Don't Overlook Your Most Valuable Asset: Your Law Firm Brand
How do you set yourself and your firm apart from others? Your skill and expertise, yes. Your reputation as a trusted adviser, of course. But how is a potential client supposed to pick you out from all the other skilled, trusted attorneys?
Your brand. We know, you aren't selling cereal, electronics, or home goods. But a brand is much more than just packaging logos and commercial jingles. A full brand strategy is an essential marketing tool, especially for law firms, as shown in FindLaw's newest white paper, "Marginalizing Your Most Valuable Asset: What Attorneys Don't Understand About Brands."
Branding Matters for Law Firms
Most attorneys believe branding stops at the design stage, according to FindLaw consumer research. In fact, branding goes far beyond the design of your firm logo or website, as the white paper points out.
Take for example, branded searches. Imagine a future client researching potential representation for their medical malpractice case. Would you rather they simply search "malpractice attorney" or for the name of your firm? The latter, of course. Potential clients who come to your website through a branded search are almost twice as likely to contact the firm as those who come from more generic searches. How do you get them to search for you specifically? Building your brand.
How to Build a Brand
FindLaw's white paper can help set you on the path to building a strong brand. The paper walks attorneys through the process of brand creation and promotion, step by step. This is a process that involves everything from determining your brand essence to positioning your brand in the marketplace.
Part of determining your brand essence is developing a vision for your firm. Take, for example, a small town family law firm. Such a firm could define itself as "the best family law practitioners in the area," or "fierce and effective advocates with years of experience." That may be true, but it's terribly generic. Instead, highlight a vision which emphasizes more unique characteristics and perspectives, such as "protecting clients' children, finances, and reputation during a divorce."
That's step one. You can download the white paper in full to find out the others. Or, if you'd like even more help building your brand, contact the experts at FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing.
Related Resources:
- Branding Is the Heart of Your Marketing Message (ABA Law Practice)
- The 10 Strongest Law Firm Brands: Lessons for Small Firms, Solos (FindLaw's Strategist)
- What the Heck Is a 'Brand'? Here's What Lawyers Need to Know (FindLaw's Strategist)
- Branding 101: How to Build a Brand Image for Your Law Practice (FindLaw's Strategist)