How Do You Brand Yourself if You’re in a Low Key Business like the Law Where Branding and Advertising is Shunned?
Many professionals like architects, designers and chefs have long realized the value of building a strong business brand and personal brand. Even pure business-to-business professionals like major architects and designers are expanding into consumer products to build their brands, and the visibility pays off with more assignments for big commercial projects.
But for many professionals – lawyers, accountants, consultants, psychologists and the like – bold branding may not be the way to go. Some industries like law have traditionally shunned advertising and marketing.
In fact, for years many state bar associations barred legal advertising. Even passing out your business card could be regarded as illegally soliciting clients! New business was done the old fashioned way through reputation and word of mouth. Branding and promotion were viewed as unseemly.
Now we’re seeing lawyers and law offices advertise, blog and tweet as these prescriptions have become things of the past. Like in so many other fields, lawyers are finding social media and the Internet a low cost way to market their expertise and attract new clients.
Lawyers are using Facebook, Twitter or a business blog to reach out and comment on high profile legal cases in the news to showcase their knowledge of the law, and to add context and meaning to these legal cases. They are pitching local news stations, newspapers and radio stations to comment on the stories in the news, and having a website, blog, published articles online or a book are additional credentials that give you a strong marketing platform with the media as well as prospects.
Catherine Kaputa is president of SelfBrand and the author of You Are a Brand, In Person and Online: How Smart People Brand Themselves for Success and Breakthrough Brand. Copyright 2014, author retains ownership. All Rights Reserved.
