As anyone who has read this blog for awhile knows, in my opinion, the best source of new business is from existing clients (whether new work or referrals) and from other referral sources. That is not to say you shouldn’t market to prospective clients. It just takes longer (in most cases) for a relationship to develop to the point where they will retain you.
Legal marketing is all about relationships. And before a relationship develops to the point where the prospective client trusts that you are capable of helping them, they have to reach a level of comfort about your talents as they relate to them and their issues.
Kevin O’Keefe has a post today about how blogs can help do that (disclosure: Kevin developed this blog). Obviously, blogs are not the only way to strut your stuff, as many lawyers are successful in attracting new clients through seminars (and other speaking engagements), writing (whether newsletters, books, columns, etc.), networking, being active in organizations, and so forth. It’s just that I can attest to the fact that blogging can be an effective marketing technique.
So, if you have been thinking about this lawyer marketing tool, maybe it is time seriously consider starting a blog in order for prospective clients to learn about your talents.