Most attorneys didn’t go to law school because they wanted to get into marketing. Most attorneys became attorneys because they were interested in practicing law.
The reality is that when trying to make a partner or start your law practice, marketing is a massive part of the equation on the path to success.
As daunting as marketing can be as an attorney, attorneys must get comfortable with it because without marketing, there will be no clients to serve as clients won’t know how to find you.
The definition of marketing is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.
If you’re just starting to market yourself as an attorney, here are some excellent places to start.
- Relationship building and networking with other professionals. If you are in the Southern California area, Provisors, Rotary, and the local bar association are worthwhile organizations to join.
- Becoming an expert in your practice area. The more specialized you become, the more referrals you will receive from other attorneys and professionals, as there is naturally not as much competition.
- Building SEO on your website by consistently generating thought leadership content shared on a firm blog, email blasts, and social media such as LinkedIn.
- Finding an accountability partner. When you get tied up with billable work, it is easy to put off marketing. Find another attorney and meet regularly to keep each other accountable for each other’s marketing efforts.
Consistency is critical when looking at relationship building, finding a niche, and search engine optimization. If you sporadically do any or all of the above, you are wasting your time. You must prioritize marketing and keep up with it often and over time to be effective.
Marketing doesn’t have to be treacherous.
Start by marketing yourself within your comfort zone and then expand from there. If networking gives you significant anxiety, don’t do it at first. Or, take it slowly by networking in small groups or by putting together pods of professionals you feel comfortable with.
If you love to write, start with writing for your firm’s blog. If you don’t have time, commit to writing an article every six months. A blog post every six months is better than nothing and adds up over time.
Start slow if you need to; each step you take leads to success over time.
