Steal These Ideas!
Here’s a collection of marketing examples with double value. Besides being worthwhile in their own right for their content, they are excellent examples of information-based marketing that may inspire spin-off ideas. To paraphrase Pablo Picasso — “Good law firm marketers copy; great ones steal!”
1. Publish something useful AND cute
This little book titled The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering, by Jim Durham, is a great gimmick. Beyond the worthwhile content — a distillation of Durham’s 20 years on all sides of attorney marketing — the fact that it’s published as a little red book (and not just another Microsoft Word article) makes it harder to ignore, easier to pick up, harder to throw away, and more likely to be read, remembered and passed along. I got my copy from Law Practice Consultants.
2. Publish a free PDF magazine full of useful info
InnovAction magazine, a free PDF downloadable, high quality magazine from the College of Law Practice Management, is a great idea in itself to engage potential members. But what really caught my attention was one bit of advice in one of the articles. Matt Homan of LexThink, Inc. offered in a panel discussion on marketing this “radical proposal: designate this year the ‘Year of the Client.’ For one year, take your firm’s marketing budget and spend it all on client satisfaction instead.” A bit of extreme advice, but right on target. See page 46 of the download for more details on this idea, and read the entire piece for more nuggets.
3. Create and offer proprietary industry information
The Wellesley Hills Group, provider of business development and sales training for professional services, has mastered the art of informational marketing through its web site RainToday.com with its collection of expert content. Recently it offered a report and survey results titled, Deadly Selling Mistakes You Make When Selling Your Services —- And What You Can Do About It. The 20-page PDF report offers original useful information on 10 pages (I recommend it!), and takes advantage of the opportunity of having attracted your attention to promote its related seminars and training tools on the other 10 pages. Whether or not you sign up for the seminars, you’ll remember them and their expertise. Nicely done!
4. Provide a free service as a loss leader
Another great idea to steal (also found in the InnovAction magazine previously mentioned, page 58) is DLA Piper’s Venture Pipeline service. The unit reviews more than 1,000 business plans a year and offers feedback and advice and refers the best of them to venture capitals. The kicker? There is no fee for the service. According to the article, “the paypack comes in the form of business development for the parent firm.”
5. Think viral
This really has nothing to do with law firms, but it really has nothing to do with anything. A band called okgo has risen out of relative obscurity by creating an extremely unique synchronized treadmill video. The highly contagious viral is making the rounds on the internet via YouTube and now okgo is a top selling album on iTunes and elsewhere. How might virals work for you?
