Professional Services Accounting ARTICLE -
5 low-cost ways to market your practice

Target Audience: Legal Professionals, Professional Service Firms, Law Firm Partners

In a weak economy, marketing is more important than ever. But your law firm also may be concerned about spending in this area. Here are five low-cost — but effective — ways to market your firm:

1. Speak at lunch-and-learns. Many employers are looking at “lunch-and-learns” (training sessions scheduled over the lunch hour) as cost-effective ways to provide continuing education to their employees. Offering to speak for free at such an event can be an excellent way to establish yourself as a legal expert and build relationships with both the employer and employees.
2. Become a member of the media. This doesn’t mean a career change but rather participating in activities such as serving as a regular guest discussing legal issues of the day on your local talk-radio station, writing a legal column for your local newspaper, or offering your services as a legal expert if a news crew needs a soundbite on a certain issue. All offer opportunities to establish yourself as a legal expert in the community and reach a wider audience than is possible with most other marketing activities.
3. Participate in e-mail discussion groups. Members of such groups can post questions or comments that are automatically e-mailed to the rest of the group, and other members can then respond. By posting your own comments or responding to those of others, again you can establish yourself as an expert and build relationships. Look beyond law-related groups. For example, if you’d like to bring in more construction clients, join a contractors’ discussion group online or start your own blog about it.
4. Donate books and magazines. Hospitals, nursing homes and other community organizations are always in need of books and magazines. Such gifts are relatively inexpensive, and by marking them with your firm’s name and logo you can generate goodwill for your firm every time someone picks up one of the publications. Or consider taking this strategy one step further by sponsoring a book drive for your school district or library.
5. Rethink holiday cards. Instead of mailing out the usual “Season’s Greetings” cards in December, send out cards in mid-November. Your cards will make a greater impact because they’ll likely be the first ones to reach your clients rather than being buried in a pile of other holiday cards. You can use Thanksgiving as the reason behind your thank-yous to clients. For maximum impact, include a brief, personalized, handwritten note.

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