As a new small law firm, you may be anxious to get your doors open for business. You might be ready to take on your first clients, but is your law firm? Opening up your law firm isn’t as easy as saying you’re ready to start representing clients. Your law firm needs to have certain pieces in place before you launch.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and disappointed because you don’t yet have that steady flow of clients you were hoping for, you’re not alone.
Many small law firms across Denver, the state of Colorado, and the entire country have dealt with the same issues that you’re experiencing. Whether you’re just starting out or need to start from scratch because you’re rebranding or starting a new practice area, having a launch strategy is critical to get your new small law firm up and thriving.
Defining Your Launch Strategy— Action Steps That Can’t Wait
One of the first things your law firm needs to do is formulate your launch strategy. This encompasses all of the things you need to do to get your firm up and running before you officially open and accept clients. Whether you plan on renting your own office space or having a virtual office, you need to make sure you have your technical equipment in place. This includes the technology to handle, manage, and safeguard your client’s files and effective communication systems. You may also need to hire a receptionist who can manage these systems on your behalf while you are out of the office and in court.
You also need to start thinking about marketing. You need to figure out what you want your law firm to be called, what your brand is, and what your law firm’s identity is. Are you blunt and aggressive or compassionate and family-oriented? What message do you want to convey to your clients and peers? Once you’ve figured these details out, you can start working on your marketing strategy.
Marketing is essential from start to finish. Your first marketing efforts need to include a mix of traditional and digital marketing. You should create business cards so that you can share them when you’re networking and provide them to prospective clients. But most of your marketing efforts should be digital. This means creating a user-friendly web design, setting up your social media profiles, getting the content for your website professionally written, and setting up a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
These are the first steps you should take before you launch your small law firm. There are certainly other steps you will need to take, but these details are the ones that just can’t wait.
Other Action Steps for Your New Small Law Firm Launch
Now that you have the tech, website, and physical marketing tools you need, you might be feeling ready to launch your law firm and start accepting clients. There are still other tools you need to succeed, but these may be able to wait if your initial launch plan is already off to a good start. Still, continuously networking, claiming your professional directories, sending out email blasts, and starting paid advertising online will only benefit your small law firm as you’re just starting out.
Important Steps That Can Wait Until Post- Law Firm Launch
Once your law firm has launched, your marketing efforts won’t stop there. To achieve and maintain success as a small law firm, you need to constantly be making efforts to stay relevant.
You’ll have to keep your website updated with content regularly. Blogging is a great way to keep your website fresh and it provides an opportunity for you to share original content on your social media profiles.
Other types of marketing efforts that could be worthwhile further down the line include purchasing billboard ads, direct mail advertising, offering promotions on social media, and creating commercials.
Another thing you can do is become actively involved in your community. Volunteer with organizations that matter to you and reflect your brand, sponsor local sports teams, join the bar associations in your area, and participate in as many networking events as possible. No matter how busy or successful your law firm becomes, continuous and innovative marketing efforts are going to help your firm maintain that success in the future.
Start Working on Your Launch Strategy Today
New law firms like yours need a sound launch strategy in place. This can help catapult your law firm to success when you do it right. But you should also be able to focus on doing what you do best— practicing the law. There are services like Denver Legal Marketing that can help you formulate and execute your launch strategy and marketing plans.
These professional services are already being utilized by your competitors, and digital marketing has become ultra-competitive in recent years. You’ll need a team working on your brand and marketing plans continuously so your new firm can maintain its success. What are you waiting for? Start working on your small law firm’s launch strategy today!
