When we talk about marketing legal services we say that clients hire and make referrals to lawyers they “know, like, and trust”. Of the three, “know” is the most important.
Trust is essential of course, but not that difficult to obtain. Most people give you the benefit of the doubt regarding your competency and trustworthiness, until you do something to show them why that trust is misplaced.
The biggest factor in your success is familiarity. The more people who know you, or at least recognize your name, the more fruitful will be your marketing and successful will be your career.
In fact, familiarity is what causes most people to give you the benefit of the doubt. Familiarity builds trust. That’s why incumbents are almost always re-elected.
Studies show that the number one factor in email open rates isn’t the subject; that’s number two. The number one factor is the sender’s name. Make sure your emails come from you, not your firm.
Familiarity also means keeping in touch with subscribers and followers on a frequent basis. A short email once a week is much better than a detailed white paper once a year.
Does your firm have a website? That’s fine. Make sure you also have one for yourself (and promote that one).
Your primary objective in marketing your legal services is to get as many people in your target market to know your name.
It’s not about how many people you know; it’s about how many people know you.
How to get more clients online
