Tips Tuesday: Demystifying Marketing

Marketing yourself as a legal professional can be difficult. Some take an active approach, while others do little to no marketing at all. In the legal profession, marketing and advertising is always constrained by the parameters set by our law societies as to what we can and cannot say, which further exacerbates the problem.

One way that I market myself is through indirect marketing in my community. Creating connections through networking is great, but finding ways to get into a setting where others can see qualities, beyond being a good networker, that may translate into the type of lawyer you are or the quality of work that you do is key. For instance, I am an avid volunteer on not-for-profit boards and committees. This type of work has allowed me to do various kinds of board work, which tend to call for transferable skills that I use in my legal work. This has resulted in numerous opportunities for legal work because although the individuals I interact with regularly may not be in need of a lawyer immediately, this approach helps to keep me top of mind when they, or someone they know, does.

Illustrating that you are a great volunteer who does what they say they’re going to do; speaks up and offers insight around the boardroom table; and when assisting with any sort of written work demonstrates strong writing and analytical skills will go a long way into building a great reputation for yourself. This approach is definitely a marathon, rather than a sprint, but in my opinion will help build lasting connections and result in better quality work than traditional advertising.

-Charlene Scheffelmair (@cscheffy11)