When building a thriving law practice, it is critical to follow a strategic marketing plan. Be sure this plan is tailored to you and your ideal clients, and works with your schedule, preferences, and budget. Many attorneys lack focus when it comes to marketing. They don’t have an effective marketing plan, so their approach to finding clients is to “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.” When business is good, you probably don’t worry much about that lack of focus. However, when you hit a slow period of time you may panic and start throwing spaghetti again. You experience financial and emotional ups and downs and never feel that your firm is on solid ground. If this sounds familiar, you are probably asking yourself, “How do I develop a marketing strategy to build my firm?”
Creating a marketing strategy for your firm starts with the basics of who, what, and where.
First, you must have a crystal-clear understanding of who it is you represent. The more specific you can be about who you work with, the easier it is to find them and market to them and the more obvious it is to them that you are the right choice.
Second, develop clarity about what it is you do for your clients. Be clear about how you solve their problems or help achieve their goals. What sets you and your firm apart from other attorneys? What are the benefits of working with you? If you’re not sure, prospects and referral sources won’t be either.
Finally, determine where your target market hangs out and how they make buying decisions. Spend time where they do (whether in person, online or in print). Make it easy for them to find you and get to know you and the value you deliver.
With an overwhelming array of marketing opportunities out there, you must be able to sort through the “noise” and get super-focused before investing in marketing. When you do that, you will be able to choose the methods that will work best for you. If you need help getting crystal clear on how to effectively market your legal services, let’s set up a time to talk. We can determine what has worked for you in the past (and what hasn’t) and launch your plan to move forward.