Attorneys who continue to rely on traditional marketing methods are discovering that hard work isn’t necessarily paying off. Why not work smart? Attorneys can dramatically improve their results by avoiding the below marketing mistakes. Instead, implement a marketing strategy with proven results.

1.) Relying on Referrals. By relying on your referral attorneys to generate new business for your firm, you are essentially allowing middlemen to control your flow of new clients. Whether you receive referrals or not has little to do with your skills, knowledge or years of experience, but more to do with your ability to return the referrals. Instead, use your past clients as a way to bring in new business. Past clients can be your best (and least expensive) form of advertising. Request that they post a review on Google for you or have them do a video testimonial for your firm’s website.

2.) Relying entirely on media exposure. Articles, TV and radio interviews can gain you credibility. But relying on these appearances entirely is the wrong way to go. Make sure you incorporate direct marketing approaches that put you face-to-face with prospective new clients.

3.) Relying on networking groups. Attorneys often underestimate the amount of time associated with these types of groups. Your time is valuable and can be used more productively elsewhere. Seek out opportunities to meet and talk with genuine prospects. Targeted speaking engagements will put you directly in contact with prospective new business.

4.) Not effectively reaching your target audience. A big mistake attorneys make is not properly identifying their target market. Your marketing campaign needs to speak directly to your target audience. Identify your most successful verdicts, settlements and the clients behind them. Find out what these clients watch on TV, which publications they read, what they search for on the Internet, what stations they listen to on the radio. How did they hear about your firm? You can capture this information using online survey tools. By extracting this key demographic information you can easily identify your firm’s target market.

5.) Taking shortcuts. After having some success with their marketing endeavors, some attorneys make the mistake of having office personnel handle their marketing efforts in-house to cut corners. My advice: if you want to streamline your marketing efforts, cut back conservatively and track your results. Be careful not to scale back on the marketing endeavors responsible for your success.

If you have any questions on this topic or would like to hear how the latest media, marketing and technology strategies can help grow your law firm, contact an experienced Fort Lauderdale public relations firm at (954) 376-3683. Also serving Central Florida and surrounding areas at (407) 982-1707.