So, we’re all aware of just how tough the market is currently but this month I’ve found a snippet that focuses on an area that’s booming, for better or for worse! Is ‘A trip to the fair anyone?’ too much? Would you exhibit there? Let me know.

We report below on the success of our 2nd annual client conference back in May, along with the launch of our Google Analytics benchmarking report.

There are some links to topics that I hope might be of interest to you plus this month's Site of the Month, which is Google Streetview. Go on, you know you want to, follow the link below and take a look at where I live.

If you like to plan ahead for your CPD training then why not come and spend the day with us at the Law Autumn NEC 2009 exhibition and conference on 14th & 15th October at the NEC in Birmingham. A full list of the seminar titles are on The Solicitors Group website with more details to come in the next few weeks.

As always if there's anything you would like to see us cover in future newsletters, or something juicy, interesting snippet of information you'd like to "share", please do get in touch.

Regs….David.

01173250200

In this issue:

• Client Conference
• Google Analytics benchmarking
• Twitter as a Marketing Strategy for Law Firms
• Microsoft Launches "Bing" Search Engine
• Bite Size Training from BD Consultancy
• No really, please stop emailing me!
• Latest Anecdote from our own Email Marketing
• A trip to the fair anyone?
• Google Street View

Client Conference

Back in mid-May we ran our second annual client conference near Coventry. This two day event saw almost 30 of our clients come together for seminars, training, networking and socialising. There's a write-up on our blog, including a photo video of the event, presentations to download and even the feedback scores….how brave is that! You could be there next year, all you need do is become a Conscious client before mid-May 2010 !

Google Analytics benchmarking

We are pre-launching a benchmarking service for law
firms based around Google Analytics website statistics.
We will be using all the data from our existing client base, but would be happy to include your data if you would like to provide it to us. The benchmark will show you how your website stacks up against firms of the same size. Please read our blog page for all the details and then fill in the form on our website if you would like to participate in the pre-launch data collection exercise.

Twitter as a Marketing Strategy for Law Firms

Thanks to Paul Hajek from Clutton Cox for sending me the link to article on Larry Bodine's blog with his views on whether Twitter is a suitable medium for law firms to exploit in their marketing strategy.

Microsoft Launches "Bing" Search Engine

Last week saw the launch of Bing, Microsoft's latest attempt to try and topple Google from the top of the search engine pile. Latest stats from comScore show that Google has almost 80% of the UK search market, with Microsoft at around 5%. Even worse Hitwise shows Google with 87% and Microsoft with 3.5%. A mountain to climb by any stretch of the imagination. Microsoft's PR machine is of course telling us in huge detail why Bing is better, but why not try it for yourself and decide. Looks just like MSN or Live.com to me!

Bite Size Training from BD Consultancy

In today’s leaner business environment, boosting revenue goes hand-in-hand with reigning in spending. But while the two are often seen as mutually exclusive, the reality is very different: cut too hard on training expenditure and your senior professionals will be ill-equipped to deliver results. Or conversely, send them on lengthy courses and watch their chargeable hours slow to a trickle. Our friends over at BD Consultancy (Peter Kane, seen here, and his team) are offering an effective alternative: bite-sized training.

From networking to key account management and everything in between, they can show your fee earners how to develop existing clients and promote themselves in new markets – without pulling them away from fee-paying projects for days on end. More details from Peter Kane at http:/www.thebdconsultancy.com/.

No really, please stop emailing me!

Last month you may remember we gave you a bunch of statistics to highlight just how effective email marketing really is, no doubt about it, it works (see the story below). BUT (and I put that in capitals for a reason) if someone says please remove me from your mailing list then you’d be wise to do as they ask.

I recently asked Ultimate Law Ltd to remove us from their mailing list, which I’m sorry to say hasn’t happened. The fact that I didn’t sign up to it in the first place is even more concerning and the result is me voicing my displeasure to all of you. Sp*mmers take note!

Latest Anecdote from our own Email Marketing

After sending out our last email newsletter I got a lovely email from a prospective client asking if she could be added to our email distribution list as she had just joined a new firm and the newsletter was still going to her predecessor's email address. I was of course only too delighted to do so, and replied telling her it was done. In reply to that email she then said that at her previous firm she'd won a legal marketing book in a free draw that I'd run and that the book never arrived. So, I looked up her name in our CRM system (you do have a CRM system for prospects don't you?) and saw that I'd actually dropped the book in to her office in Leeds on a particular date in March 2006. So I called her myself to let her know this and we got talking, the upshot of which was a meeting to discuss how we might help the firm improve their website and emarketing capabilities. See email newsletters do work, just sometimes it can take a while! Rome wasn't…yeah, the old ones are the best!

A trip to the fair anyone?

A bit late to be reporting this really, but the UK’s first divorce fair, cheerily named the ‘Starting Over Show’ was held in Brighton in the middle of March and was billed by its organisers as a ‘positive’ event. Indeed attendees were greeted with tea and homemade cake! Divorce lawyers say business is booming and Britain has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe, so why not? Alan Larkin, a partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter (a new Conscious client), had his doubts. We’d be interested to know your thoughts.

Google Street View

Right, hands up those of you that have checked out your house, office or local pub using this latest addition to the Google empire? Go on, be nosy, take a look at where I live.

Fascinating isn’t it and practical too, quite reassuring being able to make mental note of ‘real’ landmarks when you’re planning your journey. Long gone are the days of badly hand drawn location maps so if you’re in one of the areas Google have already snapped, why not go that extra mile and put a link on your ‘how to find us’ page? Check it out at http:/maps.google.co.uk.