Marketing Roundup: From AI To CRM To PR
Expert perspectives on three acronyms that can be powerful and perplexing.
As a part of the Legal Marketing Association’s new partnership with Above the Law, each month we’ll share a roundup of insights and intel from Strategies & Voices, the online trade journal dedicated to the craft of legal marketing.
Spanning the LMA’s Body of Knowledge domains for both Technology Management and Marketing Management and Leadership, this edition provides expert perspectives on three acronyms that can be powerful and perplexing: PR, AI and CRM (customer relationship management).
PR: What do you mean this isn’t front-page news?
From media consolidation to paywalls, law firm PR campaigns have never been more challenging, and it’s imperative to manage internal expectations accordingly. In Setting Expectations for Public Relations in Today’s Landscape, three veteran PR practitioners share strategies for keeping your firm in the news … while keeping lawyers’ hopes realistic.
Example: Have an important firm story that isn’t getting attention in the wake of the election (or Travis and Taylor)? “Don’t be afraid of the paid … Incorporating paid media strategies and tactics into your plan — whether in print channels like the local business journals, newswires or social channels, or social media sites like LinkedIn — can be fruitful.”
AI: Why can’t ChatGPT read my mind already?
As anyone who’s turned to a generative AI tool knows, the output relies heavily on good input. Writing effective AI prompts is both an art and a science; Breaking Down Effective Prompting for AI provides tips, examples and a few advanced prompt techniques to try.
Example: Try hypothetical scenarios: “Imagine there was a new law that only allowed those who were 100 percent not at fault in an accident to receive compensation for damages. How would this new law impact the investigation tactics in such accidents?’
CRM: How do we get the lawyers and staff to actually use it?
From the intricacies of data migration to the challenge of human resistance to change, a CRM rollout can be a major hurdle for in-house teams. The LMA’s Tipsheet: How to Gain Buy-in for a New CRM Tool Across Your Firm provides 13 tips to ensure a smooth and rewarding journey.
Example: Go beyond off-the-shelf to make the software feel relevant, if not custom. (For starters, while “customer relationship management” may be the IT category, lawyers never say “customer.” You have a client relationship management product.)
“Tailor the CRM to speak the legal language. Incorporate case management and client categories based on legal matters to make it feel like it’s designed specifically for legal wizards.”
Through July and August, the LMA’s Strategies & Voices will focus on Marketing Management and Leadership, with scheduled content that will discuss thought leadership vs. content marketing, law firm culture, strategic planning and more.
Do you have a compelling case study about your firm, or marketing insights to share? Share your ideas with Strategies & Voices today.
Katherine (Katie) Hollar Barnard is the managing partner of Firesign | Enlightened Legal Marketing, a communications agency for law firms and legal service providers. She also serves as co-chair of the LMA’s Strategies & Voices editorial committee.
