Guide for Using Email Marketing Effectively as a Bankruptcy Attorney

6 Ways to Use Email to Attract and Close More Bankruptcy Leads

Email is a powerful marketing tool in your arsenal because it allows you to communicate directly to your potential clients in a personal way. When used correctly, email, combined with excellent content and purpose, helps you to attract new customers and to nurture customer relationships through and beyond the filing process.

A few considerations for using email properly

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to use email. Make sure to follow these guidelines to make sure that you respect your potential clients’ inboxes, time, and privacy:

 

• Make sure that they opt in to receiving emails. If they receive unsolicited emails, you are essentially a spammer. And nobody likes spam. Use opt in forms or check boxes on your website/forms and invite them directly via phone to receiving emails from you.
• Don’t send email too frequently. 1-2 emails a week should be sufficient to achieve your objectives. Don’t burden others with daily or unnecessary emails. Consolidate emails when possible and make sure emails are short and to the point to respect the time and inbox of your customers.
• Use an email platform to manage your emails. Sure, you could send emails directly from Gmail, Outlook, or other common platforms, but with MailChimp, Constant Contact, and a host of other inexpensive specialized email marketing tools out there, you should strongly consider using one of these dedicated email platforms. They allow you to send to segmented email lists, use automated emails, track email performance, and analyze the effectiveness of your email marketing as a whole.

• Use effective subject lines. Your subject lines are the #1 factor in whether or not your emails are opened. An unopened email does you no good at all, so make sure your subject lines are enticing and interesting enough to get an open.
• Use html emails. Having html emails that are customized to your law firm’s brand provide much more visual interest than plain text emails. They also allow you to include images and have improved linking functionality. You can buy an inexpensive html template online, design your own, hire a designer to make a custom template, or use a template from a company like Constant Contact or Emma.

6 specific ways to use email effectively

1. Use email as a marketing tool to attract new customers

Consider offering valuable content, advice, and resources through an email newsletter. You can advertise this newsletter in your marketing to attract others to sign up. For example, you may say, “Sign up for our newsletter and get expert legal tips and help from our team of bankruptcy attorneys” or “Get access to our collection of online videos, eBooks, and resources with our email newsletter”. As you grow your subscriber base, you essentially increase your potential client base.

 

2. Use form opt ins and automatic email replies for online form submissions

For those that fill out online forms on your website to contact you, include a checkbox that asks them if they would like to receive a weekly email from you that includes content that will help them decide whether or not to file. Whenever the form is submitted, send them to a confirmation page on your website that tells them to expect an email from you.

 

With your email management platform (Ex: Constant Contact), set up an automatic email to send to each person that fills out a form. This ensures that you make immediate contact with your leads. Also, the email you send automatically allows you to establish a relationship and start the process of progressing them towards becoming a paying client.

 

3. Offer them resources and help

Your emails can help you to progress them towards filing bankruptcy. Here are some types of emails that you can consider sending:

 

• Emails that answer their questions. Most of you clients have questions. Why not use email as a way to answer them? Consider sending an email that has is full of frequently asked questions like “What happens to my property?”, “What is Chapter 7?”, and others. Or you can send an email with links to other informative resources that you have created, such as eBooks, videos, and website content. Your customers will be glad to receive these emails as they fulfill a direct, pressing need for quality information.
• Emails that overcome their objections. Most of your clients have concerns (Ex: “Why is bankruptcy expensive?” or “How hard is it to rebuild credit?”) that keep them from filing bankruptcy. Use email to address these concerns directly. Consider sending an email that lists common objections and your responses to them or have links to outside sources that tackle these tough objections that they have.
• Emails that differentiate your law firm. Remember that you likely aren’t the only attorney that your potential clients have contacted. Consider sending one email that introduces yourself and explains what makes your law firm different and better than your competitors. Highlight the unique attributes, processes, and strengths that you have so that customers feel more confident choosing you instead of your competitors.
• Emails that give incentive to act. Sure, you are not an ecommerce store, but you can still offer promotional emails that give incentive for your customers to hire you. Most often these will be time-sensitive offers that revolve around price, such as “Save 15% off attorney filing fees if you file in the next 30 days” or “We’ll pay for your credit counseling class if you file in the next month”. However you decide to use incentives, email is a great way to get that message across.

4. Create an email series that progresses logically

Often times, emails are more effective when combined in a series. Each email in the chain strengthens each other, builds on each other, and helps clients progress in a logical, smooth manner. You can automate each email in the series to go out once a week or once every 3-4 days. Here is an example of a potential email series entitled, “5 Steps to Financial Peace”.

 

• Email #1 (week 1): Covers the basics of bankruptcy, such as how it works, how it helps, who it is for, and who should consider filing.
• Email #2 (week 2): Covers objections and tough questions about bankruptcy.
• Email #3 (week 3): Shares success stories of your past clients (who remain anonymous).
• Email #4 (week 4): Discusses how attorneys help with filing bankruptcy and how the attorney is superior to his/her competitors.
• Email #5 (week 5): Focuses on how to rebuild credit and practice effective financial management to avoid financial trouble in the future.

Your email series can have more or less than 5 sends, of course, and can cover whatever topics you feel are most important towards helping a client progress towards bankruptcy.

 

5. Use emails for follow up purposes

Following up with leads takes time and energy. Often times you may be unsuccessful calling your leads. Use email as a backup to contacting leads frequently throughout their progression towards filing bankruptcy. Consider setting up automated email follow ups to reduce the time you spend emailing leads.

 

6. Use emails during and after the filing process

Email can speed up the process of filling out documents and communicating. With eSign technology and eFaxing, you can use email to have your clients complete most of the necessary bankruptcy steps from the comfort of their own computer!

 

After your client has filed bankruptcy, consider using email to get referrals and testimonials from them to further enhance your future marketing efforts.