Top 10 Tips for Leveraging Your Brand to Build Your Business
“Where do I start?” “How do I find the time?” “What should I focus on?” Those were the top questions at the recent Atlanta Bar presentation Leveraging Your Brand to Grow Your Business. The event, co-hosted by the ACYL, Dispute Resolution, and Women in the Profession Sections took place on May 4th at Nelson Mullins.
Dispute Resolution Section Chair Doug Witten moderated the program. Speakers EJ Stern and Megan Hodgkiss shared their expertise on business development, branding, and content marketing for attorneys. They discussed tools for defining your brand, tips for growing your network, techniques for cultivating your digital presence, and strategies to convert your contacts into clients.
Here’s some of the key pieces of advice that EJ and Megan shared with the group:
Why is a professional brand important? In a saturated market, your brand helps differentiate you from your competitors. It is also an effective tool to tell your story in an approachable and engaging manner.
What should I say in my elevator pitch? As you start putting together your elevator pitch, consider this simple question: What problem are you solving and for whom? Keep your response succinct and aim to create curiosity. A good way to think about your elevator pitch is to consider it as your opening statement. It’s simply a starting point that should lead to additional inquiries.
What types of organizations should I get involved with? The State Bar of Georgia and Atlanta Bar Association websites offer a number of networking groups and opportunities to get involved. In addition, consider organizations and activities that speak to your personal interests. Perhaps you are an avid tennis player, enjoy whiskey, or foster pets. By getting involved in a passion project, you are likely to meet others who share your interests. Finding common ground is the foundation for creating a strong personal or professional relationship.
I want to grow my professional network online, but I’m not sure where to start. Social media is an excellent resource. On Facebook, you can search for groups specific to your practice area, region, or experience level. On LinkedIn, there are countless legal groups and networks available, and most of them are free to join. If you’re stuck for ideas, visit a colleague’s profile or account and see which groups they’re a part of. Be sure to cast a wide net as you look to grow your online network. Consider former colleagues, classmates, and friends. Connect with them and be sure to actively engage with them on and offline. Afterall, you never know where they will end up in the next 5-10 years.
Should I be investing my time and energy in content marketing? Content marketing, along with SEO, can be a powerful marketing strategy for businesses. By regularly writing and publishing quality content, you increase your visibility as well as build authority and trust. You stand out from your competitors and become a resource for educational information.
I’m ready to start tackling my legal marketing. Where should I begin? You should concentrate on 1) updating your website for your potential clients (not your colleagues), 2) building your reputation by blogging, and 3) setting up your law firm’s social media and start sharing. It’s important to be consistent – in your branding, messaging, and the frequency with which you’re sharing content.
Social media seems like it takes up a lot of time. Any efficiency hacks? Yes! Repurpose your content as much as possible. For example, you can turn a magazine article into a blog, then into an infographic, and later, a quote/advice graphic. Repost your evergreen content. Also, there are a number of platforms (ex: Buffer, Hootsuite, Hubspot) that allow you to schedule your posts ahead of time.
How long until I start seeing results with my business development? At its core, business development is all about relationship building, and cultivating trust and building a personal relationship takes time. It often takes 7-10 “touches” before a contact is converted to a client. Why? Because in all likelihood, that business or organization has a long-standing relationship with its existing counsel. Unless they have made a major mistake or face an immediate conflict, it is unlikely that you will waltz off the street, into their office, and land all the work overnight.
I’m an introvert. Does that mean it’ll be difficult to cultivate new professional relationships and business? In business development, one size never fits all. Introverts can be just as successful at generating business if they play to their strengths: one-on-one coffees, inviting clients to more intimate events and activities, and engaging prospects via online marketing endeavors.
How much time should I dedicate to business development? Cultivating new business requires discipline and building a routine. Aim for a minimum of three hours per week dedicated to business development. Start by calendaring one hour each week to create a contact list, follow up with contacts you’ve recently met, send relevant articles to contacts, find organizations to get involved with, share industry developments on LinkedIn, etc. Spend the remaining two hours networking – attending industry events, sharing a meal, or participating in a passion project.
In order to market yourself and grow your network, you must first decide your purpose, value system, and goals – who you want to work with, why, and what problem you are solving for them. You want to be able to stand out from the competition and become a trusted resource, both to your potential clients and to those in your professional circle. For those in the legal field, branding and business development is how you cultivate work. Leveraging a strong brand will help grow your practice as well as your reputation for competence, authority, trust, and professionalism.
This article originally appeared in the June/July issue of The Atlanta Lawyer Magazine