Using 2012 to Grow your Law Firm

Getting new clients is not something that happens overnight, particularly when we're talking about legal services.  Exposure, recognition, success, and respect all take time and are all integral to how well any business is received by potential customers.  That's why there is no better time to start a good law firm marketing campaign.

You could make the argument that starting anything now is better than putting it off, but when it comes to marketing, it's especially important.  Many of us left law school without really ever understanding the marketing side of law, even though it's critical to our success.  Even if you're the foremost expert in your practice area, it won't matter unless potential clients know who you are and appreciate your expertise.

Growing a law firm is not unlike growing a plant, in that it needs constant exposure (in the case of a plant, to sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil). Your law firm needs constant exposure to people who are either looking for the type of services you offer or who are often in a position to interact with people who are looking for legal services.

Getting in front of the right people is not easy, but with just a little preparation and persistence, it will start happening faster than you expect.  The first step is always to figure out who your specific target audience is.  If you target too broad of an audience, then you generally won't appeal to anyone in particular.  On the other hand, if your marketing is extremely targeted, then you will appeal extremely well to that group of people.

The second point I always like to make is to experiment with different marketing and advertising platforms but really stick with and learn one platform well.  If you like making videos, then produce videos for both internet and TV.  If you love writing, then blogging and newspaper ads may work better for you.  The point is that any platform can work if you put in the time and effort to learn how to succeed at that platform.

Finally, remember that your best source of referrals are existing clients.  You of course should provide them with great service, but if you need an introduction to someone that they know, don't be afraid to ask for that introduction.  If they like you and the services that you provide, then they won't hesitate to recommend you to their friends and colleagues.  It never hurts to ask.

I want to end this post where I started it: get started today.  No matter how successful your marketing is or isn't, it will definitely be better than having no marketing at all.

Breaking Down Barriers With Effective Attorney Marketing

If you are turning away more than 10 clients a day, you probably need to hire some more associates into your law firm. If that isn't the case, it could be that you have in place an attorney marketing strategy that is so darn good you couldn't keep up with it. If you experience either of those two - or even both - then you have earned the right to be smug, and what this article will talk about isn't really for you.

Let's be honest: all law firms, whether fledgling or experienced veterans are always on the prowl for more clients. I have encountered such firms in the course of my work. Odds are that you will find yourself easily exhausted with marketing when it is not working as it should. But it is one of those necessary evils that you should deal with, whether you want to or not.

On the other hand, once you begin to understand and become successful at it, marketing can be both fun and exciting. It will both be very helpful in making your business even more successful and open the doors wide to any opportunities that may come.

I'd like to offer a few tips to help law firms make their marketing turn into more fun and less burden:

Get Everyone Involved. This of course would apply only when your business setup involves you having associates or partners. Marketing should be a group effort. It's a collective effort and responsibility, as the rewards will likewise be collective. Since a group of people is involved in a law firm, their marketing shouldn't be any different.
Choose a Marketing Medium you are genuinely interested in. Perhaps you don't like cold-calling potential clients or even meeting them at events. If you are one of them, maybe you should choose another marketing medium, say, TV advertising or search engine optimization. Since there are a lot of marketing types you can choose from, make sure you choose that which will suit you and your law firm best.

Market a Little Every Day. If you wait even longer to actually get started on your marketing, you will find that it gets harder and harder to get a move on. If you let it sit so long until the time comes when you'll be in dire need of clients, you'd find the pressure of finding them actually be something akin to a life-or-death situation. Do not wait until your law firm is about to go under before you start acting; start your marketing now.

Learn to Like Meeting People. Some people may be averse to the idea of going "out there", so to speak, but it has been my experience that lawyers are naturally inclined to meet and interact with people. It takes practice and a little bit of initial discomfort, but the end result is well worth it, both in terms of marketing and in terms of general life benefits.

I bet when you were studying law you never really pictured yourself having to do any marketing, did you? The competition out there is tough, however, and clients need to have a reason to choose you. If you learn to enjoy your marketing and take an active role in it, then potential clients will see that, and they'll be that much more likely to hire you when they need legal services. Marketing is a step-by-step process so you should take your time and not rush with it.

What's Your Attorney Marketing Strategy?

You may already have some strategies regarding the services you render to your clients if you already have an active legal practice. In an upcoming trial, you already have a strategic "map" of sorts regarding the tactical moves and the legal tricks and maneuvers you will be pulling to win the case. It is no different when you are simply working out a deal on behalf of your client; you would find ways and means so the tide will turn in your client's favor and the results will be to their liking.

Whatever service you are rendering, all the things you do to serve your client's interests is guided by an overall strategy to get you where you want you and your client to be.

So why should you have a different approach to your attorney marketing strategy?

I was being rhetorical; of course it shouldn't be any different. In marketing, it is important to have a strategy and stick to it. Strategies can change, but so long as they're in place, they inform all of the actions that you take in order to make that strategy a reality. Let us look closer:

Have focus - There must be a point of focus or a focal point in your marketing strategy. Your target should be clearly distinguished, not just anybody who is in need of legal services. Your target should be a particular group or subset of people facing a common exact legal concern or issue. Every bit of your marketing should then be focused on those people. The more narrowly you define potential clients, the more actual clients you'll get (and vice versa).

Be Diligent - Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying you should stick to a marketing strategy even when it is clearly going downhill and losing you money. You should always set aside time to assess and revise your marketing. Your strategy should always be attentively monitored and followed through. Most marketing fails just because it was never fully implemented, rather than because the strategy was bunk.

Learn - Many attorneys have the notion that their education and profession automatically makes them experts in marketing. Sadly, that's not how things go. Unless you have an expert marketer on your particular focus market working with your or under you, you would have to stay on your toes and revise your strategy accordingly. In this process, you will realize that for every single thing that works, you would encounter 5 to 10 that don't. It could be quite a lengthy process, but what you need the most is determination and effort.

Marketing is not for the faint of heart, and getting clients as an attorney is never as simple or straight-forward as you might like. However, the bar is actually set pretty low, so if you know what you're doing, and if you're persistent, your attorney marketing can easily and quickly become very successful and very effective.

The key is to actually get going and stick to a plan. You can develop your own plan - you don't need to have experience to make one - or you can ask for help from others. You can ask other attorneys for their assistance, or you can seek out the services of a marketing firm. In any case, there is a need for a plan that you can follow through until such time that you know which one works and which one doesn't.

3 Biggest Marketing Pitfalls for Law Firms

Running a Law Firm is exciting and rewarding, but it's also incredibly difficult and sometimes draining.  Making a mistake in your legal practice is a constant concern, and clients are generally more demanding than ever.  What's more, law school likely didn't prepare you very well for the actual business aspects of running a law firm. 

A lot of my clients are attorneys and law firms, and without fail, the biggest hurdle many attorneys face is constantly finding new clients, especially when there is a downturn in the economy.  Some law firms and attorneys are naturally adept at finding clients, but that is by and large the exception to the rule.

Marketing is, just like the practice of law, ever-evolving and incredibly complicated.  As a lawyer, you've been to school and spent many years learning and refining your legal practice.  The time you've spent learning marketing likely pales in comparison, so it shouldn't be any shock if you find marketing to be both daunting and stressful. 

There are a ton of sites out there (many not very good at all) that will give you a variety of tips on how to get starting marketing your law firm and/or your legal practice.  What I would prefer to do is steer you away from some of the major pitfalls I see too many law firms and attorneys make.  These are mistakes that I constantly see from even well-established firms that have been marketing for years.

1. Not Focusing on a Particular Practice Area or Client-Type:  By far, the biggest pitfall I see in law firm marketing is trying to market and/or advertise for every possible practice area and for every possible type of client.  To illustrate the problem with this type of marketing, imagine that you're someone who needs a lawyer to handle a landlord-tenant issue.  You've seen Law Firm A on TV advertising their expertise in litigation, injury law, tax matters, intellectual property, and, OH, landlord-tenant issues.  On the other hand, you just read an ad in the newspaper about Law Firm B who focuses exclusively on landlord-tenant issues.  Who would you be more likely to call first?  Potential clients want to know that you're an expert focused on their problem, not on every possible legal issue.  Your marketing must reflect this desire.
2. Not Focusing on One Type of Marketing:  There are a lot of types of marketing that work for a lot of different attorneys.  Television, print ads, online advertising, search engine optimization, billboards, and many other types of marketing all have loads of potential.  However, if you being by trying all of them, then you're going to fail at all of them.  There is no marketing medium that is easy.  They all take time and energy to learn and refine.  If you want to be successful at any of them (and also to save some money along the way), then pick one that you think will work best for you and stick with it until it's working for you.  Then move on to another medium.
3. Not Overseeing a Marketing Firm or Consultant:  There are a lot of great consultants and firms out there who will provide you with awesome marketing services.  I consider myself one of them.  However, there are also a lot of firms that don't provide great service.  Moreover, even good firms need your oversight and feedback.  They need to communicate with you to figure out how things are going and whether what they're doing is working for you or if you want to change directions.  Don't check in just once a year and assume that things are going OK, because they won't be, even with the best of marketing consultants.

Marketing can be a huge boon for any law firm, but it can also be a huge waste of money if you don't do it correctly.