Legal marketing for dummies

Hope I didn’t just violate a copyright with that title. Hey, maybe the “For Dummies” publisher will ask me to write that book! Ahem, people of the NSA, I know you’re reading this. Could you do me a solid and pass this along for me?

My tax dollars at work.

Anyway, so this is a very simple idea for bringing in some new business. Possibly a lot of new business.

Here’s the lowdown.

You know some good lawyers in other practice areas, right? If not, you need to get out more. But you can use this idea even if you don’t. I’ll explain in a minute.

So, if you’re an estate planner, I want you to call up a divorce or small business or PI lawyer you know and invite them to coffee or lunch. If they insist on asking why you want to meet, tell them you want to talk about referrals. That always gets a lawyer’s juices flowing.

Bring a legal pad, if you still have one, and an open mind. Tell them to do the same.

The purpose of your meeting is to brainstorm some ways you can help each other.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Send a letter or email to your respective lists, introducing each other
• Interview each other for your blogs, newsletters podcasts, or youtube videos
• Do guest posts for each other’s blogs or newsletters
• Put together a talk, seminar, webinar, teleconference, hangout, or video you could do together
• Compare notes about professionals you know who might make a good referral source for each other and introduce each other
• Like and re-tweet and share each other’s social media posts
• Invite each other to your networking meetings

Got it? Okay, now pick one idea, set a date for completion (if you don’t, we all know it’s not going to happen), and do it. Hold each other accountable for getting your respective parts done.

After that, pick something else on the list and do that.

After that, contact another lawyer you know and do the same thing.

Now, if you don’t know any lawyers in other practice areas, or when you run out of ones you do know, go find some lawyers you don’t know, call them up, introduce yourself, and tell them you want to meet for coffee. If they ask why, tell them you want to talk about referrals.

Of course this isn’t just about referrals. It’s about website traffic and exposure and list building and networking. There are lots of ways professionals can help each other besides referrals. You know this, but are you doing this?

Go get you some marketing partners and some new business.

For more legal marketing for dummies ideas, see The Attorney Marketing Formula