I’m not going to tell you that marketing is easy. It isn’t. It takes focus and consistency and hard work, and you often have to do things you don’t want to do. So, no, it’s not easy. But. compared to the way it was when I opened my law practice decades ago (cue “old man” rant), it is almost laughingly easier.
When I opened my first office, I had very few clients, very little experience, and very little money. I used what I had available—time and the need to pay my rent—and did everything I could think of to bring in business.
One thing I did was volunteer several hours a week at a legal clinic. I actually got some clients that way, but most of them were as broke as I was, so while this gave me some valuable experience speaking with prospective clients, it generated little income. Eventually, I got a few cases and some paying clients, but I survived mostly on savings.
I knew I needed to focus on marketing, but my options were limited.
As soon as I could afford it, I advertised in the Yellow Pages. I did some networking but hated it and wasn’t very good at it (and I was very young and looked it). That left referrals, which became my favorite strategy.
It took years, and I struggled mightily, but eventually. I made it.
It’s much easier today because the opportunities for building a practice are unlimited.
- Social media provides you with free access to prospective clients and people who can refer them, and you can connect with them without getting up from your sofa or going to a single networking event.
- YouTube, podcasting channels, and other portals looking for content allow you to get your name and face or voice in front of your target market and show them how you can help them. Medium, Substack, and other platforms not only give you exposure without asking you to pay for it, some of them actually pay you.
- You can post articles on a (WordPress) blog, or get exposure by guest posting on others’ blogs, or be interviewed on their channel, allowing prospective clients to find you and get to “know” you before they ever speak to you.
- Search engines weren’t a thing back then. Today, that’s how most clients find attorneys.
- You can use Amazon KDP to self-publish a book, which can build your reputation and generate targeted leads from prospective clients.
- You can build an email list and continually follow-up with everyone who expresses interest in something you said or wrote.
- Referrals are more plentiful today because clients and professionals don’t have to actually know you to refer you; they can share your website or blog or article, recommend your book, or tell someone they heard you interviewed and thought you had some good things to say.
- And the list goes on.
You don’t need a big budget for advertising or to hire marketing consultants—you can tap into everything that’s available today, at little or no cost, without putting in years building your reputation.
Yes, there is more competition today, but there are so many more opportunities to bring in business, if you’re willing to put in a bit of effort, it almost doesn’t matter how much competition there is.
You have unlimited potential today and can be as successful as you want to be, without breaking the bank—or your back.
Of course, that also means you have no excuse for not being as successful as you want to be.
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