Marketing is not just smoke and mirrors

If, like me, you are a key decision maker within
a legal practice, you’ll
be all too familiar with approaches from marketing
and PR agencies, website designers, and print houses,
all keen to win your business.

The UK legal services industry is currently worth close to
£30bn – a most attractive market. Having been in practice for over 45 years, I have witnessed
the turning of the tide within
the profession from quiet conservativism to today, where firms actively compete to draw attention to services. Terms such as ‘SEO’ and ’direct marketing’, which once seemed arcane, are now familiar.

The unprecedented financial challenges facing firms in recent years have placed the bottom line under scrutiny like never before. Many firms have questioned whether they can justify their marketing spend. In other consumer areas, such as retail and manufacturing, the application of sound marketing strategies has yielded a real surge in turnover and value. Those same techniques can also reap rewards within the legal services sector.

The challenge for firms –
and for our marketing support – is that legal services offer little
by way of differentiation and standing out in a crowded marketplace. The arrival of big non-legal names has helped to focus minds on the key issue
of branding, as the power of
the client as consumer has
taken hold.

When I was a young lawyer,
the accepted way to build up
a firm was by establishing
and protecting your personal professional reputation and developing a contacts base.

Times change, and now tradition blends with innovation. New channels of acquisition are emerging, as we evolve from traditional models of business development and client relationship management to incorporate modern techniques such as video, television advertising, social media platforms, and e-commerce.

I think it only fitting that we now look to marketing in the same way our clients look to
us and our expertise.

As an industry, we can be slow to adapt and adopt. In today’s intense, technologically driven market, there are real benefits
for those who can embrace change wisely.

I took a leap of faith and placed my trust in marketing, opening new channels to the market,
with the result that our practice has experienced year-on-year growth. Good, effective, and thorough marketing is not just smoke and mirrors.

As with any major investment, prudence is the watchword.
Do your research. Has the marketing agency got a proven track record of achievement? Is it a good ‘fit’ for your firm in terms of style, approach, and outlook?
How rigorous are its methods? Do they bear scrutiny? Will they match your own standards?
Can you see the partnership developing beneficially over time? And, will its services represent value for money?

Just as clients seek the best result from their legal advisers,
so law firms should expect marketing initiatives to deliver the same. If they don’t, then
cut your losses, manage expectations, and learn from
the experience. Sitting on your
hands is not the answer. SJ

David Kirwan is senior partner at Kirwans