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Marketing the Solo Practice (Continued from page 11)


geographic area. Websites have recently become an important communication tool in mass tort litigation. Professional assistance in developing


your website is strongly advised. Getting your website listed on the proper search engines is important, but that topic is too involved to discuss in this article. For our hypothetical solo practitioners, a website would probably be more effec- tive in marketing for toxic tort cases than social security disability. Since toxic tort cases are more specialized, the Internet may be the most available source of in- formation for clients or referring attorneys. In the area of social security, information is widely available through more traditional media, and the poten- tial client base may have limited access to the Internet.


Yellow Pages/ Directory Advertising Yellow page advertising is expensive in


most markets. Highly trained sales rep- resentatives often convince law firms to spend a disproportionate amount, or all, of the marketing budget on yellow page advertising. Ads placed in the yellow pages should complement the other marketing efforts of a law firm. Potential clients may learn about a law practice through some other means or due to some other marketing activity. Those potential clients will of- ten then use the yellow pages to locate and contact the law firm. An effective yellow page ad must spe- cifically list every service that you offer. People using the yellow pages tend to re- spond to detailed and specific information. For example, a personal in-


jury law firm should list particular types of injuries that the firm wants to handle such as burn injuries, on-the-job injuries, carpal tunnel, etc.… Always list your web- site address in your yellow page ad. For our hypothetical toxic tort solo practitioner, local yellow pages will not yield significant results. The amount of money spent on yellow pages should be minimized. The highly specialized prac- titioner is better served by advertising in professional directories targeted to other attorneys. For our hypothetical social security solo practitioner, yellow page advertising can be a significant source of new clients. This is a classic example of where yellow page advertising works bestæa service for the mass market where the potential cus- tomer typically has no prior affiliation with any provider of that service.


Mass Media


The mass media, which includes tele- vision, radio, newspaper and billboards, are most effective for products and ser- vices that can be used by a large percentage of the total population. The mass media are effective for building name recogni- tion among people who are not yet in need of the advertised service. Then, when the service is needed, the consumer has a pref- erence for the familiar brand or law firm. Personal injury attorneys who handle automobile injuries and workers compen- sation often find television effective. That is because these types of cases affect such a broad cross-section of the total popula- tion. It is particularly important that you por- tray a professional image for the legal profession when using mass media. An advertising agency with experience in rep- resenting law firms can help. Free ad


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Trial Reporter Spring 2000


placement from the local television sta- tion or newspaper is often not of the quality you would want for your law firm. Our hypothetical social security solo prac- titioner could probably benefit from mass media. The lower cost avenues such as cable television would most likely provide the highest return on dollars invested in advertising. Mass media would typically not be effective for our hypothetical toxic tort solo practitioner.


Networking


Like newsletters, networking is a mar- keting tool that can benefit any law firm. Becoming acquainted with other mem- bers of the legal profession is a fundamental marketing practice. To network effectively, you must be able to clearly and concisely tell others the type of law and cases you are interested in and why. Business cards and brief per- sonal notes sent after an initial meeting help reinforce your message. A productive networking practice you might adopt is to set aside a networking lunch one day per month. Each month invite someone to lunch who may be able to provide client referrals or other mar- keting assistance to your solo practice. Networking would work well for both of the hypothetical solo practitioners. In fact, these two solo practitioners could network effectively with each other. The best advice for marketing a solo prac- tice is to use professional quality marketing materials, be consistent, and work from a written marketing plan and budget. The only real limit in marketing a solo law practice is the limit of your cre- ativity in developing the marketing and communication opportunities available to you. A marketing plan can be established within any budget.


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