Tom Barlow’s Post

Your firm is working with a legal marketing agency and it loses its primary point of contact. Now what? Whether this person was promoted, took on another internal role, or left the agency, it can feel like you need to 'start from scratch.' From a relationship standpoint, that's true. But that doesn't mean you should be wasting time constantly bringing new people 'up to speed.' So, how do you avoid this inevitability and be more prepared next time? Raise your hand if your firm's... -Marketing strategy, -its goals and objectives, -the primary KPIs you're tracking, -and how you define success with your internal team, -and outsourced vendors and partners...are documented. As in, written down in a living and breathing document. ... 🦗 If you didn't raise your hand, that's okay. Many firms don't. If you're one of them, it's time to get this house in order. Empower your external partners to hit the ground running, no matter the circumstance. It's a proactive approach that not only saves time but drives consistent progress toward your firm's success. The best part? You can also use this document to train newly hired  in-house marketing resources. Documenting your marketing strategy isn't just a safeguard—it's a growth strategy. 📈 #lawyers #attorneys #legalmarketing

One thing that can help resolve most of your firm's problems with sales and marketing? And it doesn't involve shelling out cash for shiny new tech or adding another marketing guru to your payroll. 🗣️Talk to more customers. I know the answer is straightforward, but it's still so often overlooked. You don't need to buy more tech, read more business books, invest more money, or hire another marketing agency. Go straight to your most valuable resource—your clients. Why does this matter? -Direct feedback helps drive quicker improvements -Offer more insights into client needs and preferences -Builds significantly stronger relationships -Reveals new opportunities you haven't considered -Improves/enhances client retention and satisfaction The key when having these conversations, or any effective discussion for that matter? Listen more than you speak. Let the client share their stories and experiences. Use the feedback to assess whether your strategy, messaging, or the stories you're telling are working or if a change is needed. If there are any simple, more client-focused solutions you can implement—start there first.  Are you diving into conversations with your clients? Or do you have another approach? 🤿 #lawyer #attorney #legalmarketing  

Law firms, are you really hiring marketers who love what they do? When you're looking to bring a marketer on board, "true eagerness" is key. It's not just about wanting a job but being genuinely excited about marketing itself. But here's the catch: everyone will tell you they’re excited—except maybe sociopaths. So, how do you cut through the BS? Instead of asking, "Are you excited about this job?" (and getting a predictable "yes"), dig deeper. Ask them, "What specifically about marketing excites you?" Watch out for candidates who light up with real enthusiasm. Look for answers that go beyond the duties and responsibilities listed on your job description. It’s those unique insights and genuine passion points that will set apart someone who's truly eager from someone who just needs a paycheck. Take the time to find these marketers. Hiring is a process and it can be hard saying "no" to a candidate that everyone at your firm was already excited about. Your law firm deserves a marketer who's not just competent, but passionate about marketing!

Crafting a successful marketing strategy for a law firm demands more than just filling roles. A skilled marketing manager is a compass guiding the journey, blending strategic prowess with adaptability. They drive transformation, foster collaboration, and harness data insights to craft campaigns that resonate and deliver impactful results. In the world of legal marketing, it's not just about promotion; it's about creating meaningful connections that drive growth. #LegalMarketing #StrategicInsights #FosterWebMarketing #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy

Are you a new follower and wondering who we are and what we do? Capilaux Legal is a recruitment and digital marketing agency tailored specifically to cater for the legal sector. Get in touch today to find out more: 🌐 capilauxlegal.com ✉️ info@capilaux.com #recruitment #marketing #legalrecruitment #legalcareers #careerprogression #recruitment

Have you been thinking about how you need to grow and challenge for business in an increasingly competitive legal market? If you are a niche or regional law firm then you may not have a specialist marketing function, or if you do then it may be excellent at delivering tactical outputs but not have enough experience to provide strategic advice or input into your growth target. That's where a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) can make a significant impact. Here's why you should consider leveraging their expertise: 1.   Strategic Direction: A fractional CMO brings a wealth of experience in crafting marketing strategies tailored specifically for the legal industry. They can assess your firm's unique positioning, competition, and target market to deliver against its ambitions. 2.   Cost-Effectiveness: Hiring a full-time CMO can be prohibitively expensive for many legal firms, especially smaller ones. Opting for a fractional CMO allows you to access top-tier talent on a part-time basis, significantly reducing costs while still benefiting from their expertise. 3.   Flexibility: Smaller firms may not require a strategic input all the time, it can depend on the market, the time of year, what kind of projects are on the cards. A fractional CMO provides the flexibility to scale marketing efforts up or down as needed, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently. 4.   Specialized Knowledge: Marketing in the legal sector requires experience with the sector, the culture and the challenges thrown up by professional services. A fractional CMO with experience in the legal field can navigate these intricacies effectively, ensuring compliance while maximizing marketing impact. 5.   Fresh Perspective: External fractional CMOs bring a fresh set of eyes to your firm's marketing challenges. They can identify untapped opportunities, streamline processes, and introduce innovative strategies to help your firm stand out in a crowded marketplace. As the market for senior positions has been tight over the past 18 months, more and more highly capable individuals have turned to this field as a way to add value and bring variety to their work whilst allowing the employer, flexibility, access to high levels of experience and capability whilst maintaining an affordable budget. If you think a fractional CMO might be the route you want to go down to help your law firm continue to grow and develop as you desire then get in touch to discuss the market and get access to the best candidates out there.  #lawfirmmarketing #lawfirms #legalmarketing

I have a question. What is it about marketing that makes everyone *think* they’re a marketer (even when they’re not)? 🫣 I would never dare to tell someone in #finance how to do their job. I wouldn't tell #HR the right way to recruit. Or ask the #product team why they “can't just” add a feature. I wouldn't assume I know how sell better than the #sales team (though I certainly have opinions). And I definitely wouldn't try to advise #legal on the best way to be a lawyer. But for some reason, in almost every organization, people outside of #marketing have *absolutely no problem* telling marketers how to do marketing. 🤔 Why is that? What is it about marketing that makes everyone think that they know marketing better than the marketing team? And how do we earn the respect we deserve as a highly strategic function, rather than constantly undermined with comments like: "can't you just..." or or minimizing our roles as the people who do “words, colors, and shapes”? #marketing #communications

Hiring the right marketing team is crucial for any law firm wanting to grow. But the wrong choice can make growth suffer. Throughout my experience working with law firms, I've seen the risks firsthand. The wrong marketing team wastes precious time and resources, and risks losing trained staff to the competition. The key is a strategic mix of in-house talent and expert external guidance. This builds a powerful marketing engine. In this short video, I'll share insights on the pros and cons of each approach.

If I asked a room of law firm owners to raise their hands if they've struggled to find good marketing employees, two thirds of the room would sprain their shoulders raising their hand. The other third probably have their marketers sitting at the table with them. Finding good marketers is a common problem among small businesses. Sometimes, we try to take a shortcut and hire marketers with no marketing experience and make them into "marketing directors" for a small business. I call this "diamond in the rough" syndrome (And, yes, I also think of that scene in Aladdin when I say that aloud. I am a millennial after all.) Sometimes the strategy pays off. We find a great new marketer who stays with your business for a long time. Most of the time, however, we can't reliably take someone who is "interested in marketing" and make them into a marketer - because we can't be sure the person will still be interested in marketing when they are done training. Marketing and sales aren't for everyone. A lot of people are interested in marketing the same way a lot of people are interested in law - they liked watching Suits but probably wouldn't enjoy the actual day-to-day of being a lawyer. As a general rule, if I'm helping a law firm hire their first in-house marketer, I'm focusing on finding people with real marketing experience. That usually means increasing the expected salary range for a role - because an extra $5k or $10k can make a huge difference in the quality of talent you attract.