5 Unintended Marketing Techniques

As a solo attorney, I understand the importance of marketing. I am also not a big fan of marketing in the traditional sense. I don’t really enjoy making videos and social media posts. I am an introvert, so I am not a huge fan of crowded (pre-Covid) networking events.

Marketing is a necessary evil, so how do I do it? I found over the years that I have been doing what I like to call “passive marketing”. I have been doing things that I enjoy or that are otherwise innocuous and they have turned into unintended promotion for me and my firm.

• Join something

In high school I loved being a part of every club I could. I like being able to socialize with people who share my interests. As a lawyer I still do. There are several committees, boards, and volunteer opportunities that one can be in. Whether it is through the state bar, a county bar, or even something that has nothing to do with the law. I have met so many people through these activities and this has led to business. People get to know you, like you (hopefully), and they refer to you. It also leads to other opportunities such as speaking events and interviews which creates more promotion.

• Write something

I enjoy writing, always have. If you have something to share write it out. You can send it to your local bar association or just put it on a blog. I’m not talking about law review quality, it can be simple besides your target audience probably has zero interest in a bunch of research, data, and case law. It does not even have to be law related. Some of my biggest publications have been about lawyer hobbies and ways to be happy practicing law. I was able to write about something that interest me, meet new people, and market myself.

• Say something

I rarely turn down a chance to speak. I enjoy sharing knowledge and I realized it is great marketing. If no one is contacting you to speak reach out to groups or organizations that you want to speak to and offer your services. Not sure where to start? Many libraries or community centers have speaker series.

• Get a Email footer

Seems like a strange thing but a good email footer gets attention. You probably send hundreds of emails a week. Every time you send one is an opportunity to promote your business. I get several emails back just mentioning my footer. People remember it and refer to people to you because they remember what you do. Here is what I use: https://www.mail-signatures.com/.

• Actually Use LinkedIn

Like many I rarely used LinkedIn. I honestly still don’t use it as I should but what I have noticed is that when I post to LinkedIn I get way more attention than other social media channels (yes, LinkedIn is social media). Even if you don’t use other platforms chances are you have a LinkedIn. The great thing about it is that you probably have a good amount of people on there you have connected with. When you post it gets seen by a lot of people outside your network and that is a good thing unintended consequence.