Every day an attorney leaves the comfort and stability of a named firm to strike out on their own. They do this for many reasons such as freedom to make their own hours or represent the clients they want. The truth is, each situation is different, and every exit is unique. If you’re lucky, you have built up enough loyalty with your clients that they will follow you to your new firm. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes your old firm will fight to keep the clients, while others will not want to risk leaving the stable firm. Creating and establishing a brand (or potential customers perceive your company) is a vital step to being successful in this new venture.
Outside of your actual physical being, there is nothing that will be more front facing in the digital age than your website. Websites serve as the yellow pages of the Internet. When someone hears of a new company or product, they immediately check it out online. How a new firm presents itself through its website is often the first impression it cannot get back. A great website not only says what the firm does but can show why a firm does it. From the photos used, the font, to the color scheme, each of these aspects of your brand tells your story.
The other aspect of front facing brand building that should have your focus is the logo. While law firm logos typically are not as “out there” as consumer products, it is a great way to tell potential clients what typeof firm you are. Should you consider an icon? Maybe a simple type face? You might not care, as long as it doesn’t have the Scales of Justice in them. On the other hand, you could love the classics. There are so many options, creating the right one could take some time.
One of the reasons it can be hard to go out on your own (or with partners) is leaving the brand built by the existing firm. Law firms are built and destroyed on reputation and recognition. So this leads to the question, how can a new firm create the recognition and reputation needed to survive and grow?
Content marketing is the quickest and most cost effective way to rapidly grow in both of these areas. The Bar Association has put various restrictions on advertising and branding. As a result, Facebook and LinkedIn can be one of the easiest ways to get information about your firm in front of potential clients. As of now, Facebook and LinkedIn do not have the same restrictions that billboards and TV commercials may have. As always, you need to make sure you are not presenting your firm as something you're not, or an expert in something you're are not.
When you start your own firm it can feel like you’re in a constant state of either treading water or drowning. You feel like you will take any client you can get, and it doesn’t really matter if it is a good fit or in the best long-term interest of the firm. This is another place branding can work to your advantage. Before you begin building out your brand, create a fictional“perfect client”. The more specific you can be with this the better. Ask questions like, What does this client like to do? What experiences do they have? Etc. This understanding could play a major role in the look and feel or your branding.
If you are looking at going out on your own and creating a new firm, congratulation. It takes a lot of courage and planning to get to this point. Hopefully, you have given some thought about how you want your new firm to look and feel. If not that is ok, too!
Oddly Natural works with professional companies such law firms to help create great looking and effective brands that drive business. If you want more clients and grow your firm, leave us a note. We would love to help!
If you are looking at going out on your own and creating a new firm, congratulation. It takes a lot of courage and planning to get to this point. Hopefully, you have given some thought about how you want your new firm to look and feel. If not that is ok, too!
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