When I started out in law firm marketing some 20 years ago, it was a lonely profession. Today, the law firm marketing landscape is covered with so-called “experts” in SEO, social media, digital marketing, you name it. Some are good at what they do, but most have no business calling themselves an expert at anything but obfuscation.
Today, very few of the top producing law firms rely on just “word-of-mouth marketing” or random referrals. They actively promote their legal solutions to a specific target market using a number of best practices. They have either made the commitment to assemble an in-house team, or they work with an established legal marketing firm to implement their law firm marketing.
Here are 7 questions attorneys should use to vet any individual or company they are thinking of entrusting with their law firm marketing:
- Do they specialize in working with attorneys? Attorneys have legal and ethical rules they must follow. If you hire someone who doesn’t know those rules and ethical boundaries, it can get you into big trouble!
- How many attorneys have they worked with? Over the past two decades, we have worked with more than 18,000 attorneys. That is a quantifiable number and one you should solicit from any person or company that you are considering to help market your firm.
- How big is their digital footprint? We have been active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter since their inception and have been blogging about law firm marketing since 2007. On behalf of our clients, we have managed more than 5,200 social media profiles and authored over 150,000 blog posts in just about every conceivable practice area.
- Do they have a successful track record? We have helped over 18,000 attorneys learn how to double their revenues and increase their referrals. We have probably helped more attorneys break the 7-figure barrier than anyone else in the nation. Ask your candidates to show you specifically what they have done for other law firms and ask to speak to a few attorneys they have represented so you can get a true picture of their capabilities and ability to deliver.
- Do they have a blueprint plan or is it just hit or miss? We have the Rainmaker Social Media blueprint that helps guide our clients to success. It is in writing and taught every month at our Rainmaker Retreats, where attendees also use the Rainmaker MAP (Marketing Action Plan) to create their own marketing plans. Ask your candidates to show you their plan and some real-world results that have come from attorneys who implemented it.
- How big is their team? Is it just them? What happens if they go on vacation or get hit by a bus? At The Rainmaker Institute, we have a team of 60 law firm marketing specialists who are true experts in the industry.
- How do they measure results? How will you know if they are successful? How long will it take before you start to see results? We provide our clients with monthly statistical reports so they know exactly what kind of results their marketing plan is delivering.
They say you get what you pay for, but we all know that is not always true, especially when it comes to marketing. Be sure you know exactly what you will be getting before you hire your next “expert.”
