News & Events

Fifteen-Minute Marketing

Lawyers Are Great Sources of Referrals

Many legal professionals approach marketing as a chore that is expensive, requires vast technical knowledge, and eats up hours of billable time. Would you be surprised to learn you can accomplish marketing tasks in 15-minute blocks of time?

It can be done, but before you begin your 15-minute marketing campaign, you have to set goals. Perhaps you want to become an authority in your practice area or attract more consumers to your website or e-mail list?

Decide which consumers you want to reach. Then, discover where they hang out online (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter). Once you find your readers, create a network by commenting on their articles or sharing them on social media.

Now that you have a plan, start with a marketing activity. Pick one social media channel for marketing such as LinkedIn, a podcast, or select Facebook groups. Foster a marketing habit. To be consistent, fit in 15 minutes of marketing at the same time every day. The object is for marketing to become part of your regular routine, which increases the likelihood you will stick with it.

What can you accomplish in 15 minutes?

Start or add to a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on your website. FAQ pages are very popular. They improve your client’s experience with your firm by adding easily found answers to common questions. You can help prevent surprises for your clients with answers to questions about fees, timeliness of cases, how quickly you return phone calls, or what to bring to an initial consultation. An FAQ page can avert issues with future clients whose expectations are unrealistic. Adding new questions helps keep the page current.

Find marketing activities you enjoy. If you like to write, start an e-newsletter. If you connect better face-to-face, research volunteer organizations that complement your practice.

Make a content schedule. Set a theme for the month such as the new marijuana legislation, then add a list of topics—one for each week. Weekly posts will boost your Google ratings and attract attention to your site.

Write a short blog on a new decision in your area of practice, a recent question asked by a client, or a new court program or procedure.

Add content to your SBM Member Profile. Upload a photo, link to an article, add a video, list your accomplishments, set up your appointment scheduler, update your biography or areas of practice, and list where you've been published.

Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes to keep your present clients informed and attract new ones to your practice. Start now and soon your 15-minute marketing habit will be as important as your next court date.

Roberta Gubbins has served as the editor of the Ingham County Legal News. Since leaving the paper, she provides services as a ghostwriter editing articles, blogs, and e-blasts for lawyers and law firms. She is the editor of The Mentor, SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.