Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Related Articles
We’re almost four months into 2018, and now that you’re beyond the first few weeks of the year, it’s a great time to set your goals for 2018 and define a plan to help you accomplish them. We’d argue that one of your most important goals, from a marketing and business development standpoint, should be to become unforgettable.
This means two things— it means building a strong brand that creates credibility and makes you memorable. And it means putting systems in place to stay top-of-mind with your network—literally, don’t let them forget about you!
When you’re successful at this, the results are significant. You’ll get more referrals. You’ll earn more repeat business. You’ll uncover new opportunities. You’ll be able to charge higher rates. You will attract clients, rather than spend all your time chasing them.
When it comes to staying top-of-mind, here are some methods that I’ve found to be tried and true for small law firms, regardless of your geographical location or the size of your contact list.
Email Newsletter
Whether you have 10 people on your email list or 10,000, an email newsletter is the best way to stay in contact with them and remind them who you are and what you do. This simple strategy is so effective but isn’t utilized nearly as often as it should be.
Social Media Presence
Are you on social media, and if so which platforms are you using? I suggest using the “Big 4” of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google + as your starting place. If you have questions about incorporating Instagram or other social media channels in your marketing, I’d recommend checking out this article.
Avvo Optimization
Did you know that just about every lawyer has an Avvo profile, whether you set it up or not? The profiles are built using publicly available information. Avvo has 10 million visitors every month and there’s a good chance that if someone looks you up online, they’ll see your Avvo profile. Learn more about how to optimize your profile and improve your ranking here, but at the very least make sure you’ve claimed your profile this year.
Blogging
I know you’re busy and the idea of writing blogs on a regular basis may be intimidating, however, this step is crucial in making you look like a credible expert to your website visitors. Not only does it establish your expertise, it engages visitors, makes them come back for more information, and gives you content to repurpose.
Utilize Video
Lawyers, unfortunately, tend to have a reputation as a bit unapproachable and possibly intimidating to the general public. In a way, you can hold their fate in your hands, and that’s a big responsibility and gives you a lot of power. In an effort to break down that barrier some and make you easier to relate to, we recommend using video on your website. Simply answering your frequently asked questions on video lets potential clients see that:
- You know the laws in your area and are well-versed in a variety of situations.
- You’re simply another human being, you just happened to go to law school and know how to help during a difficult time.
- By seeing someone on video, you feel more connected to them, almost like you know them already. That personable connection makes them more likely to hire you because now you’re more of a friendly neighbor than an intimidating attorney.
In a highly competitive market, you have to find a way to stand out. It’s vital that you establish yourself as the expert and become so unforgettable that clients seek you out, refer others to you, and hire you again and again.
