Law Practice Management

• Jurisdiction: United States,Federal
• Citation: Vol. 28 No. 4 Pg. 0052
• Pages: 0052
• Publication year: 2023

Law Practice Management Vol. 28 No. 4 Pg. 52 Georgia Bar Journal February, 2023

Better Clients Are a Compelling Brand Away

Creating your authentic brand is the foundation of a strong marketing strategy that consistently puts you in front of ideal clients.

BY NKOYO-ENE R. EFFIONG

It is the second month of 2023, are you attracting the type of clients you want?

If your answer is no, it might be time to revisit your law firm branding.

There are more than 1.3 million active lawyers practicing in the United States alone. As of October 2022, there are more than 40,000 active members in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia–the lion's share of whom are practicing in some capacity. How will your ideal client know that you are the right attorney for them in a sea of seemingly similar lawyers and law firms?

Branding.

We are not just talking about your business cards, logo or color schemes. We are talking about the personality of your law practice. The feeling legal consumers get when they interact with your marketing, enter your (virtual) office and otherwise engage with your company. Branding is the process of creating a distinct identity for your business in the mind of consumers. Without a strong brand, it is hard to attract the right clients and nearly impossible to stand out in a crowded market.

So how do you build a strong brand?

1 Get introspective.

Creating an enduring brand requires you to reflect on the reason you are running your own law practice in the first place. Why are you practicing law (beyond needing to repay your student loans)? What is your unique take on the practice of law? What do you want to accomplish with your own firm that you could not working for another law firm? What values or principles guide your work? What does your firm stand for and what makes it unique?

Questions like this will help you identify your brand promise (consistent customer experience), your values (how you do business, with who and for whom) and your brand story (the compelling narrative about your company and how it helps clients).

2 Be picky about who you represent.

One of the biggest mistakes attorneys make while growing their firms is not knowing who they (want to) serve. Spoiler alert–anyone with a legal problem who can pay your fee is not a target audience. If you want more of your dream clients, you have to define your target audience. A target audience is a specific group of consumers who are most...