Wondering how to get clients as a lawyer? There are lots of technology products out there that are touted as super marketing aids; unending claims that Gen AI; social media and your online presence can jump start your business development.
Today, we’re going to look at how to get clients as a lawyer, and which tools you can use to improve your marketing efforts and make them more successful.
But before we talk about social media or Gen AI and how those tools will help us clients, it’s important to remember some basics.
Branding
First and foremost, your marketing strategy must be compatible and consistent with your business. It must align with your strategic goals and plan. (A plan, by the way, you should have). Branding is a process by which you present yourself to clients or potential clients to achieve those goals.
Knowing how to get clients as a lawyer means knowing that your overall marketing goal is to enhance an image of who you are as a person and your brand.
That image and brand must first and foremost be authentic and consistent with who you are and what you do; everything you do on social media and display publicly should – directly or indirectly – enhance your brand.
Your bio
Let’s start with your bio (or bios) that you use for various purposes.
When you create a bio, think about how you are introducing yourself. What do people see when they look at your bio? Think about how your bios appear and what they say. It’s your introduction to the reader.
Some hints: write in the first person. Be concise and say something about yourself, not just your accomplishments. Try to pique your reader’s interest.
Make sure your bio tells the reader something about you and why you’re a good person to work with. Remember, your bio may be read by someone who has already concluded you are substantively qualified — what they want to know is who you are as a person.
Some old-fashioned rules still apply
Once you have a strategic plan, defined goals, a brand and a bio, lets turn to some basic tried and true tips.
I’d like to think I’ve picked up a few things in my time on how to get clients as a lawyer. As a practicing attorney, I was fortunate to attract and retain a fair amount of business over the years.
I attracted many of these clients in the old-fashioned, non-tech way, but the basics for my client’s development and success hold true today.
Here are 10 old-fashioned tips I would seriously consider:
- Invest time and money in getting business: You can’t get business without a little of both. I have seen lawyers afraid to make an investment of either unless they thought a return was certain (it rarely is). Think like an entrepreneur.
- Go see your actual and potential clients: Even in today’s virtual world, there is no substitute for actual hands-on time with clients. That’s how you learn of opportunities. If you can’t meet in person, use Zoom. Email and texting often simply won’t get the job done.
- Get to know your clients and potential clients: Try to determine and understand their concerns and the pressures on them. By doing so, you might develop solutions and ideas that help meet those needs; that can get you work.
- Don’t be afraid to fail: I generated a lot of business over my career, but I got rejected more times than I succeeded. Don’t be deterred by doors slamming in your face but be gracious about it. How you handle rejection may open doors and help you get hired for something else.
- Measure your business development investment against your brand and expertise: Remember the advice of Theodore Levitt, a Harvard economist. Levitt believed that businesses should stop defining themselves by what they produce. Instead, they need to reorient themselves toward customer needs. He challenged businesses to ask themselves, what business are they in? I once thought of myself as a product liability litigator, but I broadened my business horizons and began defining myself as a lawyer who could handle and manage large, complex litigation. Appropriately defining the business you are in helps you apply what you have learned in one area to problems in other areas.
- Look for solutions that address the client’s needs and concerns: A product manufacturer may care about a product liability case because of adverse publicity and its effect on sales and stock price. The individual case may be a secondary concern; knowing a client’s concerns will lead you to a more impactful approach and a broader strategy that helps your client. Remember: “The problem is the problem.” In other words, diagnose the problem before you start spouting off solutions.
- Take an interest in your clients personally: My firm and I once participated in a competition with other firms for a significant case. We got the work because, while all the firms were equally qualified, our team got along the best with the client. As the client rep put it, “I knew I was going to have to spend a lot of time with lawyers on this case. I figured I might as well spend it with someone I enjoyed being with.”
- Be interesting: While we can’t all be charismatic, most of us can make ourselves more interesting. Read books. Go to movies and plays. Stay current. It will give you something to talk about with your client and make your time together more enjoyable.
- Be authentic: Be yourself; if you don’t know something, say so. If the matter is beyond your experience, say so. But stay open to thinking about your client’s problems and concerns even if a particular matter may not necessarily be in your wheelhouse.
- Do good work: It goes without saying that you must be a good lawyer in your chosen field. Good work, timely done, is not just a platitude; it’s table stakes.
What about social media?
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s talk about social media and how it fits into business development.
First, it’s not all about you when you engage on social media; it’s more about your connections, knowledge, experience, and skills.
Most importantly, it’s about your ability and willingness to engage in a relationship. People use social media because they are looking for something or someone. Ask yourself what those you want to reach are most likely looking for and what they might be interested in.
One thing they are not looking for is lengthy scholarly articles: social media is not a law journal.
They also don’t expect perfection. What they do expect is timely, informative, and relative content. Remember that what you say will only be current for a short time. What you say does remain on your social media platform, but the period when people will read what you say is short.
Make everything you put on social media for business purposes consistent with your brand. I would go further and say everything you put on social media should be consistent — or at least not inconsistent — with your brand.
Comment on others’ content
A great way to stay visible on social media is to comment on what others are saying; 0r comment on a case or result in which others are involved.
When you do, credit the person who prepared the initial post; include the author’s personal information and the link to their organization in your post.
They will see you have done so and remember it; this engages them and creates an opportunity for them to get to know you.
The digital handshake
When you make a social media connection, you have networked, and when we talk about how to get clients as a lawyer, networking is key, either online (through mixers for example) or in the real world. In short, you have virtually reached across the internet and shaken hands.
But practicing law is still a people business. Social media is a start, not an ending. Once you have connected, that’s not enough; you have to go further and grow the relationship.
You want people to read what you write, but you really want them to connect and comment. That enables a connection to form.
If one of your clients or potential clients says something on social media, comment on it. If you can, compliment it; it will go a long way.
Here’s how that can work: let’s assume you are trying to get business from an electric utility. An in-house counsel at that utility posts something on some pending legislation. You see it and comment on and compliment it; this could lead to a connection, which could lead to coffee or lunch, which could lead to a client.
You engage others, build influence, and nurture relationships by referencing other content. You can become a trusted presence on your niche subject by sharing what you read.
Being thought of as an thought leader is just a step from getting hired.
Be likeable
Just like in person business development, the effective use of social media is about more than just offering relevant and useful content. It’s about being professional but also likable and interesting. Be the kind of person potential clients like and want to spend time with.
A word to the wise: you are certainly free to spew your political beliefs on social media. But remember that when you do, some people you want to reach may disagree with you. Using social media to grow your business comes with a cost: you have to be professional.
Where to focus
What social media you use and how you use it should match your brand. For example, consider the age group from where your business might come. That will impact how you direct your social media efforts. Younger people are more likely to be on Instagram or Snapchat, and they are more prone to text than talk on the phone.
Your social media efforts should focus on those platforms, and your efforts should reflect the communication reality.
The three most used platforms for business purposes are Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. All three allow you to connect with others and share content, and all three have private messaging capabilities to communicate with just your connections.
This can work well when introducing yourself or once you get to know your connections better and want to communicate.
What about Gen AI?
Any aspiring legal professional wants to know how to get clients as a lawyer, and of course it won’t be long before Gen AI come into the conversation.
But when it comes to marketing and getting clients, exercise some discretion when and for what you use it.
As discussed above, a solid understanding of how to get clients as a lawyer requires you to be authentic. Frankly, Gen AI tools often create content that looks and feels like marketing BS (which is unsurprising when you think about it; it’s where the tool pulls content from). Are you turned off by marketing BS? Are potential clients any different?
That being said, Gen AI can be a valuable tool for business development. It can help with brainstorming ideas for what you might consider doing. It can write a social media post when you want to link to your authored content. It’s pretty good at helping you think about titles, although you often need to revise what it suggests. It can help you consider the parameters of the market you want to be in.
It can summarize materials to help you with your pitches or give you information to share with your clients. It can help with boilerplate marketing materials you need to have, but it isn’t the central tool for defining your brand to potential clients.
The bottom line: Gen AI tools are helpful, no doubt, but you always need to come across as authentic, knowledgeable, and professional, and that’s where you must exercise caution.
Conclusion
Knowing how to get clients as a lawyer requires a thoughtful blend of traditional and modern strategies.
By focusing on authentic branding, effective use of social media, and understanding your clients’ needs, you can build lasting relationships and grow your practice.
Remember, consistency, authenticity, and a client-focused approach are key to success.
