The Four Pillars of Marketing™

So what are The 4Ps of Marketing? The Four Pillars provide the construct for lawyers to use as they seek to develop and implement a marketing plan that will cover all the most important elements and best practices for lawyers. It’s not enough to just write articles, or just attend networking events. The 4Ps of Marketing will provide a structure for you to make sure you are touching a host of marketing best practices for lawyers.

My goal as a consultant and coach to lawyers is to boil “all of this marketing stuff” down into categories and tasks that make sense to you and, most importantly, are manageable. I know that you don’t have a lot of time and likely feel consistent pressure to bill hours and deliver legal services. That said, it is equally important for you to make the time to keep your marketing efforts moving forward.

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.

Pillar I – Retain and Grow Existing Relationships

Before you launch into meeting new people, first leverage the best of what you have. I like to consider this the most important pillar. As you know, a significant portion of next year’s revenue will come from your existing clients, contacts, and referral sources. These activities make sure you are acknowledging and building upon your best current relationships. Consider your efforts in the following areas:

• Client Satisfaction – Administer a web-based “end-of-case” or “end-of-matter” survey to keep your finger on the pulse of client satisfaction.
• Client Service – Read The E-Myth Attorney, by Michael E. Gerber and develop systems and processes to run your practice.
• Cross-Marketing – Create a spreadsheet to ensure you are fully serving your existing clients (Client names in rows and services as column heads).
• Referral Source Development – Review a list of your clients over the past two years. Who referred those clients to you? Create a list of your best referral sources and schedule coffee or lunch.

Pillar II – New Business Development

I know you didn’t go to law school to become a sales person, but developing new business is and will continue to be the lifeblood of your practice. Developing new business will keep you in new clients now and into the future. You should have a steady stream of new clients – not just new cases or matters for existing clients. A minimum of 30% of your revenue each year should come from new business. To do this, you should commit to:

• Networking – Identify your top clients, prospective clients, and referral sources. Weave relationship building throughout the fabric of your practice and stay in touch with your best contacts.
• Targeted Business Development – Think about what your best clients have in common, then identify companies or referral sources who interact with these groups every day. Identify creative ways in which to get in front of these groups.
• Market Research – Before you meet with a new person, take the time to review their LinkedIn profile (see if you have contacts in common with them), read their website, do a Google search for their name. Even basic research like this will allow you to ask brilliant questions and find out what you might have in common.
• Trade and Professional Association Involvement – Join an association that attracts your best clients or referral sources. Attend meetings, write for their publication, speak at their monthly or quarterly meetings.

Pillar III – Increase Name Recognition and Awareness

With blogging and social media, keeping your name recognition high is easier than ever. If people don’t know who you are because of low name recognition in the marketplace, it will be a LOT harder to build your practice. Since the inception of LinkedIn in 2007, the process of developing and maintaining high name recognition has skyrocketed. It’s easier now than ever to keep your name recognition high. Consider these ideas:

• Social Media – Never stop connecting with people you know on LinkedIn. If you come across something interesting or just published a blog, post it on your profile. Make social media part of your daily life – not just something you do if you ever have the time.
• Branding – Take a look at your brand (website, materials, letterhead, how your dress). Would you hire you? Make sure you not only look the part of a successful lawyer, but that your website and materials convey the class and sophistication you bring to your clients.
• Public Relations – Tap into the third-party credibility of the media. Watch for the reporters who cover stories in your area(s) and reach out to them with your thoughts, comments, and other related story ideas.
• Community Involvement – Consider serving on a non-profit board. Your fellow board members will see the commitment you have and will assume you are also a diligent and thoughtful lawyer.

Pillar IV – Measure Return on Investment (ROI)

As a law firm, it’s essential to ensure that your marketing efforts are providing a positive return on investment (ROI). However, measuring the ROI of marketing can be challenging due to its intangible nature. At PSM, we understand this challenge and have identified numerous ways to measure the ROI of marketing efforts. We stress the importance of having metrics in place to track success and provide guidance to clients on selecting the most effective metrics for their specific business goals.

We have written a blog post titled “How to Measure the ROI of Your Law Firm’s Marketing Efforts,” which offers practical information and tips on measuring marketing ROI. In this post, we highlight various tools that we regularly use to measure marketing ROI, including website analytics, conversion tracking, social media engagement, and client feedback surveys.

Our team of marketing experts also helps law firms develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that aligns with their goals and tracks the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns using the selected metrics. By tracking and analyzing marketing ROI, law firms can better understand their target audience, optimize their marketing efforts, and ultimately, increase their revenue. Contact us to learn how we can help your law firm measure and improve its marketing ROI.

By having a basic understanding of The 4Ps of Marketing, you will ensure your marketing strategy is balanced and that it will produce the results you need. Consider The Four Pillars of Marketing as your checklist to ensure you attract the highest quality clients.

By Terrie S. Wheeler |

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 4Ps of Marketing™ concept was born. So what are The 4Ps 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 4Ps 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. Measure Return on Investment (ROI)

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of marketing efforts is crucial for businesses to ensure they’re spending their resources effectively. However, marketing can be challenging to measure due to its intangible nature. At PSM, we understand this challenge and have identified numerous ways to measure the ROI of marketing efforts. We emphasize the importance of having metrics in place to track success and provide guidance to clients on selecting the most effective metrics for their specific business goals.

To help clients with this task, we have created a blog post titled “How to Measure the ROI of Your Marketing Efforts,” which provides useful information and tips on measuring marketing ROI. In this post, we outline various tools that we regularly use to measure marketing ROI, including website analytics, conversion tracking, social media engagement, and customer feedback surveys.

Our team also helps clients develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that aligns with their goals and tracks the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns using the selected metrics. We believe that by tracking and analyzing marketing ROI, businesses can better understand their target audience, optimize their marketing efforts, and ultimately, increase their bottom line.