In the past few blog posts, we’ve talked about ways to streamline your law firm’s cash flow, management system, and workflow. The main objective is basically to get these issues out of the way so that administrivia doesn't impede the growth of your firm. Now let's turn our attention to the growth itself–and why marketing should be a top priority of your business plan.
Conventional wisdom used to be that a consumer needed to hear your name three to five times, before becoming a potential client. With endless new forms of communications nowadays, that initial awareness might seem easier than ever to achieve. However, with all the messages bombarding the public these days, the new calculation is that a consumer must now hear your name up to 15 times before becoming a potential client.
Your message must stand out among the thousands of other messages reaching consumers. To do this, identify the features of your company that separates you from the rest, then repeatedly broadcast those features to the public. A great marketing plan will do both of these, so here are some steps to help you get there.
Determine Your Message
Your company message needs to be short, sweet and instantly memorable: Why should people come to your law firm, instead of the other firms in town? This message is boiled down to a simple statement we call your Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA). For example, if your firm has a niche specialty in construction law, your UCA might be “the best construction law firm in ____ [name of your city].”
Determine Your Audience
Your audience isn’t just based on your specialty; it’s also based in the community that your firm already serves. Study your past clients to find out what they have in common: are they mostly female, in a certain age group, of a certain religious background, etc.?
Target Advertising To Your Audience
Once you know your audience, target advertising outlets most likely to reach that audience, whether it’s local TV/radio, social media, direct mail, etc. Implement a plan to consistently get your name in front of these people.
This marketing process can generate interest in your business, but if you really want to improve conversion rates, you need to give your audience more of an incentive than just “call us.” This is what I call the “secret key” of marketing, and I discuss it further in my book, The DNA of the Autonomous Attorney. Click here to get your copy.
