Brown & Little, P.L.C. » Marketing
No-Effort Marketing
I get a lot of emails trying to sell me online services. I ignore most of them, but this one caught my eye: It appears to be some sort of service allowing me to compare other lawyers’ online marketing with my own. I’m not positive because I have absolutely no interest in exploring the depth of other lawyers’ desperation in a slow economy. The service itself wasn’t what interested me, anyway. What interested me was the first lawyer listed in the email, a “local competitor” they claim is using online marketing to “attract customers” away from my business. I find that statement problematic because that particular lawyer was recently disbarred and is presently being held without bond after being charged with sexual abuse, sexual misconduct with a minor, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing
Who’s The Fairest of Them All?
What makes a blog worth reading? What makes a blog worthy of an award? The ABA apparently knows, and last year I was fortunate to find myself in great company after being selected for the ABA Journal Blawg 100. From what I recall, I got the least votes in my category. Darn. This year, I was not surprised when I failed to make the cut. Oh well. Regardless, I was pleased to see some great criminal justice blogs in the line-up. Mark Bennett’s Defending People has had a serious impact on my approach to the practice of law. His writing, his approach to issues, and his posts about jury selection in particular have made me a better lawyer for having stumbled upon his … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing
Reinventing The Wheel Into Something Else
After reading a post at My Shingle, I clicked through to a post by Jordan Furlong discussing his thoughts on the future of the practice of law. He divides what he calls “the evolution of the legal services market” into stages, the first being what he calls a “closed market,” the second being a “breached market,” the third being a “fully open market,” the fourth being an “expanding market,” and the fifth being a “multi-dimensional market.” He sees competition growing and lawyers having to drastically change what we do. We’re all going to have to think outside the box, reinvent ourselves. My initial reaction was that he was just making up stuff, providing intricate details about a fictional future where his services will be in far greater demand … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing, Practice in General
Commodities
A while back, Chicago lawyer Kevin Case wrote a fascinating article about the commoditization of symphony orchestra musicians. He describes the lamentable fact that many managers in the arts world view artists as faceless, interchangeable parts of a big machine instead of the uniquely talented individuals they are. It isn’t just a problem in the music world. I regularly get emails about the next big thing in lawyer marketing. People only find lawyers on the internet, I hear. They use search terms I’d never expect or go to sites I’ve never heard of. Old-timers clinging to antiquated marketing ideas are supposedly destined for failure, so lawyers must adapt. We’ve been commoditized, and we’re being traded primarily on the internet. Those of us who don’t … Read entire article »
Getting Internet “Clients”
I’m a big deal. I have a blog. The ABA even gave me a little badgy thingy despite the fact I placed last. Regardless, I’m a badass. Check out what my enduring internet fame has given me: Is my plea going to get better? Do prosecutors quit giving offers after it’s set for trial? And this: Can I possess a firearm? Or have a look at this one: The police are at my door. I’m in New Jersey. What do I do? Need free advice ASAP. No money, LOL. I’m making these up, of course, but the real ones are worse. Trust me. Sadly, these types of messages are the fruits of my labors. I’m no Eric Mayer of Unwashed Advocate fame (have a listen here), … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing, Practice in General
Dumb Luck
Jordan Rushie, one of the Fishtown Lawyers who writes the Philly Law Blog, put up a post yesterday about bringing in clients. These were his thoughts about craigslist: Do you really think we would put up a free Craigslist ad? That’s for losers, and it will never ever happen. Period. Why? Because it’s undignified, that’s why. And yes, you are a total loser if you’re putting up free classified ads for legal services on Craigslist. I don’t care if it resulted in a client or two. Rather than hijack his post with a rambling comment, I figured I’d share my experience posting on craigslist. Let me tell you a story. The year was 2007. I had no money, so I was working one weekend and thought I would put up … Read entire article »
Dear Avvo:
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne does not work for Brown & Little, P.L.C. When I complained about you guys linking other lawyers’ profiles to our site, you said you fixed it. I thought that would be the end of the problem, but now, Mr. Horne’s Avvo page directs people to our website. I know that Scott Greenfield made the comment that, “if you’re going to screw up and have links from one attorney go to another, can you at least link Matt’s website to some really good lawyers rather than losers?” If you thought he was serious, I do appreciate that you found us Arizona’s most well-known attorney, a Harvard Law School grad with forty years of experience who has served as a judge, as the state superintendent … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing
Internet Lawyers, Internet Problems
Yesterday, a friend of mine who is a lawyer mentioned to me that a former client had posted a negative review of him online. He was concerned. My friend is about my age, and we’ve been practicing for about the same amount of time. He’s done nothing but criminal defense, just like me, but when Adrian and I were hanging our shingle, he was starting work at the county public defender. He gained some incredible experience, and he’s a great lawyer. He recently started his own firm. I try to send him cases when I can because I trust him to do a good job. He’s proven me right. My friend wasn’t sure how to deal with his online critic, and sadly, I was very little … Read entire article »
Filed under: Marketing
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