TLOMA Today

My fellow TLOMA members!

As I was sitting here, for hours on end, trying to come up with something clever to say as an opener of this, my first Presidential Address to you, it occurred to me that my difficulty came from realizing, subconsciously no doubt, that I am not yet your President. Until the official transfer of duties and my inauguration in mid-February I am still your President-elect.  This line of thinking reminded me of one other Presidential inauguration, almost as important as mine, that of the US President-elect Donald Trump next Friday, January 20^th – My birthday?!  What a day it will be.  I just have to make sure I have enough Pepto-Bismol.  And then I take office, which means that Donald Trump’s term and mine will run concurrently.  Only, he will have at least four years to destroy what his predecessor has done and I will have only one year.  Ah, I am depressed already.  Let’s start over: Happy New Year to you all, TLOMA members!  May you be healthy and happy!!

I am your 2017 President and I am trying to remember why I agreed to do this: to participate in this process and to get involved again.  I say 'again' because 14 years ago I served as TLOMA’s Technology SIG Leader and after that I kind of drifted away.  I had, what looked like at the time, much bigger responsibilities and different priorities, and, while I never lost touch, I was not involved.  Now I am back and it feels like a reunion, a huge family reunion.  

But why?  Well, because I believe in TLOMA and, really, that’s all there is to it.  It exists because several like-minded individuals imagined it 40+ years ago and ever since more and more such individuals believe in it.  People come and go but the idea of TLOMA continues to go on in our collective imagination because it is a good idea which has provided us with a place to share knowledge, experience and, most of all, new ideas.  New ideas are the drivers behind the innovations which gradually transform the way the legal industry works.  

The world is experiencing an unprecedented rate of change.  Quick technological advancements and relentless information exchange cause society to function in a state of 'permanent revolution'.   It is chaotic, confusing and sometimes feels like it is slipping away from us.  If you feel like that, TLOMA is the place for you.  At TLOMA you will never be alone!  

There will be more on change in my next sermon.  In the meantime, I assure you that all of us who are involved in the running of TLOMA will do our best to bring you the best educational content and networking opportunities, raise funds and grow the organization.  

I look forward to seeing you all at the SIG meetings and the Professional Development and Networking events.  

Ivaylo Nikolov
2017 TLOMA President

Hello and Happy New Year!

As the first ever Education Coordinator with TLOMA, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself, outline the purpose of this new role, address what I hope to achieve during my time spent on the Board of Directors, and more importantly, encourage you, as members to submit suggestions for future educational sessions. 

As you may have read from my bio, I am currently the Training and Professional Development Specialist with Oatley Vigmond. I have been a member of TLOMA for close to 15 years.   

In a nutshell, the role of Education Coordinator was created to help develop, initiate and lead a communication plan with the SIG Leaders and the Conference Chair to provide support, guidance and recommendations to assist with the planning and organization of four SIG meetings annually for each of the disciplines. As Education Coordinator, I will maintain the speaker chart and track recommendations made by members, in addition to working with the Vice President to coordinate two professional development sessions annually.

I will also attend new members’ breakfasts and various networking events in the hopes of connecting with members to obtain ideas and suggestions for future SIG, PD and conference sessions.  

I would encourage you complete the educational survey distributed annually, and I would also encourage you to contact me at any time with any suggestions you might have for specific topics and/or speakers. All ideas are good ones!  Should you wish to connect with a mentor, or are interested in volunteer opportunities with TLOMA, I would love to hear from you about that as well.

I invite you to save the dates for the following upcoming events:

• Social Media Without Wasting Your Time or Losing Your Identity
• Digital Recruitment

I look forward to connecting with you in 2017!

Angela Kirkpatrick
2017 Education Coordinator
akirkpatrick@oatleyvigmond.com
705.719.3967

There’s nothing better than those days when you’re on your game – you’re articulate, you’re organized, you’re efficient, you’re ON. On the flip side, those foggy lethargic days are the worst! For many of us, those off days are never ideal but often just not an option. How you function cognitively is complex. Anything from a bad night’s sleep to missing a workout can affect you, but what you feed your brain is the big variable long term.  The two big things that are important for long term support of the brain: feed it right and create the right environment for success.

Workplace food culture is a HUGE factor in this environmental piece. The good news is that wellness in the workplace initiatives are alive and well – and the relationship between food, fitness and performance is clear. People who eat well and exercise regularly are more productive and efficient, are sick less frequently, and the workplace takes on a fun, happy community feel.

On the flip side, a lot of nutrition and fitness related initiatives tend to focus heavily on what’s measurable: things like calories, steps, body weight/BMI, body fat percentage and blood work. Measurable goals are great because it’s easy to track progress, but they are often in the context of an 8-week challenge, or tied to a date. In and of itself, this isn’t a bad thing. But because these types of initiatives are short term in nature, the positive outcomes don’t always leave an impact once the challenge is over or the goal reached.

Why is that? Humans are creatures of habit – we like to eat at the same places, order the same things, buy the same groceries and cook the same meals week after week after week. You have to implement foods that pack a big bang for your buck – but in a way that will stick! These three big-impact nutrition tips will take your brain power to the next level in a way that will last.

1. Get the Sugar out of Your Morning

And when I say sugar, I really mean concentrated carbs, including whole grain breads and oatmeal. This is all about keeping blood sugar levels stable. All carbs metabolize into sugar during the digestive process. When you start your day with sugar, you immediately set yourself up for a roller coaster of energy surges, followed by crashes, followed by massive sugar cravings. It’s even worse if you’re the 'skip breakfast type' and go straight for the carbs at lunch. In the short term, those energy crashes put you in the hunger zone. But years on this roller coaster will have you struggling to wake up in the morning, and not being alive until you’ve had 3 cups of coffee (or more!).  Instead, look to a breakfast of a protein and a fat to keep your blood sugar stable and your cognitive clarity high. Think eggs or a smoothie with berries, unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon and a good quality protein powder.

In the Workplace: Mornings are a great place to start for most people because it’s usually the same 5 days of the week. Challenge them to kick the sugar out of their coffees (for most people, it only takes 3 days before to acclimate) or bring a couple of blenders in for communal use.

2. Feed Your Second Brain

“The Gut-Brain Connection” is a hot topic among wellness gurus these days – and for good reason! This is a complex connection, but simply put what you feed your stomach impacts your behaviors and your moods. The digestive tract is home to trillions of bacteria – in fact we have roughly 10 times more bacterial DNA in our body than we do our own! Kind of gross, but really telling. If the balance of good to bad bacteria is off, you can experience intense sugar cravings, digestive distress like gas and constipation, and increased fat storage – especially around the middle. On top of that, brain fog, mood swings, increased stress levels, anxiety and even depression have been linked to this bacteria ratio. So, how do you feed the good guys? They love fiber, especially vegetable fiber. The bad guys love sugar and starches. If you’ve got a whole heap of symptoms, consider a probiotic supplement.

Take it on: Consider what you offer at meetings or events. Is it mostly sugary or carb-heavy fare like sandwiches, pastries, cakes and chips? What veggie loaded options are available and how are people incentivized to choose them?

3. Fuel Up On Fats

Fats have been getting a bad rap for the past 3 decades, but thankfully for all of us that time seems to be coming to a close because seriously – who doesn’t love fats? They’re rich, decadent and they just make things taste better! The brain itself is about 60% fat, but it’s very particular about which fat it wants. And the brain LOVES fat. Think things like avocado, salmon, olive oil, walnuts, eggs, and coconut oil. Fats also provide a slow-releasing, sustained source of energy for the brain. Which fats doesn’t the brain like? Trans-fats. These fats lead to inflammation and have been linked to nearly every chronic degenerative disease including dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Take it on: Consider where you bring foods in that contain trans fats: fried foods and pastries are some of the biggest culprits.

This time of year is ideal for taking on a big change in the office environment, both to support the individuals you work with to reach their personal health goals and to take cognition and efficiency to the next level through nutrition. Because who doesn’t want every day to be on their game every day?

- Henry Ford

Disruption and transformation.  Commonly and might even be excessively used buzzwords in this new era, particularly so, in marketing circles. As I see it, a large part of it is as simple as evolving, adapting, pivoting and acting on worthwhile transitions that bring exciting opportunity at an easy, relatively fast pace.  

What I’ve learned from working with law firms and professional services, is that each of them have their own strengths and are uniquely different, embracing change in a manner that works best for them.

“As people’s access to the internet grows we’re seeing the sharing economy boom – I think our obsession of ownership is at a tipping point and the sharing economy is part of the antidote.”
- Richard Branson, Virgin Group

The sharing of collaborative information, ideas and reciprocal business exchange have played a large role as it relates to an enhanced client experience for law firms and professional services.   We live in a sharing economy – the sharing of positive experiences that are now responsible for driving client decisions. Word of mouth is the single most important tool in marketing and business development – that will never change.  Peer recommendations still drive the most conversions or work rewarded.  Working with marketing through campaigns on a consistent basis drives word-of-mouth and those coveted referrals and recommendations. 

The Client Experience – The Ultimate Value Maker

Clients have embraced change through innovation and naturally, their affinity is to align themselves with firms who do the same: digital transformation and marketing technology. It has given savvy marketers the full picture of how their audiences are interacting with their brands, so that they can make more informed, data-driven decisions on how and where to communicate.  Channels are diverse and wide – strengthening at warp speed.

Upwards of 75% to 90% of business buyers start their purchase decisions online through active engagement and research – a referral and the organic search to a firm’s website. There are 11 times more B2B organizations using marketing automation/technology now more than in 2011.

An evolving change is the converging role of marketing and business development in professional services and law firms as they define their markets and specialities that address  client needs.  With shared revenue goals, the convergence will become more collaborative, quicker and with a shared purpose. It is essential to be on point with clients for the heartbeat check, as they may move from one firm to another.  Performance benchmarks will encompass brand exposure, web campaigns, levels of engagement and the lift in overall opportunity. As firms compete vigorously for corporate clients and expand organic client relationships, it is essential to use and leverage the data that is now available to us. Analytics help develop client connections as it relates to business and audience profiles, web and content. 

The Brand Experience – Just What Is Your Firm’s Brand?

Now is the best opportunity to make, change and build brands. In assessing brand essence and value proposition of the firm, a culture-based mission for brand status (positioning statement) asks the following; what does my brand embody, what are our client needs, what’s our offering? Digital marketing, through content and other marketing channels informs a specific message.  Brand spirit accompanied with value proposition is the look and feel of your firm’s voice, content material, language and visuals that represent the true brand, not one-offs. 

Being clear and purposeful in your message and communication is an off-shoot of the brand essence. 

Content Marketing Update – Strengthening and Getter Better By the Month

Last September, after writing 9 Essential Truths About Content Marketing and delivering a presentation at TLOMA, more information has come available. High quality content still is about personalizing: expertise, knowledge, opinions and insights. The question that arises is how are we differentiating content from journalism or a content piece from an article.  There is a difference. Content strategists are emphatic about one key criteria  - content should be clear, relevant and descriptive to be SEO worthy for organic searches and ultimately, be crave-worthy. 

What’s crave-worthy?

• Identifying client pain points and their content preferences. Secondly, at different stages of the client service journey – identifying and describing those fears for opportunity. 
• High-quality content that evokes curiosity, confirm & alleviate fears. 
• Content can be about a rescue story and risk-taking. 
• Does the content deal with or address similar challenges? 
• To be engaging, does your passion shine through, is enthusiastic or deeply concerned? 
• Does it ask real questions?

Content marketing is a long term approach to connect with an audience.  Results in content can integrate cross-practice content collaboration. Be nimble with needs planning, scheduling social media and content postings. Ensure it is positioned well in channels and research platforms.  

Website – It’s a Conduit for Business

The website is an owned platform but too often it’s neglected. It’s far more than just a directory or announcements. Websites are where high-quality content is housed. Sophisticated buyers go to the internet for research and education, particularly high-complex matter decision-making.   

As a precursor, understand and evaluate which portions of the website clients visit.  

• Display specific content to specific audiences. 
• Use predictive search tools to capture analytics. 
• Create issue-based or specialized/niche microsites.
• Tabbed menus (related data one tab at a time) and multi-screen: collapsible content, image carousels and navigation. 

Google searches will be more intuitive and that goes one step further by targeting the most relevant users. Check browse behaviour, purchase/enquiry behaviour and analyze social data to properly model and predict behaviour.  

• Consider Reach and Unique Visits: Evaluate how many individuals have viewed your content – typically happens within a 30 day window and allocate budget accordingly.  
• Consider Viewing and Page Views: how many did they read? What pages are getting the most views?  
• Always look at engagement levels: bounce rates, real time spent with content are all indicators of how engaged your web traffic is. 

There is an old “joke” in the web development world that is both funny and sad:  What is the difference between a $20,000 website, a $200,000 website, and a $2 million one?  Answer:  The gullibility of the client.

In 24 years of building websites, we have yet to meet a gullible client, which is why this joke is so offensive.  And if we did, we expect that they would “smell a fish” if they were presented with a nonsense proposal.

Yet surely there are differences between the cheapest websites, and the most expensive?  Should you look at your website as a commodity, or as your most important strategic asset?

The cheapest sites are templated sites, often from consumer or small-business web hosting providers. These are offered “free” to serve as a barrier to cancelling the hosting contract; while some solos and small firms may go this route, most wouldn't.

Next up are sites built on proprietary content management systems: rarely is there custom work here either. Special functionality (email lists, blogs, calendars, e-commerce) are usually sold as upgrade modules.  The downsides of this approach include little design flexibility, the inability to add special functionality beyond the modules that are available, and probably the biggest downside, vendor lock-in.  Security is also a risk point.  While this approach was popular 15+ years ago, most firms don’t see it as a viable approach today.

At the “bottom” of the business-class website barrel are basic brochure sites:  This usually means 5-10 pages, a blog, custom design work, basic site analytics and a site that is built on an open-source social platform such as WordPress or Drupal.  Beyond this, it is simply a question of adding options – here is a partial list:

• Add responsive (eg mobile friendly) design
• Add compliance with accessibility  legislation (eg WCAG 2.0 Level A or AA)
• Add strategy
• Add content creation (writing, or editing, or both)
• Add usability testing
• Add built-in SEO
• Add basic functionality (lead gen forms, calculators, etc)
• Add a separate development server
• Add connections with Social Media
• Add security and firewall
• Add stress-testing
• Add e-commerce
• Add multilingual support
• Add more advanced site analytics
• Add a persona-based strategy
• Add a staging site
• Add separate database and content servers
• Add members-only area and user management
• Add distributed content management and roles
• Add micro-sites and landing page management
• Add geolocation services
• Add a content delivery network
• Add training
• Add workflow and content approvals
• Add integration with Marketing Automation and/or CRM systems
• Add integration with ERP and/or financial systems
• Add advanced tracking and monitoring
• Add personalization, contextual content delivery
• Add advanced usability testing
• Add integrated analytics
• Add page-based optimization
• Add advanced SEO
• Add mobile app integration
• Add omni-channel support
• Add locally-hosted versions of the site in different continents
• Add advanced security and user authentication
• Add integration with the firm's Extranet and Intranet
• Add monitoring and technical optimization
• Add consulting on governance

Beyond the specific features of the site, another driver of cost is the content: who writes it, who edits it, and who approves it.  Connected with this is the total page count of the site: more pages mean more templates, more content loading time, more site testing and more graphics that need to be created, optimized, and loaded.   Finally, the largest sites may be part of a firm's digital transformation strategy.  In these cases, the website is really the vector to drive process change, both internally and externally.  All of this takes time and incurs cost.

Generally speaking, as more is expected of the website, the “optimal” platform changes to an industrial-strength – and significantly more costly – platform such as Adobe Experience Manager or Sitecore Experience Manager.

Yes, the simplest websites are fast becoming commodities; but user expectations, competitive pressures, and legislative requirements are also forcing many organizations to re-look at whether their current site is pulling its weight.

This week’s action plan: Except for the largest firms (and even then), a $2 million website hardly makes sense.  But a $20,000 website will also omit many key capabilities, dead-end others, and likely expose the firm to undue risk.  This week, compare your website with your competitors:  have they made a different investment decision than you did?  And what has been the result?