INSIGHTS + GUIDANCE ON
THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP PR FOR LAW FIRMS
The key to a more autonomous future is to have your own book of business. With clients, a lawyer will make more money, have more options, and be in a position to exercise more control — in other words, have more autonomy. So why do some lawyers succeed at building practices while others struggle? Here are five common business development mistakes that lawyers make, and what to do instead.
To distinguish yourself as a thought leader and not simply a creator of content, you must elevate your subject matter expertise into thought leadership, and your thought leadership into new business opportunities. Here are three questions to ask honestly of the content you are creating. Evaluate your content and content strategy through this prism, and you’ll be able to self-identify as a thought leader or a content creator.
Writing and publishing content often feels like tossing a needle into the Internet haystack. The way to stand out is to create content that is more client focused—that is, content created for a very specific, often small, audience. You don't need to reach everyone, just the cohort of individuals and businesses that requires the type contextualized insight only you can offer.
There is no doubt that LinkedIn is the best place online for lawyers looking to grow their networks and their practices. The problem is that many lawyers use LinkedIn as a place to scroll through other people’s posts, rather than as a tool to aid in business development, which is a big mistake since LinkedIn has everything a lawyer might need to establish relationships that lead to new business. Here are six steps lawyers should take to leverage LinkedIn for marketing and business development success.
In face of the current challenges, law firms have a choice. One option is to wait it out—taking small, middling measures—until things go back to the old way. Another, which recognizes we are at the threshold to a future that will look nothing like the past, is to lean into the current crisis and invent a new way of doing business that adapts to and addresses the evolving needs of the marketplace.
For associates whose billable hours are down because their practices are not built for a crisis, now is not the time to rely on a wait-it-out strategy until things return to “normal.” Most associates, especially those who began their careers in the last five years, have more or less experienced nothing but growth and good times in the legal industry. As is clear by now, things are not going back to the way they were anytime soon. Here are a few ideas for adapting to the new reality.
Most attorneys are superb crafters of argumentative and persuasive content. Yet, fewer have ever endeavored to author a thought-leadership article to be positioned for publication on a third-party publishing platform. There is some nuance to understand, for those who are accustomed to drafting legal briefs but are unfamiliar with how to position content to market expertise or build brand awareness. Consider this a cookbook for beginners, and a refresher course for the veterans.
You’ve likely heard mixed messages about whether you should be engaging in business development activities during this global pandemic. My take is that, yes, you absolutely should. However, it’s critical to understand what types of activities are appropriate for the moment. Now is not the time to try to convince people to buy your legal services. Rather your business development strategy should focus on exhibiting your integrity through genuine attempts to help your clients and prospects.
