Your lawyer personal brand should serve as your marketing foundation
New clients hire the lawyer and not the law firm. Your individual reputation will speak louder than any marketing campaign, so you need to develop a stand-out lawyer personal brand.
Whether you have been laid off, plan to leave a big law firm or already run a small firm of your own, your personal brand needs to work for you. In the current business climate, your reputation could make the difference between landing on your feet and struggling.
Personal Branding’s Purpose
While you might shy away from branding yourself, you have a reputation that’s worth protecting. As this executive coach writes for Fast Company:
“You already have a personal brand, whether you’ve thought about it or not. Is that brand the one that you want? Will it enable you to create the greatest value for your career and your organization? And in the wake of COVID-19 and the massive damage to the job market, will your current brand serve you well?”
In that article, the coach goes on to dispel some common myths that surround personal branding. In short, creating a strong brand for yourself is not superficial, egotistical or selfish. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. As you create a personal brand, you go through a helpful exercise of examining what clients think of you and, more importantly, the value you deliver to them.
Your brand not only shows others who you are and what your practice represents, but it gives you a daily reminder to stay true to your vision and mission.
Client-centered branding
When you approach your reputation from a client-centered perspective, it gives you an easy yardstick for measuring future strategies. If your brand is about highly personal client service, you will think twice about any decision that might detract from that.
As you create your brand, define:
- Your core values and how your practice represents them
- What makes you and your practice different from others in the field
- The experience you want clients to have with you and your firm
- Your passions and individual strengths
- What’s most important to you in life and in business
Once you have a clear vision of what you represent, draft a personal branding statement that encapsulates it. The statement should reflect who you are, what you do and the value you provide clients. Check out this post for some examples and inspiration.
Build your brand
Once you have a personal branding statement, back it up with action. A brand will only resonate with clients when they know it comes from a place of truth and authenticity. Each interaction with you should mirror your personal brand.
In addition, look for ways to tell your story and build your brand presence, including:
- Creating or updating a strong website
- Posting regular, insightful blogs that help clients get a feel for your style and skills
- Maintaining a professional presence on social media
- Seeking out opportunities to speak at events or conferences
- Leading training sessions for fellow attorneys
- Serving on boards or volunteering in the community
- Connecting with others at professional events
In each post or personal interaction, you have a chance to uphold your strong reputation. Share useful information and present yourself with professionalism. Only create content and accept speaking opportunities that align with your personal brand statement.
While many interactions now take place online, you can still wow clients with your personal touch. In fact, your ability to connect authentically either virtually or in-person could sway the odds in your favor when trying to land a new client. A down-to-earth human connection still matters in business, regardless of the format.
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