Business owners must understand the difference between lead nurturing and lead generation, yet few do. Lead generation focuses on attracting new potential clients to your business, often through ads and SEO. Lead nurturing involves building relationships with people already in your network—like past clients, referral sources, or leads who’ve shown interest—by staying top of mind and providing ongoing value. While lead gen aims to create new connections, lead nurturing strengthens existing ones to drive more referrals and repeat business.

Too many lawyers focus on lead generation and lose two-thirds of their possible referrals because they are constantly out hunting for cold leads. You’ve helped thousands of people and spent years doing it. It’s not selfish to expect that this work can pay you back. It’s evolved and efficient. 

Don’t Let the Conversation End

Lawyers overlook lead nurturing because they mistakenly view a past client as a past client. Past clients are your future salespeople—and they work for free. As an attorney, you guide people through very difficult situations, and the majority of these people will be forever grateful for what you did. When your past clients have a friend or colleague who needs an attorney, they will refer you because they want to pay you back. It also makes your friends and colleagues trust the referral source, e.g., you, more.

However, even if your past clients love you, they will likely forget your name. The only thing you have to do is to ensure you don’t miss out on referrals and stay in touch with them. Send them a monthly newsletter, ask them to follow you on social media, or subscribe to your podcast. Even if they don’t engage with you often, they will still see your name when your newsletter appears in their inbox. This is top-of-mind awareness. It’s why soda companies are plastered all over the insides of arenas. People will not see a Pepsi sign and run to a store, but they will be aware of Pepsi the next time they are thirsty. Stay in touch with your past clients and get more business from your strongest advocates. 

The Type of Content Matters

If you bombard people with messages about wanting more clients, they will tune you out or unsubscribe. This is the premise of Permissive Marketing vs. Interruption Marketing. Permissive marketing is a strategy where potential clients choose to engage with your content, like subscribing to a newsletter or following you on social media, allowing you to build a relationship on their terms. Interruption marketing, in contrast, involves pushing your message out to people who haven’t explicitly opted in, such as through ads, cold calls, or pop-ups. Permissive marketing fosters trust and long-term engagement, and interruption marketing aims for immediate attention at the risk of being intrusive.

As a lawyer, you are uniquely positioned to give people valuable information. Give it away. If your network feels they are getting tips and messages from a legal insider, they’ll stay connected to you. Furthermore, this information reinforces your credibility and expertise and strengthens your relationship. You get what you want by giving your audience what they want. 

We’ll Keep You Top of Mind 

Spotlight Branding’s strategy is built on what we have discussed. Lead nurturing capitalizes on your previous successes and increases your momentum. We create content that lends itself to permissive marketing. When you work with us, you’ll see how we generate three months’ content in your voice and brand with a thirty-minute phone call. To learn more, set up a meeting with our Business Development Manager.