In my last post I shared 20 straightforward and easy-to-execute marketing ideas to help you grow your practice. In 20 More Marketing Ideas You Can Do in 5 Minutes or Less!, I am refreshing your checklist — Each task below requires just a couple minutes a day and yet has the potential to make a meaningful impact on your overall marketing efforts and results. Try committing to these activities by adding one to your calendar each day this month.
- Find a Nonprofit Board – Nonprofit boards are always looking for dedicated volunteer board members. What are you most passionate about? See what boards are out there supporting your interests.
- Thank a Referral Source – You just received a referral. Stop what you are doing and send a hand-written thank you note to the person who thought highly enough of you to send a client to you.
- Time Entries are Marketing Tools – Look at the time entries you make. If you were the client, would you see the value in your work? Write time entries from the client’s perspective by including more detail about what you did for them today.
- Be Efficient for your Clients – Look at what you’re working on. If an associate or paralegal can do the drafting or research for you, delegate, delegate, delegate!
- Get Back to Marketing Basics – Reflect on what has led to your success to-date. If you found yourself with no clients, what would you do first? Revisit the marketing behaviors that have led to your success.
- Questions to Ask in a Networking Meeting – Take a moment and jot down the best questions to ask to get people engaged in talking with you. “What do you do?” does not count nor should it even be on your list!
- Market with a Referral Source – Think of a referral source or two that you could partner with to deliver a webinar or a live seminar. What could the topics be? Who would you invite?
- Why Hire Me? – You’re sitting in front of a prospective client with a huge case. How would you respond to, “Why should I hire you?” Write these messages down and incorporate them into your elevator speech.
- Focus on your Niche – Identify one thing you can do to further your marketing efforts within your primary niche; the area of practice you would most like to grow.
- Target a Client – Pick one individual or company you would like to have as a client. Go online and search for them. Look at their social media activities. Start a minidossier on clients you would like to attract and add to it on another day.
- Start a Blog Post – Pick a legal topic that interests you right now. Identify what the topic is, who it affects, and what people need to know. Add, “In Conclusion…..” You have just written a blog post! This can be shared on your LinkedIn profile or the firm’s website.
- Send a Hand-Written Thank you Note – We know someone has done something thoughtful or considerate for you in the past few days. Let them know how much you appreciated it.
- Be a Mentor – Take some time to reach out to someone in the firm junior to you and invite them to lunch. Make a commitment to learn more about them in an environment outside of the firm.
- Research a Prospective Client – Interested in a specific prospective client? Do some research on them by reviewing the client’s website, the biographies of key executives, do a Google search for any recent media coverage or industry news, and do an advanced search in LinkedIn to see if anyone in your network can introduce you to the prospect.
- Set-up Google Alerts – Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries. Google Alerts can be used to monitor a developing news story, or to keep current on a competitor, company or industry. Go to www.google.com/alerts and set up alerts with keywords and client names.
- Pitch a Story Idea – Brainstorm article and interview ideas to pitch to relevant publications and other media. Has there been a significant case development in your field? Are you working on a high-profile case?
- Update Your Contacts – Do you have a stack of business cards sitting on your desk or at the bottom of your briefcase that you’ve collected at recent networking and client events? Gather them together and ask your assistant to add their information to your Outlook contacts.
- Create a Case Study – Have you recently won a case that would make a great addition to the firm’s website? Include type of client, client’s issue, your approach and the results.
- Read a Publication of Interest to Your Client – Find and subscribe to a client trade publication to keep abreast of news that may affect your client and his or her industry.
- Congratulate a Fellow Attorney – Has a colleague recently been nominated for or received an award recognizing his or her legal skills or pro bono services? Reach out and congratulate him or her with a personal email.
- And a bonus idea: Brainstorm New Business Ideas With a Colleague – Set-up time with a colleague with whom you frequently do client work and brainstorm ideas for new business. Is there a new client you would like to do work for? Do you see an opportunity to help a current client in another area in which the firm is not already serving?