Sometimes it is the little things that can make a big difference in growing a law practice. Often, lawyers avoid marketing because it will take too much time or it is an activity outside of their comfort zone.
Today I consulted with a lawyer who has avoided marketing for the past couple of years because he did not think he should have to market his practice. He is an established lawyer, has an excellent reputation and has been practicing law for 25 years. I challenged him to reframe his concept of marketing from “pushing” his service onto people to “attracting” clients who could benefit from what he does best.
Assess Your Online Visibility
The first thing we did was type his name into Google and review the search results. We discovered that his LinkedIn profile had the wrong title, two of his bios from lawyer lists were outdated with old addresses, and his Avvo profile was incomplete. On his web site profile page, there was no information on how to contact the lawyer. Most important, none of his bios or profiles answered the question, “why should I hire you?”. There was no mention on the value he provided clients or the client problems he excelled in solving.
How Are you Reinforcing Your Message?
The first marketing strategy was not to schedule a series of random lunches or send out generic letters asking for referrals, rather it was to research how clients were finding him online and update and revise all online bios to communicate a consistent, relevant, and compelling message targeted to his ideal client.
Revising and updating your bio is a simple, effective marketing strategy every lawyer can take to increase their on-line presence and reinforce their reputation. Last week, I received 3 calls from lawyers who attracted clients as a result of updating and promoting their bios.
The following is an example:
It’s been very hard to find an attorney with experience with International same sex divorces. We are in the process of separating and I really need to find an attorney that understands this unique situation. You are one of the few that mentions this in their background, and your reviews are fantastic. Can you help ?
Updating your bio and profile may seem like a small thing, but it can deliver significant results.
For more information on how to create an online profile that helps you attract clients who want what you do best, contact Elizabeth Ferris at eferris@ferrisconsult.com