An interesting law marketing article recently pointed out the increasing tendency, encouraged by social media, for individual lawyers to market themselves over their law firm “brands”.
Indeed, the brand of the personality in the form of everyone from The Donald, to Oprah, to Dr Phil to Paris, to local brands have increasingly dominated social media and the like.The reality with law firm marketing is that while great marketing and advertising occurs and equally great websites are developed, there remains a ‘samey’ quality to most firm sites.
Most will trumpet what they do: “personalised service”, “full-service firm”, “skilled professionals” et al.
There are only so many points of difference any firm can make and accordingly it becomes important for them to differentiate.Which is where the individual lawyer comes in.
And as legal services are increasingly fragmented or “unbundled” so too are the individual lawyers who often attract the high level – or even low level – legal work.
The upheavals in the legal business everywhere, together with the rapid expansion of social media has totally changed the playing field for laywers -making it flatter for smaller lawyers, barristers and others to rapidly build a brand and to distinguish themselves from others in a crowded marketplace.
The article from legal marketers Steve Bell and John Hellerman in Law360 said that notwithstanding that there was a place for firm-level marketing, modern trends were “working against it.”
“Hiring practices within corporate legal departments are simultaneously weakening bonds between clients and firms at an institutional level.
“The authors examine how individual lawyers can work on developing an individual brand in the face of intense competition and a proliferation of media outlets.
Increasingly lawyers can enhance their individual reputations across a variety of technology platforms without the need for the PR machines that large firms have access to. For instance, the ability to achieve online visibility via blogging has been increasingly used by smaller firms in areas from personal injury work to drunk driving, family law, tax and every other area of legal practice.
How can the ‘small lawyer’ leverage off social media to develop their name?
USP – first, they need to develop their unique selling proposition. Lawyers are not soap powder or soft drinks, but they still need to identify what makes them unique. What is their selling point?
Take some time to consider exactly how you offer something different, or something special.
Provide Content – Online lawyers who blog frequently can generate significant online and offline profile – and business. Consider lawyers who blog – Stephen Price the media lawyer, Stephen Franks’ with a public law profile and others – those who simply build their brand by blogging and become authorities in their area.
The online world has made it all more accessible.
Create Credibility – you can create additional authority by being quoted by authoritative sources. Consider the likes of public lawyer Mai Chen, who is regarded by many as the only public lawyer worth talking too, despite the fact that it is a burgeoning area populated by many practising in the area. She, however, has largely captured the space.
Making yourself available to journalists, for instance, from respected publications can create authority by dint of association. Being quoted can create massive additional exposure and credibility.
Solve Problems – law is largely about solving problems or issues. Work out exactly what you’re offering so you can help clients, or potential clients. Provide studies to those who seek assistance as to how you have helped others. People identify with other people and their problems.
Network online and offline – networking is simple enough and if you are willing to talk with local groups and build a social network presence you will be amazed at the dividends your efforts might pay. Social media, sites like LinkedIn, can generate high credibility if you joi n groups and participate sensibly. Just answering questions posed in a LinkedIn group can generate high credibility and referrals.
Similarly, blogging is extremely easy. So too is posting items that can get picked up by the search engines referencing your keyword-focused area(s) of practice.
Increasingly with the levelling of the online playing field, individual lawyers can increasingly raise their profile with considerable ease and to huge effect. Smart lawyers are already using them.
You’re smart. Use those tools too.
John Bowie is publisher of LawFuel.com and LawFuel.co.nz, online legal tools that provide lawyers with the ability to access Google News and other online search engines to help market themselves and their legal talent. Email lawfuel@gmail.com for more details about getting yourself online.
Source: LawFuel.co.nz
