Marketing and Networking

Marketing and networking are important in growing any business. I have some experience in building an online presence from my prior business ventures as a drummer and a booking agent for local rock bands. In this blog post I am going to discuss the differences and similarities between my prior experiences and my current experience in trying to grow my law firm.

One difference between I have encountered is with the expectations of the target audience. When working with bands and music venues my “clients” prefer a casual demeanor. They prefer to talk via a social networking site or they prefer to meet in person at a local establishment and work out the details to the deal. People expect more professionalism from an attorney. Talking with potential clients on Myspace or Facebook is not par for the course, especially for clients who are from the pre-internet era. I have made contacts with some old friends and some potential clients on Facebook and other social networking sites but the majority of these potential clients are decidedly in the “internet generation.” Maybe, as the internet generation advances in age this type of casual contact will become the norm.

I have noticed that my prior experience in networking and marketing as helped in my most recent endeavor. The first thing that I learned in my previous experience is that nothing beats meeting with potential clients in person. People enjoy personal contact because it allows them to evaluate you and your knowledge on the spot and to see if you have the type of personality that they desire. I have found that I am a personable person. Ever since I was a young boy I could walk into a room without knowing anyone and walk out with a few new friends.

I’ve decided that I am going to focus on getting the word out to as many of my friends and collegues as possible that I am in business. I have done this via facebook, linkedin, and in person by handing out my business cards to my friends and family.

I hope that as the weeks and months pass I can come back to this post and discuss how my strategies have worked. I am working on improving my google and other search presence.

Until next time,

Kenneth C. Allison, Esq.