Law Firm Growth: Marketing Individual Attorneys
5 Ways to Market and Promote the Attorneys at your Law Firm
One size fits all legal marketing will not fit for most law firms. The legal industry is a robust playing field with many different facets and niches. Even within individual law firms, some attorneys are more suited to a particular branch or specific area of law. In your overall law firm marketing plan, you should consider how each attorney fits into your firm and how they can help your brand. Individual attorneys should have their successes promoted and marketed. You need to evaluate each lawyer, how they contribute and what sets them apart then advertise those strengths. Showcasing a lawyer’s strengths will make them an invaluable player at your firm and will help sell them to potential clients.
Step 1: Conduct an attorney interview
This interview is not a job interview but rather a discovery interview. Set down with your associate, junior partner or even paralegal that you would like to feature. Make sure that you understand what their long-term goals are with the firm and what motivates them. See what they do outside of work including community involvement and if they have special interests that the firm can participate in as well. Marketing your firm should start internally. You want to have happy employees that will ultimately be brand ambassadors.
Step 2: Add Lawyer Profiles to your Website
Add a spotlight on each attorney to your website. Under your firm profile, each attorney should be listed out with information on where they went to law school, essential achievements inside and outside of the firm and information that sets them apart. Use the information from your discovery interview to build a unique profile that speaks to your ideal client.
If you are featuring an individual, then they should have a robust digital presence. Hold associates accountable. Each attorney should have their AVVO profile completely filled out. They should also update other legal directories and social networking sites with information about their position with the firm. LinkedIn can be an excellent networking resource, make sure that each firm employee has up-to-date information and a link to your firm profile page.
Step 3: Hold Regular Business Development Meetings
Marketing your firm does not have to begin and end with you. Having attorneys and employees that are invested in the firm’s growth will be instrumental in taking your firm to the next level. Hold regular business development strategy meetings that focus on potential conferences to attend, community involvement, organizations to join and networking opportunities.
Step 4: Nurture Individual Skill Sets
Practicing law requires a unique skill set, but not all attorneys are created equal. If you have an associate that struggles with writing but excels in oral argument, nurture his/her strengths while working on their weaknesses. Ask the attorney or paralegal to list areas that they feel they excel in and areas that they struggle. Every member of your firm is an asset, make sure that they are growing with the firm.
Step 5: Set Goals and Follow Through
Finally, you need to set goals for each member of your firm. Discuss plans for individual growth as well as law firm growth. Plan ways that they can contribute to your firm’s marketing campaigns. Implement those changes and regularly follow up to make sure your team stays on board. Be open to suggestions and plan employee incentives for referrals, successful networking campaigns or marketing ideas.
Want to learn more about legal marketing and promoting the individuals within your firm? Contact Amicus Media Group, Amicus Capital Group or Amicus Consulting today. We are a full-service law firm marketing company that can help you grow your firm with less risk. We have case managers that understand the needs of law firms big and small. Contact us today for a free consultation.