What’s in your business plan: Form of Ownership

 
How your firm is organized will be a deciding factor in how you make many of the decisions for your firm. Are there managing partners that need to be on board or are you the sole decisionmaker? One advantage to having partners is that, once a consensus is reached, there are more people working to make the plan successful. Of course, the hard part is getting all of them to agree in the first place.

Building your practice with public relations

 
In the past, public relations was primarily the exclusive realm of a few professionals who’d spent years building relationships with editors and journalists.

Those relationships are still valuable, but the Internet has had a huge impact on how businesses promote themselves. Along with traditional channels, there are blogs (web logs) and blawgs (web logs for lawyers), social networking sites and virtual worlds.

If your content is compelling enough, you – and your firm – can become a reliable source of information to the multitude of providers looking for content. Of course, there’s a downside. Spend too much time doing PR and you’ll end up without enough billable hours to stay in business.

You’ll probably be better off working with a public relations professional than trying to do it yourself. They already have the network in place to promote your firm and can help you develop the programs and content that will be the most successful.

Creating, implementing and consistently adhering to your brand is worth the effort

 
One of the things that can be very difficult to fully grasp is how profoundly the brand you create can permeate every area of your practice. Ideally you want to create a total experience for your clients and prospects, where everything that happens to them reinforces your brand, your firm’s values and expertise.

Disney theme parks are an exceptional example of how this can work. From the moment you enter the park, everything is managed to create the ultimate experience. There’s a very good reason Disneyland is called the “Magic Kingdom.”

When you view branding as the vehicle to manage the total experience of your clients, you will become aware of how you – and each member of your firm – can act consistently with your core values to find, acquire and retain satisfied clients.

Selecting the right advertising medium: Yellow Pages Update

 
In a recent post, I touched on the role of yellow pages directory advertising as part of a comprehensive advertising plan. While those comments are still applicable, the yellow pages themselves are changing to remain competitive in the digital age.

“Yellow Pages Making Quick Shift Online, Says Report,” by Douglas Quenqua for The ClickZ Network reviews “Say Goodbye to Yellow Pages: Sales Staffs Retool for the Shift,” produced by Borrell Associates.

In essence, print directories’ profitability is declining as consumers shift to online resources for information traditionally found in those directories. At the same time, the report predicts “a healthy future for yellow pages publishers” if they can successfully make the shift to digital media.

What does this mean for law firms?

First, if yellow pages directories are going digital, is there anyone left who hasn’t made the change? For the most part, they’ve been the least tech-oriented medium available. So, their switch to digital is a word to the wise: A substantial online presence is essential for attracting new clients.

Second, directory ad packages – which will now include an online presence – can be much less expensive than other media. If you have a limited advertising budget, your yellow pages rep can probably set you up with a cost-effective option.

Finally, as Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates observed, “No new medium has ever come along and just killed off another one; it’s always just transformed them. TV came along and transformed radio from a prime-time medium to a drive-time one. And now the Internet is doing it to yellow pages.”

To stay competitive, your marketing and advertising plans should evolve to take advantage of new technologies, as well as using traditional media when they support your business objectives.

Creating Your Brand Using the Five Senses

 
There are only five ways you can communicate your brand to others – the five senses – unless you’re psychic and then you have six. Some, such as sight and hearing, work better than others. The essence of your brand should be anything that’s unique and triggers the image of your brand in the prospect’s mind. And, of course, the more senses you can logically incorporate into your brand, the more powerful and memorable your image will be.

Sight

Logos are one of the ways most frequently used to communicate a brand. While they are very common in consumer advertising, they are seen much less frequently in the legal market. More often, the firm name will be a list of partners and that, combined with the challenges of creating a simple graphic to clearly communicate the complexity of a law firm’s services, can make logo development a daunting task.

That’s not to say it can’t be done. If there’s a compelling image that represents the values of your firm, use it. It will be far more recognizable and memorable than a long list of partners’ names.

More practical is the use of specific colors, typefaces and other images to differentiate your firm from others. These elements can be integrated into signage, letterhead, business cards, websites and printed materials to create a cohesive look that promotes the brand.

Clothing can say a lot about your brand as well. Casual attire and a backpack for your laptop convey a much different image than an expensive suit and briefcase. Which is best for your firm depends on the brand you develop and how you want to be perceived.

Sound

While not as all-encompassing as sight, sound can contribute greatly to establishing your brand. A consistent voice used in advertising, client and prospect presentations or video clips on your website will resonate with your prospects, as will background music. Hip and fast-paced, calm and soothing, or anything in between – the choice is up to you.

Touch

Rich leather furniture and conservative decor convey a much different image than does a high-tech industrial office. And, although sight is the primary sense involved, touch plays a role as well. The feel of your collateral materials – for example, choice of paper stock - should be considered as well and should be consistent with the other elements of your brand. Again, there is no right or wrong choice, just what is most consistent.

Smell

Smell is said to be the most primal of all our senses. And, while most law firms aren’t too concerned about the firm “smell,” it does have a place, even if it’s only the absence of a particular smell like the garbage can in the break room or someone’s overly strong perfume.

Taste

Frankly, if you’re concerned about taste as an aspect of your firm’s brand identity, you’re probably stretching. But a bowl of M&Ms in the waiting room communicates a much different image than fresh fruit and imported bottled water, so it’s something to think about.

A comprehensive branding program will consider all the ways in which your firm interacts with clients, prospects and the community and should consistently communicate your brand message and values as effectively as possible.