Prompt and persistent follow up is key to success with lead generation. Most firms tend to rely on phone calls to get in contact with leads, but email communication has become an equally important tool when it comes to establishing contact.
While phone calls are a tried and true strategy, it’s important to make sure that you are utilizing email communications to their full potential.
According to Radicati Group, Inc. a technology marketing research firm, 22.3 billion emails will be sent in 2017. The same report estimated that in 2015 122 emails were sent per day per user.
If you’re not reaching out to your leads via email, you’re likely missing out on opportunities to sign clients and ultimately losing revenue for your firm. Email is playing an increasingly important role in how law firms communicate to their potential clients.
64% of Marketers say email was their most effective method when targeting new customers (B2B Magazine).
If you keep all of your leads contact information in a lead or case management system, you’re sitting on a potential gold mine for signed cases.
While calling leads is generally considered more proactive than emailing, the ability to bulk email claimants is a way to drastically cut down on phone time for your staff.
For personal injury attorneys, this form of bulk emailing can prove particularly valuable. Injuries can occur to anyone at any age so you do not necessarily need to target a specific demographic. For an SSD representative, this bulk email approach could prove less fruitful, as internet usage generally declines as age increases.
Personalizing Emails Produces 26% Higher Email Open Rate (Campaign Monitor)
If a claimant isn’t inspired to open your email, your marketing campaign will never lead to new clients. Sending “mass emails” to leads in your contact list can generate interest from prospective claimants, but personalizing these emails will help you maximize the email’s effectiveness.
Auto-fill email templates are available in some legal case management software, including our own software eLuminate. “Auto-fill” simply means that personal fields for your lead will be included within the generated email, such as the first name of your lead. You can then send the same email to hundreds of leads – all with their first name listed in that email.
Crafting subject lines with a lead’s name or a quick snippet about their case will also help to increase your email’s open rate. However, make sure that your subject line is under 70 characters, as it will be cut off after 70 characters if your recipient opens the email on his/her phone.
This type of personalization should lead to higher open rates, meaning your message is reaching a larger audience and more prospective clients hear about your firm.
75% of Gmail’s 900 Million Users Access Their Accounts via Mobile Devices (TechCrunch)
Considering the medium with which your lead opens an email is important. If an email is opened on a desktop, chances are high that your whole email message is visible.
If someone scrolls through emails on his or her smartphone, they may only see your subject line and the first few sentences.
Keeping your emails image free and concise will help make sure that the lead or former client you are reaching out actually receives your message.
While calling a lead is a highly effective way of vetting your leads, email is quickly becoming the most preferred way of communication, even among older populations.
You may not be receiving all the cases your firm can handle, even with excellent email techniques. If you are looking to supplement your current caseload with Social Security disability, personal injury, workers' compensation, or employment law case leads, call us today at 617.800.0089.
Sources:
www.b2bmarketing.net
www.techcrunch.com
www.radicati.com
campaignmonitor.com