Internet changed the rules on how we communicate with people around the globe.
You are one click away for getting in touch with someone that lives on the other side of the world just by using your smartphone.
I became obsessed on how online businesses could grow exponentially. So much faster than old brick and mortars companies.
At the beginning I thought that this happened because some piece of content about their companies started spreading virally. Like it was some kind of luck.
It is not luck.
There is always a marketing strategy and an execution behind growth.
Startups around the world have taken advantage on the benefits of how easy is to get in touch with your market by using online marketing tools.
Not just app developers, but also those old brick and mortars companies and consulting firms.
Law firms are not an exception.
It is very hard for a law firm to have a clear road map on how to become a partner.
There is no clear path at all, and I realized this since I started working as a junior associate.
Some people were promoted very young. Some others had over 15 years working in the firm and they were still working as associates.
However, there is one sure thing for becoming a partner:
You need to bring new clients.
I thought this was almost impossible at my age.
I even asked some of the partners I used to work how they closed their biggest deals.
The answer of most of them was that they either were referred by other clients or they were friends with the CEO of the company.
How can a young lawyer like me close a deal without a long-term reputation, never played golf in my life and could not afford a golf club membership?
It is also very hard to engage into business development activities, because you are inside the office all day long when you work as an associate.
I never had a sales training, but I knew there was something else.
I decided to start studying marketing and sales books.
Then I discovered personal branding and it was a huge eye opener.
I read so many books and started listened to podcasts from Pat Flynn, Chris Ducker, JL Dumas, Amy Poterfield, and Gary Vaynerchuk.
These guys build 6-7 figures businesses by sharing their experience online.
And that was the moment when I realized that: that was it!
Our core business as lawyers is to sell our experience, and I had to work on my personal brand.
Then I read Joe Pulizzi’s Epic Content Marketing book, and it changed completely the way I thought about marketing and business.
There is one amazing quote I will never forget:
“Customers don’t care about you or your services. They care about themselves, their wants and their needs.”
Content marketing is about creating information that helps your customers solve their problems and to discover (preferably on their own) that you are the best lawyer in your field.
You have to know the pain points of your target market and create content of value to position yourself as an expert and gain the trust of prospect clients.
Then use online marketing tools to get your message across and build awareness.
1. Word-of-mouth still king
Don’t get me wrong. Even if you spend thousands of dollars to implement the best digital marketing strategy, it will be very hard to close a deal if your services suck.
The most important element to market yourself as a lawyer is to provide a great service.
The legal industry is a highly competitive market and any mistake can result in losing a client.
Not only that. An angry client will talk shit about your work to the people they know, and your reputation will be damaged.
You have to position yourself as an authority in your field and to provide exceptional services to build a great reputation.
There is no better marketing than the one that comes from highly satisfied clients.
2. People look in the web for lawyers
What do you do when you need information about something?
You google it.
Likewise, when someone has a legal issue or just need some information on how to solve a problem, they look on google.
I can imagine two possible scenarios in case a person is looking for an attorney online:
- they do not know any lawyer and have no idea where to look for, or
- they know the name of couple law firms and wants to know which one is the best choice.
In the first case scenario, let’s imagine you have a fintech company and you want to hire a lawyer to advice you on compliance.
You will probably look for words like “fintech lawyer Mexico,” “fintech compliance obligations,” or “fintech regulation.”
Then dig down until you find the name of couple of lawyers specialized in fintech regulation and the name of the law firm they work in.
This will happen similarly in the second case scenario. You will look for names on google or legal directories (eg. Chambers and Partners or Legal 500) and try to get as much information as possible.
You would also want to know about their experience, who are their clients, but most importantly, how can they help your company solve your legal issues.
Now, change of roles.
If you want to be found by this prospect clients as a lawyer, you need to build an online presence and to deliver valuable information so you can stand out from the rest (your competition).
Of course, people would like to receive some recommendations from other companies that have worked with you before taking a decision, and this is where your reputation will be of the essence.
However, if your name appeared on the first search results for “fintech compliance obligations,” you will have better chances to bring a new client to your firm.
3. Use your time wisely
Marketing and business development activities requires a lot of time and you still need to take care of your current clients.
For this reason, it is very important that you have a strategy and to know exactly how to execute it.
Lawyers rarely receive any training on sales during law school or at work, and that’s why I decided to write this guide.
In Red de Firmas we want to help your firm grow your law practice.
Every company and strategy are different, but there are some rules that you can follow to increase your brand awareness, improve your customer loyalty and to bring new clients.
First. You need to take care of the information shared in your social media profiles, specially LinkedIn.
Second. Create a blog where you will publish content that helps your clients and prospects to solve specific problems. Content that delivers true value.
Third. Have a great website that is easy to navigate.
Fourth. Use email marketing services to continue delivering valuable information.
Fifth. Put all these elements together and plan its distribution.
