In the news, market consolidation continues with Litify's purchase of LegalStratus. And the guys discuss Ohio's recent short-sighted decision to roll back lawyer advertising by banning competitive brand bidding. 

Gyi and Conrad have more schooling to do when it comes to lawyer ad regulation. But first, the two create a glossary of online ad payment types: CPC, CPM, CPL, and CPA. Listen carefully. There may be a quiz down the line.

In a new segment, "Dear State Bar Regulator," Gyi appeals to bar regulators in Texas, Florida, and South Carolina to revisit rules that put lawyers at a competitive disadvantage in modern law practice. 

Gyi and Conrad invite reviews of #LHLM, even from bar leaders who may never again invite them to speak at a conference. 

Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

The latest news about Google's update to Core Web Vitals has led to a flurry of opportunistic emails from SEO companies offering their services to "fix" problem points for firms. Gyi and Conrad offer some reassurance, buyer beware tips, and what to focus on with this latest Google rollout. 

Their predictions for further market consolidations hit the mark again, this time with news of the acquisition of SEO industry leader Moz by IContact Marketing Corp. Rounding out the news, they explain what's new about Google's new tool, Search Console Insights.

Diving deeper into Clio's information-rich Legal Trends Report, Gyi and Conrad welcome Friend of the Podcast George Psiharis to talk about lawyer hireability and the disconnect between what lawyers think clients want and what clients say they want from their lawyers.

The three discuss how the disconnect makes sense but how fixing the issues isn't necessarily so simple.

Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

If your firm recognized Memorial Day on social media, there's a chance the celebratory language fell flat against the occasion's solemnity. 

Gyi and Conrad explain how to recognize holidays from a business perspective appropriately.  

Search engine optimization leads the news with the release of The State of Link Building Report 2021, controversy over Google penalizing a firm for link practice relating to a scholarship it provides, and the latest Google Core Update. 

Confused? Gyi says not to worry and explains the three things you really need to know.

Looming large in the marketing space is the shift to user privacy by the big players, namely Apple, Facebook and Google. Gyi and Conrad chat about what the shift will mean to marketers. Listen for the bottom line on cost and creativity. 

Conrad and Gyi round out the episode with six tactical takeaways from their recent Bedlam legal marketing conference. 

Topics include conversion and local SEO approaches, the counterintuitive value of no-follow links, and the benefit of testing title tags regularly. 

The world isn't standing still. Neither should your marketing strategy, they advise. 

Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Gyi and Conrad review the latest news. First up: Clio's "blind date" with HubSpot. They wonder about the development of Clio Grow, its relationship with HubSpot, and customer relationship management options for law firms. 

In the Clio Legal Trends Report Minute, Gyi and Conrad consider the quarter of lawyers who don't meet clients virtually and the third of lawyers who don't support electronic document sharing and e-filing. Back in the day, exceptional customer service was a bonus. Nowadays, exceptional is the expectation, Gyi and Conrad say.

When it comes to legal marketing conferences, Gyi and Conrad shun pay-to-play speaking spots. Their alternative? The no-BS Bedlam legal marketing conference coming up on May 26. They preview the lineup with guest and Bedlam co-presenter and legal marketing frenemy Casey Meraz. 

Listen for the code for the remaining #LHLM free registration spots. 

Closing the episode, Gyi and Conrad talk one-star reviews and how to and how not to respond. 

Pro tip: It's possible to turn a terrible review from a competitor into a positive. Gyi and Conrad explain how.

Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Top headline for #LHLM: More episodes are coming your way! Look for new shows twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesdays.

Next up, as Gyi and Conrad predicted, venture capital is making waves in legal. Most recent headlines covered a $100 million infusion for Scorpion, followed soon after by word that Clio raised $110 million. 

What does the investment mean for firms and matter management? Gyi and Conrad discuss.

Speaking of Clio. In the "Clio Legal Trends Report Minute," Gyi and Conrad explain why some lawyers fared better than others during the pandemic. Hint: Choices of technology for payments, portals, and intake are client-focused.

Metrics can be confusing. So Gyi and Conrad ID the metrics they think law firms should care about most. Each shares five metrics that get to the heart of client acquisition. Properly implemented, they explain how these measures improve everything from client intake (just answer the phone) to a client's lifetime value. And just in case you're looking for more acronyms, Gyi and Conrad will set you up with UCR, LTV, and IQLMC.

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Google takes center stage in news updates as Gyi and Conrad discuss two moves that may diminish opportunities for free lawyer advertising on the platform.

Top billing goes to Google's Local Pack change from a three-pack to a two-pack. The two also shift gears on earlier advice about Google My Business Messaging. Eek. Google is sending messages to your competitors when potential clients use the form.

The "Word of the Day" is 'conversion.' To lawyers, conversion means a new client. But many marketers use the term to discuss leads. Gyi and Conrad agree to agree and disagree.

Lawyers may be swimming in data analytics of their own. In discussing their new segment, "Clio Legal Trends Report Minute," Gyi and Conrad explain that Clio's report can help put that data in context with the industry, peers, and competitors.

This month's data points: Percent of lawyers who decided to leave office space for virtual practice in 2020? Percent of clients who prefer video conferencing over a phone call?

Finally, Gyi and Conrad debate and justify their Pick Twos. Think the choices are obvious? Not a chance.

• Fast, cheap, quality?
• Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?
• Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings?
• Clubhouse, blog, podcast?
• Coffee, ice cream, alcohol?
• First page of Google, a good website, good reviews?

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Gyi and Conrad kick off the episode with the latest news, homing in on Bob Ambrogi's coverage of Clio's Legal Trends for Solo Law Firms, with data showing how small firms using tech fared better during the pandemic. 

And they rant about the 8-steps-to-great-abs trend hitting legal marketing. Dubbed as fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) marketing, Conrad and Gyi explain how not to fall for get-rich-quick schemes and impulse moves. 

Instead, they advise focusing on approaches and best practices that stand the test of time. Where might one learn more about best practices and the latest trends?

Gyi, as it happens, is chair of the ABA Techshow's 2021 marketing track. He pulled clips from five of the presenters, who shared highlights and key Techshow takeaways: 

• Ticora Davis takes on navigating and building business relationships in Clubhouse.
• Meghan Boyd explores the bad and ugly of lawyer websites to explain how to attract clients.
• Joy Hawkins debunks rankings myths and reveals online ad performance and the impact of Google's newish local service ads.
• George Psiharis covers key performance indicators for client-centered marketing.
• Stephanie Everett outlines how to create a marketing blueprint.
• Conrad and Gyi also lead programs, sharing how marketing agencies lie to their clients (Conrad) and the latest on client relationship management platforms and the hottest new marketing tools available (Gyi).

Join the conversation on Twitter with @GyiTsakalakis and @ConradSaam using the hashtag #LHLM

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Welcome to the first annual LHLM-ys! Join us as Gyi and Conrad announce the awards for the best and worst of legal marketing in 2020. Listen with baited breath as our hosts tear open the envelopes and hand out the hardware for awards for everything from the Best Unintentional Link-Building Campaign to the Best Legal App. They wrap up the conversation with the winner of the Marketer vs. Marketer competition and break down the results. Was cheating involved? You betcha. But, it just shows how easy it is to manipulate analytics data to make traffic or a marketing agency look good.

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

With 2020 having been so blissfully uneventful, aren't we due for some major shakeups? It's hard to know what changes 2021 will bring for legal marketing, but, with the help of Gyi, Conrad peers into his crystal ball to see the future of the digital ad space. Are we fast approaching the digital media reckoning? Are the recent antitrust suits against Google and Facebook harbingers of a changing landscape? And can some good New Year's marketing resolutions help you prepare to weather the storm?

Marketer v. Marketer challenge is coming to a head with Gyi and Conrad set to compete to build LHLM's listener base by each using UTM parameters (discussed here and here), key performance metrics (here), and their respective takes on creative ad copy. As promised, results of Market That Podcast will be shared with listeners in an effort to teach by example.

Will their experimentation make LHLM the best legal marketing podcast ever? You'll know it when you hear it. Speaking of, Conrad and Gyi are asking listeners to nominate the best and worst of 2020 legal marketing for our next episode. The LHLMys will reveal:

Marketer vs. Marketer Winner Legal Ad of the Year Worst Legal Ad Best Ad - Comedy Out of the Box Best Legal Website Best Use of Social Media Best Vendor You Can't Live Without

Nominate the best and worst you've seen in 2020 at this link.

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, and LawYaw.

Gyi and Conrad turn their attentions back to Google Screened and discuss a new audio-only advertising option. Speaking of Google, Gyi and Conrad define and discuss UTM parameters and how these bits of code should be used (but often aren't) to track key metrics. Expect more on UTM as Gyi and Conrad develop their "Market That Podcast" challenge to grow the #LHLM listener base.

In "By the Numbers," Gyi digs through ABA TechReport 2020 to reveal the percentage of law firms that budget for marketing and the percentage of lawyers and firms with someone overseeing the marketing of their firm or practice. Don't know where to begin a budget? Gyi and Conrad talk through approaches based on a firm's particular needs and goals.

Still manually entering how a client found your firm? In "Dumb S*** Lawyers Do," Gyi and Conrad discuss intake software and why many lawyers are missing out on the biggest benefit of the tool by failing to tie it to, yes, UTM. If set up correctly, UTM can automatically (or, as Conrad says, automagically) populate this field. The two also explain the dangers of "renting" out communications tools, including analytics, email, content. Conrad shares a client horror story as a cautionary tale.

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, and LawYaw.

Just because we're a few episodes in doesn't mean we're done with fundamentals. For instance, if you're not even answering the phone, SEO isn't going to save you. Stop wasting money and fix the basics! In By the Numbers, Gyi and Conrad reviewed their clients' performance as to answering calls. How do you stack up? How can you do better both for your clients and your bottom line? Then, continuing our shift from Rebrand That Podcast to Market That Podcast, Gyi and Conrad discuss their new contest to see who can grow the show's subscribers more effectively. Follow along over the coming episodes to see what they did, who did better, and what lessons you can take for your own business. As promised, the guys also battle it out over why you should–or shouldn't–ask the question, "How did you find us?"

Following Gyi's recent appearance on the Legal Toolkit podcast, F.O.P. Jared Correia joins the conversation to share his views on the Digital Client Journey and the role of tech tools. There's lots of great legal tech out there, but it's not going to do your job for you. You still have to put in the effort to create the best path for new leads to become new clients. After their discussion, Jared sticks around for a couple rounds of Becoming the Archetype. In this game, the guys take turns sharing mock lawyer advertisements drafted in the style of different brand archetypes. Can the others identify the archetype? Can you?

Jared Correia is CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting and founder of Gideon Software, Inc. Jared is also the host of the Legal Toolkit podcast.

Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, and LawYaw.