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Many years ago when I was a law firm marketing director, I realized the need to summarize and synthesize best marketing practices for lawyers. Thus, The Four Pillars of Marketing ™ concept was born. So what are The Four Pillars of Marketing and how can they help guide your marketing efforts? The Four Pillars of Marketing provide a construct within which to develop your marketing plan. The Pillars acknowledge how important it is to retain and grow your best relationships while also proactively developing new business, increasing your name recognition in the marketplace, and pursuing targeted communications. This post will discuss specific tactics under each of The Four Pillars of Marketing so you can develop a balanced and effective marketing plan.
Pillar I – Retain and Grow Existing Relationships
This pillar is about leveraging the relationships you already have. It also includes the concept of how important it is to run your practice like a business. You can read more here, You are the CEO of your Practice: Now Act Like an Entrepreneur. You can also watch our free webinar on the same topic. Think about how you assess and measure client satisfaction. You know a very large percentage of your clients have been referred to you by satisfied clients, so it’s important to make your client satisfaction and client service practices a priority. Also, Pillar I is where you set goals surrounding how best to leverage your current referral sources. You can find more Pillar I activities here.
Pillar II – New Business Development
Did you go to law school to become a sales person? You may say NO WAY! But the truth is that in order to be successful in private practice, you need to feel comfortable in a sales role. The good news is that the very best sales technique for lawyers is to ask questions – good questions that help you uncover what the real issues are for your clients. Some of the very best business development strategies include networking, targeted business development, and trade and professional association involvement. Each preceding link connects you to an article I wrote on each topic! You might also like to read more about the Difference between Sales and Marketing and why Lawyers need Both.
Pillar III – Increase Name Recognition and Awareness
This is an extremely important step, and today, it’s easier than ever. Some of the best ways to increase your name recognition are to develop great content on a consistent basis and promote that content (including blog posts) on your website, in e-communications, and through social media posts. You can read more about this important pillar here.
Pillar IV – Targeted and Effective Communications
The reason targeted communications are so important is that it gives you the opportunity to provide timely, relevant content to people who could hire or refer you. Targeted communications include the e-database you choose (we like Constant Contact and MailChimp), events you might host for your clients, and, the biggie, the design and content on your website. Read the article I published just a couple of months ago “New Year, New Website,” as well as taking some time to watch our webinar on How to Use your Website to Develop Business.
I hope you take some time to access the links in this blog and remember, we are here to help you. As I always tell my contacts, there is never a fee to brainstorm with me. So take me up on it!
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