A Facebook legal marketing ad sparks a conversation about why you cannot abdicate the responsibility for your law firm marketing. Many legal marketers will try to tell you that some lawyers are simply just not meant to be entrepreneurs and therefore they must rely on professional marketers to build their practices. The podcast hosts discuss that it can sound very enticing to not have to worry about this aspect of your business and let someone else worry about driving business to your practice. But it can be dangerous placing all of the marketing decisions and content in a third party’s hands. Scott and Oscar go through examples of disasters that can happen when you relinquish that control. They finish the podcast by discussing suggesting listeners take a look at some authentic and genuine legal websites and compare them to those that have canned content and are merely the by-products of some third party’s vision of that lawyer’s website. Nothing replaces authenticity and value as the foundations of a marketing strategy and don’t let anyone talk you into any form of marketing that does not express your personal vision and touch.
Scott and Oscar discuss how a solo or small firm practitioner has an obligation to protect the practice’s electronically stored information and digital media – including the firm’s website material and of course client data. The hosts discuss examples of how the both have dealt with cyber-attacks; hacks; and “ransomware” that have hit their practices in recent months. It’s important in today’s digital world to make sure that you stay current on the current risks that exist and the software and knowledge that can help fix your system if you get hit or even better avoid them in the first place.
Time management is the biggest issue for solo or small practice lawyers. We have to be lawyers, mangers, paralegals, accountants, marketing experts, all at the same time. The podcast host talk about using the new “gig’ or “share” economy to help take some of the load off of you so that you can spend more time on job #1 – developing and growing your practice. In today’s economy more people are looking for this type of work and there are plenty of sites where lawyers can find the extra help they need on a case-by-case or project-by-project. The host talk about the thought processes involved in deciding what can be outsourced and what must be done by your personally. Scott and Oscar talk about some of the tasks they have outsourced:
- Developing graphics for the firm’s website
- Routine court appearances
- Crafting design of cards and brochures
- Transcription of the podcast
Remember the goal of this is to allow you spend more time in practice development!
The podcast hosts discuss how using presentations to groups have helped develop their practice. For those lawyers who try cases, speaking in front of groups may be second nature but trying a case and talking to a group about the law are very different things. You need to have a different mindset – come at it from a point of not just delivering information but for development of business. The hosts talk about how to get opportunities to appear before various trade and legal groups as well as public libraries all of which are dying to get speakers -so why not you? Once you get the gig, make sure your content is accurate and helpful.
Practice your presentation and time it to see how long it actually takes you because you want to use up the time properly. You need to prepare so that your confidence level is high when you make the presentation. Don’t forget that you want to come across as a confident expert in the area you are discussing. So much like trial, preparation and practice is key. Giving presentations is a nice way to get your name out there and get before an audience of potential clients and potential referral partners.