Marketing in 2026: SEO, AI Search, Referrals, and Building a Sustainable Practice
For attorneys leaving an established practice, prosecutor's office, or public defender's office to open their own firm, the first marketing decisions can be overwhelming. A website, Google advertising, professional directories, social media, search optimization, and AI visibility all compete for attention and limited resources.
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Spotify Mighty MERP Podcast | Tom the producer show notes for Melissa Rosenblum with Austin Aimone of Fuel Web Marketing:
What does it take to market a small law firm successfully in 2026?
Is traditional search engine optimization (SEO) still relevant when prospective clients are increasingly using ChatGPT and other AI tools?
Should criminal defense attorneys spend their time on LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, or Google?
And how much of a law firm's business should come from digital marketing rather than personal referrals?
On this episode of the Mighty MERP Podcast, New Jersey criminal defense attorney Melissa Rosenblum welcomes back Austin Aimone, sales director at Fuel Web Marketing, for an in-depth conversation about legal marketing, artificial intelligence, online visibility, and the importance of personal relationships in building a successful law practice.
Their discussion draws on Rosenblum's experience building and operating a South Jersey criminal defense practice and Aimone's seven years working in legal digital marketing.
The central theme is straightforward:
Successful law firm marketing requires more than a website, a social media presence, or an advertising budget. It requires a coordinated strategy that builds credibility, generates appropriate opportunities, and reinforces the relationships that sustain a practice.
What Should a New Solo Attorney Do First to Market a Law Firm?
Aimone's first recommendation may surprise attorneys expecting a digital marketing checklist: Start with your existing professional network.
He encourages new solo practitioners to evaluate their referral relationships, reconnect with colleagues, and make sure their professional community knows about the new practice.
Rosenblum agrees, recalling how years of professional goodwill helped when she opened her own firm.
She emphasizes direct outreach rather than relying exclusively on social media announcements. Conversations over coffee, letters announcing a new practice, and calls to attorneys who might encounter conflicts of interest or cases involving codefendants can create meaningful referral opportunities.
For a new criminal defense attorney, those relationships can be particularly important.
A lawyer who already knows and trusts another attorney may be far more comfortable referring a criminal case than someone who has merely encountered an advertisement.
Establishing a Basic Digital Foundation
Although both guests emphasize relationships, neither suggests that a modern law firm should operate without an online presence.
Aimone identifies several foundational priorities:
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Establish a professional website that accurately represents the practice.
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Create and maintain an eligible Google Business Profile.
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Claim and update relevant attorney directory listings.
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Keep professional information and photographs consistent.
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Develop legitimate client reviews in accordance with applicable professional and platform rules.
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Search for your own name and evaluate what prospective clients will discover.
A newly established firm does not necessarily need an expensive, highly customized website immediately.
Initially, a website can serve as a professional online business card, providing prospective clients with information about the attorney, practice areas, and ways to make contact.
The objective is to create a credible digital presence that can grow alongside the firm.
Why Online Reputation Matters Even When Clients Come From Referrals
One of the episode's most useful discussions concerns the relationship between personal referrals and online research.
Aimone describes a scenario in which a prospective client receives a strong recommendation from a trusted friend.
That recommendation may establish substantial initial confidence, but the prospective client will often still search the attorney's name online.
What happens next matters.
An outdated attorney profile, missing headshot, abandoned social media page, or inconsistent business information may introduce doubts that did not previously exist.
Those concerns can accumulate if subsequent interactions, such as the initial telephone call or consultation, fail to reinforce the referral.
Aimone's philosophy is to eliminate avoidable sources of doubt throughout the prospective client's evaluation process.
Rosenblum describes a similar reaction when researching attorneys herself. When she cannot find a meaningful professional digital footprint, she begins questioning how active or established the practice may be.
For lawyers, online reputation management is not simply about attracting strangers through Google. It is also about supporting the trust established through referrals.
Attorney Directories, Professional Profiles, and Consistency
The conversation addresses familiar legal directories and professional listings, including Avvo, Justia, and Super Lawyers.
Aimone recommends maintaining complete, accurate professional profiles, particularly when those listings already appear prominently in searches for an attorney's name.
Rosenblum also explains the importance of consistency when an attorney's professional name has changed.
Her own experience using different versions of her name illustrates why maintaining recognizable, consistent information across professional profiles matters.
For law firms, directory management should be considered part of a broader reputation and visibility strategy, rather than a standalone marketing solution.
Is Traditional SEO Still Important for Law Firms in the Age of AI?
Rosenblum raises a question that many attorneys are asking:
After years of investing in search engine optimization, is SEO still important when people are using AI platforms to find information and evaluate professional services?
Aimone's answer is yes.
He explains that while AI-powered discovery introduces new platforms and terminology, many of the underlying optimization practices remain familiar.
Accurate business information, authoritative content, complete professional profiles, and a consistent digital identity have long been important elements of search visibility.
Those same elements can also support discoverability in AI-driven environments.
SEO, AEO, and GEO: What Do the Acronyms Mean?
The episode explores three commonly discussed marketing terms.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to improving a website's visibility and relevance in traditional search results.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) generally describes efforts to make information useful and discoverable in systems that provide direct answers, including AI-assisted search experiences.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) generally refers to improving the likelihood that content or a business will be discovered, referenced, or represented accurately by generative AI systems.
Aimone argues that treating these concepts as completely separate marketing disciplines can create unnecessary confusion.
Many of the practical activities overlap.
His preferred terminology is:
Search Everywhere Optimization
Rather than introducing another unfamiliar acronym, Aimone proposes keeping SEO but redefining it as Search Everywhere Optimization.
The concept recognizes that prospective clients no longer discover businesses exclusively through traditional Google search results.
They may encounter a law firm through Google Maps, ChatGPT, YouTube, social media, legal directories, professional referrals, or other digital resources.
The marketing challenge becomes understanding where prospective clients are looking and making sure the firm has an appropriate presence in those environments.
For attorneys, this does not necessarily mean publishing constantly on every platform. It means approaching online visibility as a coordinated strategy rather than a collection of disconnected marketing activities.
Can ChatGPT and AI Search Help Prospective Clients Find Attorneys?
Rosenblum reports that when she asks new clients how they found her practice, some now mention ChatGPT alongside traditional Google searches and reviews.
That observation raises important questions about how law firms should prepare for AI-assisted discovery.
Aimone emphasizes that established SEO practices remain relevant, including maintaining accurate professional listings and building a credible online presence.
However, appearing in AI-generated responses is not guaranteed simply because a firm has a website, directory listing, or a large volume of content.
AI systems use different information sources and retrieval methods, and their responses can change.
For law firms, the practical priority is to publish accurate, useful information that demonstrates professional experience and helps prospective clients understand the attorney's qualifications and practice.
Why Attorney Expertise and E-E-A-T Matter
Google's E-E-A-T framework refers to Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
For legal information, these qualities are especially relevant because readers may rely on the information when making consequential decisions.
An effective law firm content strategy can demonstrate those qualities through attorney-authored or attorney-reviewed explanations, relevant professional credentials, accurate descriptions of legal procedures, and clear information about the attorney responsible for the content.
For example, a New Jersey criminal defense attorney might publish useful information about DWI proceedings, criminal charges, court appearances, or changes in New Jersey criminal law.
The purpose should be to provide reliable information and demonstrate relevant expertise—not merely to repeat keywords.
Which Social Media Platforms Are Worthwhile for Criminal Defense Attorneys?
One of the episode's most practical exchanges concerns the pressure on small business owners to maintain accounts across numerous platforms.
Rosenblum describes the reality of operating a small law firm: she is responsible not only for representing clients but also for managing many of the business's administrative and marketing functions.
Adding LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, blogs, and other platforms can quickly become overwhelming.
Aimone recommends evaluating each platform according to the firm's practice area and business objectives.
Social Media Advertising Versus Organic Social Media
Aimone distinguishes between paid social media advertising and organic social media activity.
For criminal defense attorneys, he is skeptical that paid social advertising will consistently generate qualified clients.
Unlike some consumer-oriented legal practice areas, criminal defense often involves an immediate need arising from an arrest, investigation, or pending charge.
Prospective clients may be more likely to seek a referral or actively search for legal representation than respond to an advertisement encountered while browsing social media.
Aimone also describes criminal defense clients who have generated extremely large numbers of social media views without identifying corresponding leads.
That experience highlights a distinction between audience size and business results.
A million video views do not necessarily translate into retained legal clients.
However, organic social media can still provide value through brand recognition, professional credibility, and ongoing familiarity.
Rosenblum explains that she uses social media partly to remain recognizable to people who may eventually need a criminal defense attorney or know someone who does.
A former colleague or community contact who repeatedly encounters her professional content may remember her when a referral opportunity arises.
Different Platforms Require Different Messages
Rosenblum and Aimone agree that not every post belongs on every platform.
LinkedIn may be particularly appropriate for professional commentary, attorney networking, and legal industry relationships.
Facebook and Instagram can provide opportunities to show more of a firm's personality, community involvement, and workplace culture.
TikTok and YouTube can support video-based communication and educational content.
Rosenblum offers a personal example: she shared a Halloween photograph from court on Facebook but decided it was not appropriate for her LinkedIn audience.
The broader lesson is that consistent branding does not require identical content everywhere.
A firm can maintain the same professional identity while adapting its presentation to different audiences.
Should Lawyers Use Reddit or Substack for Marketing?
Rosenblum also asks about two platforms that have attracted growing attention: Reddit and Substack.
She wants to understand not only what these platforms are, but what an attorney would actually publish on them.
Substack for Legal Commentary and Thought Leadership
Aimone describes Substack primarily as a platform where audiences follow individual writers or organizations for commentary, news, and specialized information.
For an attorney interested in writing regularly about developments in New Jersey law, Substack could offer a way to build an audience around professional expertise.
However, he does not suggest that every small law firm should prioritize the platform.
The potential value depends on whether the attorney wants to invest the time required to develop an ongoing publication and readership.
Reddit, Community Discussion, and AI Visibility
Reddit presents a different opportunity.
Its community-based discussions can surface firsthand experiences, questions, opinions, and recommendations.
Aimone discusses the attention Reddit received from digital marketers because of its appearance among sources referenced by AI systems.
He cautions, however, against assuming that broad statistics about AI citations apply equally to every industry.
A source that appears frequently in general AI responses may be far less prominent in responses concerning legal services.
For criminal defense attorneys, the important question is not simply whether Reddit influences AI search. It is whether participation in relevant communities would provide genuine value to potential clients and professional audiences.
Neither guest recommends treating Reddit as an automatic marketing requirement.
How Much Should a Small Law Firm Spend on Marketing?
Marketing expenses can be especially consequential for solo practitioners and small firms.
Aimone emphasizes that money invested in marketing is not an abstract corporate budget. For a small business owner, it is money that could otherwise support the business or the owner's family.
Unlike a financial investment that may retain some value after a decline, a poorly executed marketing campaign can consume its entire budget without producing meaningful results.
He encourages attorneys to assess their financial circumstances and avoid investing simply because a platform or service is fashionable.
Rosenblum shares a practical method she previously used to evaluate advertising costs.
She translated a monthly marketing expense into the number and type of legal matters required to cover it.
Would the investment require one additional traffic case each month? Two cases? A more substantial criminal matter?
That approach helped her evaluate whether a proposed expenditure was realistic for her practice.
How to Evaluate a Legal Marketing Vendor
Aimone also recommends asking prospective marketing vendors specific questions before committing to a contract.
Attorneys should understand what services will be delivered each month, what results are being measured, and when a reasonable return might be expected.
They should also speak with colleagues about their experiences and compare the actual work performed by different providers.
Aimone notes that two companies offering SEO may deliver substantially different services under the same label.
For law firm owners, transparency, accountability, and a clear understanding of the proposed strategy are essential.
Why Traditional Marketing Still Matters for Lawyers
Although Aimone works in digital marketing, he repeatedly emphasizes the importance of traditional marketing.
Professional networking, personal referrals, community participation, sponsorships, and longstanding relationships can remain powerful sources of business.
Rosenblum agrees, but adds an important qualification: traditional marketing should be purposeful.
A sponsorship should either support a meaningful business objective or reflect an organization or cause the attorney genuinely wants to support.
Otherwise, the expense may be difficult to justify.
Billboards and Consistent Law Firm Branding
The discussion turns to legal billboard advertising, particularly along major roadways connecting Philadelphia, South Jersey, and Atlantic City.
Aimone explains that billboard campaigns can be effective when they are coordinated, appropriately located, and consistent with the firm's other marketing.
He describes discovering that a client had launched a billboard campaign using a different slogan and color scheme from its website.
The problem was not necessarily the billboard investment itself.
It was the lack of coordination between the firm's offline and online branding.
Rosenblum also emphasizes simplicity.
A driver passing a billboard has limited time to absorb its message. Too many words or competing elements can undermine its effectiveness.
Community Sponsorships and Local Visibility
Rosenblum describes a regional law firm that has developed substantial recognition by supporting community organizations, youth sports, charitable events, and local activities.
Rather than relying primarily on digital advertising, the firm has cultivated a recognizable community identity through consistent participation.
Aimone identifies similar examples among established firms in Pennsylvania.
Their visibility comes not simply from having their names displayed, but from repeatedly appearing in places and activities that matter to their communities.
For smaller firms, the challenge is to select opportunities that align with available resources, geography, professional goals, and personal values.
Advertising and Brand Awareness Are Not the Same Thing
A particularly useful distinction in the conversation is between marketing designed to generate leads and marketing intended to build recognition.
Aimone describes SEO and Google advertising as activities generally intended to attract prospective clients.
Billboards, sponsorships, and other community visibility efforts may primarily build awareness and familiarity.
Both can have value, but they should not necessarily be evaluated using identical measurements.
A community sponsorship may influence someone's perception of a law firm without ever appearing as a directly attributable lead.
Conversely, a paid search campaign should generally have measurable objectives related to inquiries, qualified leads, or new clients.
Understanding the purpose of an investment helps attorneys decide whether it is worthwhile.
Can a Law Firm Succeed Without Digital Marketing?
Toward the end of the episode, Rosenblum and Aimone debate whether a law firm can build a successful practice primarily through traditional relationships.
Aimone points to established attorneys and firms that have developed substantial practices through referrals, networking, and community recognition.
Rosenblum questions whether younger attorneys entering the profession today can expect the same results without establishing a meaningful digital footprint.
They ultimately find considerable common ground.
Both agree that attorneys need to be discoverable online.
Both also agree that a law firm should not become entirely dependent on digital advertising.
Aimone suggests that, for many firms, paid marketing should account for a minority of new business, with the remainder coming from referrals, relationships, and other sustainable sources.
He presents this as a business philosophy rather than a universal industry benchmark.
The appropriate balance will vary by firm, practice area, market, and growth objectives.
The Lasting Value of Personal Relationships in Legal Marketing
The episode concludes with one of its most memorable discussions: the value of saying thank you.
Rosenblum recalls writing handwritten thank-you notes for referrals when she first opened her practice.
Although the demands of running an established firm have made that practice harder to maintain, she continues to acknowledge referrals and express appreciation.
She also describes distributing her recognizable pink pens as a small but consistent part of her firm's identity.
Aimone explains that these personal interactions can have a lasting impact.
A thoughtful acknowledgment of a referral reinforces the relationship in a way that an advertising impression cannot necessarily replicate.
Digital platforms and search algorithms may change. Professional goodwill and personal relationships can continue to provide value long after a particular marketing trend disappears.
Rosenblum brings the conversation back to the nature of practicing law.
Many clients contact attorneys during difficult, stressful, or consequential periods of their lives. They are not simply purchasing a product; they are seeking professional assistance from someone they need to trust.
As she explains, lawyering is still personal.
That principle provides the foundation for the entire conversation.
Key Takeaways for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms
For attorneys considering a new practice or reassessing an existing marketing strategy, the episode offers several practical lessons:
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Build relationships first. Professional referrals and community connections provide a valuable foundation.
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Establish a credible digital presence. A website, accurate professional profiles, and an appropriate Google Business Profile help prospective clients evaluate the firm.
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Continue investing in SEO fundamentals. AI-driven search introduces new opportunities, but does not eliminate the importance of accurate information and useful content.
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Choose platforms strategically. Social media activity should reflect the firm's audience, practice area, resources, and objectives.
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Separate lead generation from brand awareness. Not every marketing investment should be measured in exactly the same way.
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Maintain consistent branding. Websites, social media, sponsorships, and traditional advertising should reinforce the same professional identity.
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Protect your referral network. Personal relationships, thoughtful communication, and professional credibility remain essential.
About the Mighty MERP Podcast
The Mighty MERP Podcast is hosted by Melissa Rosenblum, a New Jersey criminal defense attorney whose practice serves clients in South Jersey.
The podcast features conversations about criminal law, the legal profession, professional development, and issues affecting attorneys and the communities they serve.
Through discussions with attorneys, judges, legal professionals, and industry guests, Rosenblum explores both the practice of law and the experiences of the people working within it.
Learn more about the podcast at MightyMERP.com.
About the Guests
Melissa Rosenblum — Host, Mighty MERP Podcast
Melissa Rosenblum is a South Jersey criminal defense attorney with approximately three decades of legal experience. She discusses her experience establishing and operating a solo law practice, developing the Mighty MERP brand, and maintaining professional referral relationships.
Austin Aimone — Fuel Web Marketing
Austin Aimone is a sales director at Fuel Web Marketing and works in legal digital marketing. His discussion focuses on websites, SEO, AI search visibility, legal directories, paid advertising, and the relationship between digital and traditional marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Law Firm Marketing
Does a new solo law firm need an expensive website?
Not necessarily. A professional website that clearly identifies the attorney, practice areas, and contact information can provide a useful starting point. More extensive content and optimization can be developed as the practice grows.
Is SEO still important for attorneys in 2026?
Yes. Traditional search visibility remains relevant, and many established SEO practices also support discoverability across newer AI-powered information platforms.
Can social media generate clients for criminal defense lawyers?
It can contribute to visibility and client acquisition, but results vary. In this episode, Aimone expresses skepticism about relying on paid social advertising as a consistent lead generator for criminal defense practices. Organic content may provide value through professional recognition, reputation, and referrals.
Should attorneys create profiles on Avvo, Justia, and other legal directories?
Maintaining accurate profiles on relevant legal directories can help prospective clients verify an attorney's credentials and evaluate the practice. Complete, consistent information also contributes to a coherent online presence.
Should a law firm invest in Reddit or Substack?
That depends on the firm's audience and objectives. Substack may suit attorneys interested in publishing ongoing legal commentary. Reddit is more community-driven and requires a different approach. Neither platform is necessarily a priority for every law firm.
What is Search Everywhere Optimization?
Search Everywhere Optimization is Aimone's proposed broader interpretation of SEO. It describes coordinated visibility across traditional search engines, AI platforms, video, social media, directories, and other places where prospective clients discover businesses.
What is the most important marketing strategy for a small law firm?
The episode emphasizes combining professional relationships with a credible digital presence. The appropriate mix of referrals, search visibility, advertising, and community engagement depends on the firm's circumstances and goals.
To inquire about podcasting:
Podcast transcript optimization and some MightyMERP site articles by Jornio.
Mighty MERP Podcast: Melissa Rosenblum and Austin Aimone on Legal Marketing
MERP (00:29.87)
So now I'm like, Aimone, Aimone, Aimone. I know. No, you know what it is? Tom will con I when I have to say people's name, it now stresses me out 'cause I've messed up like too many people's names. So
Austin Aimone (00:33.278)
Really? It's been six years, it's Aimone.
Austin Aimone (00:44.902)
It in your defense, like Jess has asked me like what exactly is her last name? Because I'll say really quick be like, it's all Cinnamon. But it is Aimone So I I even I even say in wrong sometimes. Yeah, yeah.
MERP (00:54.816)
Amo. So it's your fault, it's not mine. All right. All right. I'm gonna do a quick intro. I'm gonna really just jump in, okay?
Welcome Austin back to the Mighty MERP podcast. Today I am excited to talk to a I'm gonna say friend now. We started with a business relationship. Austin Aimone is the sales director at Fuel Web Design, correct? Sorry. Damn it. Start over. It was going well.
Austin Aimone (01:23.902)
Geo Web Marketing.
Austin Aimone (01:31.198)
I appreciate you saying that we're friends now. It only took s almost seven years.
MERP (01:34.72)
Seven years. It's okay. I need a little warming up.
MERP (01:44.684)
Welcome Austin Amo fuck. It's gonna take me five times.
Welcome, Austin. Welcome back to the Mighty MERP Podcast. It's good to see you. My guest today is Austin Aimone Every time I'm gonna have trouble with it now, Austin. Austin is a sales director with Fuel Website Marketing. I've known Austin for about six years. We started, I met him in a business context, and we have become good friends over the year.
And he is my go-to to talk about marketing. And so I'm excited to have this conversation today. I know Austin tells me his philosophy is that he loves sharing marketing and how to see it successful in small businesses. So Austin, I'm just gonna kick right off with let's talk about small business and marketing. What do you love about it? And really
What should small businesses know right off the bat?
Austin Aimone (02:52.562)
Yeah, I appreciate you having me on again, Melissa. It's been it's been a couple of years since we last since we did this last. I love it. Every time you do a Google search for my name, the Mighty Merit podcast is like one of the first things. So my kids think I'm a celebrity when they search for dad.
MERP (03:03.831)
Love it.
Do you when the last time we spoke were you with a different company?
Austin Aimone (03:12.316)
No, I was still with Field Web Marketing at the time. but I've had people who look me up and they're like, Man, like you have like a there's like a YouTube channel with you on it and everything. And they and then I have like a Google Business Po profile with reviews on it, so I feel like a little bit of a you know, digital celebrity.
MERP (03:14.954)
Okay.
MERP (03:28.523)
You are such a digital celebrity.
How AI Is Changing Legal Marketing and Small Business Visibility
Austin Aimone (03:30.377)
Thank you, thank you. but no, it has been a crazy time. the last few years, you know, I've been in this space, legal marketing, for the last seven years. And really the last year has been I've lost a lot of sleep. AI is changing things every single second of every day. The things that I know that I feel very confident in knowing, and I'm sharing with people and I'm trying to educate. A month later it's completely irrelevant, and I have to go back to my clients. Like, hey, remember what I just told you? Yeah, completely forget it. Things have changed.
MERP (04:00.437)
Yeah, AI is one of those new technology that, you know, one day it could be, my goodness, this was so helpful. And the next day thinking, I hate AI. it is amazing. You know, my business has only been a solo business for nine years. And I feel like the marketing has changed so much in nine years.
Austin Aimone (04:28.754)
Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, what worked for a and I think every industry can stay the same, but especially in the legal space, what worked nine years ago, some of the systems and platforms that were available then are completely irrelevant now. so
MERP (04:43.201)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (04:44.53)
We're constantly having to reinvent ourselves. But yeah, AI is changing what thing what didn't work last month might work this month. What worked last month might not work this month. And it's really just trying to stay up with every new innovation, and always going into it with genuine curiosity. You know, I I was talking with someone recently who a year ago had tried a certain type of LLM and didn't love it. And I'm like, Hey, go back into it now because that one platform has made so many differences, so much so many strides that it it's worth giving
but this I think the philosophical
MERP (05:16.319)
Okay, I'm gonna have to ask because I'm not sure if I know. What do you mean by L L
Austin Aimone (05:20.656)
large language models. So your chat GBTs, your Clauds, those are all LLMs. There's a lot of acronyms in marketing and in the tech world. we'll probably use a bunch of them today.
Starting a Solo Law Firm: Referrals, Networking, and Marketing Priorities
MERP (05:30.776)
Okay, so I'm gonna ask you a very basic 101. And I say this because I just got, I just had a attorney who I would say is about 15 years younger than me, who reached out to me over the weekend and said, Hey, I left my law firm, I'm opening up my own law practice, and I have some questions for you. And and hearing that makes me want to ask you as someone who works with marketing.
For for a new solo or small firm, what do you think is the first thing or the first step, few steps with regards to setting up your own law firm, with regards to marketing, not other business ends that they're gonna have to deal with?
Austin Aimone (06:19.314)
Yeah, I think let me preference first two for everyone. I am a digital marketer. My marketing company primarily focuses on websites, search engine optimization, AI optimization, Google ads, things like that. But I'm also one of the only digital marketers that's going to tell you and it's going to speak to the importance of traditional marketing, networking, word of mouth. Like those things are unbelievably important in the legal space. So I'll say to any young attorney or person who is now going out on their own for the first time, look at your own network in your circle, look at your referral sources.
Strengthen nose. You know, we should all have a website, right? It's 2026. Everyone should have a website. Does it need to be the greatest website of all time that's perfectly optimized? No, you're just starting out.
But I actually encourage people to really lean into the traditional real world relationships first. And then as you start to get situated, you get your footing under you, you start building up that budget. then start being able to deploy some of those funds into digital marketing investments, unless you're coming out with a war chest. And we've seen that before where partners leave, they start up their own firm, they have a pretty solid nest egg and they can really jump in headfirst. but you have to really look at your situation and assess where am I at in my
career, what funds do I have to invest? And then be realistic and set the appropriate expectations for yourself.
MERP (07:37.71)
Right. So the first thing is know your connections. And I always say to people, let people know that you're opening up a firm. I know. But also, you know, you can do it in a passive way, which is putting it on Facebook or Instagram. But I think what this attorney did was a great first step, which she reached out to another attorney and said,
Austin Aimone (07:45.37)
Mm-hmm. Shout it from the rooftops. I want everyone to know.
Austin Aimone (08:06.676)
Mm-hmm.
MERP (08:07.479)
Hey, I have some questions. I'm opening up my own law firm. These are a few things I need. And then from that, there's that connection. And can we sit down to have coffee? And and hopefully she's smart enough that she's not just doing it with me, that she's doing it with 20 other other people. So I always say that when I opened up my firm, and I was a partner with someone for a long time in the same community, but
Austin Aimone (08:22.568)
Yeah, there's an agenda.
MERP (08:34.039)
There was so much goodwill that I had built up over the years and that I didn't even realize it, but that helped me make sure that my business was success success, which was opening up the law firm, sending out announcements, which is very old school. And I know it's old school, but receiving the announcements in a letter, people keep those cards if they're nice announcements for you know, a little bit of time. They're gonna make referrals to you.
and connecting and calling and just saying, hey, if you have, you know, a case where there's two code defendants or a conflict or think about me in these type of cases, that would be greatly appreciated. So that's the first thing. Website, you said website's important. There has to be a website of some sort, right?
Building an Online Presence: Websites, Google Business Profiles, and Attorney Directories
Austin Aimone (09:21.298)
Yes, I mean everyone should have a website just it and for nothing more than the online business card. We can talk about how to optimize it and write content and things you can do for AI. but everyone should have something online that if someone is doing their due diligence, they have a website. They have a Google business profile. So that would be, I guess, like the third thing. You know, you would be you would be claiming a Google business profile and getting reviews at the same time as you're getting a website. Start laying that digital foundation of okay, here are things that if someone just
found my name from another attorney or you know I was they were referred to me from another attorney. If they Google my name, what comes up? And look at this. Look at what do that yourself. Look up, you know, Google Melissa Rosenblum and look at your Avo profile, your Justia profile, your Super Lawyers profile, if you have one.
whatever is coming up for your your name, the people that are gonna be evaluating and doing their due diligence, they're gonna see those same so those same things. Make sure that they all look good, that they have the updated information, that they have your appropriate headshot, and then we can talk about kind of those those next steps.
MERP (10:25.581)
Do you think do you recommend doing the Avo and the different sites like that that are I think initially free just to claim yourself as a lawyer?
Austin Aimone (10:37.97)
Yep. Yeah, so that's a big thing with AI optimization. So within AI optimization, there's gonna be two new acronyms that have come up AEO and GEO, answer engine optimization and generative engine optimization. So it's gonna be the difference between Google's AI overview and Chat GPT. I hate the acronyms. I hate them. I hate them. I just wanna stick with SEO and I'll speak to you. I'll I'll tell you kind of what I've been running with recently.
MERP (10:54.507)
So smart. You're so smart saying all those acronyms.
Austin Aimone (11:04.936)
But when it comes to that AI visibility, one of the things that it does people one of the things that they really look for are your citations. So your ABO profile, your Justia profile, if you're a member of the National Trial Trialers Association, any DUI organization, whatever it is, make sure all of your profiles are fully up to date.
MERP (11:26.187)
with the correct name as well. And I know for me, as somebody who, you know, was a hyphen for a long time, I s now just put my I don't really use the hyphen anymore. but if people wonder what the MERP is, that is the Melissa Elaine Rosenblum Pazetzner, which is my initials.
Austin Aimone (11:28.371)
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (11:46.76)
I did not know the E. Thank you.
MERP (11:49.902)
I was like, what letter did you not know? But I don't use possessor anymore, but I I do put it in parentheses everywhere so that it there's a consistency a lot of the time through the different sites. And those are free sites, so they're a really good way to having a digital footprint. this might sound silly, but sometimes people give me names of like, I spoke to this attorney and I'll Google them. And if I can't find anything on them,
For me, I think like either they're not really practicing or they don't have a true practice or that they don't have, you know, a real law firm is how I would say it. Those are those are my concerns. If I can't find any digital footprint at all.
Why Consistent Attorney Profiles and Reviews Build Client Trust
Austin Aimone (12:39.112)
Well and I'll I'll give you kind of a thought process that I always share with everyone. If someone refers you to someone else, they've already pretty much sold the deal, right? I'm going to hire Melissa. She's amazing. I heard from a close friend how awesome that she is. But I'm still gonna do a little bit of of course, of course, right? But I'm still gonna do my research. I'm still gonna do it some due diligence. I'm gonna look at your Google reviews, I'm gonna Google your name.
MERP (12:52.395)
All true.
Austin Aimone (13:00.732)
And if the first thing I see is an Avo profile that doesn't have a photo or a Just D of profile that doesn't have a headshot or outdated headshot and looks like it's from twenty years ago, which is so common in the legal space, it plants a seed, a small one, and and that seed might die, but it plants a very, very small seed in their mind of doubt.
Then they call you and maybe your assistant who picks up the phone is not really having the best day. They're not really the most cheery. They kinda answer the phone and you're like, Ugh, that was kind of rough. That starts to water that seed. Then they go into a consultation with you and you're not having your best day. And you just say the wrong things, or you're maybe a little bit maybe a little bit brash and and they just you're not really appreciative. Now that little seed that started with doubt because of because of a unfinished Avo profile or a Facebook page that hasn't been posted to and
three years. Now you start ordering and next thing you know they're not hiring you. So I I try to eliminate any forms of doubt with clients and try to just make sure that anywhere someone is going to see you online, it's as updated and as clean as it possibly can be.
MERP (13:56.096)
Right.
MERP (14:06.989)
Okay. So creating a digital footprint and then you say it website. You don't think the website has to be expensive initially. does have to does have to exist though. A Google profile, which is something separate, which is a actual law firm and address, right?
Austin Aimone (14:27.89)
Right. Correct. You can have ones that don't have addresses. they don't really get found in search, but that's that's different. But yeah, those are those are free systems that you can go and then getting reviews are free. Asking your friends and families and colleagues that have, you know, maybe you've done legal work for a favor for, that has any interaction with you, getting reviews are free. That alone can make a huge difference as you start to grow the firm.
MERP (14:53.069)
Correct. And as somebody who asks all their new clients how they heard about my law office, and I always write it down, a lot of times they will say it is, I saw the Google reviews. Or sometimes they say, I searched the internet and I say it was the search engine go Google, and they say yes. Chat GPT comes up a lot now as well. so
Austin Aimone (15:18.718)
Yep. Yep.
Does Traditional SEO Still Matter in the Age of AI Search?
MERP (15:23.083)
When I was creating my website, it was all about SEO, which is search engine optimization, correct? It's it's the only one I know. Don't don't ask me any others. And the reason why, and I think this might have been I don't know if it was our conversation or conversation that I had, but I I created my own website and I was really happy with the design.
Austin Aimone (15:35.25)
Yep, yep, yep.
Austin Aimone (15:40.766)
Yeah.
MERP (15:53.171)
And my MERP Pink was created and and the logo came from that MERP Pink and but I had helped build another website at my other law firm and I had tried to use a lot of the information because I assisted in writing a lot of the information. unbeknownst to me though, I was actually generating traffic to the
Austin Aimone (16:22.046)
Do
MERP (16:22.968)
to the other law firm. And so I I was taught pretty early on that it has to be original. And SEOs are keywords and they're what drives traffic to your website. And I I am like a basic one one understanding of website design. This is what I have been able to retain over the years. But I it has been, you know
S SEO is very important. SEO is very important. And so the question is, you know, nine years later, is SEO as important? And you know
Austin Aimone (17:00.392)
Yes, I can I can confidently say SEO is still very important. But I'm gonna add in a caveat here. And this is this is my thing. I'm trying to coin this. So if it ever takes off, give credit to me.
There have been these new acronyms that have come up. And now everyone is starting to point towards AI because hey, people are using ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude or Manus or whatever it is to research and find new businesses to work with, right? So Google, which has dominated for since 1999, this is the first time they're really seeing competition off of their platform.
You had the years of like Yahoo and Bing and when they would steal a little bit of market share, like 1%, 2%. But they've never seen competition like this. And it's scaring the hell out of Google. Let's you know anyone who looks at their stock price and and listens to their investor calls, they're scaring the hell out of them. That all said, the optimization techniques that are done for AI.
Are very, very, very similar to the optimization techniques that have been traditionally used for search engine optimization. In fact, there are things that people are doing now for AI as the new hot thing that were like basic SEO five, ten years ago. We're just kind of going back and it's just a new product and it's it has to go through its infancy phase and grow and adapt. So it's going back to some basic things that had become so basic SEO that we stopped putting an emphasis on them, like claiming directory profiles and making sure.
MERP (18:03.758)
Mm-hmm.
MERP (18:24.76)
Mm-hmm.
Search Everywhere Optimization: Google, AI, YouTube, and Social Platforms
Austin Aimone (18:27.688)
all your information is correct. Like that's that's SEO 101 from 10 years ago you should have been doing it. Now it's like the big thing in AI. It's like is that really a new product and service that deter that d reserves its own acronym? I personally and our agency does not believe so.
But it is by definition a different acronym because search engine optimization does not fit for AI. So what I'm trying to coin is search everywhere optimization. We should be yes, yes, please trademark.
MERP (18:57.39)
But here's the thing, it's the same it's the same search everywhere up. It's the same sorry if you heard the ringing. One of my kids was calling. And I'm sure it's just because they wanna be entertained right now.
Austin Aimone (19:15.969)
I'm surprised my daughters haven't run. I had to lock all the doors.
MERP (19:20.3)
Right. Well, my kids aren't coming into the office, but like I am sure that child will call me back. And when I say child, I mean twenty two year old college student. And he's probably like, he'll call again if I say what, he'll be like, I'm just walking to class. I wanted you to entertain me.
Austin Aimone (19:28.828)
Yeah.
Austin Aimone (19:37.598)
Yeah.
MERP (19:40.35)
So search everywhere optimization, which I love, except it's SEO. I feel like we need to like.
Austin Aimone (19:44.296)
Yeah.
Austin Aimone (19:48.563)
That's why I wanna keep it. Because I don't you just said it, right? You could barely you you've kind of strung together search er search engine optimization. It's like you've been doing it for a decade now. And you're still not confident in the acronym. So if we just keep SEO, attorneys don't have to learn new ones. They don't have to figure out what the hell AEO means or GEO and then the dif the delineation between the two.
MERP (19:50.165)
Okay.
Austin Aimone (20:10.81)
Search everywhere optimization. The goal in marketing today is to be seen everywhere, but it does go beyond search engines and the LLMs, right? You wanna be seen on YouTube, you wanna be seen on social media, you wanna be seen in every possible place that you can. So when we're looking at these strategies, we're really more so coming at it from like a where are people potentially finding you online? Do you have a place everywhere?
MERP (20:23.063)
I know. That's
Austin Aimone (20:36.188)
Because the strategies are so similar. Like social media is its own thing, but the AI and the search engine ones are just so similar that they're really cut from the same cloth. Slight tweaks, but SEO is always changing. Why create something to confuse people? So that's been my thing. It's like, hey, we're gonna do search everywhere optimization for you. Anywhere someone is look, our goal is to have you there. We have different strategies for each one, but you only have to remember SEO.
MERP (20:36.376)
Yeah.
Choosing Social Media Platforms for a Small Criminal Defense Law Firm
MERP (21:00.911)
Correct. So what I would say to you is when you say everywhere, you know, it is, and I say this as, you know, I am my bookkeeper and I am my HR, and I am also the trial attorney. I do have I do have an associate attorney, but it's my business. And I am also the marketing expert and the posting.
you know, on all the websites. And you say everywhere. And so is we're talking not link it's LinkedIn and it's Facebook and it's blogs and it is now maybe Instagram reels or Facebook reels or TikTok or YouTube. And so my question is
I mean, how would a small how do is there is there anything that you would say don't do? Is there any there's so much, you know, and it's and it is almost it's almost overwhelming and and the sites change, which I I do have a question for you. I'm gonna ask you a question in a moment that I asked my kids and they were not helpful on it. But there's so many sites. So is there do you recommend like
A specific cocktail for a better way of saying it.
Austin Aimone (22:25.682)
Ooh, great, great way of saying it. There are certainly things that you should stay away from. And I think this is where I spend most of my time telling small business owners what not to invest in or what not to do. Because so many small business owners, they come in, they have these great ideas, they're really excited. Now I'm talking about not just attorneys, but other business owners as well. And they're getting advice from everyone in their life. They're getting advice from their kids who are saying they need to be on TikTok. They're getting advice from colleagues who are saying you need to have a LinkedIn.
MERP (22:37.443)
Okay.
Austin Aimone (22:54.128)
Every industry is different and I think understanding your industry and understanding that your profession will guide you into which platforms you should really be spending your time on. for an attorney, let's take that, right? Let's take look at a criminal defense attorney. I do not believe that social media, organic social media.
is a or I'm sorry, social media advertising is a good source of lead generation for a criminal defense attorney. You can run cheap social media ads, ten dollars a day. I don't think you're ever going to get a lead as a criminal defense attorney.
social media organic, so this is just you posting maybe these are your reels or hey, you know, had you know, brought in pizza for the office and it's a little pizza party picture. That stuff helps with your brand awareness and it helps with people who are evaluating you and maybe landing on your social media to do their due diligence. Again, it's not going to really generate leads.
Social media as a concept, in the legal space, I just don't believe in it as a lead generator. Unless you're a class action attorney, consumer protection attorney, or mass torts. I do love it for that. That would be good for advertising purposes.
MERP (23:59.759)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (24:00.988)
Now, if you're an influencer and you're trying to grow this massive following and you're putting out really good content and you're getting thousands of likes or shares or you have tens of thousands, if not hundreds of views, even millions of views, that's a different strategy, but that takes a s that takes significant time and investment.
But I have I have clients, criminal defense attorneys in South Jersey, who have achieved the million dollar view mark, have put out content that has gotten a million views, and they will be the first ones to tell you that they have never tracked a single lead back to social media.
MERP (24:35.215)
Correct. Correct. I think for me, the social media aspect of it is just keeping my law firm and what I do in the in the forefront of people's memories and brains so that if they need me for a DWI or a traffic ticket or something even more serious, that I'm the name that they think of. So if someone called,
You know, if they have a friend call and say, My son was just arrested or there's, you know, I'm being investigated for blah, blah, blah, that the person's going to say, you know, I know somebody. And and that's how I'm gonna that's how I utilize it. So
Austin Aimone (25:22.024)
Yeah.
It's brand awareness, it's culture, it's again that due diligence process. If someone gets your name and then they go to your website, they're gonna see what it's like to work and and you know engage with Melissa Rose and Bloomer and the firm. And they're gonna see the cultural photos, they're gonna see you guys out to dinner celebrating seven years in business, whatever it is. Those things do have significant value, and it's hard to quantify the impact that they have on someone's decision-making process. But we should definitely be doing it. I I see a lot.
of attorneys who think that that is ultimately going to be a lead generator that's going to be consistently generating them work month in and month out. It's it's really just never going to. So if you don't have the time to put significant efforts into social media, figure out what are the bare minimums. Post a couple of times a month, get your videos up there every now and then. That's great for engagement. But don't stress out feeling like, my God, if I don't nail this, I'm going to go out of business in a year.
MERP (26:18.433)
No, I agree with that, but I do think that it is also free to put something on Instagram Reels or Facebook or TikTok or LinkedIn. And I do I do strongly encourage to build your community in LinkedIn and have those connections, especially. I think I've done a really good job with North Jersey attorneys knowing
that they should reach out to me in South Jersey and especially in Atlantic City area. So I think there's a benefit to that. I I would say I think that also each platform has a different voice and a different tone that you should be using and you should know what those what the messaging is that you want to get across and how you want to be perceived on that, those different
Austin Aimone (26:58.804)
Mm-hmm.
MERP (27:13.172)
different platforms.
Austin Aimone (27:16.274)
Yeah, LinkedIn you should definitely be more, you know, suit and tie, professional Facebook's, you know, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, TikTok more so. You can definitely have a lot more fun and kinda, you know, take the tie off and button the the top button, right? And show that side of you.
And, you know, even the in individual platforms operate differently. People use them differently. TikTok can often be seen as a search engine for a lot of people. So when you're searching, there are a lot of people that use TikTok as their primary s mode of finding new businesses, whereas other people will always go to Google or now ChatGPT to do that.
MERP (27:52.792)
Right. Well it's funny because I just shared a Halloween picture on Facebook of me in court a few years ago when I was dressed as Barbe. And and I had these beautiful pink shoes that I can't wear anymore because I've had too many feet foot injuries from running. And I shared it on Facebook, but I didn't share it on LinkedIn. Cause to me it wasn't the right
It just wasn't the right platform, you know, to share the same picture, if that makes sense.
Austin Aimone (28:28.848)
Yeah, that that one you might want to keep on the the fun side of social media. Let let LinkedIn be like a hey, this is me in court.
MERP (28:32.228)
Yeah.
Reddit and Substack: Understanding New Channels for Legal Content
MERP (28:35.849)
So I will tell you that there's new, or I'll say newer platforms. I don't want to say new because then some people are going to be like, that's not a new platform at all. But you know, I I'm on YouTube because obviously the podcast is on YouTube and I have clips on TikTok from the podcast mostly. and I said LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. So Reddit.
Austin Aimone (28:46.142)
Yeah, yeah.
MERP (29:06.455)
And Substack. This was my question to my 24-year-old twins. They did not give me an answer. And I said, What is what do you post? What type of posts? What's the voice? What's the content? Is it pictures? Is it questions? Is it video? And they looked at me. I was like, I just don't under I need to know the, I need to know what.
Austin Aimone (29:08.328)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (29:13.885)
Okay.
MERP (29:34.768)
type of post you post on those apps. I know I sound like I'm 82 right now. My sister's listening to this and laughing, laughing at me. But here's the thing is that my kids are on Reddit or Substack. I don't remember which of the two. They're in their 20s. They're not really on, I mean, you know, they're not on Facebook at all. That's for old people in their minds. So I'm trying to figure out, you know, is it more like
Austin Aimone (29:39.708)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Yeah.
MERP (30:04.377)
TikTok or is it more like a LinkedIn, which I I know it's not LinkedIn? is it more like Twitter, which I have chosen not to be on Twitter? So like what is the app for? Can you answer that?
Austin Aimone (30:17.04)
So I am only somewhat familiar with Substack from just some political writers that I follow. It it's definitely seems to be more of a you're following a specific writer or a specific organization who is putting out news. So I guess as an attorney you could be putting out, you know, information about New Jersey law changes and maybe kind of providing your your expertise and commentary on that. I wouldn't necessarily see that as something that
people attorneys should really be focused on to market their business unless they want to become writers and be seen as a true authority in that space. Reddit is a whole different beast. So and this it goes back to what I said earlier about how things are changing so quickly. So it came out maybe a year or so ago that Reddit was the number two cited source in Chat GPT.
MERP (30:53.519)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (31:09.628)
So it was it was a number two site that ChatGPT would go to for information and then cite that information in Chat GPT.
MERP (31:15.917)
This is why I was asking because I met with someone who's marketing at a different law f at a bigger law firm and she had said something about how Reddit is going to, you know, have a greater effect in some ways than Chat GBT or something like that. That you have to be somewhat involved. And so I went to look and I was like, I I don't know how to use this app. So I, you know
Austin Aimone (31:21.18)
Mm.
Austin Aimone (31:39.529)
Reddit is a community forum and it often is really the best information because it is so genuine. There's there is ads on it, but it's not as it's not taken over by corporate greed, I would say, that some of the other platforms are. But that said, you know, about a year ago, digital marketers, SEOs, really got excited about Reddit because it was so cited in ChatGPT and people felt like, this is the way to get into Chat GPT. You have to be on Reddit.
And there was some truth to that. Now, statistically, it was the number two cited source. If we're just talking about legal, I rarely see Reddit as a as a cited source in legal chat GPT prompts. So you have to kind of take it with a grain of salt of like, hey, the world's a very big place. The internet is a massive ocean. Legal marketing is kind of this small dot on that. So when they say Reddit's the number two, think of all the other things people are randomly asking ChatGPT.
MERP (32:19.254)
Uh-huh.
Austin Aimone (32:37.416)
But that said, the CEO of Reddit last week or this week, I believe, did announce that they might they are likely moving towards a login-based platform. So similar to how Elon Musk took Twitter and X, you have to have an account to be able to see what's going on behind the walls.
MERP (32:37.455)
Gotcha.
Austin Aimone (32:55.14)
Reddit saw basically AI as a threat, seeing that AI was stealing all the content that was on there and putting it on their system and Reddit was losing followers and losing traffic, they are moving towards a a login based system. So you can't just sign into Reddit and look at a a threat anymore.
that's brand new. That's like within the last few days. So how does that change the system and how people operate or how people engage with it? It took their stock price down like twenty six percent, I believe. So yeah.
MERP (33:24.863)
my goodness. And I still don't know what to put on Reddit versus Substack. I mean, I understand the Substack is more news and writing, although I see a lot of I see news providers say the full interview is on my Substack. Or if you want to hear more details of this, you know, story, it's on the full the full interviews on my Substack. So I've seen that. Still don't know about Reddit.
Austin Aimone (33:49.214)
Mm.
MERP (33:54.276)
There is a lot and it is it does seem like it's changing quickly. So but for for for the legal industry, I think that you had a really good point of like what works for the legal industry might not work for other businesses and vice versa.
Marketing Budgets, Paid Legal Directories, and Return on Investment
Austin Aimone (34:14.792)
Yeah. Yeah. And it and it's really sifting through the noise. and figuring out, especially when you're just starting out and you don't have you know, every dollar counts, right? We're small business owners.
When we put money into marketing, you know, that's money off of our family's table. It's not money coming from this big corporate bank account. So there is some serious responsibility with those investments and it is not like a stock portfolio that when you put money into a stock, yeah, it might go up or down ten or twenty percent, but if you put a hundred dollars in and it goes down ten percent, you're still left with ninety. If you give a company a hundred dollars in marketing and they do nothing with it, you're out a hundred dollars.
So we have to be cognizant of that. knowing which platforms to avoid, knowing when, hey, this sounds like a good deal isn't actually a good deal. And it's it's really tough because there's so many things out there, and we've named some of the platforms now that I would never invest in. We mentioned them earlier. They're good to be on on the free version of them, but in terms of actually giving them dollars, I would I would avoid that.
MERP (35:15.885)
Right. Right. Well, I think, you know, and I say this because I was a partner in another firm, the whole idea of paying for the Google listings, such as, you know, I mean, they all have them. So I'll just say, you know, super lawyer listings or Martindale Hubble listings, or, you know, as like best DWI attorney or super lawyer DWI attorney.
Austin Aimone (35:35.593)
Yeah.
MERP (35:44.761)
You know, that's really how you were paying for SEO originally, right? I mean
Austin Aimone (35:50.153)
Yeah. Yeah, and some of those still have their place. Like I'll tell you, I encourage all my clients, if you are if you are selected the super lawyers or rising stars, pay for those profiles. Again, everyone's financial situation is different. If the money does not if it if the money doesn't matter, pay for it. You might not get anything from it, but it's good for AI. It's definitely an AI play.
And it's good for your brand. If someone looks you up and they see your super lawyer profile and it's all built out and they've got your picture, it's just good for your brand awareness. but there are some of the other legal directories that I would really avoid at this point.
MERP (36:23.021)
Right. What I used to say, and I I don't know if you remember this, like for every type of new marketing that I did digitally, you know, when I was given the price, I would say, okay, that's a traffic that's one traffic case a month. Okay, I can afford that. Or that's two traffic cases a month, or that's a felony, that's a third degree felony chart. That's too much, you know, because
Austin Aimone (36:41.256)
Yeah. Yeah.
Austin Aimone (36:51.144)
Yep, yeah.
MERP (36:52.495)
And that's how I would price it out in order to figure out if I could afford it or not. so we have the website, we have, you know, we've talked a lot about digital. So I'm gonna ask you a question and then I'm gonna about digital and then I'm gonna kind of change course for a second. Is there anything that we didn't talk about digital marketing that you think we might have missed or that you should add before I I change and ask a
Austin Aimone (37:13.426)
Yeah.
Choosing a Legal Marketing Agency and Maintaining a Consistent Brand
MERP (37:22.125)
non digital question.
Austin Aimone (37:23.804)
I think we can we can spend hours talking about what actually is search engine optimization, what is AEO and GEO.
I would just encourage anyone to really, you know, when you're working with, when you're deciding on a vendor to work with, really understand what they're doing. Ask the tough questions. Ask them, you know, hey, when should I expect, you know, to see a return on investment? What are you gonna, you know, what are you guys gonna be doing for me on a month-to-month basis? Really, really grill them. and then, you know, speak with some of your colleagues and figure out what they're doing and what they're paying.
There are no standards in marketing. What someone says, when someone says I'm doing SEO and when I'm when I say I'm doing SEO, those can be two completely different things. And there's no ethics behind any of this. There's no standardizations and there are no certifications that I would lose if I do the wrong thing. You really have to trust your marketing partner. And unfortunately, I have a lot of gripes with my industry. There's a lot of bad apples out there. And not everyone is truly looking out for your business or being a good steward of the investments that you're giving them.
MERP (38:24.271)
Right. I like your return on investment and that you didn't just say ROI, just to let you know you didn't abbreviate that one. but I I would also say, and and we've talked about this a lot, is that we're talking about the digital and the marketing, but also and I say this all the time, I know what my brand is and I know how I'm marketing that's consistent across all the platforms.
Austin Aimone (38:30.45)
Yeah.
MERP (38:51.757)
You know, and it's not just the pink. I mean, the pink is something that is consistent throughout my marketing, but it's the way I represent clients individually and the way I post about the way I represent clients, where I'm really trying to provide personal service, true advocacy, as I'm like not just advocating for them, but explaining the process. And I try to make sure that that messaging is consistent as well through all the different,
marketing items that I use. And lastly, I would say with the organizations that I support through marketing, they're specifically chosen because they align with my values. And I say this because now we're going to go to non-digital, right? Which is putting your name on a sports team or having your banner hung or whatever it is that's like not necessarily
not traditional marketing is that all of those things are good, but there should be some rhyme or reason for where your marketing is going.
Traditional Law Firm Advertising: Sponsorships and Billboards
Austin Aimone (39:58.357)
Exactly. Yeah.
There there has to be a plan. I I think a lot of people they fall into this, I'm gonna sponsor my child's Little League because it sounds good in the moment, or I'm gonna put my name on a diner placemat. When you're building out that strategy, because they all have costs to them, right? And those costs can balloon really quickly and all of a sudden we lose sight of the three hundred fifty dollar little advertisement on a pizza box. We forget that that's there, but with everything else, it really starts to to grow.
Whatever the strategy is, have one. Have a purpose behind it. If one if you're doing one thing in one place, have something that complements it, right? I can't stand. And I have I'll I'll give an example. I had a client who was starting to run Billboard ads and we talked about it. Well they didn't tell me.
MERP (40:48.463)
I was gonna say billboards, cut I was about to just say billboards, tell me your thoughts.
Austin Aimone (40:53.69)
They so I love billboards when done correctly. Now, if you just have one billboard, that's usually not enough. You really want to make sure that they're in the right places and that they're spread out, you know, that anyone anywhere someone's going, they tend to have an opportunity to see you. but they had started launching a pretty aggressive billboard campaign and we had talked about it, but they never told me that they were actually going through with it. And I'm driving down the Atlantic City Express Expressway and I see their name, bright lights, and I'm like, my God.
There is nothing that they're running with that is on their website. They had run with a different color scheme. They had run with a different slogan. I'm like, guys, I'm all for you doing it. But if you're gonna have these up, I as the digital marketer need to be able to complement that. That slogan that you have on there, I want that on your website. I now want on your social media. I want to connect all these things. And oftentimes
MERP (41:41.103)
But it should have been the opposite. It should have been whatever their slogan is on their website or whatever their marketing was. And maybe they didn't have that. also with billboards, less is more is like sometimes billboards just have too much stuff on it and you can't like
Austin Aimone (41:54.965)
Like yes, yes. If you have if you have so many words and I need my phone number on it, I need that. There are some excellent billboard marketers in the legal space that when you're driving down the road, you see their name, what one comes to mind, Brandon Broderick. It's just his name. It's a black billboard, just white text, Brandon Broderick, and he is everywhere. It's great. You just know his name and that's all you need to know.
MERP (42:18.955)
Right. And also, you know, with the billboards, it's interesting because I find that lawyers, particularly right now, are really focused on advertising on billboards. And again, I think, you know, if you're gonna do it and you do it effectively, you know, if you are in
Pennsylvania and drive through Philly and come to Atlantic City, you same the see the same law firm name, you know. Maybe two law firms, but the whole way down. So
Austin Aimone (42:55.73)
Yeah. I know I know exactly who you're talking about. They've done a fantastic job.
MERP (43:00.079)
So they've done a fantastic job. they're also a big company and you know, and and not a small law firm. But I I do say that it doesn't have to just be digital, but you have to be thoughtful. And it's okay to realize that what you tried didn't work. So I I remember within my first year or two, I did try to advertise at a golf course, like on the
Austin Aimone (43:04.947)
Yeah, yeah.
Austin Aimone (43:30.77)
The card. Yeah.
MERP (43:32.12)
on the card. And and I did think like a lot of people drink, right? And I handle DWIs and that maybe there was a correlation. And I did it for I think I signed a three year contract, but it was like a pretty reasonable three year contract that I you know, it it was fine. But I don't think I got any cases from it. And after like after the three years pass, I didn't renew and I've had other golf courts.
courses call me. And I just know that it's not the right market for me. And because it's not the right market and it doesn't align with something that I'm passionate about. Because I will donate or have my name on events or charities that align with my, you know, align with with with nonprofits that are important to me to support. and I'm okay that I might not be generating business from it.
because it aligns with my values or it's gotta make me money. But if it does neither, there's no reason to have that partnership with my business, you know.
Advertising Versus Brand Awareness: Measuring Marketing Value
Austin Aimone (44:43.23)
I think the tough part when it comes to things like that, right? I would when I break down a marketing strategy, I look at advertising and I look at brand awareness. Advertising are things like SEO, Google ads, things that are designed to bring in leads in the immediacy or build up, SEO does build up over time, but it's still designed to bring in leads. Brand awareness is going to be more your billboards, your, you know, sponsorships of the charities that you're with, the golf tea, you know, the the tea boxes and stuff like that.
it's really hard to quantify the value of those things. And if you're trying to be that person who who can tie an ROI to every single dollar, you're never going to be able to do that on brand awareness stuff. It you just can't. so don't invest in those with the expectation that someone's gonna say, Hey, I saw you at the Atlantic City Country Club. They're probably not, but you don't know the impact that that that T card or that that card had actually made on them.
MERP (45:37.037)
Right.
Austin Aimone (45:37.405)
but again, it comes down to that strategy, right? I have seen firms make, you know, poor what I feel were poor decisions by thinking that a a traditional marketing venture was a good idea when it in no way complemented their strategy. So this was a a firm God, don't get me started. Don't get me started. We have a c I have a colleague who still gets the phone book. He's down in South Carolina and I'm gonna
MERP (45:53.497)
Did they invest in a phone book advertisement?
Austin Aimone (46:04.498)
I'm gonna bring up the fact that I brought him up on this podcast to make fun of him. But yeah, he still gets it. But no, this was there there's a firm in Br Br Brian Douglas in South Carolina. Still gets it. Still gets the phone button.
MERP (46:10.031)
Do you wanna give him a name and a shout out so he could like see Okay, Brian Douglas. Good good job with the phone book.
Austin Aimone (46:18.176)
but this was a a firm in Burlington County who did do some work up in Mercer, but realistically they had no presence in Mercer. You wouldn't if you were in Princeton or Trenton, if you did a search for their name, yes, their website may have come up because they perfect performed really well, but the odds of them coming up were were smaller. they used to advertise with the Trenton Thunder and they would have a billboard, they would have the
MERP (46:36.271)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (46:42.94)
in the outfield they would have one of the signs, you know, the wall, right? And I I said to him, like, why are you guys advertising at the Trent and Thunder? Well, because, you know, pe everyone's sitting there, they're watching the game and I'm like, but let's think about that one. If you go to a minor league baseball game, you're most likely going with kids in the family.
You're not, and this is a criminal defense attorney, you're not thinking to yourself, hey, I do need a criminal defense attorney for my DUI. You're thinking, like, I want my son to catch his first foul ball, right? So you're already not making that strong connection because they're not really engaged with those, what's in the outfield.
But then he this firm in particular didn't really have any presence in the Mercer area. And as someone who went to Trenton's Thunder games growing up, I grew up in Monmouth County. So there's a lot of people that go to those games that aren't from South Jersey. This was a firm in Burlington.
So someone who lives in Freehold or Middlesex County, if they're doing searches, they're probably never gonna find this one firm in Burlington County. So those advertisements at the Thunder Stadium really were only hitting a very small portion of the audience that actually may engage with this firm at some point in the future.
Community Sponsorships and Geographic Targeting for Law Firms
MERP (47:47.735)
Yeah. I think it just misses its mark, you know?
Austin Aimone (47:50.961)
If they had an office in Mercer County and an aggressive marketing strategy there, yeah, then then the billboard at Thunder Stadium makes a lot of sense. But I would have rather those efforts be felt in Burlington or maybe Camden, where they do have a much greater presence, where it is you are very likely to engage with them when you're doing searches online.
MERP (48:10.029)
And as I said, I think having a marketing plan on the non is really what's important. I think I've talked about this. There's a local law firm that has decided that they're not gonna necessarily put money in digitally, but they are gonna support community events in Atlantic County mostly where they are located. And they are everywhere in all the community events. And and because they are supporting.
Austin Aimone (48:23.794)
Mm.
MERP (48:39.661)
the local baseball teams and the local football teams. And they're giving charitable donations to them and doing checks. And, you know, they are very, they are probably the law firm that everyone in this area knows. And and part of it is they have focused their advertising on philanthropic as well as community-based activities. And so they're connected and they've done it purposely.
Austin Aimone (48:41.385)
Mm.
MERP (49:09.655)
So that you see their name everywhere. But it's not just seeing their name, it's seeing their name and knowing that they're doing the philanthropic activities and they're doing the community events and they're a community law firm. So so that's what they did. They were able to bring it in, if that makes sense.
Austin Aimone (49:27.63)
And this this sounds like it's a bigger firm. Okay.
MERP (49:30.903)
It's a medium sized firm. I I would say it's a big firm for this area because, you know, most firms are either small, which are like, you know, solo practitioners or two attorney firms. there's a few firms that are, you know, if they're 10 or more, they're not much more than 10 more than attorneys. So I think any attorney that has more than like 15 lawyers in our area are considered big law firms at this point. And I don't think they would be considered big law firms anywhere else.
Austin Aimone (49:48.82)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (49:54.67)
I agree.
MERP (50:00.393)
I think that they're just, you know, in our community.
Austin Aimone (50:04.232)
Well, I think a lot of people tend they we believe that well, if they're a bigger business, they're spending more on marketing or they're spending more digitally. And that's actually
MERP (50:11.469)
No, I think what they decided is they were gonna spend less on marketing, but be more known in the community. And that's what they did.
Austin Aimone (50:15.56)
That so that's pretty that's pretty consistent everywhere. so I deal primarily in the small law space. So
one to nine attorneys or so. And we do have a few. We have one we have a few clients that are we have a few actually in the hundreds now. But we mostly deal in small law. And when I look at some of the medium sized law firms, so we're talking the ten to maybe fifty attorneys, you would think, bigger firm, they're probably spending all this money more. They usually don't spend a lot of money digitally. They're usually entirely community driven. And I am based, you know, I I live in Westchester, Pennsylvania or or used to I'm a town north now.
MERP (50:48.911)
Exactly.
Austin Aimone (50:54.58)
There are a few firms in Westchester that are institutions. They are known by everyone. If you know that town and you go out to a restaurant, you know these firms names. Because they're at every single community event. They sponsor every single parade. They're any charity function that they are always there. And bigger firms, they have the bodies, they have the hands, they can send people to a lot of different things. It's a little bit tough to do that as a solo, but don't get me wrong.
MERP (51:20.335)
also spending money to have their names on the top of the so that's the thing is like you're like they're not spending money on advertising but when they are the primary donor and their name is at the top of the marquee of like donors they that's their advertising but it's done very focused based so
Austin Aimone (51:29.106)
Good point.
Austin Aimone (51:43.059)
Yeah. So don't get me wrong, you know, I again I I feel like I'm one of the only digital people that will talk about the the value of these traditional efforts.
You don't digital is not the only way to be a successful attorney. In fact, I know a lot of attorneys that have done extremely well in their careers, have grown amazing practices, have made a ton of money, and do very little marketing, at least digital marketing. Most of their efforts are word of mouth, networking. They're really you know well known in town, maybe they're in local politics. If you're that type of person, you can grow really successful practice.
Balancing Digital Marketing With Referral Networks and Relationships
MERP (52:17.775)
Are they young though? I mean, have they been in pra because I I say this like I've been practicing 30 years. I don't consider myself young, you know? And and I would say the people that you describe right there are people that have been practicing longer than me. And so it's okay if they didn't have, you know, they don't have a real website or they're, you know, they're just you Google them be and you're just getting like a LinkedIn profile. But I don't know. I
We might we might have to r rumble on this. I think that that's a little antiquated and I I think it's almost a dinosaur that, you know, in ten more years, fifteen more years, that's not going to be possible.
Austin Aimone (53:00.136)
I let's rumble on this then because I would love to say no you have to be doing digital marketing like please I'll give you I'll put my n I'll put my name and y'all here right here there's my cell phone number. no you you can you can just you can just put something here like my logo. no so I I have turned down younger attorneys who were referred to me by people.
MERP (53:13.059)
Why is it not up there? I don't understand. Come on, Austin, you should be marketing better.
Okay.
Austin Aimone (53:28.144)
that came to me with business ideas and said, Hey Austin, got your name from someone, ready to go. And I start talking to them, hey, talk to me about your referral network. Talk to me about what you're doing. And they didn't have those plans in places. And they are coming out of the prosecutors off whatever. And I've turned them down until they've grown a more what I would say a sustainable business. Cause I I think the that foundation is so strong. You know, digital marketing is, in my opinion, should never be more than
MERP (53:45.839)
Thank you.
Austin Aimone (53:54.055)
twenty to thirty or forty percent of your business. Now, if your business model is based around marketing, so think all the billboard, think Pond Lehockey right? They are everywhere. That is a business that
MERP (54:05.079)
Really you mean I mean you mean on the drive down from Philly to Atlantic City?
Austin Aimone (54:09.652)
and up to New York and out to out to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh and yeah, everywhere. And but that's a business that's built on advertising, right? Most people can't do that.
If that's not who you want to be, I encourage you, like, hey, try to get your business to where revenue is like 20 to 30 percent of your 20 to 30 percent of your overall revenue is coming in from your paid advertising efforts. And then the other 60, 70, 80 percent is word of mouth and referrals from other attorneys or the organizations that you partner with, those real things, because that's sustainable. It's sustainable.
MERP (54:42.913)
No, I I I don't think we have to rumble about that. I think we agree on that, that it cannot be all digital marketing. But I think that the idea that you don't need a digital footprint will not I mean, there there are law firms that I know and I'm sure all over New Jersey that didn't have a digital footprint for a really long time and have begrudgingly begrudgingly like created one and and their digital footprint is not how they get business and it won't matter.
Austin Aimone (54:55.147)
no, you defin Yeah, no.
Austin Aimone (55:03.774)
Till COVID. Yep.
MERP (55:12.547)
But in ten or fifteen years you you can't not have a digital footprint.
Austin Aimone (55:17.522)
Yeah, everyone needs everyone needs to be found online. If if you're a young attorney, you know, maybe you're going out on your own, you've been a partner elsewhere, yes, you absolutely need to have a digital footprint and you know, how big of a footprint obviously is determined by your own goals and whatnot.
I more so bring up the whole traditional side of things because I I I see so many young attorneys who and I think this is a big issue with younger attorneys who are just starting to start out. They look at people like you and they see, Melissa's got this great, you know, digital marketing strategy. That's how she's getting in getting all this business. But she doesn't see, you know, what they don't see is all the work you put in nine or ten years ago when you were hustling and grinding and maybe slinging business cards at a networking event or whatever it was. They don't
The Lasting Value of Personal Referrals and Client Relationships
MERP (56:02.082)
Not only that, I I was awesome. I literally I would say to people, I d I wrote thank you cards for referrals, handwritten thankful thank you cards nine years ago for every referral that came in.
Austin Aimone (56:10.484)
Mm-hmm.
Austin Aimone (56:17.65)
And I bet you're still I th I bet the residual value of that is still felt today in some right.
MERP (56:24.217)
Correct. I I feel bad that I can't do I just don't have the time anymore. I mean, I always will reach out and say thank you, but and but I, you know, now do it more through texting and and and but I would say like a handwritten note from someone or you know, reaching out to someone who helped me in court in with a handwritten note saying, Thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciated that. you know I have pink pens everywhere. I mean, I
Austin Aimone (56:40.722)
yeah.
MERP (56:53.921)
I drop them off everywhere. I still drop them off everywhere, you know.
Austin Aimone (56:57.296)
I c I constantly find them in between the seats of my car. They're everywhere. those so doing both of those things, especially at the very beginning for a young attorney, like, hey, don't just focus on like your social media following. Like, don't just do that. Get your foundation online, grow that over time as you start building, you know, a successful practice and more money comes in.
MERP (57:00.204)
I know.
Austin Aimone (57:18.152)
But don't forget the value of a thank you. Right. I I have a client who has studied the art of gift giving. And when he gives a referral check or where he gives a just a thank you, it is it is an experience in itself.
MERP (57:31.085)
I love that.
Austin Aimone (57:31.228)
And it's all designed to make sure that that person who gave them that referral continues to give them that referral, you know, month over month, you know, week over week, month over month. That stuff that's real. You can feel it, you can, you can touch it, you it's it's tangible, it's sustainable. Digital marketing can change and algorithms change, and now AI comes into the picture. You become reliant on a third party if you put too much effort, too much into your digital marketing.
that to me is is not the best way to r manage a business.
MERP (58:01.721)
Well, lawyering is still personal. It's just the bottom line. You know, we're dealing with people in crisis most of the time. You know, whether you do family or criminal or civil, you have a client that really is looking for assistance and you can't take the person the personal out of it.
Austin Aimone (58:03.976)
Yeah. Yep.
Austin Aimone (58:19.88)
Yeah, absolutely.
MERP (58:21.997)
So thank you so much. We could talk for another hour. So I'm gonna let you go. so thank you so much. Come back again. You know you're always welcome.
Austin Aimone (58:25.406)
Yeah.
Austin Aimone (58:32.053)
Absolutely. I appreciate you having me, Melissa.
Legal Marketing Consultant
For as long as I could remember, I have been fascinated by the psychology of advertising. I love a good commercial, catchy jingle, or memorable billboard. While most people watch Super Bowl commercials for the humor, I’ve always been intrigued by how a scene of a happy family camping in the woods can encourage you to buy a truck. That interest led me to study Marketing in college where I focused on the psychology behind consumer engagement.
For the past two years, I have been working with small law firms and sole practitioners on their online marketing, business development, and brand awareness. I have helped firms increase revenue and expand their business by creating custom marketing strategies. I have experience working in all practice areas from Family Law and Criminal Defense to Consumer Protection and Class Actions.
In everything I do, I always asked one simple, but important question; Why? I am genuinely curious by nature so asking “why” helps me better understand the situation. Science also shows that explaining why someone should do something rather than just telling them to do it leads to more favorable outcomes. I use my natural curiosity to learn about my clients and their businesses. From that, I then create an authentic brand for that attorney that, when positioned in the right places, will connect and engage with an audience.
In working with small law firms, I have found a passion for contributing back to Main Street America. Small law firms are the cornerstone of every town and a stronger legal community leads to a stronger local … Read More
