The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/27607
E-card technology distributes holiday joy. • Hosting: Whether you use a simple graphic, Flash or video, you must take into consideration the variety of platforms and devices on which your e-card will be viewed. Your HTML e-mail template should focus on the recipient’s inbox. The template should have a balanced mix of text and graphics, and make good use of the above-the-fold area first seen in the preview pane. Remember that many users will have image blocking enabled, so be sure to identify your firm and the holiday greeting in a text format that can be read even when graphics are missing. Flash cannot be viewed in the inbox, so it must sit on a secondary Web page and your e-card will have to provide a link to this page. Flash is not supported on a number of mobile devices; a detection script can be used to serve a non-Flash graphic or video alternative to mobile users. From an IT point of view, hosting a Flash file is relatively simple. If you’re using an agency or designers, they will be able to provide all the necessary files in a format ready to be uploaded, providing you have FTP access to your Web server. If, however, you require a third-party Web provider to upload files, it may add time and costs to your delivery. • Social Media: Social media serves as an additional means to generate response, feedback and praise from a broader audience. It is worthwhile to include buttons for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media outlets. If your e-card is exceptional, it may go viral! Allen Fuqua, Chief Marketing Officer for Winstead PC, described the approach they took with their e-card: “The primary goal for Winstead’s holiday e-card was to connect with clients, friends of the firm, our employees and our families in a meaningful way, while spreading awareness for organizations that we care about most, including local charities, run/walks, volunteer opportunities and specials events. The blog-style e-card, with its emphasis on sharing, was the perfect way to achieve this.” Data Depending on your CRM application or method, collecting data can be very simple or incredibly cumbersome. The chosen method of e-card distribution also has bearing on how data will be managed. When preparing for your data capture, plan ahead as manipulation can be time-intensive. While segmenting and formatting may already be in place, customizations or using mail-merge fields can add time to your project. Holiday e-cards delivered via an e-mail marketing system may yield a wealth of data once they arrive in recipients’ inboxes. While sending an e-card is not considered a traditional business development activity, major benefits can be derived from statistics gathered. Tracking deliverability, open rates, click-through rates, website visits and other interaction not only allows you to gauge the success of the e-card, it could potentially identify new business and cross-selling opportunities. Aside from anecdotal evidence, this data is the best means of demonstrating ROI for your e-card project. Once that data is collected, it can be fed back into your CRM system. Opt-outs and bounce-backs should be updated, and information like opens, link clicks and website visits can help build a contact’s profile for future marketing and business development initiatives. Utilizing technology to create and distribute the annual holiday card as an e-card not only cuts the costs of printing and delivering paper cards, it is a reportable and interactive experience for the firm and its clients. Finally, the holiday card project delivers joy to all of those involved! ILTA Find a demonstration here . . . www.concepglobal.com/ecards2009 And examples here . . . www.concepglobal.com /ecards2010 Matt Parfitt is the Vice President of Business Development at Concep. Matt has been a part of the Concep team for four years, during which he has helped many law firms improve their digital communications. Matt has been actively involved in the delivery of over 50 law firm e-card projects and he has 12 years of marketing experience as both a client and agency provider. He has also managed digital marketing projects for professional services firms in the U.K., Spain and the U.S. Matt can be reached matthew.parfitt@concepglobal.com. Lex Sadler is the Director of Creative and Digital Strategy for Concep, where he is responsible for the management of all U.S. creative projects, from email templates to website interfaces and animation. Lex has 10 years of digital design experience, is well- versed in project management and client communication, and he ran a successful digital agency in Perth prior to joining Concep. He can be reached at alexis.sadler@concepglobal.com. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 83