I am asked this several times a month, usually over coffee with a managing partner, a marketing leader or a journalist.
Here is what I’ve been seeing. These are the mistakes I see time and again.
Treating marketing as a support function, not a strategic one.
Your marketing team can help shape the firm’s future—but only if they’re at the table. They are brainy advocates for your firm and should be involved in strategy, not simply execution. Ask them what is missing on the execution (see the visual) and listen to what they are telling you. The firms that do this are 10 steps ahead.
Confusing activity with impact.
A beautiful brochure or a LinkedIn post means little if it doesn’t lead to visibility, business development, or trust. Make certain that all marketing activities are done with intention and follow the firm or practice group strategy. Have your marketing department involved in these expenditure decisions.
Underinvesting in technology and training.
Your competitors are using marketing automation, CRM, and analytics. Are you? If you say that your CRM isn’t great, or it doesn’t tie in to your new matter intake process put in the money and attention in to fix it. Bad plumbing equals bad marketing. It leads to frustration and standstills.
Making marketing a reactive stop along the way.
If the team is only responding to partner requests, they’re not creating proactive campaigns that drive results. In this case, priorities may not have been articulated through the firm and with your professionals, or frankly, they may need additional staff. (Again, better technology is a differentiator in getting repetitive work done and seeing ROI.)
Neglecting internal buy-in.
Even the best strategy falls flat if your lawyers aren’t engaged. Leadership needs to be a champion for strategy and the proper use of the marketing department. They need to role model the behavior they want others to follow.
Failing to differentiate.
If your messaging sounds like everyone else’s, it’s time to sharpen your story. Be sure your strategy contains a unique selling proposition. What is it that makes you different and does everyone know that message?
These aren’t fatal—but they are fixable. With the right mindset and collaboration, firms can turn these around and thrive.
