News & Events

Fourteen Tried & True Tactics to Market Your Firm

To practice law, you need clients; to get clients, you must market. The best marketing plan focuses on activities you do well, can accomplish consistently, and are aimed at your target audience. This list has some ideas to help you generate new business.

Newsletter—A newsletter can be published quarterly in print or online. News from the firm helps keep current and future clients informed. Remember to send it to professional groups on your list; they can help refer clients to you.
Business Cards—Use the front of the card for contact information and the back for practice areas with a matte finish so notes can be added later.
Holiday & Birthday Cards—Rather than being part of the usual holiday card pile, pick a holiday that means something unique to your practice such as American Eagle Day (June 20) if you represent local governments or National Farm Animal Day (April 10) if your clients are farmers. Birthday cards are always welcome.
Handwritten Thank-You Notes—Notes for referrals, previous work, or reviews leave a lasting impression.
Website—Your website should be current, mobile friendly, and include contact information on each page. Run an analytics report once a month to find problem areas.
Blog—Post once a week and share it on social media including your enhanced profile on the SBM Member Directory. Include contact information such as email, phone numbers, and a mailing address. Also, include a link so readers can easily email posts to friends.
Social Media—Whether you use Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, post consistently with information appropriate for the medium and your audience.
Videos—Videos are very popular; post your ads, infomercials, TV spots, and more on your website or YouTube. Promote your website on each video.
TV Ads—Be picky. Select stations that attract your prospective clients.
Radio—After selecting a station that reaches your target audience, use repetition—it’s better to flood one station than buy a few ads on several stations.
Press Releases—Send releases to local news outlets and mention that you are available for comment.
Write a Book—A short book about your practice area can establish you as a leader and serves as a concrete item clients can take home and use as a reference.
Seminars—Invite the community to a free Q&A on a topic relevant to your firm’s practice. Encourage people to ask questions or just come and listen to you.
Network—Connect with attorneys who are your contemporaries or attorneys who have been practicing a long time have a referral system. Also, network with professional organizations, and remember it’s about making relationships that can lead to increased referrals.

These are a few activities you can use to market your firm. It’s best to have multiple marketing events going on regularly, and if something isn’t working after three or four months, move on to a new project. In time and with persistence, your business will grow.

After years practicing law, Roberta Gubbins served as editor of the Ingham County Legal News. Since leaving the paper, she provides writing services to lawyers ghostwriting content for websites, blogs, and articles. She is editor of The Mentor, the SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.

Using the Enhanced Member Directory

How to Login and Edit Your Profile
CloudLawyers Directory Services
How to Contact CloudLawyers Support