There’s no denying that the legal industry is a competitive space. And personal branding is becoming a must-have for lawyers who are looking to attract new clients, build lasting client-relationships, and distinguish themselves from their competition.
This article gives you a brief introduction to personal branding for lawyers, offering insights for those who want to develop their unique identity and establish a niche for themselves.
Building your personal brand
Building a brand is not just for businesses, and it’s more than choosing a logo or colour scheme. For lawyers, your personal brand encompasses your individual style, the way you communicate, and how others perceive you.
Remember, your brand is essentially your personality when it comes to marketing yourself and it’s an incredibly helpful tool to set yourself apart from your competition. Building a solid brand can take time, but it all starts with a bit of introspection. Some questions to ask yourself include:
- Who am I as a lawyer? What are my core values and mission?
- Who do I work for? Who’s my ideal client and what are their needs?
- What makes me unique or exceptional? What am I doing that no other lawyer is?
Once you’ve got a good understanding of the basics, you can start to shape your personal brand into tangible elements, such as:
- Your visual identity, which could include your headshot, imagery that you use, and social media templates.
- Messaging. Building a brand isn’t all about how it looks. How it sounds is just as important, and crafting compelling messaging with a consistent tone of voice can help you win new clients and reach your other goals.
- Client experience is key. From their very first interaction with you, your clients should experience a consistent brand and a lawyer who delivers on their promises.
Overall, investing in a personal brand that is consistent across all touchpoints is key for any lawyer that really wants to stand out and carve a niche for themselves in the legal space. Branding isn’t everything, but it’s what your clients, competitors, and anyone else will see first, so be sure to make that first impression count.
Branding and marketing for lawyers
Marketing yourself as a lawyer can help you to win new clients and build your caseload. This is especially important as a self-employed consultant lawyer, but many of the tips below can also apply to lawyers in traditional firms who want to stand out. So, here are some ideas for marketing yourself and your services effectively:
Identifying your niche
Your general practice area is a good place to start when it comes to a niche. However, you may be able to take things even further. What do you want to talk about, and how can that help you attract your ideal clients? You can then tailor your marketing efforts towards this.
Content marketing
Producing informative, engaging, and interesting content can help you to position yourself as an expert in your field and address common client concerns, thus driving traffic to your or your firm’s website, or any other goals you want to achieve. Examples of content marketing include:
- Blog posts
- Articles (on your website and other publications)
- Legal guides
- Email newsletters
This kind of content can also be repurposed in other areas (for example, a blog post could be condensed into a social post, and also shared in an email newsletter), helping you to get more marketing reach from the same piece of content.
Social media
Utilising social media platforms can help you connect with both current and potential clients, share your content, engage in relevant discussions, and showcase your expertise. Many people believe that social media isn’t a professional space, but your clients are likely on it, so perhaps you should be too!
Networking
Building relationships with potential clients and referrers is important for any lawyer. Attending industry events, both in person and online, is the best way to make these new connections and get your name out there. Networking can also lead to opportunities for speaking engagements, panels, and webinars to further build your profile and personal brand.
Providing an exceptional service
It may go without saying, but making sure you provide an excellent service to each and every client is the best way to build your reputation, ensure your clients come back, and get referrals. By earning your clients’ trust and loyalty, you can harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing and cement your position as a go-to legal advisor.
Overall, collaboration really is key when it comes to marketing. For example, social media and content can feed into yours or your firm’s website, which is enhanced by in-person and online networking to further get your name out there. Utilising a range of strategies that all feed into each other is the best way to ensure success and help you reach your ideal clients when they’re looking for your services.
Key takeaways
Overall, personal branding for lawyers is a continual process of learning and improvement. Analyse your efforts to ensure they’re effective and let your unique selling points shine through at every stage. It doesn’t just happen overnight. But by being consistent, you can help your personal brand become a memorable one.
Personal branding is especially important for lawyers who are consultants. At Setfords, we recognise the importance of this, which is why we offer a full suite of support to our consultants. From helping you build your personal brand to supplementing your work with new business leads, our support teams are here to help. So, if you’re a UK-qualified lawyer with 5+ years of PQE who’s looking for a better way of working, we want to hear from you. Just get in touch below to find out more about consultancy at Setfords today.
Is consultancy for me?
If you want to find out more about becoming a consultant with us, get in touch. We are happy to conduct interviews remotely for suitable, UK-qualified candidates with five or more years’ experience. If you’re a good fit, you’ll be joining a team that was created for lawyers to do their best work.
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