You want to know the truth about global warming? The truth is that no matter what the truth is, a lot of people have made a lot of money and gained a lot of political capital by shouting about it from the rooftops.
You can do the same in your practice.
Not about global warming, necessarily, although you may choose that as your cause. You could be on either side of the issue and make a lot of hay. But any cause will do.
You need three things:
- A cause that has people on both sides
- One or more bad guys (people, companies, groups, etc.) you can denounce, and
- A passionate appeal for change, fueled by a heavy dose of fear
You can gain publicity, social media followers, supporters, contributors, and eventually, clients, by being the face and voice of something that gets people fired up.
Fear is essential. You’ve got to scare people or they won’t notice you or join your cause.
Pick something someone is doing and speak out against it. Launch a campaign against it. Tell the world about the evil that is being perpetuated and what will happen if something isn’t done about it.
Ideally, there will be a nexus between the cause and one of your clients or cases, or that is fundamental to your practice area. This will insulate you and give you the moral high ground in your role as an advocate.
It doesn’t matter whether the media loves you or hates you, promotes you or pans you. Any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right.
What matters is that you choose something that has legs and brings you enough supporters to make up for the ones on the other side of the issue that you will undoubtedly lose.
Okay, calm down. You don’t have to choose a politically charged issue like global warming and risk losing large swaths of your clients and friends. You can choose something less incendiary and do just fine.
You might find a local issue that is causing a stir, like the water shortages in California that are trending right now. Whose fault is it? What can be done about it?
You can gain fame and fortune by championing a cause that speaks to a constituency.
Choose a side and write about it on your blog. Stir the pot and see what happens.
Marketing is easy when you know The Formula
