As a part of the Legal Marketing Association’s partnership with Above the Law, each month we’re here to share a roundup of insights and intel from Strategies & Voices, the online trade journal dedicated to the craft of legal marketing.
Articles in this edition help legal marketers research a budget, plan for more effective cross-selling, find a balance between AI and human writing, and navigate career crossroads.
Money for Nothing? Research for Free
Humans in the Loop: The People Powering Trusted Legal AI
As the use of artificial intelligence permeates legal practice, a critical question confronts every legal professional who uses these tools: Can I trust this?
Competitive intelligence is a growing part of legal marketers’ responsibilities, but not every firm has robust budgets for research tools. In Research for Free: A Treasure Trove of Open Access Research Tools for Better Client Relationships, readers receive a list of options for finding free information on clients and prospects, as well as monitoring client- and industry-specific trends and pain points.
Key tip: You can discern a company’s priorities in the legal, regulatory and compliance realms by reviewing their lobbying spend on sites like Open Secrets.
A Guide to Growing Client Relationships
It’s cliche because it’s true: Expanding business with current clients is easier than landing a brand-new client. But this must be done thoughtfully to ensure your efforts enhance — and not jeopardize — your most important relationships.
Product Spotlight: Lexis® Verdict & Settlement Analyzer
Put away the guesswork—Lexis® Verdict & Settlement Analyzer helps legal professionals assess case potential with confidence by using data-driven insights from the industry’s largest collection of verdicts and settlements.
Maximizing Potential: A Client-Centric Approach for Relationship Growth guides legal marketers through a process for cross-selling, from what intel to collect to what specific tactics may work best.
Key tip: Look beyond the financials when you are evaluating which clients to target. As the article advises, ask: “Do attorneys at the firm enjoy working with them? Do they pay their bills on time?” Do not waste your time developing strategies for unsavory candidates.
AI and Writers: Finding the Right Mix
While AI continues to dominate headlines in the business and legal press, it’s especially important for marketers — as purveyors of the written word — to know when and how to deploy tools like ChatGPT.
In AI and Writers: A Recipe for Success in Legal Marketing, readers will learn about AI’s strengths and limitations, as well as ideas to spot-test use of large language models.
Key tip: Use AI to refine your text for consistency in style and tone – especially helpful for documents that might have multiple lawyer editors.
Bonus: Take Charge of Your Career
In the latest LMA podcast, three legal marketing professionals talk about how and when to plan for a career move. Career Crossroads: Strategies for Growth and Success can help listeners build proactive strategies for long-term growth (and happiness too).
Do you have a compelling case study about your firm, or marketing insights to share? Share your ideas with Strategies & Voices today.
Katherine (Katie) Hollar Barnard is the managing partner of Firesign | Enlightened Legal Marketing, a communications agency for law firms and legal service providers. She also serves as co-chair of the LMA’s Strategies & Voices editorial committee.