The VA You Plan To File A Claim

May 26, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Estate Planning Drafting Software Legal Marketing Legal Technical VA

I don’t think anyone really expected a great announcement from the VA on March 25, 2015, with the end of the 60-day public comment period on the proposed VA rule, RIN 2900-AO73, regarding net worth, asset transfers, and income exclusions for needs-based benefits. However on that day the VA did announce several changes effective March 24, 2015 that directly impact all claims. One of these changes was the amendment of the adjudication manual M21-1MR to introduce a new intent to file procedure which replaces the informal claim process to lock in an effective date for an Improved Pension claim (with aid and attendance) prior to the filing of the Fully Developed Claim.

The VA web page http://explore.va.gov/intent-to-file, as well as the March 2015 Fact sheet issued by the VA, explain that there are currently three ways to declare an intent to file a claim:

Electronically via eBenefits.
Completing and mailing the paper VA Form 21-0966, Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DIC.
Over the phone to the VA National Call Center or in person at a VA regional office.

eBenefits is accessed from the VA website via this page https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/apply, However the link for filing pension claims currently generates an error. The content is blocked in both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browsers as an untrusted connection.

If you prefer to continue using a paper form to lock in an effective date, you are now required to use the VA form 21-0966. What happens if you filed an informal claim on or after March 24, 2015? Pursuant to M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart ii, Chapter 2, Section D, 2b, “Consider a request for benefits not filed on an appropriate prescribed form on or after March 24, 2015 a request for application.” The VA will respond to a request for application by sending correspondence that instructs the claimant which forms are needed to formalize the claim. Nevertheless no effective date will be locked in until a complete intent to file or a completed application is submitted. There is no recourse if the VA rejects an informal claim filed on or after March 24, 2015 as the final rule of 38 CFR Parts 3, 19, and 20 RIN 2900–AO81 “also eliminate the provisions of 38 CFR 3.157 which allowed various documents other than claims forms to constitute claims.”

The option of declaring an intent to file by telephone or in person at the VA regional office has the disadvantage of lack of documentation. Furthermore the average waiting time for calls to the VA National Call Center to be answered is over an hour and, thus, would not be an efficient use of your time to use this option. Thus for now if your firm chooses to lock in an effective date prior to the filing of the fully developed claim, you must use the second of the three options listed above. Our firm has changed our process to start using the form 21-0996 with all future VA claims. The new form will also be included in a future update of the Lawyers With Purpose software.

The easiest way to receive important notices directly from the VA is to subscribe to the email delivery of VA News Releases at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVA/subscriber/new or visit their website at www.va.gov.

There is still time to grab a seat for our 3.5 day Practice With Purpose Program in St. Louis next week! We'll be talking about Asset Protection, Medicaid and the following on VA Benefits planning:

Service Connected Benefits (Veterans & Widows/Dependents)
Non-Service Connected Benefits – Improved Pension, Housebound, Aid & Attendance
Asset Eligibility
Application Process
Correct Forms
Annual Reviews
Appeals Process
Representation and Marketing – Getting Veterans to March in Your Door

Click here to register and grab one of the few spots remaining.

By Sabrina A. Scott, Paralegal, The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC and Production Coordinator for Lawyers for Wartime Veterans, LLC.

Victoria L. Collier, Veteran of the United States Air Force, 1989-1995 and United States Army Reserves, 2001-2004. Victoria is a Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation, Author of 47 Secret Veterans Benefits for Seniors, Author of Paying for Long Term Care: Financial Help for Wartime Veterans: The VA Aid & Attendance Benefit, Founder of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC, Co-Founder of Lawyers for Wartime Veterans, Co-Founder of Veterans Advocate Group of America.

How Are You Showing Up?

May 3, 2015

by David Zumpano with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing Systems & Processes

Do you know how you show up in the world? Most people don’t. Most hand out evaluations after they give a speech or presentation but most of the questions are canned and quite honestly useless, “On a scale of 1 to 10 please rate…”

What if you knew, really knew what people out in the crowd were seeing? And the real impact it is making on your practice.

I remember my first presentation at The National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. I thought it was a home run. I was on fire and the evaluations were off the charts. The room was packed. So naturally they invited me back. In between the 6 months of the first presentation, and the 2^nd one, I met one of the Co-founders of Ridge Associates at a local Entrepreneurial Society meeting in my town. I instantly enrolled in his Speakers School and the next presentation for NNEPA people were mobbing me in the hallways (including the owners) saying “What happened to you? You were not even close to the same person you were 6 months ago on stage…can you teach ALL of our leaders how to do what you just did?”

That night at dinner one of my closest buddies at NNEPA said to me, “I didn’t know how to articulate it after your May presentation but after seeing this 2^nd presentation I have to tell you that your 1^st presentation was painful to watch. But, the first 5 minutes of today’s presentation…. HOLY SMOKES….NNEPA wants you back for the Spring Collegium as a KEYNOTE SPEAKER! WHAT. DID. YOU. DO? - what did you do? And can you show me how to do it too?!”

It wasn’t anything I did. I just showed up.

Trust me, get in the room. We don’t know when we will offer Speakers School again. We are fortunate enough to get Bob Gabor, my trainer, and it took a few years to get him booked. I don’t want you to wait a few years to get the single thing that I attribute ALL of my success too.

I know, I know…YOU don’t need it. That’s what I thought about myself 14 years ago. But apparently the audiences I was speaking too thought differently.

I am personally excited to sit through Speakers School again, 14 years later. Click here to join me. This will be the best investment you make in your practice in 2015. I cant wait to hear how your conversion number soar.

I want you sitting next to me.

Dave

P.S. Oh yeah…. 2 of my staff members will be sitting in THIS Speakers School WITH me. They want to get more workshops and presentations to our area power partners for my practice (nursing homes, adult daycare centers, etc.). Talk about a SURREAL moment. Your team is invited too but there are only 8 seats remaining so RESERVE your firm seats NOW.

Time Equals Money In Networking

March 18, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing Systems & Processes

Do you sometimes feel like you're in a rut when it comes to networking and working your Relationship Management System? If so, I hope you joined me along with special guest Dr. Ivan Misner on our past Marketing Roundtable and got a shot in the arm to pump up your RMS.

Welcome Dr. Misner for a follow up Special Guest Blog on "Time Equals Money In Networking" which is based on the study he talked about on the Roundtable on how effective your time is spent on networking.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Ivan Misner:

The secret to getting more business through networking is . . . spend more time doing it! OK, well, it’s a little more complicated than that because you have to spend time doing the right things. However, based on the Referral Institute study on business networking, we finally have a definitive answer about how the amount of time spent networking impacts the amount of business that is generated.

The most dramatic statistic I have found shows that people who said “networking played a role” in their success spent an average of 6.5 hours a week participating in networking activities. On the other hand, the majority of people who claimed that “networking did NOT play a role” in their success spent only 2 hours or less per week developing their network.

What does this mean? It means there is a direct correlation between the amount of time you devote to the networking process and the degree of success that you realize from it. To illustrate this further, the graph to the left demonstrates the “average” percentage of business generated from someone’s networking efforts in comparison with the amount of time spent on networking activities. Here you can clearly see that people who are spending between five to nine hours a week networking are generating (on average) 50 percent of their total business from this activity.

People who spend, on average, more than 20 hours a week networking are getting almost 70 percent of their business through referrals.

Based on this study, it is clear that people who devote six hours a week or more to networking are generating a large percentage of their business through their efforts. So, it’s time to ask yourself . . . how much time are you spending developing your personal network and what kind of results are you starting to see?

Ivan Misner, Ph.D., Founder & Chief Visionary Officer www.bni.com

I would like to personally thank Dr. Misner for taking the time to join us and sharing with us his insights on networking like a professional to grow your practice.

Roslyn Drotar – Lawyers With Purpose, Internet Marketing Specialist