Speaking is one of the best ways to build a lawyer’s reputation and connect with people who may need your help. Speaking consistently at least once per month increases your credibility and visibility in both your local community and your expanded professional community. However, as many business developmentally challenged lawyers already know, pitching yourself does not come naturally to all of us.
If your law firm is like any business, you need to conduct at least some form of marketing or business development to keep in touch with your customer base and to stay relevant in your industry. If you are a small firm lawyer or solo with a limited budget, you might wonder if your business is large enough to host a worthwhile event or if you have the financial means to budget for one.
Sometimes it feels like every lawyer and every law firm do the same things to get business. We sound alike: other law firms may have the exact same practice areas as yours, and thus very similar messaging to you. We look alike: with the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality of legal digital marketing, many law firm websites look ridiculously similar to each other as lawyers try to use the same vendors as their competitors without really being able to quantify a tangible value to that decision. We dress alike: almost all law firm imagery shows people in suits in or near corporate buildings or courthouses.
Law firms are becoming increasingly aware each year of the importance of both digital marketing and business development. Many are allocating an increasingly diverse budget to a variety of expenditures, largely all of which are designed to raise the profile of the firm itself. Law firms do not generally promote their lawyers individually or allocate marketing resources for personal branding unless these items contribute to the firm’s overall bottom line.
Stacey E. Burke