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Accelerate your road to recovery with Digital Marketing strategies
The pandemic is hitting firms and the economy at large very hard and has had a significant impact on business activity. While some areas of law, such as contract law, employment law and estate planning have seen a surge in matters related to the pandemic, most areas of law have seen a significant decline, particularly conveyancing.
To recover from the pandemic, it will be imperative for firms to get back on track as quickly as possible. Maintaining current relationships and connecting and cultivating new ones will be essential, but many avenues of traditional marketing and business development are severely limited. Marketing events, face-to-face meetings and industry networking are all off-limits for the time being, so smart firms will focus on digital alternatives.
Furthermore, how firms respond to this crisis and demonstrate their resilience, relevance and capability will be one of the best ways to give confidence to new clients and indicate that your firm is the right choice.
Digital marketing strategies your firm should be considering include:
| 1. Optimise your website with Search Engine Optimisation | Your website is your calling card in a digital marketplace and having a website that is visible is incredibly important. If potential clients can’t find you, they can’t become clients. |
| 2. Maintain engagement with your clients using Affinity CRM functions | It’s important to maintain engagement with your existing client base and keep those relationships healthy. One way to do this is with targeted email communications. Reach out to your clients to update them on how your firm is responding to the pandemic, talk to them about relevant issues that may be impacting them and give them confidence that your firm ready and able to keep supporting through the pandemic and beyond. If you don’t know how to get a list of all your clients and merge that data with an email communication, the following article on Lexis Care® will show you how - https://lexiscare.com.au/kba/9463 |
| 3. Locally targeted online advertising | Search Engine Optimisation is a powerful tool, but to take your digital marketing to the next level, you can precisely target the clients you’re after in your local area with paid search on Google and targeted advertising on Facebook. Paid keyword search on Google helps you find potential clients in your area searching for the services you provide. Targeted ads on Facebook helps potential clients find your firm based on the things they’re interested in and the way they behave online. Even better, these targeted strategies optimise your marketing spend, by ensuring your ads are predominately seen by the potential clients you’re looking for. |
| 4. Implement a digital PR strategy | While the pandemic has changed many things, some things remain the same – word of mouth is powerful. And while the current situation has limited the ways in which word of mouth can spread, a digital PR strategy can get your message out. Your strategy can include things such as sending press releases and editorial content to industry groups, blogs and networking sites, publishing testimonials from clients and partners and promoting your successes to demonstrate the strengths of your firm. |
| 5. Go virtual – take your business events online | While nothing can fully replace face-to-face interactions, online tools such as Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Zoom and others are the closest substitutes we have right now. And while they may be a slightly more awkward way to communicate than we are used to, even a virtual catch-up can be refreshing these days. Don’t just cancel or postpone events and catch ups because they can’t be in person. Where possible, move events online and conduct business as normally as possible. |
| 6. Leverage LinkedIn – write a blog, demonstrate your relevance and ability | While the pandemic is a difficult time for everyone, it does present an opportunity for firms to shine and demonstrate your strengths to clients and the industry. LinkedIn is the perfect vehicle to do this. Write a blog, post articles on timely and topical subjects, talk about the ways in which your firm can offer real value to clients. Using LinkedIn is an easy but powerful way to showcase your firm and all it offers and get’s your message directly to your clients and industry contacts. |
With a digital marketing strategy in place,
your firm will be on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
Virtual Affinity User Group Recap
The Affinity Team just held our first Virtual User Group due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the medium was different, we hope our users found it as informative and useful as always!
David Howlett, Head of LSS, updated our users on our strategy and the Three Pillars that underpin all the work we are doing –
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Futureproof Affinity | Training & Education | Service & Support |
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David also outlined some of the key initiatives we are focused on, both newly launched and upcoming, including new on-demand video learning available on Lexis Care and a new approach to the way we structure and deliver our in-person training. Bashar Ayoub then ran through some of the key items on our roadmap that we are working towards.
We then had a session with Sean Conroy, General Manager at Fileman, our newest integration partner, who took us through their innovative solution to take the cost and hassle out of managing your archived matter files, and the benefits of integrating the Fileman platform with Lexis Affinity™.
Next we had special guest speaker, Paul Evans from Toro Digital who gave an insightful talk on digital marketing strategies and how they can help firms who have been hit hard by the pandemic get on the road to recovery.
And finally, George Marinos from the Affinity Consulting Team ran a mini tutorial on how to create a mailing list in Affinity to and use it to send an email precedent to contact your clients, something we know many firms have a need to do.
The recording of our Virtual Affinity User Group is available to watch on-demand on Lexis Care, for users who were unable to attend.
Remote collaboration – the new BAU
If there’s one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s the value of being able to maintain relationships at a distance, both personal and professional.
The need to do this in workplaces and with clients will be with us for the foreseeable future and will likely change the way we work forever.
But what does remote collaboration mean for a firm in practice and what problems can it solve?
| "I need to keep clients constantly up to date, but I can't charge for all the work involved" | Remote collaboration tools can help reduce the amount of work and administration tasks that can be necessary but aren’t really chargeable. Things like sharing progress and details of matters and manually sending documents and invoices can be a time-consuming distraction. Remote collaboration can not only save time and improve client communications, it can help you maintain your focus on higher value activities. |
| "I want to offer each of my clients their own tailored service" | Not every client is the same and many firms practice varied areas of law, so a one-size-fits-all approach often isn’t possible. Remote collaboration tools can help you to provide a different experience for different clients, roles and matter types, enabling better service overall. |
| "How can I make my firm really easy to do business with (and get more referrals)?" | The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on the economy and many firms have taken a hit. As the legal industry moves into recovery mode, it will be more important than ever to make your firm easy to do business with. Firms that can offer their clients a remote collaboration option will have a competitive edge. |
| "How can I share documents securely (and without creating even more email)?" | Email is easy and convenient, but too much of a good thing and you’ve soon got time for nothing else. Managing multiple clients and matters already has a high communications overhead, but remote collaboration tools can cut that down by making things you use to have to email, automatically available to your clients. |
| "I want to help clients keep track of fees and costs and help them pay our bills on time" | A productive lawyer is focused on the practice of law, not debt collection. Reduce the need to field queries from clients about fees and chasing them for bill payment by making sure that billing information is always available so there’s never an excuse not to pay. |
| "We need an easier way to work with Barristers and other Third Parties" | On complex matters that involve multiple parties, expert witnesses and barristers for example, there’s significant time and effort involved just in the co-ordination between them, let alone the matter itself. Remote collaboration can make the task easier, by giving each party the right access to the right information at the right time. |
If remote collaboration is something your firm could be doing better, Affinity Client Portal can do all this and more. Even better, if you sign up before June 30, you’ll receive a 30% discount.
Talk to your Account Manager today to find out more.
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Karen Bovaird | Darren Lea | Jay Hong |
Lexis Care – more than Helpline Support
From software updates and learning how to use new Affinity features, to upskilling new starters and ensuring your firm is using best practice, there are many benefits to having a current Lexis Care subscription over and above Helpline Support.
If you were at our recent Virtual Affinity User Group, you would have heard how the Lexis Affinity team is putting a lot of work into enabling new ways to provide help and support, such as developing on-demand video content on Lexis Care. Our entire library of recorded webinars is available now, and we are adding new bite sized ‘How To…’ videos all the time.
Also exclusive to Lexis Care customers is access to our Affinity User Group on LinkedIn. It’s a private group, meaning only genuine users of Lexis Affinity can join, and it’s a great way to access our Consulting and Product teams and pick the brains of other Affinity users.
Here’s what else Lexis Care includes:
Regular Affinity software updates Lexis Affinity is updated twice a year with significant enhancements, useability improvements and the inclusion of powerful new features. We also introduce integrations to select third party providers to give you access to innovative services from within Affinity. | Lexis Care Knowledge Base The Lexis Care Knowledge Base is a comprehensive resource available 24x7, containing practical help on everything from basic configuration and step-by-step instructions for common activities to guidance on performing more advanced operations. | ||
Help, when you need it Lexis Affinity Helpline is there to assist trained operators with everything from performing common tasks, to advice on using more advanced features and resolving business impacting issues as quickly as possible. You also have the flexibility of calling us directly, or logging (and tracking) support requests online via Lexis Care. | Complimentary Live & On-demand Webinars Lexis Care members can register to attend our regular schedule of online webinars run by our specialist Consulting Team on a variety of helpful topics, plus access to our library of recorded webinars and other video content now available within Lexis Care. | ||
Discounted Consulting rates Lexis Care members receive discounted hourly rates for a range of services our Consulting Team provide including consulting services, training sessions and Affinity HealthChecks. | Enhancements & Bug fixes Every Affinity release includes over 100 enhancements and bug fixes requested by firms to improve their day-to-day experience using Lexis Affinity. | ||
Access to User Group events and the Affinity Matters newsletter Lexis Care members have access to Affinity User Groups and the quarterly Affinity Matters newsletter which are filled with information on the latest developments in Affinity and the industry, plus tips on getting the most from your investment. | Opportunities to participate in roadmap development Customer feedback is important to the Lexis Affinity team and we periodically reach out to Lexis Care members to validate our product roadmap and provide input that shapes the future of Affinity. |
And of course, if you need more help, you can always engage our consulting team to help you with anything from learning how to use the latest features to enabling practice changes throughout your firm.
Find out more here.
How to prepare for partnership changes
There can be many reasons for re-structuring a business, particularly when you operate as a Partnership. Planning, managing and negotiating any sort of re-structure is a challenge at the best of times.
Over the years, we have helped our clients through a wide range of business re-structing changes and we’ve learned a few things along the way:
Every situation is unique
Whether you are welcoming a new partner into the business, farewelling a retiring Director, re-structuring (or incorporating) for taxation purposes, or even “just” undertaking a change of name, there will be something in this process that will be novel and that you may not have had to handle before.
The more complex and far-reaching the change, the more likely it is that there will be something new and unexpected.
Emotions run high
You are trying to run a business and make a significant change at the same time. It can feel like trying to change the tyres on a racing car, while still staying on the track and keeping in lane.
And everyone is under pressure, not just you. The Partners want everything to go smoothly, but they may be locked in detailed negotiations behind closed doors. The Practice Manager is under pressure to see the whole thing through without a hitch, sometimes even while the goalposts are in seemingly constant motion. The staff, both professional and Support, are anxious and want to know, as far as practicable, what’s going on.
Confidentiality is paramount
Uncertainty is challenging for any business, but there are very necessary constraints on what should be communicated, when and to whom. Negotiations and details need to remain confidential and the list of those with “need to know” changes over time.
Integration is never standard
Just as no two situations are identical, so no two systems are identical. When you re-structure the business, those changes are going to be reflected in your systems and technology, as much as in your people and your processes.
We can help
Even a simple-sounding change of name, can have implications for your Billing, Receipting, Precedents, Creditors, Collections and Contracts. Incorporation may necessitate a review of your chart of accounts, or even creation of a new database. Mergers, or acquisitions, are likely to require migration of data and documents from other systems into Affinity, as well as changes in your existing system.
These things are all possible, but require planning, processing, time and effort, as well as clear communication and co-ordination, in order to deliver the right new structure, cleanly and effectively.
While confidentiality is critical, it is also a hindrance. The earlier you can engage LexisNexis® in assisting with your re-structure, the better we can support you through what is typically, a highly exciting and challenging time for any firm.
With enough notice, your Account Manager can organise consultants and other experts, to create new Entities and new databases, size and scope data migration requirements, help train staff and manage project delivery, so you are kept fully engaged and informed, as the work progresses alongside your own project.
If you are contemplating a change in your business this year, please contact your Account Manager to discuss in more detail how we can help.
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Karen Bovaird | Darren Lea | Jay Hong |
End of Financial Year Process & Checklist
To hit the ground running next financial year, you will need to run the Year End function on 1 July 2020 (if this is the first day of your financial year).
Preparation for Year End
There are a number of steps you can do prior to the end of the Financial Year to assist with a smooth transition to the next year. They are;
- Under Database Employees select the Charts and Rates icon and review and update the charge out rates of your solicitors for the new financial year.
- Under Database select Employees and then the Employee Budget icon and update the Employee Budgets for the new financial year.
- Under Financial Maintenance, select the Budget and Cost Distribution programme and Select the date range for the full year ahead.
- Load the General Ledger budgets for the next financial year.
- Review your Debtor balances and write off any judged to be irrecoverable.
- Review your Inactive matters report for dormant funds in your Trust Account
- Review your bank reconciliations and conform there are no stale cheques
- Ensure your Trust Control Accounts are reconciling to the General Ledger
How to run the Year End function
In the Financial Maintenance menu, select Year End
NOTE: Running this function does NOT close off the ability to process transactions in the previous financial year and you DO NOT have to have reconciled items in the previous financial year before running the Year End.
If you do not run this Year end function you will not be able to process transactions in the new Financial Year.
For further detail on the Year End process within Affinity please review the End of Financial Year Manual (Under the Help menu / User References).
Top Tips From the Affinity Team
The Lexis Affinity Consulting Team has a wealth of knowledge and experience from working with Affinity users daily and helping them solve the challenges they have. In this new and regular addition to the Affinity Matters newsletter, we will bring you their top tips to help you make the most of Lexis Affinity. Read below to see this editions’ top tips!
Justin Senko - Product Analyst | |
 | Affinity Outlook Pane - The other half of your Affinity Integration for Microsoft Outlook The Affinity Outlook Pane is an optional panel in Microsoft Outlook that provides extended integration with Affinity. You may have seen the panel before and used it to drag and drop emails to different Favourite and Recent Matters, but there are other useful features available. These include:
The Affinity Outlook Pane also can be hidden/shown quickly from a button on the Affinity Toolbar to give you back your screen real estate to focus on emails and other tasks. |
Alex Catoni - Solutions Consultant | |
 | Custom Document Folders can make Matter Management easier Many matters will require very specific folders to correctly categorise their documents. These matters may be long running and/or one-off in nature. Instead of categorising your documents based on the pre-existing structure designed per Matter Type, you can easily create ad hoc folders as and when you require them for your matter. Instructions on how to make these custom folders can be found on this Lexis Care Help Article . |
Using Quick Codes to save time and enforce a firm Style Guide Quick Codes allow your firm to create standard wording for commonly used phrases, as they are entered into Affinity. For example; Instead of writing “Call to Counsel re:” in your Fee Sheet description, you can create a Quick Code called “CTC” than when entered by the user, populates the description field with “Call to Counsel re:”, without the need to type it out manually. This ensures no spelling or grammatical errors, but also enforces a communication style guide, so this action will always be presented on the bill with the same wording, as opposed to one staff member writing “Called Counsel re:” and another writing “Call to Counsel re:” Instructions on how to create Quick Codes can be found on this Lexis Care Help Article. Instructions on how to use Quick Codes can be found on this Lexis Care Help Article. | |
Oracle is ending support for some versions of Oracle Database
For LexisNexis to fully support your practice, it is important that you are running up to date and supported software.
Oracle will discontinue support for some versions of Oracle Database in the near future.
- Support for Oracle 12c (version 12.2.0.1) ends in November 2020
After support is withdrawn, if you experience an issue relating to your Oracle Database, LexisNexis may not be able to resolve it.
If you are unsure which version of Oracle Database you are using, you should talk to your Practice or IT Manager. If you are the version outlined above, we recommend that you consider upgrading to the latest versions of Lexis Affinity and Oracle Database to ensure your practice receives the best support possible. Lexis Affinity 9.1 has been tested and certified for use with Oracle Database 19c.
New on-demand videos on Lexis Care!
We announced last edition that our library of recorded webinars is now available on Lexis Care for you to watch on demand, and since then we have added even more!
Our latest webinars on How to use Matter Types in Affinity and Affinity Phonebook Overview are now available, plus we’ve started creating bite sized ‘How to…’ videos to show you how to perform various tasks in Affinity in easily digestible portions. See below for the full list of new content.
Our videos are categorised by topic and searchable, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, send your requests to VideoTopics@lexisnexis.com.au To access our on-demand webinars in Lexis Care, simply select ‘On-demand webinars’ from the ‘Education & Training’ menu, or go to www.lexiscare.com.au/webinars.
And don’t forget our live webinar schedule. |
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New Lexis Care How-To Videos
Getting Started in Affinity |
Search Functions |
Snapshots |
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