When lawyers and law firms get focused on “creating content” (for those of you living in caves, that's what "writing" is now called), they think mostly about the subject matter. And that makes a lot of sense, for obvious reasons. But often forgotten is how to get that content in front of the intended “audience” — as "readers" are now known. In the good old days, law firms distributed their content by the U.S. Postal Service: Copies of lawyer-authored articles and newsletters were stuffed into envelopes, labeled and then run through the closest postal meter. But this once-bedrock activity of legal marketing hit its peak sometime near the end of the last century. Marketing assistants and mailroom clerks everywhere are not sad that this era is long gone. Content Syndicators Make It So Easy. We now live in the time of digital distribution, usually via email. But the inherent and entirely predictable problems of law firms (mis)managing their email lists has led to the emergence of “content syndicators” or “content aggregators” specifically for lawyers and their firms. ... READ THE REST

Although it isn’t something I freely admit to my friends outside the legal world, I can share with you how much fun I routinely have on Oyez.org, the Supreme Court media site. If you haven’t checked out this site yet, do so immediately! ... READ THE REST

Question: We’d like to start a client feedback program. What do we need to consider when implementing this type of program? In this edition of "Ask the Experts from the Legal Marketing Association," Jim Jarrell, Stacy Smith and Ian Turvill lay out the options for setting up a system for gathering and using feedback to improve your relationships — and your profits. READ THE ANSWERS

Let's recap where we left off last time (in my post "When You're Offered a Referral"): Your friend, Janice Brown, introduced you to a colleague, Jack, whom she believed to have a legal issue you could help with. Beforehand, you discussed with Janice whether she thought he would welcome the contact and how he might benefit from a meeting with you, let alone any ultimate legal advice. The introductory phone call to Jack went well, narrowing the focus on his current problem, and you agreed to meet to discuss it in depth.

In Friday Five+ Tech Tips, we invite law practice management and technology experts to share their favorite tips and tricks for tackling everyday quandaries that can prevent you from keeping your practice humming along smoothly. In the end, of course, it's all about teamwork — and that's this month's Tech Tips 5+ topic. We asked a dream team of law practice technology pros for their best advice on collaboration tools for lawyers. Here's what's up the sleeves of team members Heidi Alexander, Tom Lambotte, Tom Mighell, Jim Calloway, Dan Pinnington and Nora Regis. ... ... READ THE REST

“I never seem to get it right enough with him,” Sara told me, as she expressed her frustrations about being on Terry's case team. “He always has to do it better than me.” I nodded. Terry was an ace litigator, hardworking, controlling and driven to win at everything. We had even stopped inviting him to poker night, where several of us got together to play cards, opine about life and drink a little too much. With quarter bets and a $30 limit, usually everyone could play all night. When Terry was there, though, half of us were out within the first few hours, and he wasn't a particularly graceful winner. His need to win made the nights he was there less fun.

TechHit is a San Francisco company that builds applications emanating from Microsoft Outlook. This approach works especially well in the legal field, where most lawyers still prefer, or are forced, to use Microsoft Office. While an impressive product in its own right, Outlook still lacks certain efficiencies. TechHit aims to add those efficiencies — and for the classically trained lawyer it will be a big hit. If you’ve been using Outlook for a while, and wish to be knocked out by straightforward yet highly effective add-ons, it’s a good bet TechHit can sate your desire. If you’re new to Outlook, affiliating with TechHit means you’ll never have to know the pain that the rest of us have felt. TechHit offers a number of different products, but this overview focuses mostly on its two major applications: SimplyFile and MessageSave.... READ THE REST

In his recent book “The Time Bandit Solution: Recovering Stolen Time You Never Knew You Had,” Edward G. Brown presents a step-by-step lesson in recovering lost time — including how to prevent interruptions from sapping your productivity and satisfaction.We asked the time management expert for a few tips on managing distractions. Wouldn't you know it? He says the biggest time thief of all is ... you. Recapture Your Wandering Mind. Bored with the project at hand. Worrying about an ailing relative. Wishing you had help. Anxious to hear if you landed the new client. Hungry. Hot. Unless you are remarkably focused, you are going to be tempted to let your mind wander. ... READ THE REST

In a coaching meeting, a young partner was unenthusiastic as we discussed potential marketing and business development activities. It was clear he was troubled, so I asked what he was thinking. His response: “Am I better off being a really good service partner and working a lot of hours than spending my time trying to develop relationships that may never pay off?”

Many law practices grow by traditional word-of-mouth, but it is tough to stay competitive if you don’t pay attention to the modern word-of-mouth — namely online reviews. According to a study Yodle recently conducted, three-quarters of consumers say having online reviews either sets a local business apart from its competitors or is expected of local businesses. However, many businesses — including law firms — aren’t doing anything to secure these reviews: Less than 10 percent of consumers have been asked to write a review of a local business even though 90 percent are willing to do so if asked — provided they have had a positive experience. Lawyers can be reluctant to ask clients for online reviews. It’s awkward, and they don’t want to risk giving up control of their marketing messaging. In today’s world of oversharing, though, you need to move past these concerns. People, particularly those who grew up in the digital age, will be suspicious and disengaged if they can’t find any third-party testimonials online about your practice. ... READ THE REST