Email Marketing isn’t dead. In fact, it’s growing, which is great for the legal industry. Why? Because according to Signupto.com’s 2017 Email Marketing Benchmark Report, the legal industry has the second highest email open rate out of the 29 industries they evaluated.

But, let’s face it, email marketing gets a bad rap. Many companies, including law firms, shy away from it for two reasons: 1) it’s not new and 2) it’s often associated with spam. There’s no response to the first point. It isn’t new. But who cares, if it works? Regarding the second point: if you’re not selling anything, you include your address and phone number, and you offer an easy opt-out (unsubscribe) link, then you’re not in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

The following tips will give you points to consider if you’re going to implement an email marketing campaign for your law firm (and why wouldn’t you)? Email marketing offers the highest ROI when compared to other elements of a digital marketing strategy.

The success of your email campaign will only be as effective as the list you’re using. If you have a great email list of prospects that fit your ideal client’s criteria (e.g. age, occupation, income, education levels, zip codes), or have a source that will provide a list like this, then you’re set. If you’re going to manage it, the ability to segment your list will be important if you’ll have different messages for various types of prospects.

It’s been proven time and again that the best day to send out emails is Tuesday. Wednesdays and Thursdays are OK, but steer clear of Mondays and Fridays. Studies have shown that just before lunch is the best time of the day to send out emails. The next best time is between 8 pm and midnight. That’s because people like to check their inbox prior to hitting the hay.

Well over 50% of people read emails on mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets. So, if your email campaign isn’t mobile optimized, a large chunk of your audience may scroll right past your message.

Email campaigns are for lead nurturing, and the best way to accomplish this is by educating readers on a topic they can use, either now or down the road. If you have a newsletter or blog, an email campaign promoting them is one of the best ways to nurture the relationship. Just ensure that the sign-up form is simple, short and intuitive. If they have to do work or think too much, you’ll lose them.

If readers sense that they’re being sold to, you can forget about nurturing the relationship. If you’re worried people will consider your email marketing campaign as nothing more than spam, don’t sell─ever!

As mentioned earlier, failing to offer an “unsubscribe” feature is against the law. But don’t bury the opt-out feature in 2-point type in some hard-to-find nook or cranny of the email. You wouldn’t like this and the recipients of your emails won’t either.

For more information about email marketing for attorneys, contact the digital marketing experts at Accelerate Online Marketing. We specialize in helping law firms get the most out of their digital marketing strategy.