When I started my job as a new associate in a large law firm many (many) years ago, I had given little thought to how I would market my practice. My focus up to that point was learning how to research and write about the law––I did not understand that being a lawyer would also mean I would need to know about sales and marketing techniques . . . and that certainly wasn’t a part of my legal education. (I also had no clue how much of my work would involve typing, refusing to take typing class in high school during the early 1980s because I was going to be a lawyer and wouldn’t need to type––but that’s for another column.)
The marketing channels and methods used by lawyers have changed dramatically over the course of my career, but the fundamental goals of marketing remain the same: creating relationships and building a reputation. The ever-changing landscape of marketing technologies create even more challenges––but also many new opportunities.
One fundamental reality has not changed: at the end of the day, effective marketing is still about relationships, whether in person or online. And there are many ways for lawyers to play to their strengths in marketing: some of us are drawn to technology and social media, others prefer involvement in bar associations, while still others have built and maintained broad networks on a more individual level.
The features in this issue address marketing from several perspectives, with ideas that will be useful to lawyers in most practice settings and areas.
In “Legal Marketing Design: The Basics,” Julie Bays starts from the beginning––understanding your target audience, building a brand, choosing the right marketing tools to spread your message and tapping into the power of referrals. It’s an excellent tutorial for the newer lawyer, but it is also a very useful resource for the seasoned legal marketer: sometimes the best way to enhance your marketing is to return to the basics and reconsider your strategy from a new perspective.
Edie Reinhardt takes on a familiar but essential topic in “Using Social Media to Build Your Practice.” While some think of social media as replacing in-person interaction, it really can complement in-person networking. And a good plan with goals, an identified target audience and ways to highlight your skills, will maximize your social media effectiveness.