We just can’t stop thinking about law firm marketing sometimes. So, when we came across a Bloomberg article about how marketing foibles caused an existential crisis for a behemoth skincare company of all things, we couldn’t help drawing some parallels.

Know Your Audience and Neglect Them at Your Peril: a Cautionary Tale

During the dark days of the pandemic, Neutrogena slashed its marketing and sales budgets by more than half. Once nimble and innovative, the company became slow-moving and cautious. Among other things, it failed to realize that a large segment of customers was migrating to newer social media channels (TikTok in particular).

As rival CeraVe dutifully followed this valuable audience with tailored messages to keep them top of mind, Neutrogena was out of sight, out of mind. Its market share fell off a cliff as a generation of customers considered it irrelevant, according to Bloomberg.

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Lessons for Law Firms

While the business of law is vastly different and has its own unique culture and challenges, there’s still something important to learn here.

Know Your Audience

Understanding clients and potential clients — knowing their interests, their questions, and how they consume information — is critical. Just a generation ago, a law firm’s business development relied almost entirely on direct personal connections. Talk about a narrow audience. Personal networks remain absolutely indispensable, but law firms that are really growing today are cultivating their traditional personal networks alongside larger audiences of potential clients.

A law firm doesn't need to be on every social media platform, but it's important to be present where your clients congregate. Consider using content marketing to share valuable information and establish your firm as an authority in your field. This could include blog posts, articles, webinars, or videos. Additionally, consider leveraging email marketing to nurture leads and stay in touch with clients.

Prioritize Content Marketing

Content marketing is a powerful tool for law firms. By creating and sharing valuable content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field and attract new clients.

• Create high-quality content: Develop content that is informative, engaging and relevant to clients and potential clients.

• Promote your content: Share your content on social media, through email marketing, and on your website.

Neglecting marketing can have serious consequences. By staying informed and adapting to change, law firms can build and maintain strong relationships and achieve long-term success.

Robert has decades of PR and marketing know-how. From big firms to startups, he dives deep into each client’s business to craft authentic stories. When he's not helping clients, you might find him cursing while renovating a vintage Airstream. He can be reached at robert.tharp@muselegalpr.com.