Starting In January Means Beginning In December

December 9, 2024
Spotlight Branding

When we published our 2024 Legal Marketing Trends Report, it said that 65% of law firms either didn’t have a marketing plan, checked it once a year, or couldn’t remember when it was updated. (If this is you, we can solve this right now; here’s a free marketing plan template.) Attorneys are professionals with high standards, and many are driven toward perfectionism. Marketing is an inherent need within the legal industry, and it’s merely a prerequisite that allows them to pursue their craft. 

Despite how important they are, people put them off because they don’t know how to form a marketing plan. The ones that fail lack defined objectives misunderstand their target audience or employ the wrong marketing strategies. And by the way, this isn’t a knock on lawyers because some marketing professionals don’t know how to create a marketing plan. The ironic part is that right now is not only the best time to make one but also when people have ample excuses for putting it off. 

The End of the Year Is Like Coffee

Not everyone drinks coffee, but Americans consume about 400 million cups of coffee a day. When you say you need a cup of coffee, there is bound to be at least one person around you who empathizes with it, myself included. So when I buy a calorically dense coffee milkshake from Dunkies, I almost feel like I get a free pass because everyone is doing it. 

The same sort of mindset applies to the end of the year. There are holidays, family plans, and days off from work. Announcing that you will begin your marketing plan at the start of the new year feels like checking the box, and there won’t be a lot of pushback on it. People delay things to the beginning of the calendar year. Although I will never question anyone’s coffee choices, I will say that this should not apply to your marketing plan. If you want your marketing to work in January, you must begin your plan now.

What You Can Do In December 

This is your time to throw ideas at a wall, to strategize, create, and refine your marketing initiatives without the pressure of an urgent deadline. Rushed marketing plans lack consistent messaging, and their strategies often don’t align with their true goals. For example, nobody wants 100,000 likes; they want $100,000. We’ve always argued that one doesn’t lead to the other. 

Because December is typically a quieter month, you’ll have more time now to focus on marketing than in January. One of the underlying trends in effective marketing plans is consistency and traction. Laying a foundation now for a January launch speaks to both. Here are some things you can focus on in December: 

  1. Reevaluate your current marketing strategies. At the end of the year, assess what has worked, what needs amending, and what needs to go. Review your website, social media profiles, and branding materials to ensure they are up-to-date, consistent, and aligned with your goals. 
  2. Create content in advance. Schedule your blogs, email newsletters, and posts for the next month. Plan a content calendar based on the type of clients you want to work with and the kinds of questions they would have for you. 
  3. Develop a referral strategy. Too many firms seek cold leads and don’t generate business from their past clients. Your former clients are your best salespeople because they already trust you. They will refer you to their friends, family, and colleagues—but you have to stay in touch with them. Even if you don’t have a content strategy that does this (yet), send out Christmas cards. 

You Can Get Started By Doing Almost Nothing 

The easiest way to get started in December is by contacting a marketing agency like ours. We create content that nurtures the relationships you have built with your past clients and connections. When you send out email newsletters, blogs, and posts on social media, you will see you get more referrals and better clients. Content marketing must be your foundation because it also increases the ROI of your other marketing efforts. Contact our Business Development Manager to see how we can help you and your firm.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Instagram profileMy YouTube channel

Spotlight Branding

Spotlight Branding is a content marketing and branding firm for lawyers and other professionals. Our goal is to help you create an online presence that positions you as a credible expert in your field, keeps you connected with your network in order to stay top of mind and increase referrals, and to become more visible online so prospects can find you!