I get calls all day long from attorneys who want to talk about marketing.

“Should we redo our website?”

“Do we need a blog?”

“What about advertising? Radio? TV? Pay per click?”

“Should we hire this marketing consultant or that website firm?”

I can’t answer any of these questions as presented. We’re missing something. We’re missing the big something.

Marketing can’t work without a goal. You’ve got to know what you’re trying to accomplish before you can assemble tactics designed to achieve the goal.

Unfortunately, most attorney marketing is driven by imitating tactics without first figuring out the objective.

As an example, an attorney is driving down the highway. She spots a billboard posted by her competitor. She feels like her competitor is one step ahead of her. Her competitive energy kicks in, and the next thing you know, she’s talking to a marketing company about billboards. The marketing company, faced with a customer anxious to rent billboards, signs the deal.

A few weeks later, we’ve got two lawyers advertising on billboards, and neither of them is happy with the results. One did it for some reason we don’t understand, and the other one copied the first.

The likelihood is low that either attorney figured out who they were targeting, how to reach them, and what to say when they did achieve contact. They didn’t have a goal other than to put up some billboards.

A much more deliberative process is called for before spending money on tactics. Slow down. Think. Decide on the big plan. Know your goal before you start.

You need a carefully crafted strategy designed to generate profit. Marketing for the sake of marketing makes no sense. Spend more time thinking strategy and less time rushing into tactics.