Attorneys shy away from marketing. Rightfully so, they go to school for a Juris Doctor not a marketing degree. Despite the fact that lawyers might not want to market, the way you present your practice to your community matters and it can bring you more business. While marketing isn’t the first thing on an attorney’s mind, it’s important to acknowledge that marketing is a necessity. It’s also important to approach marketing with the right attitude.
Instead of focusing on the fact that you aren’t a marketing professional, focus on the fact that marketing presents opportunity, and opportunity can change the direction of your practice. With the right marketing, your practice can thrive.
Here’s how to approach marketing with a better attitude for success.
Focus on Your Professional Goals
Instead of focusing on how much you don’t want to market, focus on how you want to develop your practice. Imagine what your professional and personal life could be like when you meet your goals for client development and building your practice. Focusing on your professional goals makes it easier to acknowledge why marketing is a necessity for your success.
Approach Marketing with a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude toward marketing will provide you with the mindset necessary to make the right impression on your community. Good marketing can make or break any business—including law practices. Remember that marketing your practice is your chance to demonstrate to your community that you are talented and have unique insight to offer your potential clients.
Aggressive and pushy tactics won’t work. Focusing too much on the “sale” could drive away potential clients. Direct your attitude toward marketing with the following approaches:
- Increase your circle of acquaintances. Join local groups, such as your Chamber of Commerce, to meet new people.
- Attend community events like fundraisers and festivals. Have business cards on hand to pass out when appropriate.
- Serve as a guest speaker for organizations that support clients you want to work with such as single parent groups if you practice family law, or commercial investment seminars if you practice real estate law.
- Ask questions when you meet new people. Find out what their potential legal needs might be. Potential clients might not need your services on the spot but if you make a good impression, they will remember you when they need the expertise of an attorney.
Learn More About Marketing Strategies
One way to tackle the negativity you might feel towards legal marketing is to learn more about it. The more you know about marketing the more comfortable you will feel. From radio and phonebook advertisements to developing well-designed websites and building a social media presence, there’s many avenues an attorney can take to market his or her practice. Understanding how marketing methods can help you is the best way to determine which marketing strategies will work for your practice.
If your social media isn’t making you money – it’s time to reassess.
It’s about finding out who’s talking about you, your firm or topics relevant to your business and getting in on the conversation. It’s about creating (and curating) compelling content that generates interest and “top of mind awareness” (TOMA) in you and your firm. It’s about leading people to your website, and tracking how they got there (so that you know which channels and topics to emphasize).
In short: expanding your reach, visibility, and credibility online can drastically improve your bottom line.
Contact Conversations Digital, Today!
