Law Firm Marketing and Business Development

Firms are embracing new technologies to help drive marketing efforts and reach new audiences, but doing so may require some uncomfortable changes to the ways that attorneys have traditionally thought about building their brands.

The best way to make the most of your initiatives? Track them, and adjust according to the data. But that's easier said than done

Six Pillars of a Successful Bus-Dev Program For firms wanting to thrive through the next economic downturn and beyond, mastery of business development fundamentals is as essential as mastering legal skills. Yet training and coaching — whether done internally or through outside consultants — requires an investment in time and resources.

In this era of social media and a 24-hour news cycle, each day seems to bring a fresh story of PR missteps, whether it be a brand, organization or high-profile individual. Although you may feel you've read enough about these latest public relations nightmares, one area on which you might want to focus is the importance of an apology.

All lawyers want to be wanted and valued by their firms. It has become apparent that tomorrow's legal talent requires even more hand-holding than previous generations because the "just do it" attitude, does not work. They want to understand why and what's the payoff of their efforts. By creating a firm culture that addresses these concerns you will heighten your firm's ability to retain precious talent.

Due to a law firm's team-oriented approach to business development and client service efforts, it is not always clear who should logically and most efficiently serve as the billing partner for a client or a particular client matter. A person should only be a billing partner if he or she is or will be performing the functions outline herein.

For those of us who have devoted more years in legal marketing than we'd care to admit, it's heartening to see the field receiving the recognition it deserves. The demand for top talent has never been higher and marketing plans are getting more attention from firm management. Still, there is more work for law firms to do. That's particularly true in digital marketing.

I Tend to Think of Marketing and Business Development Efforts In Four Buckets: Passive Marketing, Active Marketing, Reactive Marketing and Proactive Marketing The view of (most) law firm leadership has evolved, but there is a long expanse of ground between viewing the marketing function as a cost center and recognizing — and capitalizing on — its potential to drive revenue and profits.