As legal marketing experts, we preach that lawyers must think strategically about their marketing activities and have a marketing plan to keep them on course.
Blah, blah, blah. You’ve heard it all before. The trouble with marketing plans is this:
A ton of time goes into creating the marketing plan, the lawyer gets busy with client work and responsibilities that demand attention, and the marketing plan sits on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.
So, here’s the deal. We have a different take on marketing plans.
For 2023, you are going to put together a marketing plan that is simple and effective, so you can implement it throughout the year, tweak it as needed, and actually do the marketing you say you are going to do!
Here’s how:
Define your personal mission statement. This is not a hokey, typical corporate mission statement. Think about the future – when you are done with this attorney thing and look back, what do you want to see? There are no wrong answers. We’ve heard it all, including:
- I want to make a ton of money,
- run a law firm,
- be the best-known mosquito repellent lawyer, and
- give millions to XYZ charity.
You need an idea of where you want to get before you set out to get there.
Create a time budget. With all the demands on your time, you need to KNOW how much you can really dedicate to non-billable business development and marketing. Obviously, the more time you commit to building your practice, the faster the success will come. Whatever, it is, set aside realistic time that you will dedicate to yourself.
Map out activities that will get you where you want to be in the time you have available. This is where you need to think and act strategically. Add events, meetings, deadlines, and so forth to your calendar. Hold yourself accountable.
We’re doing a webinar with the Bar Association of Lehigh County on this very topic on December 8 at noon. Get your 2023 Marketing Plan and an ethics credit in one shot – talk about strategic planning!