Law Firm Marketing Brief
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Thought leadership is one of those extremely alluring phrases that has wormed its way into everyday usage in the marketing business, becoming an official part of our professional jargon. In legal marketing it has acquired a particularly powerful appeal, in large part thanks to the Code of Professional Responsibility, which makes lawyers squeamish about branding themselves as experts or specialists, in the absence of any objective basis for doing so. But anyone can be a thought leader really -- all you need is few blog posts and a certificate from the Matchbook School of Thought Leadership Marketing.
No doubt for many of us, thought leadership figures prominently in our resolutions and marketing plans for the coming year - either that we may become one ourselves or maybe just better help others to do so. So we are pleased to devote this special Holiday Season edition of the Marketing Brief to point out a few essential rules of thought leadership marketing.
- Rule Number One. The first rule of thought leadership marketing is simple and axiomatic, much like the first rule of Fight Club. Never, ever refer to yourself as a thought leader. And never, ever let your marketing department put out a press release that trumpets your recognition as a thought leader, as demonstrated by this cringeworthy example from the law firm Cadwalader. In fact, I would suggest if some legal publication ever offers you or someone you know recognition as a "Go-To Thought Leader" in your practice area, the only sensible thing to do is to immediately turn them down. Thought leadership is a form of self-promotion that ought never dare speak its own name!
- Rule Number Two. The path to authenticity lies somewhere between two extremes. This essential truth was best expressed by Rabbi Bunim of Peshischa, who was also known as the Rebbe of Rebbes among 19th century Hasidim. Talk about thought leadership! But Rabbi Bunim's advice is that we should always have two slips of paper with us - keeping one in each pocket. When you're feeling lowdown and depressed, reach in the right pocket and read the first slip which says "all the world was created for me." And when you're feeling high and mighty, reach in the left pocket and read the reminder "I am but dust and ashes." Put in parlance that the marketing department might be more familiar with, we all suffer from imposter syndrome just as we are all capable of thought leadership. A trusted advisor (or a trusted person for that matter) is someone who acknowledges both tendencies, while steering for a middle course.
- Rule Number Three. Being a thought leader with tens of thousands of followers just ain't all that it was once cracked up to be. Not long ago, it seemed, thought leadership stood as a great prize for any ambitious member of the professional class, like a merit badge in our digital world, which only comes within reach once you amass a sufficient number of followers. But as the currency of social media followers has been severely debased, it turns out that the merit badge of thought leadership has likewise become tarnished. Thought leaders have become a dime a dozen, really. And you don't have to take just my word for it, but look here at what Jay Harrington says. Jay has been one of the real thought leaders in thought leadership marketing -- sort of like a Rabbi Bunim for the digital age. And as he explains in a recent blogposts, it's no less important for you to be inner directed as outer directed when building your marketing platform; you should focus more on your own "zone of genius". In other words, a real thought leadership is measured more by the depth of your conviction than it is by the number of your followers.
So there you have it - three new rules of thought leadership marketing to guide your marketing efforts into 2021 and beyond. Don't be fooled by the numbers. Some think, others lead. Only rarely do the two coincide.
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PinHawk Microsites
- TO ALSP or Not. It's Just Part of the Question, Carla Landry - LawVision
- Winning Business with Data-Driven Insights from Firm Content, J. David Harvey - LawVision
Legal Business in Brief
- Why an ABS?, Legal Futures, December 21, 2020
- Dentons announces combination with Sirote - a leading law firm in Alabama, Dentons (McKenna Long), December 22, 2020
- Gender pay gap narrows for women law firm partners as pay rises outpace men, study finds, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 17, 2020
- Allen & Overy and Khoshaim & Associates end Saudi Arabia cooperation agreement, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 16, 2020
- Deloitte is monitoring regulatory reforms but is focused on growing new practice, ABA Journal - Legal Rebels, December 16, 2020
- Resilience and the Post-Covid World (Build Back Better), Adam Smith, Esq., December 18, 2020
- Pioneering law firm shared services center marks 20 years in the Philippines, Baker & McKenzie, December 22, 2020
- Clifford Chance relaunches Brexit hotline as trade talks go to wire, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 18, 2020
- The Pandemic Hasn't Curtailed Big Law's Appetite for New Associates, Blog of Legal Times, December 16, 2020
- Average BigLaw Partner Compensation About Twice That of In-house Chief Legal Officer, Law and More, December 20, 2020
- Alternative Legal Business Models - Not In New York, Not Yet, Law and More, December 19, 2020
- Gartner's Legal Planning and Budgeting For 2021 Survey - In-house Very Serious about Doing More With Less, Law and More, December 18, 2020
- Amid Change, Summer Programs Thrived, Law and More, December 17, 2020
- 2020 Highlights: Peer Monitor Insights on Law Firm Performance in the Pandemic, Legal Current: Thomson Reuters, December 21, 2020
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher makes leadership changes as veteran chairman retires, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 21, 2020
- A tale of two markets: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, …”, Legal Executive Institute: Blog, December 21, 2020
- Millions in PPP Loans Went to Equity Partners Whose Law Firms Also Took Loans, Blog of Legal Times, December 21, 2020
- A Post-Pandemic Survival Kit For The Legal Industry, Legal Mosaic, December 21, 2020
- Non-equity Partners: Learn to Sell (even on your own dime), Law and More, December 18, 2020
Innovation
- Start-Ups Are Cash Poor, Legal Tech Is Not Alone, Real Lawyers Have Blogs - Kevin O'Keefe, December 18, 2020
- 5 (Unforeseeable, Predicable, And Surprising) Legal Tech Trends In 2020, Above the Law - Legal Technology, December 22, 2020
- Why mindsets matter: The secret to lasting behavior change in moments, Strategy Execution Blog, December 21, 2020
- Six leading legal technology suppliers join forces to launch The Global Efficiency Group, Legal Futures, December 18, 2020
- Making Communities of Practice work, Knowledge for Lawyers, December 16, 2020
- Getting Your Team to Buy into a Big Change, Harvard Business Review, December 16, 2020
- In Its Second Acquisition In A Month, Onit Picks Up Document Automation Company AXDRAFT, Robert Ambrogi's LawSites, December 17, 2020
- Thomson Reuters Survey Reveals How the Pandemic Is Shaping Legal Education, Legal Current: Thomson Reuters, December 16, 2020
- Migrating Data to Cloud: What Law Firms Should Look Out For, American Bar Association: Law Technology Today, December 21, 2020
- Report: Ironclad Gets At Least $100M Funding at Nearly $1B Valuation, Robert Ambrogi's LawSites, December 21, 2020
- Making Communities of Practice work – Part 2, Knowledge for Lawyers, December 22, 2020
- ICYMI: Legaltech Journalists Pick the Top Stories of 2020, Robert Ambrogi's LawSites, December 19, 2020
Tips, pointers and presentations
- Zooming Through 2020: COVID-19, Surviving Remotely and a Few Silver Linings, Blog of Legal Times, December 18, 2020
- How to Set Up LinkedIn Ad Campaigns in 6 Easy Steps, Jaffe PR Blog, December 16, 2020
- Collaborating with Someone You Don’t Really Know, Harvard Business Review, December 16, 2020
- Why Travel Makes You a Better Lawyer, Attorney at Work, December 16, 2020
- Tips For Choosing The Right B2B Web Design Agency, Social Media Explorer, December 17, 2020
- Featured Free Resource: Law Firm Guide to Remote Working, Robert Ambrogi's LawSites, December 18, 2020
- The Year-End Wellness Checklist We All Need, Attorney at Work, December 21, 2020
- Understanding Envy Part 2: Facing Professional Envy, Harvard Business Review, December 21, 2020
- Site Menus: Best Practices for Keeping Visitors on Your Website, LawLytics, December 22, 2020
- The 5 Best Ebook Formats for Marketers [Free Templates], HubSpot Blog, December 18, 2020
- 7 Timeless Digital Marketing Strategies That Work for Law Firms, Good2BSocial, December 21, 2020
- Attorney at Work’s Top 20 Articles of the Year, Attorney at Work, December 22, 2020
- It’s a Social Network: First or Third Person for Your LinkedIn Profile?, Attorney at Work, December 22, 2020
- 3 Tenets of a Strong Remote Culture, Harvard Business Review, December 22, 2020
- What People (Still) Get Wrong About Emotional Intelligence, Harvard Business Review, December 22, 2020
- Chevron Created a Virtual Summer Camp for Its Employees’ Kids, Harvard Business Review, December 22, 2020
Portable Business
- Goodwin Procter hires Kirkland & Ellis partner as it bets on M&A upswing, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 17, 2020
- Perkins Coie hires 12-partner investigations and litigation team from Richards Kibbe & Orbe, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 17, 2020
- Kayla Seawell Joins Adams and Reese’s Government Relations Team, Adams and Reese, December 17, 2020
- Steptoe Expands Chemical & Life Sciences Practice with Jessica Cooper in Washington, Steptoe & Johnson, December 16, 2020
- Watson Farley & Williams to open in Düsseldorf with eight-lawyer Pinsent Masons team, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 22, 2020
- Latham hires Travers Smith's co-head of corporate in latest top-level London hire, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 22, 2020
- Former Samsung Head of Appeals Christopher Burrell Returns to Faegre Drinker as Partner in Washington, D.C., Faegre Drinker, December 22, 2020
- Benesch Deepens Chicago Litigation Bench, Benesch, December 22, 2020
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Legal Marketing
- Top 5 Tips for Defending Your Marketing Budget in Unprecedented Times, Law Vision Insights Blog, December 16, 2020
- Client Service Awards Honor 474 Lawyers – But Just One CIO, Robert Ambrogi's LawSites, December 21, 2020
- I’m Not Worthy To Put Myself Out There, Myrland Marketing Minutes, December 22, 2020
- Don’t Let a Good Story Sell You on a Bad Idea, Harvard Business Review, December 17, 2020
- Four Non-Negotiable Offerings Law Firm Clients Now Expect, American Bar Association: Law Technology Today, December 18, 2020
- Turning the Tables to Video, Legal Marketing Association: Strategies+ Blog, December 21, 2020
- Steven Herman Named a Real Estate Thought Leader, Cadwalader, December 17, 2020
- YouTube Videos: A Marketing Dream for Lawyers, Attorney at Work, December 17, 2020
- The Creator Economy Needs a Middle Class, Harvard Business Review, December 17, 2020
- Law Firms - Are Your Remote Lawyers "Drinking on the Job?", Law and More, December 16, 2020
- Junior Lawyers - Best Firm for Starting Out, Doing Early Lateral, Law and More, December 20, 2020
- Winning Business with Data-Driven Insights from Firm Content, Law Vision Insights Blog, December 16, 2020
- Five Steps to Law Firm Marketing Planning in 2021, Business of Law Blog, December 16, 2020
- Six Ways Any Law Firm Can Have Endless, Quality Content Topics, Global Legal Post: Big Stories, December 18, 2020
- A Fresh Look for Super Lawyers Magazine, Legal Current: Thomson Reuters, December 18, 2020
- Meet the 23 Student Winners of the BTI Creative Holiday Card Contest, The Mad Clientist: BTI's Blog, December 16, 2020
- Getting the Most Out of Legal Rankings, Jaffe PR Blog, December 16, 2020
- What Do Journalists Think of Bad PR Pitches?, Jaffe PR Blog, December 16, 2020
- ABA Law Practice Today — Reworking your marketing plan and budget for a mixed 2021, Marketing Attorney Blog, December 17, 2020
- Lawyers w/o Big Brandname - Probably Too Late to Start Podcasting, Law and More, December 23, 2020
- 45 Marketing and PR Statistics that Recap the Year We Had in 2020, Sword and the Script, December 22, 2020
- Dove: Maintaining a Brand with Purpose, Harvard Business Review, December 22, 2020
Digital Marketing
- 101 Best Email Subject Lines of 2019, Digital Marketer, December 18, 2020
- This Week in Content Marketing: Lessons from Home Depot, KFC, and Google, Content Marketing Institute, December 18, 2020
- In Times Of Crisis, Empathy Fuels Loyalty, Forrester Blogs, December 18, 2020
- Content Marketing KPIs: Which Metrics Should You Track? (+Infographic), Wordstream Blog, December 18, 2020
- Recognizing the Long-Term Value of Content Marketing, Influence & Co., December 16, 2020
- Top 10 Marketing Articles for 2020 (and What We Can Learn from Them), Convince and Convert, December 21, 2020
- It’s Time to Humanize Your Brand, Brian Solis, December 21, 2020
- Our Favorite Farnam Street Posts From 2020, Farnam Street, December 21, 2020
- 6 powerful trade show budget alternatives to drive growth in 2021, Impact Blog, December 22, 2020
- Create Shorter Content For More Effective Marketing, Web Ink Now, December 22, 2020
- 7 tips for effective virtual event speaker guidelines (examples and best practices), Impact Blog, December 22, 2020
- How to Create an Effective Website Homepage, New Breed Marketing, December 22, 2020
- Obtaining A Job In Marketing, Social Media Explorer, December 22, 2020
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Companies and Products in the News
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Podcasts and Webinars
- Strategies LIVE! The Intersection of DEI and Business Development, Legal Marketing Association: Podcasts, December 17, 2020
- LMA Podcast Episode 66 — Strategies LIVE! The Intersection of DEI and Business Development, Legal Marketing Association: Strategies+ Blog, December 17, 2020
- How Resilient Law Firms Leverage Innovative Technology, ALA: Upcoming Webinars, December 17, 2020
- Expert Interview with Larry Bodine on Video Marketing, Larry Bodine Marketing Blog, December 18, 2020
- New videos: Law firm staffing & expenses — a state of the market update, Legal Executive Institute: Blog, December 18, 2020
- How to Create Meaningful Business Communication, Duct Tape Marketing, December 18, 2020
- Podcast Ep. 123: Why Law Firm Marketing is Never “One and Done”, Good2BSocial, December 17, 2020
Marketing and Editorial Jobs
- E&E News, D.C. - Legal Reporter, Law and More, December 19, 2020
- Law Office - REMOTE - SEO Content Writing (freelance), Law and More, December 19, 2020
- Chief Talent Officer, For the Florida Office of a Growing National Law Firm, December 21, 2020
- U.S. News & World Report. D.C. - Money Editor, Law and More, December 18, 2020
- Freelance Legal Copywriter - REMOTE, Law and More, December 17, 2020
- U.S. News & World Report, D.C. - Personal Finance Editor, Law and More, December 21, 2020
- Employment Law Firm, Sacramento, CA - Legal Assistant/Copy Editor (full-time), Law and More, December 19, 2020
- Open Markets Institute, D.C. - Managing Editor (up to $100k), Law and More, December 16, 2020
- Chris Collins, Los Angeles, CA - Ghostwriter/Content Writer (including books), Law and More, December 18, 2020
- Chief Talent Officer, For the Miami, New York, Denver or Los Angeles Office of a Growing National Law Firm, December 22, 2020
- McDougall Interactive - REMOTE - Legal Marketing, Law and More, December 22, 2020
- Pensions & Investments, NYC - Audience Engagement Editor (full-time), Law and More, December 22, 2020
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, D.C. - Social Media Strategist (full-time, salary), Law and More, December 22, 2020
- Legal Writing, Logan Square of Chicago Area - Part-time, Law and More, December 22, 2020
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_____________ The Law Firm Marketing Brief is the newest addition to the Pinhawk family of newsletters for the legal market. As the pace of competition and innovation in the legal market continues to accelerate, marketing issues are now front and center in shaping the future of the profession. This newsletter is designed to serve the needs of marketing professionals in law firms of all sizes, as well as practicing lawyers who are actively involved in marketing and business development initiatives, by providing a weekly briefing on the marketing ideas and trends that are driving the transformation of the legal industry. Joe Lamport, Editor. email me. Joe is a former practicing lawyer who has been a pioneer in the field of digital marketing for lawyers. He is the founder of the marketing consultancy, The Practice Platform. Free Subscription See our free newsletter for IT folks. See our free newsletter for Librarians. See our free newsletter for Legal administrators.
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