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. Similarly, if you are closing deals for your clients, you also have a strategy for how to get the deal done and protect your client’s interest.
In other words, all your actions for your client will be directed by an encompassing strategy to reach a goal or objective that you have set in your sights.
Then why should you treat your attorney marketing strategy any differently?
That question was rhetorical; the approach shouldn’t be different. Anyone who is serious about marketing should 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:
Target – It is important for your law firm marketing strategy to have a focus. Your target should be clearly distinguished, not just anybody who is in need of legal services. It should be an exact subset of individuals undergoing a particular issue needing legal attention. Every bit of your marketing should then be focused on those people. The more particularly defined your prospective clients are, the higher are your chances of getting them as actual clients.
Practice Diligence – I am not saying you should fastidiously stick to a certain marketing strategy even if it is clearly a losing idea. You should always set aside time to assess and revise your marketing. However, you should also be diligent about following through on your strategy. Marketing strategies fail not because they were poor ideas but because they weren’t implemented or put into action properly as well as monitored.
Learn – Many lawyers believe that, owing to their education and degree, they know all there is to know about the intricacies of marketing. However, that is quite a wrong assumption. Unless you’re working with someone who is already very experienced in marketing to your subset of legal clients, then you’ll need to continually experiment and revise your strategy based on what works. And often, you only find out what works by finding 5-10 things that don’t work. You will have to employ a lot of resolve and determination despite knowing it would take you some time.
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. But the bar isn’t set so high that a lot of persistence and education on your part would not be able to turn around and work to your advantage.
A starting point and a well-laid plan that you can stick to are what you need. If there is no plan, you can develop one yourself or ask for someone’s help in formulating one. You can ask other attorneys for their assistance, or you can seek out the services of a marketing firm. Whatever route you choose to take, you must have a plan and you should stick to that plan until you have learned enough to figure out if something is working or not.