Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic caused lawyers and law firms to change how they do business, including the marketing of legal services. There were changes to virtually all aspects of legal marketing, from going fully remote and business shutdowns and all events cancellations. Now that…

Too often, lawyers (and marketing professionals) talk about tactics before making a legal marketing plan. This approach is not the best approach. For instance, when you meet with a financial planner, they tell you to gather some docs including your income tax return,…

Last week, we presented a CLE LinkedIn-to Relationships for Attorneys for the Bar Association of Lehigh County. This was a program about LinkedIn for lawyers. LinkedIn began in co-founder Reid Hoffman's living room in 2002 and was officially launched on May 5, 2003…

If I have learned one thing over the years, it is that successful lawyers know and excel at business development. Some are natural which means they are developing business all the time. For these attorneys, it is seamless – just part of their…

Attorneys are busy. That's why knowing how to engage in effective business development and strategic marketing is essential. Most lawyers measure their lives in 6-minute increments. So, how can we maximize business development and marketing to fit into the .1s on your timesheet?…

So, what is a niche, and how can it help your legal practice? Ok - when you go to a diner, the chef can make you anything - chocolate chip pancakes, chicken parmesan, or the fish special. At any time of day. Like…

Let's talk real life. What's your passion? Why did you become a lawyer? Does your passion align with the practice of law? For instance, if you are a business lawyer: Are you a food lover that can focus your IP work on the…

Basically, a lead magnet is marketing speak for an offer of something valuable to prospective clients. In exchange for the “free offer”, the other party provides you with their contact information. Otherwise known as an Incredible Free Offer, lead magnets are used to…

In conjunction with the Bar Association of Lehigh County (BALC), ESQuisite Marketing presents a series of Legal Marketing CLE webinars. These webinars are open to ALL lawyers* throughout the U.S., including BALC members. Each webinar will provide practical advice and marketing and business…

Last time we discussed making sure your website, attorney bio, and testimonials follow the rules of professional conduct. You know, so you are engaging in ethical legal marketing. Today, we'll be talking about ethics in your social media, email marketing, advertising, and direct…

We have taken our Ethics in Legal Marketing CLE Webinar on tour! If you missed us at the Bucks County Bar Association and the Lehigh County Bar Association, we are taking it to the Ohio State Bar Association next week! We all know…

Results. Service providers pride themselves on results. For example, RCN - "Ultra-fast, reliable internet"; Verizon - "America's most reliable network"; and Meineke - "Doing car care right." Personal trainers use before and after pictures. Business coaches use testimonials. These are great taglines and…

We've been doing legal marketing a long time... Some of us started before websites were even a thing. But, we still see the same legal marketing problems with attorneys looking to build a book of business. Here are some examples: Creating content -…

Ed Miller, a co-founder of ESQuisite Marketing, will be presenting “Rainmaking Your Way” on April 5. As part of our attorney training program series, Ed will discuss stories about successful rainmakers. These attorneys did it their way. Also, he'll discuss how you can…

Apparently, small law firm mergers are up. While the legal marketplace is analyzing the cause of this (COVID’s fault?), we want to talk about the opportunities law firms are missing. After all, law firm mergers and marketing go hand-in-hand. The Clients are #1…

Before discussing lead magnets for law firms and lawyers, it’s a good idea to explain the concept of lead magnets. Basically, a lead magnet is marketing speak for an offer of something valuable to prospective clients. In exchange for the “free offer”, the…

Over our careers, team ESQuisite has worked with many young attorneys, growing into successful rainmakers. While developing your legal skills, we want to build your marketing and business development skills. Therefore, we have developed associate attorney training programs. Law firms that invest in…

Happy New Year!  Here is our gift to you – small law firm marketing ideas for 2022. It’s a new year so take some time to review your marketing successes and failures.  Map out where you are and where you want to go. …

Getting marketing/business development coaching may be the wisest business decision you have ever made. Why? You were not trained to do this. There is also an inherent negative feeling about the selling of legal services. We have heard far too many times, I…

Social media can be a great marketing tool for lawyers, but it is often not used in the right way. For example, your law firm’s website should be professional – 100%.  Your firm’s social media should be professional and human, reinforcing your niche…

Potential clients will often get more than one referral when looking for an attorney.  Once they receive attorney names, they go right to the Internet to do some research.  When coming upon your law firm website, what will they see?  Does your firm…

As marketing professionals, we get a little nerdy at ESQuisite when it comes to branding. We say this because too many people only think of logos, color schemes, and taglines when discussing branding. These images and words (while very important) are only the…

This holiday season, ESQuisite Marketing is happy to give back to our local community. Firstly, we are a sponsor of the Third Street Alliance for Women & Children’s 26th Annual Bistro. Each year, the Bistro raises funds for the homeless services and early…

Hey Law Firm Marketers – do you ever feel overwhelmed? Like you have a million projects on your desk that are bs and that you want to be more proactive? Do you wish you had an underling that you could push projects that…

We are constantly banging the drum to remind lawyers to look at things from the client's perspective instead of their own. Therefore, we highly recommend that, where possible, lawyers and law firms include industry niche descriptions in their marketing materials. Industry niche descriptions…

The final leg of the year is upon us and we will be racing the clock to meet our yearly objectives. Are you on track to achieve your marketing goals? Get ahead of the curve and get your marketing analysis done before 2022.…

We are reposting this blog from last year. Consider it our treat - Happy Halloween from ESQuisite Marketing! This Halloween, we must avoid vampires, ghouls and ghosts, witches, and a nasty virus. These are indeed scary things. Do you know what, though? Marketing…

Law firm strategic planning is vital. However, if even created, implementation fails to happen. It usually goes something like this: a law firm hires an expensive consultant or tries strategic planning on their own, creates a massive plan that covers every aspect of…

These days, you can find a coach for just about anything. Coaching is all the rage. For example, there are leadership, executive, team, accountability, career, life, and personal coaches. Each of these serves a purpose and could be helpful for those on the…

The beauty of law firm content marketing is the ability to control the image of your firm, or you as a professional. Strategic law firm content marketing also increases SEO, keeps you top-of-mind, shows your involvement, education, and creates a competitive advantage. Likewise,…

All law firms are different, so what is the best CRM for law firms? Specifically YOUR law firm. Once you realize you need to organize your contacts, pipeline, and business development and marketing activities, you will need to figure out what the best…

When we onboard new clients, one of the questions we ask is if they have a CRM. Some don't know what we are talking about (if this is you, please visit this blog). Most reply with an audible groan. Very few are excited to share…

Public and Media Relations are powerful marketing tools that should be part of any law firm marketing plan.  Our strategies are based upon your needs – one size does not fit all.  So, do you want to be known as an expert in…

Law firms that expand their geographic footprint by opening a new office or acquiring a new firm in another jurisdiction face many challenges.  If opening a new office, are you clear about the benefits to your clients and prospects?  If you acquire a…

We were on a call with a client who was saying how he has to clean up messes that LegalZoom creates for his clients. This is not news to us. We've been hearing for years how LegalZoom is not the be-all-end-all when you…

What is CRM? What is law firm CRM development? It is a tool that attorneys, and even some marketing departments, never use to its full capability. CRM stands for Client Relationship Manager. Most CRM systems are built to ensure that the right clients,…

Every lawyer in private practice needs a business plan. I repeat: every lawyer in private practice needs a business plan. Whether you are a solo lawyer, practice in a small firm, a small cog in a big firm or minion in a practice…

On May 18, 2021, Ed Miller, Managing Member of ESQuisite Marketing, did a presentation for the Meritas North American Marketing Group. In his presentation, After the Fatigue – Business Development for Lawyers?, Miller discussed post-COVID business development strategies and how in-house legal marketers…

Most people think of the shops and restaurants on Main Street when they hear the phrase small business. However, small law firms - and other service firms (like ESQuisite) - are small businesses, too! When we started ESQuisite, it was because we saw…

In this round of attorney marketing tips, we will focus on your website, brand, and the effective use of newsletters or e-newsletters. Of course, these tips need to be adjusted to your style and needs. Website Tips These tips are geared towards small…

In Part III of our Lawyer Marketing Tips, we give some pointers about legal blogs, LinkedIn, and your Google My Business page. Blogging Tips First things first: have clear expectations for your blog. Do you expect it to generate revenue? Or maybe, will…

As consumers, we are surrounded by brands every day. From the Nike swoosh, to the Chipotle pepper, to that woman-like logo at Starbucks, brand images are everywhere. These images are only the visual representation of the brand, but what really matters is the…

In this installment of our marketing tips for attorneys, we will focus on three areas. One, create a time budget for marketing. Two, clearly identify your ideal client. And, three, tips for cause marketing or how to maximize the benefits of your charitable…

Because of what we do, we are always giving marketing tips for lawyers. In fact, I think we have a presentation with the same name. We believe that marketing for lawyers, or any other professional services provider, has some universal themes. The trick…

What is hot in attorney marketing in 2021? Well, with COVID, webinars, Zoom networking and digital marketing seem to be the rage. However, are these activities helpful? Are they paying dividends? We like to say, at least you are moving your arms and…

For those that know us, we are big believers in content marketing for attorneys. And when we discuss content marketing, it is usually in the form of a legal blog. These days, there are tons of “marketing” companies offering direct client leads, promising…

Yay, baseball is back – starting TODAY. I am a huge baseball fan and enjoy watching games at every level. It does not matter if it is the New York Yankees or my son’s Little League team, count me in. With the start…

We often hear from small law firm owners that want to “do marketing.” As we talk, we realize that these small law firm owners are not sure what they want to do. More importantly, they aren't sure what they need to do. Therefore,…

The past year has been an amazing year for the meme community. People are funny. Memes are on point. From highlighting the toilet paper shortage to home school to work from home problems — I’ve been cracking up on the regular. But change…

The beauty of law firm content marketing is that the image of your firm, or you as a professional, is controlled.  Strategic content marketing will increase your SEO, keep you top-of-mind, show that you are involved and educated, and creates a competitive advantage.…

Research shows that half of adults in the United States make New Year's resolutions, but less than 10% keep them for more than a few months. If marketing was on your resolution list, how's it going? Did you make a plan? Are you…

Unfortunately, we have had to be involved in law firm crisis management situations throughout the years. Whether for a law firm, or a law firm's client, we are experienced in dealing with a crisis that may impact the firm's reputation. Or even worse,…

While we offer strategic planning packages for business development, marketing, and succession planning, some firms get jammed up when they need to handle the day-to-day implementation of those plans. The day-to-day often includes legal marketing content, communications, and collateral materials. We can be…

In a world of social distancing, many professionals have adapted to virtual networking and events. For those motivated to do so, they can attend virtual networking events just about every day. This is great way to meet new people and keep in touch…

This blog about legal referrals was originally published last year. In the world of COVID-19, we decided to update it. With social distancing and remote work, it may seem like a reduction in referral building opportunities. So, here is a tip. Research on-line…

I recently read the book, The Referral of a Lifetime, authored by Tim Templeton. For lawyers who want to create an effective referral system, try this book. Its basic premise is that you should inventory your referral network. It suggests creating a list…

Content marketing for lawyers is underutilized in the legal world. So, we've said it and we will say it again. CONTENT IS KING! Why is this saying so popular? And what is content marketing for lawyers? Content marketing isn't about the brand, your…

We recently spoke on legal marketing at the Future Proofing Your Law Firm Online Summit, hosted by  PCLaw | Time Matters™, and one of the questions we received was about building a law firm CRM? We could talk on hours for this, and…

This Halloween, we must avoid vampires, ghouls and ghosts, witches, and a nasty virus. These are indeed scary things. Do you know what, though? Marketing should not scare you. In fact, marketing can be, and should be, fun. In addition, it will pay…

You need marketing help. Whatever reason brought you here, you know you need help. So you Google "marketing agencies near me." Or maybe even "legal marketing agencies near me." There are a few problems with this method. If you are "feeling lucky" as Google…

Please what? Please read on because we have some tips to make small law firm websites more effective. ALERT: none of these tips require a new $50,000 website! In fact, the costs are almost nil. If you pay somebody to make changes to…

2020 has been quite the year. Its has been a hard year. Many days are as painful as watching a New York Giants football game. The 4th quarter is here and thankfully the end is in sight of this peach. Not only is…

This year has been an amazing year for the meme community. People are funny. Memes are on point. From highlighting the toilet paper shortage to home school to work from home problems -- I've been cracking up on the regular. Posts on social…

As we enter Q4 of a year we will all remember for a number of reasons, take a minute to think about what sets you apart from your competitors. Certainly you adapted your client service over the last 6 months. How did you…

When I get a referral or get introduced to a lawyer, the first conversation is filled with skepticism. I have heard phrases such as “I paid $25,000 and got nothing” and “They promised to get me on first page of Google.” There is…

Yay, baseball is back – starting Thursday. I am a huge baseball fan and enjoy watching games at every level. It does not matter if it is the New York Yankees or my son’s Little League team, count me in. With the start…

The Internet, and legal publications, have so much information and articles about the stressful lives of lawyers.  Long hours, firm culture and other stresses can cause lawyers to be unhappy in their jobs.  Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic, social discourse and financial uncertainty have…

Doing ONLY legal marketing for 30 years, this is a simple question to answer. From my perspective, they should know they need it now, and always. That is ideal and naïve. Because what matters is when lawyers know that they need marketing help.…

We were published in Network Magazine. Our article, How do your clients view you? Ask them, discusses the importance of asking clients if they are happy with your services. It is a bad assumption that all is good with your clients. Too often,…

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we celebrated our first anniversary in business. Well, with social distancing and stay-at-home orders, we actually recognized it. Not much celebrating happening now. While we are busier than ever, we also have some time to reflect on how fortunate…

Who is tired of the phrase, The New Normal? Who is tired of watching TV and hearing the talking heads make predictions and proclamations about the new normal? We are tired of it. More importantly, in our world of legal marketing, we see…

I came across this post on New Jersey State Bar Association’s website. As the coronavirus crisis continues, and I am still under stay-at-home orders, I found the post helpful. Combined with my own experience, this blog will highlight a few interesting points of…

I am so proud of so many lawyers and law firms! I have seen more lawyers actively engaging in legal marketing activities since we have been working from home and stepped away from face-to-face marketing. The sheer number of webinars, interviews, articles, and…

We are sure you received a ton of emails from every company that has your email about how to reach them, how they care about their employees, and how they are cleaning their offices. Your clients don't need to know about that -…

Over the weekend, we saw various attempts at marketing during the coronavirus pandemic. We saw a handful of creative, relevant marketing tactics. However, we saw more terrible, salesy, tacky tactics, causing us to really talk through the messaging that is appropriate for us…

We launched ESQuisite Marketing to handle legal marketing in small law firms. Since our launch, we have seen some marketing trends among small law firms. The most glaring, from our viewpoint, is that marketing is not consistent, strategic, or a priority. Of course, this makes sense…

Law firm practice group descriptions need to be written to give your firm a competitive advantage.  The goal should be to have the prospective client feel compelled to hire you over other attorneys. Simply creating a laundry list of what you do in…

Cross-selling in law firms is always a hot topic of discussion.  There is a lot of talk, with little action.  Further, there is even less success.  Why does cross-selling seem like an unsolvable riddle for so many law firms? Obstacles to Cross-Selling The…

Hey Law Firm Marketers – do you ever feel overwhelmed? Like you have a million projects on your desk that are bs and that you want to be more proactive?  Do you wish you had an underling that you could push projects that…

If you are on our mailing list, you know all about our social media contest.  If you are not on our mailing list, what are you doing? Click here and get on it! It's only once a month, so we won't clutter your inbox, and…

Law firm strategic planning is very important.  However, the vast majority of law firms, if even created, fail at the implementation level.  It usually goes something like this… a law firm hires an expensive consultant, or tries strategic planning on their own, creates…

Happy New Year!  In 2020, we suggest that you consider the following marketing ideas for small law firms.  Why?  Because it is a new year and a new decade.  Start it right.  Take some time to review your marketing successes and failures.  Map…

As the holidays are approaching and most of us are too busy to sit for even five minutes, I am sure you are racking up excuses as to why you have no time for legal marketing. #protip - get off of Amazon for…

We often receive phone calls from small law firm owners that want to “do marketing.”  As the conversation progresses, we realize that these small law firm owners are not sure what they want to do.  Nor, are they sure what they need to…

Professional services marketing can be scary words. Where do you start? What is the most effective way to market? How do you budget? Slow down.  With a little planning, some focus, and a straight-forward to-do list, you can handle this. Whether you are…

As law firm marketers, we know that there are times, far too many times, when you want to get to certain projects but just do not have the time or resources.  Looking back on our years of in-house experience, we counted hundreds of…

I recently had the privilege of speaking to a group of attorneys about small law firm marketing.  The title of my presentation was Top 10 Marketing Ideas a Small Law Firm Can Implement Today.  This was particularly rewarding because it was our goal…

Are law firm websites a substitute for networking? Of course not. There will never be a substitute for traditional business development activities like networking, getting referrals through partners, and co-presenting with complementary services firms. In other words, "feet on the street" and referral…

As legal marketing consultants, we will preach that you must think strategically and have marketing plans – blah, blah, blah.  The trouble with marketing plans and firm strategic plans is that much time, energy and money go into creating them.  Then, the plans…

All successful rainmakers invest significant time and energy into marketing and business development.  They are able to create time - it is all part of the job.  For other lawyers, why is it so hard to find time for marketing and business development? …

We have helped many a lawyer build a niche legal practice. The concept of niche marketing is different than marketing a specific practice area or legal specialty. You should think of a niche practice in industry terms or as a very narrow specialty. For…

I am back from vacation - relaxed, refreshed, and thinking about websites.  They are expensive.  Very expensive.  But on my recent trip, where I relied heavily on Google to get me to the websites of restaurants, activities, and other destinations on my vacation,…

There is a war going on in the legal industry.  It is a war for talent, a war to get the right lateral attorney.  So many firms are trying to grow by recruiting established lawyers with big books of business.  Sometimes this is…

Do you see things from the client perspective or your own?  I recently worked with a successful, senior partner at a large law firm. He sought my advice on how to properly follow-up with a prospective client. The prospect was General Counsel at…

We recently met with a prospect and asked him how clients found him. He said other attorneys send him clients, and he advertises in the yellow pages.  We are so glad he contacted us! His story reminded me of an article I read…

Throughout my long career in legal marketing, I cannot count the number of times that I heard, “Joe” is such a good lawyer, how come he cannot get any clients?  These “Joes” are truly excellent at their craft.  They produce first-rate work products…

We preach and preach and preach even more that marketing for lawyers is a simple formula. It goes like this: Reputation + Relationships = Success. When dealing with clients, we always start with the Reputation portion of the equation. And, under this category,…

In helping some of our start-up clients, we really focus on integrating marketing into their administrative procedures.  Here are a few basics to consider before you open your doors.  Or when you decide to integrate a marketing plan: Logo Design Many start-ups do…

Many legal marketers will ask lawyers, “what is your ideal client?” Often, we will hear answers like “Anyone who will pay me.” Or better yet, “I don’t know.” We think it is an important question to answer if you want to have a…

For those lawyers who have the fantastic existence of measuring their lives in 6-minute increments, time is extremely valuable. Attorneys, like most people, have very busy lives. There is legal work obviously, but also non-billable client demands, administrative duties, and personal lives. The…

Graduation is coming!! As law students we know your primary concerns are finishing school, passing the bar, and finding a job. For those going into private practice, one thing that is not taught in law school is the business side of law. Therefore,…

Some law firms have formal attorney mentor programs for young attorneys. These programs usually focus on helping the young lawyer navigate in the internal workings of the firm. As such, the mentors may need to guide the newbie on issues such as billing…

We compiled a bunch of marketing terms of which every lawyer needs to be familiar. Some of the definitions are very technical. If you need clarification, please just ask. Business development = sales Sales = business development Cross-selling = making more money for…

You measure your life in 6-minute increments. How much are seminars worth? So here is the deal. Seminars are not a one-shot-deal. Seminars are door openers. Read - one seminar, two seminars, 10 seminars, do not guarantee you business. The only guarantee from…

Despite the stereotypes and silly jokes, lawyers are leaders in their communities. As such, they sit on boards, run committees, offer pro bono legal services, donate money, and volunteer precious (read: billable) time. Many lawyers do not view their charitable efforts as marketing. …

There is a trend of lawyers in their prime earning years leaving their existing firms to set up their own firms, or moving to another firm where the grass is (hopefully) greener. This is, in part, because many baby boomers are not transitioning…

We know that attorneys did not go to law school to become “sales people.” At least that is what we have been told at least 4 billion times. Okay, that is an exaggeration, but we have heard it quite often. Of course, lawyers…

Do you read blogs and social media?  Do you have a Facebook, LinkedIn, Insta, or Twitter? If you haven't and don't, then stop reading. This blog will be lost on you - but please forward it to the younger attorneys that you know,…

Why a marketing coach? We have attended educational programs that focused on attorney marketing and business development topics. While these sessions are informative, the ideas never seem to stick or get implemented. And, we are just marketing people. So, if we cannot implement…

We have built successful lawyer blogs. However, before we will start creating the blog, we question the attorney about what he or she expects from the blog. Is the blog expected to generate revenue? Do you want to position yourself as a thought…

Legal referrals are the life blood to any successful law practice. Where does your business come from? Do you know? Do you track it? If not, start immediately. A strong network of referral sources can create an endless line of new business. It…

Do you have a unique lawyer personal brand? As consumers, we are surrounded by brands every day. From the Nike swoosh, to the Chipotle pepper, to that woman-like logo at Starbucks, brand images are everywhere. These images are only the visual representation of…

To ESQuisite Marketing, the answer is simple. For our clients, the media is a friend. Why do we say this? Because we know that reporters can be extremely helpful with a lawyer’s marketing activities. Most reporters are very honest. They are doing their…

Is it true that only extroverted attorneys can get clients?  Not true! The selling of legal services is often painful for lawyers. The two main reasons for the pain are a lack of sales training and a misunderstanding of business development. Obviously, business…

Lawyers and law firms love buying event tables and sponsorships. Well, maybe they do not love to buy tables but still do, nonetheless. Table sponsorships are bought for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, a table is bought to support a bar association event,…

Today is a great day! The ESQuisite marketing kit will give you the tools you need to map out your marketing plan for your law practice. And, our blog has a ton of resources to keep you motivated! Have questions? Reach out! We love to talk…