We’ve been branding, designing, marketing, developing and deploying technology for law firms for over 10 years and upon reflection, here are some of the predominant characteristics we see in our most successful clients.
They do something about it
Law firms by nature are risk-averse! No surprise, it’s what people typically pay them to be, but it’s a characteristic that doesn’t always wax well with marketing a legal practice. The firms we have found to enjoy marketing success are those that acknowledge client acquisition is a different ball game than it once was and that the time has come to get on the front foot. Once committed to the first step, they charge ahead doing whatever it takes!
Always say yes
In thinking about the core quality of one firm we’ve worked with since their inception who now enjoy phenomenal success, they have always said, “yes.” Over the near 10 year journey, we’ve pitched all sorts of crazy ideas and by and large they’ve responded, “let’s try it.” This attitude has led to great marketing successes and of course, some (as you’d expect) that we won’t talk about.
Accept its a team contact sport
Nothing undermines a law firm’s marketing success than an attitude that only a few within the firm are playing the game and the others will be spectators. Marketing a law firm effectively has lots of moving parts and requires all hands on deck! That’s not to say that all within the firm are going to cut the mustard across every type of marketing medium (content, video, podcasting etc) but there is a willingness to try and invariably there is one or two things that will work for them and the law firm more broadly. Better still, the firm has hard-wired in the BD KPIs of their team members, metrics to track their marketing engagement and successes.
Respect opinions
Imagine this! You’re a managing partner of a successful legal practice and HR have just employed a graduate. On his second day, he steamrolls into your office and tells you how it’s now going to be around here! You know what we’re getting at! It’s similarly the case that we’ve been doing this work successfully for over 10 years for lots of law firms and occasionally, the law graduate or paralegal who has 893 followers on Instagram wants to be let loose on the brand, design, marketing and technology! We say, “go your hardest” but we won’t be hanging around to watch the carnage! Nothing hurts more than to watch a firm that you in company with them have built an incredible brand presence, done great design on every marketing touchpoint, driven traffic from 3,000 to 18,000 month on month and deployed all sorts of lead gen and nurture technology to then watch it be delegated to folks that in the nicest possible way, haven’t got a clue!
Know it’s a road trip
Great law firms know that we’re on a journey together, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon and they have this willingness to do whatever it takes to stay on the road! Sure, staying on the road means you have the capacity to do so, as opposed to those firms who come to the race late, expecting to win, haven’t the equipment, haven’t the budget, run out of steam and then go home blaming everyone but themselves.
What Should Law Firm Do Next?
Consider if you have these strengths and if not, consider how you’re going to build them and once you have, to better your chances of law firm marketing success, only then do you consider calling an agency to help!
