subject: The Principles of Great Lawyer Marketing [print this page] Copyright (c) 2010 Benjamin GlassTake a look at what you're doing right now to promote your law firm. You probably have a website, some personalized items for giveaways, and perhaps a print ad in some publication somewhere. These are all well and good, but they're lacking in both uniqueness and in cohesion.Great lawyer marketing begins with developing a solid legal marketing plan and using that to create all your lawyer advertising materials. You need to develop your lawyer persona and niche your business to have something to promote in your marketing efforts.Look at the Big PictureTo begin revamping your lawyer marketing strategy you need to step back and look at what makes your law firm tick. What's your passion? You have practice areas, but are they specialized toward the types of cases you're really good at working on? Decide what kind of cases you want and use that as your goal for attracting those types of new clients.Once you have a goal to reach, you need to have a means to get there. That's where your lawyer advertising comes into play. There are many forms of advertising and depending on both your clientele and your location, some may work better than others. While I can't give you a one-size-fits all solution, I can offer you the 12 points that need to be addressed for a truly successful marketing plan.The 12 Points of a Great Lawyer Marketing Plan- #1 - There's no one-step solution, come to terms that great lawyer marketing takes time and effort.- #2 - Reserve the right to decide if you want to work with a client or not - you do not need to take every case that walks in your office.- #3 - Establish a good database and ma keting automation software early on - it's worth the effort.- #4 - Word of mouth marketing is easier when you have a "herd" of raving fans - make sure you never neglect any part of your following.- #5 - Keep in touch with your fans, past, present, and future. Reach out at least 12 times a year, usually through a MAILED newsletter.- #6 - The Internet is a powerful tool - pay attention to how clients are looking for legal services and help them find you.- #7 - Come to terms with the fact that most cli nts use Internet search engines to find what they're looking for. Learn how to use this to your advantage, or hire someone who knows how.- #8 - Spread your legal knowledge beyond the courtroom, write informative articles, blogs and newsletters that prompt your readers to act (i.e. talk to you about their case).- #9 - All of your written work should be informative enough to get your clients' attention and make them stand up and ask for more.- #10 - Create a reputation for being the wise man/woman in your area of expertise - the only lawyer clients would ever consider for that niche you've carved out in your practice area.- #11 - Don't delay in client follow-up, hit them with more information than they're expecting and always have more to offer.- #12 - Continue to reach out to your "herd" of fans to reinforce their loyalty to your practice.Don't Be Afraid of CommitmentGreat lawyer marketing is only achieved when you're ready to devote enough time and energy to make it great. This is not the place to go in with a lackluster attitude - you need to be eager to develop a great marketing plan and ready to stick with it. Once you've got things going, you'll be running an efficient marketing machine that keeps your law firm filled with happy, quality clients.
