50 simple ways you can market your practice

Posted Jul 1, 2013 4:19 AM CST By Stephanie F an!is "a d

#$ail P int %ep ints

Cli!& to 'ie( the ) (ays to * ea& the i!e +alle y no(, -ou !an spend a lot o. $oney on le+al $a &etin+, *ut you don/t need to, 0o do you ha'e to *e natu ally out+oin+ o !ha $in+, "hat is ne!essa y .o +ood *usiness de'elop$ent, say su!!ess.ul la(ye s and !onsultants (ho sha ed thei st ate+ies (ith the ABA Journal, is a $a &etin+ plan .o!used on a!ti'ities you do (ell, ta +eted at the i+ht audien!e and !a ied out !onsistently, 1i'e it so$e ti$e, they say, and *usiness (ill !o$e, Bein+ +enuine2and help.ul, e'en i. you a!tions $ay not o..e i$$ediate *usiness2doesn/t hu t eithe , 1.) Some lawyers believe that if you do good work, people (ill auto$ati!ally !o$e to you, They a e ( on+, People need e$inde s, 2.) Contact three to five otential referral sources a week!every week, e+a dless o. ho( *usy you a e2and a an+e to $eet .o !o..ee, d in&s o a $eal, That (o &s $u!h *ette than ea!hin+ out only (hen *usiness is slo(, ".) At business rece tions, as& o +ani3e s (hethe you !an *e a + eete , This +i'es you a + eat eason to int odu!e you sel. to people, #.) $f you have a ractice%related blog, ( ite posts (ith in.o $ation that/s t uly use.ul to *usiness ta +ets, Mo e o.ten than not, that doesn/t in!lude des! iptions o. ho( !o$petent you o you .i $ a e, &.) 'our firm(s holiday card is robably one of many that clients or otential clients receive. Find anothe holiday 4o $a&e one up5 that you en6oy and that !o$ple$ents you p a!ti!e, Sepa atin+ you sel. . o$ othe , si$ila $essa+es is o. eal 'alue,

7u!ian Pe a, at 1 a!eland, sends !lients and potential !lients !a ds .o #l'is8 *i thday, 9Fo a nu$*e o. people : do *usiness (ith, $y !onne!tion to Me$phis is i$po tant, : (ant the$ to thin& a*out Me$phis and thin& a*out $e, and : don8t (ant the e to *e $o e than a hal. se!ond *et(een those t(o thou+hts,9 Pe a, (ho is also ABA t easu e , o..e s tip 0o, ;, Photo *y <e o San.o d,

).) *hink hard about who your target market is, and (he e the de!ision=$a&e s a e in that $a &et, +.) ,hen you meet a otential client, .o!us on his o he i$$ediate needs, :t $ay ha'e nothin+ to do (ith you p a!ti!e, May*e that pe son/s i$$ediate need is to .ind a dentist, :. you &no( one and !an !onne!t the$, the e/s a *ette !han!e the pe son (ill thin& o. you (hen se 'i!es you o..e a e needed, -.) .rgani/e a monthly dinner grou of law school classmates, 'a yin+ the p a!ti!e a eas so attendees ha'e + eate e.e al oppo tunities, 0.) 1evelo a marketing lan around activities you en2oy, :. you li&e to ( ite, thin& a*out an ele!t oni! ne(slette , :. you !onne!t *ette (ith people one on one, !onside 'oluntee (o & (ith an a!ti'ity that !o$ple$ents you p a!ti!e, 13.) 4ocus on good lawyers who are your contem oraries (hen thin&in+ a*out potential e.e al sou !es, Mo e e>pe ien!ed la(ye s al eady ha'e people to (ho$ they e.e !ases,

Tip 0o, 102Ste'e ?u ley: Fo!us on +ood la(ye s (ho a e you !onte$po a ies (hen +ettin+ in tou!h (ith potential e.e al sou !es, Mo e e>pe ien!ed la(ye s al eady ha'e people to (ho$ they e.e !ases, Photo *y Sa a Stathas, 11.) 1on(t ado t a false marketing ersona, Be you sel., and .i+u e out the *est (ay to p esent you sel. in a (ay you .ind appealin+, 12.) 'ou don(t need to hand a business card to everyone you meet at a rece tion i. it .eels .o !ed and despe ate, :nstead, +et othe people/s !a ds, and e$ail you !onta!t in.o $ation a.te (a d, The e/s a *ette !han!e they (ill e$e$*e you, 1".) 5roviding they label it attorney advertising, pe sonal in6u y la(ye s $ay send ad lette s to a!!ident 'i!ti$s, And a est epo ts !an o..e +ood leads .o ! i$inal de.ense la(ye s, Fa$ily la( atto neys $ay send ad'e tisin+ lette s to p o se de.endants in di'o !e !ases, dete $inin+ (ho to !onta!t *ased on pa ties/ @:P !odes, 1#.) $f you ho e to be hired for an a eal, ead all the * ie.s as (ell as elated !ases, and .i+u e out the !ase/s a +u$ents, Be p epa ed to spea& (ith the pa ty a*out the !ase2(ithout notes2 .o one hou , 1&.) 5osting tweets between 1 .m. and " .m. #aste n ti$e +ets the hi+hest !li!& ate, a!!o din+ to Masha*le, -ou !an s!hedule t(eets to *e posted *y se 'i!es li&e ?ootSuite, But *e !a e.ul i. you ha'e (o & du in+ those s!heduled ti$es, -ou don/t (ant a !lient to thin& you a e t(eetin+ (hile you/ e de.endin+ a deposition,

Tip 0o,1;2Molly <iBian!a: Postin+ t(eets *et(een 1 p,$, and 3 p,$, #aste n ti$e +ets the hi+hest !li!& ate, and you !an s!hedule t(eets to *e posted .o you *y se 'i!es li&e ?ootSuite, But *e !a e.ul i. you ha'e (o & du in+ s!heduled ti$es, -ou don8t (ant a !lient to thin& you8 e t(eetin+ (hile you8 e de.endin+ a deposition, Photo *y Mi!hael B ans!o$, 1).) Criminal defense lawyers: :. an atto ney in a di..e ent p a!ti!e a ea has *een a + eat e.e al sou !e and thei &id +ets into t ou*le, thin& a*out handlin+ the !ase .o . ee, 1+.) 5eo le sometimes need to be convinced that their legal roblem is severe enough to hi e you, and it/s up to you to pe suade the$, That said, tu nin+ so$eone a(ay (hen they eally don/t need a la(ye is +ood .o *usiness, too, :t/s a +ood (ay to *uild t ust, 1-.) Attend bar association events, 7a(ye s only e.e !ases to people they &no(A and i. they don/t see you, they (on/t thin& o. you, 10.) $nstall 6oogle Analytics on your website, :t details (hat sea !h te $s +ot people to you site and ho( lon+ they stayed the e, -ou !an also use it to dete $ine popula sea !h te $s, and put the te $s that elate to you p a!ti!e on you (e*site, 23.) 7olunteer with various legal and community grou s, <o the 'oluntee (o & to the *est o. you a*ility, e'en i. you don/t li&e it, 21.) 8nd a conversation with someone at a networking event after you finish a statement, athe than (hen they .inish one, so they (on/t thin& you/ e !uttin+ the$ o.., 22.) $f you want to re resent a business with a legal de artment, you 6o* is to $a&e in=house !ounsel/s 6o* easie , 2".) *he best elevator s eech9 B?i, :/$ a la(ye , "hat do you doCD 2#.) S eak at a continuing legal education seminar only (hen you thin& it/s an inte estin+ one that (ill *e (ell=attended, 2&.) 1on(t buy a table at an event, :nstead, *uy seats at di..e ent ta*les so you !an sp ead out and $eet $o e people, 2).) $f you are out consistently, $eetin+ (ith people and doin+ out ea!h, you !an *e su!!ess.ul, The e $ay *e days you don/t .eel li&e doin+ it, *ut !onsisten!y is &ey, 2+.) $f you have a website :and you should); have a blog; too. Add ne( !ontent daily, *e!ause 1oo+le al+o ith$s +i'e $o e p o$inen!e to sites (ith . esh, o i+inal !ontent, The !ontent doesn/t ha'e to *e in the .o $ o. a lon+, esea !hed post, A pa a+ aph o t(o, (ith a e!ent lin& to so$ethin+ inte estin+ and ele'ant to you p a!ti!e, (ill +et you the sa$e a$ount o. t a..i!2 i. not $o e2than lon+e posts, 2-.) 1on(t limit networking to in%house counsel, espe!ially at *a e'ents, -ou ne'e &no( (ho so$eone in p i'ate p a!ti!e &no(s2o (hen they (ill +o in=house, 20.) *ake time once a week to write <inked$n endorsements .o people you/'e (o &ed (ith and espe!t, <on/t (ait .o the$ to as& .o oneA do it on you o(n, "3.) A re utation as a stand%u erson is the *est $a &etin+ tool, :t ta&es a (hole li.eti$e to *uild up that eputation and only one ne+ati'e in!ident to dest oy it, "1.) Join bar associations that welcome you, not those that a e !losed !lu*s,

"2.) Before meeting someone you(d like to have as a client, esea !h thei *usiness on the .ede al !ase site Pa!e to +et a *ette sense o. potential le+al needs, Also, ead Eua te ly epo ts, !he!& out (e*sites and do a 1oo+le 0e(s sea !h to see (hat sto ies ha'e *een pu*lished a*out the *usiness,

Tip 0o, 322#$e y ?a lan: Be.o e $eetin+ so$eone you8d li&e to ha'e as a !lient, esea !h thei *usiness on the .ede al !ase site PAC#% to +et a *ette sense o. potential le+al needs, Also ead Eua te ly epo ts, !he!& out (e*sites and do a 1oo+le 0e(s sea !h to see (hat sto ies ha'e *een pu*lished a*out the *usiness, Photo *y Sa a Stathas, "".) =ever critici/e a com any by name in a *lo+ post, -ou ne'e &no( (hen that !o$pany $i+ht *e in a position to hi e you, "#.) >arket the work you(d like to be doing, not the (o & you ha'e to do to pay the *ills, "&.) ?ave an office that(s convenient to reach. Bein+ nea the !ou thouse $ay not *e the *est pla!e *e!ause the e/s a ely . ee pa &in+, ").) @ead your city(s business ublications to +et a *ette sense o. le+al needs that a e not *ein+ $et, as (ell as .utu e a eas .o (hi!h people (ill need !ounsel, "+.) 6o to events to give, athe than to +et, "-.) $f your community offers free classes, thin& a*out 'oluntee in+ to tea!h one in an a ea that !o$ple$ents you p a!ti!e, "0.) Join grou s that have few lawyer members. #3.) ?anding out items with your business logo at a trade show9 Ma&e su e they/ e easy to pa!& and $eet TSA !a y=on standa ds,

Tip 0o, 22Jani!e B o(n: Conta!t th ee to .i'e potential e.e al sou !es a (ee&2e'e y (ee&, e+a dless o. ho( *usy you a e2and a an+e to $eet .o !o..ee, d in&s o a $eal, That (o &s $u!h *ette than only ea!hin+ out (hen *usiness is slo(, Photo *y 0i!& 0a!!a, #1.) $f you re resent consumers, thin& a*out a sto e. ont o..i!e, People (ith le+al needs p o*a*ly a e not idin+ up and do(n o..i!e *uildin+ ele'ato s, unless they al eady ha'e an atto ney, #2.) Ask for a guest list before you attend a *usiness e'ent, and identi.y indi'iduals you/d li&e to $eet,

#".) 1o ad2unct rofessor work. :t adds to you e>pe tise, and .o $e students !an *e + eat e.e al sou !es, ##.) A few good Auestions to ask eo le you meet in networking situations: "hat +ot you sta ted in this line o. (o &C "hat a e you (o &in+ onC ?o( a e thin+s +oin+ (ith you *usiness in this e!ono$yC #&.) Ask the staff o. the asso!iation that hosts an e'ent to int odu!e you to people (ho you thin& you should &no( at *a o t ade asso!iation e'ents, #).) $f you send other lawyers otential clients, let the$ &no(, They/ll app e!iate that you e.e ed the !lients, and it (ill help the$ to e$e$*e that you did so, :. they don/t e$e$*e , you need to $o'e on to la(ye s (ho (ill, #+.) *alking to re orters can be a good thing. To +ain thei espe!t, you/'e +ot to sho( the$ you ha'e +enuine e>pe tise in a su*6e!t and !an +i'e pithy ans(e s to thei Euestions, #-.) >ulti le eo le can go with you to a beauty contest; *ut only one pe son should do the tal&in+, Clients hi e la(ye s athe than .i $s, #0.) 6ive eo le you meet a brief descri tion of what you do, athe than statin+ you title, &3.) 1on(t brag about yourself *e!ause people (on/t ta&e you se iously, 0o one hi es la(ye s they don/t ta&e se iously,