5 Cool Marketing Ideas for Lawyers

Giving out swag and using traditional advertising methods may not be a big driver of clients for most lawyers (or any industry really), but some of the cooler marketing ideas can actually help drive business. That is, if you do it right.
Below are five cool marketing ideas to help your firm get some positive exposure.
Sponsor a Local Sport Team
People love free t-shirts, but the problem with free t-shirts is that they might get worn once or twice, and then tossed, donated, or used as a rag. Instead, if you sponsor a local recreation league sports team, you can basically make sure those free t-shirts with your firm's name on them are actually worn and seen (and if they look cool, there's a good chance they'll get worn beyond just the first season). And if you're smart about it, you'll sponsor a team that will give you some exposure into your target market. For example, an estates practice might consider sponsoring a bowling team in a seniors' league.
Give Back to the Community
Doing charity work and volunteering on behalf of your firm is a great way for your firm to get exposure in community. Just about any attorney in a consumer facing practice area can benefit from the networking that gets done while volunteering. Additionally, if you have staff and there's a community event, offering your staff to work the event (you pay them as normal, but they work the event, rather than their normal day) is another good way to make inroads in a community. Just make sure everyone wears those t-shirts you made with your firm's branding.
Sponsor a Niche Website
If your practice area is specialized, you can bet your collection of vintage board games that there's a website of enthusiasts dedicated to it. Often car clubs, or other clubs, will have websites that allow advertising. Some sites, particularly the more localized ones, might be willing to allow a company, or law firm, to sponsor the group's website. A good example of this could involve an accident attorney sponsoring a local motorcycling website/forum.
Start a Blog
Blogging may not be nothing new, but it is effective and an excellent way to show off your own personality and the personalities of others at the firm. Contrary to what you might believe, there is no requirement that your law firm's blog be boring and only discuss "legal" issues.
Get a Mascot
While you probably don't want to hire a Gritty-type mascot, you might want to consider getting a dog or other animal that can come into the office and have a social media profile that promotes the firm. Businesses that rescue an animal from a local shelter are sure to win extra points in the social media world.
Have an open position at your law firm? Post the job for free on Indeed, or search local candidate resumes.
Related Resources:
- 3 Tips to Avoid Legal Marketing Mishaps (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 5 Top Tips for Taking Your Legal Marketing to the Next Level (FindLaw's Strategist)
- How to Be a Happy Lawyer (FindLaw's Strategist)
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