Starting a Law Firm - Marketing
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When starting a law firm, you are going to have A LOT of things to consider - malpractice insurance, office location, phones, computers, location, employees, business cards, paper, the list goes on and on. The list of things can sound endless and be deflating. But, you can do all this. Of course, you already knew you could do it - that is why you are starting a law practice.
In my experience as a young lawyer starting a practice, I realized all of these things can be done - but not without clients to pay for it. To get clients you MUST market your new firm. I'll say it again: in starting my own law practice, the most important thing that I had to remember was that I had to market the firm all the time. Getting clients from day one is that absolute most important thing to do when starting a firm. Do it and do it well, or your new firm will not survive.
In an effort to get you jump started on thinking about marketing when starting a practice, I have come up with a Law Firm Marketing Top Ten List that I used when starting my own firm. I have also created a sub-list below for ideas on how you accomplish these marketing lists. In the end, read the list, but when starting your own law firm, BE CREATIVE!
Referrals (you earn this one over time);
a. Created by doing great work over a long period of time;
b. Your clients and your clients' friends
c. Networking, networking, networking with other professionals and attorneys in your area;
d. did I say networking?
Print & Electronic Media
a. The standby, the phone book,
b. Internet Marketing (this is a subset all to its own and takes diligent study of terms like SEO and market penetration)
c. Newspapers
d. Blogging
e. Social networking
f. Article writing & seminar/public speaking
Volunteer work (you would be surprised at how well this works for networking and getting your name out there)
a. Social Services Organization & Not-For-Profit
b. Being a member of local boards in your community
Public Speaking/CLE Speaking
a. There are many, many potential speaking opportunities. Pick a speaking opportunity in your practice area and go talk about it. And then do it again.
Trade Groups and Associations
a. Bar Association
b. Young Lawyer Network
c. Chamber of Commerce
Branding
a. Law Firm Business Cards & Swag
b. This one speaks for itself
Alumni & Family
a. Alumni = your law school and your law school classmates
b. Family = all of them who still like you
Online referral services
a. I'll explain: every law field in which you work is likely to have a network of some kind online. Often there is a forum. Often this forum of affiliated attorneys has set up a referral list.
Advertising
a. Another cheat here, but this one refers to online, television, radio, internet, and other advertising. It also depends on your chosen practice area. For example, if you are a products liability or personal injury attorney, you MUST advertise. However, family law attorneys don't need to worry about advertising as much. (Note, that doesn't need family law attorneys don't need have to market when starting a firm - they do, a lot).
Building Relationships (OK, this one is a cheat).
a. Seem simple? It's not. It takes work. This one should encompass all ten. What you put out there to the world when starting your own firm is what people think about you. Period.
That's my very simple top ten.
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