If you’re looking to grow your law firm’s business and get new clients, an effective marketing strategy is a must. If you’ve bought into some of the common beliefs about law firm marketing, you may think that the strategies that work for other types of businesses won’t work for your practice. In this article, we discuss 5 beliefs about law firm marketing that could be hurting your business.

1. You have to have a big budget. Not true.

Of course you will need to devote some resources to your marketing strategy, but your budget doesn’t have to be as big as you may believe. The first step is to develop a budget that matches your firm’s marketing goals to ensure that you are spending your resources wisely.

One of the best ways to market your law firm is by providing great customer service — that is, spend money on good clients. By going the extra mile to ensure that your client feels appreciated, you increase the likelihood that they will come to you again when they need legal services, and just as importantly, you can leverage one of the most effective marketing methods, word-of-mouth advertising, by improving your chances of getting a referral.

Being active in your community is another low-cost way of increasing brand recognition. Even a charitable donation can be a marketing technique since most charities publish a list of donors. To increase your visibility, make one large donation rather than several small donations. That way you are likely to be flagged by the charity as a top donor, earning a more prominent spot on the donor list.

2. You must use all available marketing strategies. False.

The only marketing strategies you need to use are the ones that are specific to your target audience. Ensure that you understand your client persona. Identify your market’s demographics and what their primary legal issue is likely to be, then develop a strategy to reach out to them with marketing techniques that will enable them to make an informed decision. Your marketing strategy should make it clear how your law firm can meet their needs.

3. Your campaign must include a big endorsement or influencer. Wrong.

What your target market needs to know is how your law firm can address the specific issue they have. To do that, your campaign doesn’t need an endorsement or influencer; rather, it needs to be personal.

4. Law firm marketing has to be serious or general due to the legal nature of its work. Incorrect.

Of course, ethics is important for law firms and must be a part of their marketing strategy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be personal and focused on the target audience. In fact, law firm marketing can be fun. Winston & Strawn uses very short but eye-catching alerts to provide readers with information on recent decisions or rule changes. Levenfeld Pearlstein connects with clients on a personal level by producing short videos with a panel of lawyers, office staff, and clients answering one question. A recent example is “What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?” The Howard Law Group uses bold, straightforward, and honest language in their marketing to highlight their success in the courtroom.

5. Technology enables you to do all your marketing on your own. Untrue.

Ain’t nobody got time for that! Do you really have the resources, training, and time to do all your own marketing? More importantly, can you do it effectively? Zimmer Radio, Inc. is your professional partner for Joplin radio advertising and has the creativity, expertise, and professionalism to help you develop a marketing plan that works.

Don’t let the myths about law firm marketing hurt the success of your practice. Legal marketing requires some resources, but by matching your strategy to your goals, you can ensure that you are spending those resources wisely, reaching your target market, and using techniques that help prospective clients remember your firm when they have a legal issue.