Continued from page 16 Internet? In this day and age it is imperative that you have an Internet presence. They must be able to find more than directories with your office location and phone number or your website with basic information. It must be information of substance (the great content that you’re going to write.) A great distribution resource for this is JDSupra. It’s the world’s largest legal content distribution site – take a look. Every lawyer should have a LinkedIn profile. It’s the social media site that is professional, easy to do and well respected. You can choose to be active or not so much… you decide. Do your referral sources see you regularly at bar or industry events? Do you stay in touch with your friends, colleagues and classmates? Set your goals. Select the organization and commit to going to one event per month or making one phone call a day to a friend, colleague or classmate. What will you commit to? Is there a publication where advertising would make sense? Does it reach your potential client or referral sources? What message could you communicate that would set you apart from other lawyers? Make an objective review of your website. Does it convey the quality of the legal services you deliver? Is the message clear and concise? Is it easy to navigate? Does it look like a
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RES GESTAE | February 2014
2014 site or a 1999 site? It doesn’t need to be state-of-theart, but it does need to reflect who you are today. These are a few sets of ideas to consider in creating your roadmap. I’m sure your unique situation will reveal even more. Figure out what actions are necessary for your growth, set your goals with due dates and commit to making them happen. Next, find a co-conspirator, mentor or coach that will hold you accountable. Then, keep your plan alive – by talking about it often. Someone once told me if you want to be sure to lose something, leave it in your memory. And if you don’t really want to do it, don’t tell anyone. So, tell me: how committed are you to your 2014 success? Then…WRITE A PLAN! RG Paula Black is a legal branding expert, author, consultant and coach. She is the award-winning author of The Little Black Book on Law Firm Branding & Positioning, The Little Black Book on Law Firm Marketing and Business Development, and the Amazonbestselling The Little Black Book: A Lawyer’s Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days. For weekly inspiration visit... InBlackAndWhiteBlog.com