Legal marketers are often seen as behind-the-scenes contributors, managing events, updating websites, doing pitches, client targeting and creating marketing collateral. However, legal marketers are uniquely positioned to drive both marketing and business development efforts that directly contribute to revenue growth. With the right mindset and strategy, marketers can move beyond support roles to become indispensable business enablers.

If you’re a legal marketer, you already have the skills to make this shift. The key is leveraging your knowledge, networks and resources to create opportunities for lawyers and clients. Here’s how to start making a bigger impact, with actionable steps to guide you.

Focus on Building and Nurturing Relationships

Legal marketers have a unique, high-level view of the firm’s clients, practice areas and services, making them invaluable in identifying cross-selling opportunities that lawyers might overlook. By leveraging this perspective, you can help the firm add more value to client relationships, generate additional revenue and build stronger connections across practice areas.

  • Understand the Full Scope of the Firm’s Services: Familiarize yourself with all the practice areas and services your firm offers. Attend practice group meetings, review marketing materials and maintain an updated list of capabilities to fully understand how your firm can meet client needs across different areas. This knowledge positions you to identify opportunities where the firm’s diverse services can address client challenges holistically.
  • Collaborate With Practice Group Leaders: Build relationships with practice group leaders by scheduling regular check-ins to discuss their clients and potential cross-practice opportunities. Together, review client lists to identify where additional services might be beneficial. Ask targeted questions about clients’ upcoming transactions, compliance needs or regulatory issues that may overlap with other practice areas. These discussions can uncover untapped opportunities for collaboration.
  • Analyze Client Data for Patterns: Use CRM tools and billing data to spot trends in client engagement across practice areas. For instance, clients working with your litigation team might also need advice on employment law or risk management. Look at industries or geographies where your firm has strong traction and consider which complementary services could further support those clients.
  • Identify Synergistic Opportunities: Look for natural intersections between practice areas where multiple services can deliver added value to the client. For example, a corporate client planning a merger might require antitrust advice, employment counsel or intellectual property guidance. Similarly, real estate clients could benefit from services like tax structuring, environmental compliance or finance assistance. Present these connections to lawyers with specific examples and practical ways to initiate conversations with clients.
  • Equip Lawyers With Talking Points: Help lawyers feel prepared to discuss cross-practice opportunities by providing clear, concise talking points. For instance, if a client mentions an acquisition, the lawyer could ask, “Have you considered how this might affect your tax structure or employment policies? We have a team that specializes in those areas.” Practice these scenarios through role-playing exercises to build confidence and ensure seamless client interactions.
  • Proactively Offer Solutions to Clients: Develop outreach campaigns that highlight how your firm’s practice areas work together to address complex client needs. For example, create a client-focused email or brochure explaining how the firm can support clients during mergers, regulatory changes or expansions by integrating services from different teams. Proactively positioning your firm as a one-stop solution builds trust and strengthens relationships.
  • Highlight Success Stories: Share examples of successful cross-practice collaborations to illustrate the value of working with multiple teams. For instance, show how involving the tax and employment groups during a merger saved a client time and money. Highlighting these successes encourages lawyers to see the benefits of cross-selling and motivates them to seek similar opportunities.
  • Track and Report Outcomes: Monitor the impact of cross-selling efforts on client relationships and revenue. Share these results with practice group leaders and firm leadership to demonstrate how collaboration across practice areas drives success. Highlight metrics like increased client retention, new matters opened or additional revenue generated to show the tangible benefits of cross-practice strategies.

Building and nurturing relationships is not just about keeping your firm top of mind – it’s about creating lasting value and trust. By focusing on authentic, personalized interactions and empowering lawyers to do the same, legal marketers can play a critical role in driving business development and enhancing the firm’s reputation.

Identify and Maximize Cross-Selling Opportunities

Legal marketers have a unique, high-level view of the firm’s clients, practice areas and services, making them invaluable in identifying cross-selling opportunities that lawyers might not immediately see. By leveraging this perspective, you can help the firm add more value to client relationships, increase revenue and create stronger connections across practice areas.

  • Understand the Full Scope of the Firm’s Services: Familiarize yourself with all the practice areas and services your firm offers. Attend practice group meetings, review marketing materials and maintain an updated list of capabilities to fully understand how your firm can meet client needs across different areas. This knowledge positions you to identify opportunities where the firm’s diverse services can address client challenges holistically.
  • Collaborate With Practice Group Leaders: Build relationships with practice group leaders by scheduling regular check-ins to discuss their clients and potential cross-practice opportunities. Together, review client lists to identify where additional services might be beneficial. Ask targeted questions about clients’ upcoming transactions, compliance needs or regulatory issues that may overlap with other practice areas. These discussions can uncover untapped opportunities for collaboration.
  • Analyze Client Data for Patterns: Use CRM tools and billing data to spot trends in client engagement across practice areas. For instance, clients working with your litigation team might also need advice on employment law or risk management. Look at industries or geographies where your firm has strong traction and consider which complementary services could further support those clients.
  • Identify Synergistic Opportunities: Look for natural intersections between practice areas where multiple services can deliver added value to the client. For example, a corporate client planning a merger might require antitrust advice, employment counsel or intellectual property guidance. Similarly, real estate clients could benefit from services like tax structuring, environmental compliance or finance assistance. Present these connections to lawyers with specific examples and practical ways to initiate conversations with clients.
  • Equip Lawyers With Talking Points: Help lawyers feel prepared to discuss cross-practice opportunities by providing clear, concise talking points. For instance, if a client mentions an acquisition, the lawyer could ask, “Have you considered how this might affect your tax structure or employment policies? We have a team that specializes in those areas.” Practice these scenarios through role-playing exercises to build confidence and ensure seamless client interactions.
  • Proactively Offer Solutions to Clients: Develop outreach campaigns that highlight how your firm’s practice areas work together to address complex client needs. For example, create a client-focused email or brochure explaining how the firm can support clients during mergers, regulatory changes or expansions by integrating services from different teams. Proactively positioning your firm as a one-stop solution builds trust and strengthens relationships.
  • Highlight Success Stories: Share examples of successful cross-practice collaborations to illustrate the value of working with multiple teams. For instance, show how involving the tax and employment groups during a merger saved a client time and money. Highlighting these successes encourages lawyers to see the benefits of cross-selling and motivates them to seek similar opportunities.
  • Track and Report Outcomes: Monitor the impact of cross-selling efforts on client relationships and revenue. Share these results with practice group leaders and firm leadership to demonstrate how collaboration across practice areas drives success. Highlight metrics like increased client retention, new matters opened or additional revenue generated to show the tangible benefits of cross-practice strategies.

By taking a proactive approach to cross-selling, legal marketers can play a pivotal role in strengthening client relationships and driving firm growth. When you consistently identify opportunities and equip lawyers with the tools to act on them, you not only maximize the value your firm offers but also position yourself as a strategic partner in its success.

Use Data Strategically

Data is one of the most valuable resources at a legal marketer’s disposal. When used effectively, it can uncover trends, inform strategy and directly contribute to both marketing and business development success. Whether you’re analyzing CRM data, website analytics or campaign performance metrics, leveraging data strategically helps your firm stay ahead of the curve and seize new opportunities.

Here’s how to make data a cornerstone of your marketing and business development efforts:

  • Centralize and Organize Your Data: A well-maintained database is the foundation of effective data use. Consolidate client information, engagement histories and practice area interactions into a centralized CRM system. Regularly audit the database to ensure its accuracy by removing outdated or irrelevant data. This ensures that your insights are reliable and actionable, enabling you to make strategic decisions based on clean, comprehensive information.
  • Track and Measure Key Metrics: Monitoring the right metrics is essential for understanding what resonates with your audience. Analyze website traffic to identify which practice areas or content topics are attracting the most interest. Review email campaign data, such as open rates and click-through rates, to gauge engagement. Pay attention to social media interactions—likes, comments and shares can reveal which thought leadership pieces are driving meaningful conversations.
  • Create Reports That Drive Action: Develop monthly or quarterly reports to highlight trends in client engagement, website activity and industry patterns. Go beyond the numbers by providing specific insights, such as increased traffic to a certain practice area or decreased engagement from a client segment. Use these findings to recommend clear next steps, like targeting a high-growth industry or re-engaging dormant clients with tailored outreach.
  • Collaborate With Practice Groups: Sharing data insights with practice group leaders strengthens collaboration and aligns marketing with business development goals. For instance, if website data shows increased visits from a specific industry, suggest creating targeted thought leadership or initiating an outreach campaign for that audience. By positioning yourself as a strategic partner, you demonstrate how data can directly support their growth objectives.
  • Identify and Act on Cross-Selling Opportunities: Use CRM data to identify patterns in client needs that span multiple practice areas. For example, if a corporate client engages with your employment practice, they may also need support with compliance or tax-related matters. Present these cross-selling opportunities to lawyers with concrete examples and suggestions for how to approach the client, making it easier to expand the relationship.
  • Leverage Predictive Analytics to Stay Ahead: Predictive tools powered by artificial intelligence can identify potential client behavior before it happens. Use these tools to spot clients at risk of disengagement based on patterns like reduced activity or missed communications. Armed with this data, you can proactively create retention strategies, such as personalized outreach or offers to re-engage the client.
  • Tailor Campaigns to Specific Insights: Personalization is key to successful marketing. Use data to segment your audience by factors like industry, geography or past engagement. Tailor your messaging to address their specific needs or challenges, ensuring your campaigns are relevant and engaging. Personalized outreach demonstrates a deeper understanding of client priorities, increasing the likelihood of meaningful connections.
  • Track ROI and Demonstrate Results: Assign measurable goals to your campaigns, such as driving traffic to a specific webpage or increasing attendance at a firm event. Evaluate the outcomes against these benchmarks to show the value of your efforts. Regularly share these results with leadership to reinforce the importance of data-driven strategies and secure support for future initiatives.

By taking a strategic approach to data, legal marketers can move beyond just reporting numbers. Instead, you can uncover actionable insights that shape marketing initiatives, strengthen client relationships and support business development. When you consistently connect data to real-world outcomes, you’ll position yourself as an indispensable resource in driving the firm’s growth.

Amplify Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is one of the best ways to showcase your firm’s expertise and build trust with clients and prospects. But creating great content is only part of the equation. How you distribute and tailor it is what makes the difference. Here’s how legal marketers can maximize the impact of their firm’s thought leadership.

  • Repurpose Content for Maximum Reach: Take existing long-form content, such as webinars, articles or white papers, and break it into smaller, more digestible formats to reach different audiences. For instance, create LinkedIn posts highlighting key takeaways, develop client-focused emails with actionable insights or design infographics to simplify complex ideas. Repurposing not only ensures your content has a longer lifespan but also allows you to meet your audience where they are with the format they prefer.
  • Break Down Long-Form Content: Take content like webinars, articles and white papers and repurpose it into smaller, more targeted pieces. For example, transform a webinar into a series of LinkedIn posts highlighting key takeaways, or create a client email that provides practical, actionable insights. If you have a client alert, condense it into a quick LinkedIn post for visibility, while using email to deliver a more detailed breakdown to relevant clients. This approach ensures you’re reaching different audiences in ways that work best for them and gives your content a longer shelf life.
  • Tailor Messaging to Fit Each Platform: Not all content works the same across platforms. On LinkedIn, focus on punchy, engaging posts that start conversations and draw attention to key insights. For email campaigns, dive deeper into the specifics and provide content that directly addresses the needs of the recipients. The tone and level of detail should match the audience—what works for a general LinkedIn post might need to be more technical for a niche client group. Always think about the audience first.
  • Collaborate With Lawyers: Work closely with lawyers to make it easy for them to share content with their networks. Provide them with prewritten LinkedIn post templates or summaries that they can customize to reflect their voice and perspective. Highlight how their active participation in sharing thought leadership can enhance their visibility, help build stronger client relationships and establish them as trusted authorities in their field.
  • Plan Timing Strategically: Timing is critical when sharing content. Use data to find out when your audience is most active and schedule posts and emails during those windows. Stay on top of industry news and trends, and tie your content to current events to keep it relevant. For example, if new legislation or a major industry shift occurs, share insights quickly to position your firm as a go-to resource for understanding its impact.
  • Track Performance and Refine Strategies: Pay attention to how your content performs by monitoring metrics like email open rates, website traffic and social media engagement. Share these results with your team and practice groups so everyone knows what’s working and why. Use these insights to adjust your strategy, focusing on what resonates most with your audience. This iterative process ensures your efforts continue to deliver real results.

Thought leadership is more than a visibility tool – it’s a way to create value for your clients while showcasing your firm’s expertise. By strategically repurposing, tailoring and distributing content, you can help position your firm as a trusted authority while driving client engagement and business development opportunities. Legal marketers play a crucial role in ensuring that thought leadership doesn’t just sit on the firm’s website but becomes a driver of new opportunities and relationships.

Equip Lawyers for Business Development Success

Lawyers bring deep expertise to their work, but they may not always prioritize or focus on business development. Legal marketers play a crucial role in bridging this gap by providing tools, guidance and resources to help lawyers excel in this area.

  • Begin by offering targeted training sessions that address key business development skills. Focus on practical topics such as optimizing LinkedIn profiles to attract clients, crafting compelling elevator pitches that resonate with prospects and following up effectively after meetings or events.
  • Provide actionable resources such as templates for outreach emails, conversation starters for networking events and follow-up checklists to ensure they feel prepared and confident. For example, create scripts for common client scenarios or sample responses to inquiries on LinkedIn.
  • Encourage role-playing exercises during training to help lawyers practice their pitches or networking techniques in a low-pressure environment. This hands-on approach builds confidence and ensures they’re ready to apply these skills in real-world situations.
  • Regularly share success stories and best practices within the firm to demonstrate how business development efforts can lead to tangible results. Highlight examples of how these skills have helped secure new clients or deepen existing relationships to motivate lawyers and reinforce the value of these initiatives.
  • Support ongoing development by offering one-on-one coaching or periodic refresher sessions. Tailor these to the lawyer’s specific practice area or goals, making the training feel personalized and relevant to their work.

By equipping your lawyers with the right tools and consistent support, you empower them to contribute meaningfully to the firm’s business development efforts. This not only strengthens client relationships but also positions the legal marketing team as a strategic partner in the firm’s growth.

Act as a Connector

As a legal marketer, you’re uniquely positioned to connect the dots between people and opportunities. Through your interactions with alumni, industry contacts and clients, you have the chance to introduce lawyers to individuals who can help grow the firm’s business. These small connections can make a big impact.

  • To make the most of this role, start by doing your homework before events. Look at the guest list and identify a few key people who align with the firm’s goals or could be valuable connections for specific lawyers. Think about how these introductions could benefit both sides and how they might lead to deeper conversations down the road.
  • Before the event, give the lawyers you’re working with a quick rundown of the people they should meet. Share relevant background details such as what they do, their relationship to the firm and any shared interests. If possible, provide a few ideas for how to start the conversation or make the interaction more natural.
  • At the event, be proactive in facilitating introductions. Don’t just exchange names, set the stage by highlighting something they have in common or a reason they should connect. For example, you could say, “Sarah, I know you’ve been exploring opportunities in renewable energy. Mark here works with several clients in that space, I think you two could have a great conversation about trends in the industry.”
  • After the event, help keep the momentum going. Suggest follow-up steps for the lawyers, like sending a quick email, connecting on LinkedIn or setting up a coffee meeting. Share simple templates or examples to make it easy for them to reach out.

You don’t need to limit this role to events. Keep an eye out for opportunities to connect people in your everyday work, such as spotting commonalities between clients, staying in touch with alumni or identifying potential collaborations through LinkedIn.

By actively connecting the right people, you help create opportunities that benefit both the firm and its clients. It’s a small but powerful way to strengthen relationships, build trust and support business development in meaningful ways.

Shift to a Proactive Approach

Driving revenue as a legal marketer requires shifting from responding to requests to proactively identifying opportunities and leading initiatives. By anticipating needs, suggesting innovative strategies and actively collaborating with lawyers, you can transform your role into one that directly contributes to business development and client growth. Here’s how to adopt a proactive approach and deliver tangible results:

  • Anticipate Needs and Identify Opportunities: Regularly review client lists, industry trends and firm-wide activities to uncover new avenues for business development. Pay attention to patterns like clients engaging multiple practice areas, emerging industries or regulatory changes that may require new legal services. For instance, increased activity in the healthcare sector could signal a need for targeted outreach, such as hosting a webinar on legal challenges unique to the industry. By staying ahead of these opportunities, you position yourself as a strategic resource.
  • Collaborate Closely With Practice Groups: Build strong relationships with practice group leaders by scheduling regular brainstorming sessions to discuss growth strategies. Prepare for these meetings with actionable insights, including data on client engagement, market trends and competitor activities. Use these discussions to align marketing initiatives with the practice group’s business objectives, ensuring your efforts directly support their growth goals.
  • Propose and Drive New Initiatives: Take the lead in suggesting initiatives tailored to client needs and market trends. For example, if a client has expanded into a new market, propose offering a tailored legal update or inviting them to an industry-specific event. Present your ideas with clear strategies, timelines and measurable outcomes to make it easier for lawyers to support and implement them. Taking initiative demonstrates leadership and reinforces your role in driving the firm’s growth.
  • Leverage Data to Guide Strategy: Use tools like CRM reports, website analytics and campaign metrics to back up your recommendations. For example, if a specific practice area sees a spike in website traffic, explore ways to capitalize on this interest with targeted outreach or new content. Similarly, if a client segment shows declining engagement, identify re-engagement strategies based on their previous behaviors. Presenting data-driven insights builds credibility and helps focus discussions on actionable solutions.
  • Track and Analyze Competitors: Regularly monitor your competitors to understand their strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Analyze their content, events, marketing campaigns and notable client wins to identify gaps or opportunities for differentiation. Use these insights to refine your firm’s messaging, highlight unique strengths and position your lawyers as leaders in areas where competitors are less active. Sharing this analysis with practice groups can also inform strategies to gain a competitive edge.
  • Foster Cross-Practice Collaboration: Legal marketers are well-positioned to identify cross-selling opportunities by connecting practice areas that can add value to client relationships. For example, a corporate client involved in a merger may also need support with employment, tax or compliance issues. Share these opportunities with practice groups, providing concrete examples of how collaboration could enhance the client’s experience and generate additional revenue.
  • Be Proactive in Client Outreach: Suggest targeted outreach campaigns based on recent firm activities, such as significant cases, transactions or new hires. Create tailored messaging that aligns with each client’s needs, and provide lawyers with tools like email templates or conversation starters to make outreach effortless. By guiding these efforts, you make it easier for lawyers to stay engaged with clients and spot potential opportunities.
  • Encourage a Culture of Innovation: Inspire lawyers and practice groups to think creatively about business development. Share examples of innovative strategies from other firms or industries, and celebrate wins from proactive efforts. Highlighting successes, such as securing new clients through unique pitches or expanding relationships with high-value clients, reinforces the importance of forward-thinking approaches.
  • Measure and Share Impact: Track the success of your initiatives to demonstrate their value. Whether it’s securing new client relationships, increasing engagement or expanding work with existing clients, document these results and share them with firm leadership. This not only reinforces the importance of proactive marketing but also helps secure buy-in for future initiatives.

By stepping into a leadership role in identifying and pursuing opportunities, you can shift from being a reactive supporter to a proactive driver of growth. This approach enhances the firm’s revenue and elevates marketing’s role as an integral part of the business development process, ensuring your long-term value to the firm’s success.

Position Yourself as a Strategic Partner

To make a significant impact on marketing and business development, legal marketers need to move beyond being seen as support staff and establish themselves as strategic partners. This transformation starts with aligning your efforts with the firm’s broader goals and consistently demonstrating how your contributions drive measurable results.

Begin by deeply understanding the firm’s priorities. Whether the focus is on entering new markets, strengthening client relationships or expanding specific practice areas, ensure your marketing strategies directly support these objectives. Collaborate with practice group leaders and senior lawyers to identify where your expertise can amplify their business development efforts.

Take ownership of tracking and reporting your impact. If a marketing campaign leads to securing a new client, expanding work with an existing one or significantly increasing engagement, document these results. Share success stories with firm leadership regularly, using data to show the tangible value of your efforts. Highlighting these wins not only reinforces the importance of marketing initiatives but also positions you as an indispensable contributor to the firm’s growth.

Proactively bring ideas to the table. Whether it’s identifying cross-selling opportunities, proposing client-focused events or creating targeted thought leadership campaigns, show that you are thinking ahead and offering solutions aligned with business development goals. These proactive contributions shift the perception of legal marketers from task-driven executors to trusted advisors.

Engage in the firm’s business conversations. Attend practice group meetings, participate in strategy sessions and contribute insights that demonstrate your understanding of both the legal and business landscapes. By being part of these discussions, you show that you’re not just supporting the work being done but actively influencing the firm’s direction.

Over time, consistently aligning your efforts with the firm’s goals, demonstrating results and taking initiative will solidify your role as a strategic partner. This shift elevates the perception of legal marketing from a necessary function to a vital component of the firm’s long-term success.

Final Thoughts

Legal marketers possess a unique combination of skills, insights and strategic perspectives that can transform them into powerful revenue drivers for their firms. By fostering meaningful relationships, uncovering new opportunities, leveraging data effectively and empowering lawyers with essential business development tools, you can transcend the traditional support role and become a cornerstone of your firm’s growth strategy.

Take initiative with focused steps such as enhancing outreach, identifying cross-selling opportunities and translating data into actionable strategies. Document your impact along the way to showcase the tangible value you bring.

By embracing this proactive approach, you won’t just contribute to your firm’s success. You’ll redefine the role of legal marketing, earning recognition as an indispensable partner in driving revenue, shaping strategy and building the future of your firm.

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