For many law firms, thought leadership content is driven primarily by marketing. The goal? Stay visible, stay relevant and ensure the firm is top of mind. While this approach serves a purpose, it often sacrifices long-term value for short-term visibility. A thought leadership strategy driven by business development, on the other hand, offers a more targeted, strategic and lasting approach.

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to take stock of your brand’s performance and lay the groundwork for an even more successful 2025. Whether you’re running a business, managing your personal brand or overseeing a company’s marketing efforts, the steps you take now can significantly impact your success in the year ahead.

In a world where competition among law firms is fierce, the way you pitch matters more than ever. Unfortunately, many law firm pitches fall flat, not because they lack information but because they lack customization and genuine focus on the client. Most pitches are formulaic, using the same slides, templates and recycled content. They showcase the firm’s accolades and previous deals but fail to address the client’s unique needs and pain points.

In business development, the past, present and future all hold valuable lessons. Past habits can sometimes haunt us, current best practices keep us on track and emerging trends offer a glimpse into what’s next. By learning from each of these, legal marketers and lawyers can craft strategies that are thoughtful, forward thinking and responsive to the times. Let’s explore the “ghosts” of business development past, present and future, and discover what each can teach us.

Business development can sometimes feel like walking through a haunted house, especially in the high-stakes environment of big law. Just as you think you’re making progress, opportunities seem to vanish, conversations go cold and the outreach you thought was vibrant appears to drift into the business development graveyard. For legal marketers and lawyers, keeping outreach efforts alive is essential to sustaining growth and client relationships. Here’s how to avoid the dreaded graveyard and keep your business development initiatives breathing with life.

Here’s the truth: if you’ve been invited to pitch, they already know you’re qualified. Instead of spending your time proving your worth, you need to focus on building a relationship, understanding their needs and showing how you can provide solutions.

While pitch materials, like bios, decks or brochures, are nice to have, they’re often skimmed at best. The real opportunity lies in the conversation and connection you build with the potential client. So, how do you shift your approach to make a lasting impact?

In today’s legal market, standing out from the competition is more challenging than ever. To succeed, law firms need more than legal expertise—they need strong relationships with their clients and a clear strategy for growing their business. Whether you’re running a small boutique firm or managing a large practice, developing new business and keeping current clients engaged is key to long-term success. Here are 10 practical strategies to help your firm strengthen client relationships, attract new business, and continue to grow in a crowded market.

Investing in visibility activities like conferences, thought leadership articles, blogs, podcasts and social media is a critical part of building your brand. But what happens after that? How do you turn the buzz into actual business? It’s a question that many professionals face: translating visibility into business development and ensuring those efforts lead to new clients, revenue and growth.

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools that business professionals have to build their brand, make meaningful connections and grow their business. Yet many professionals, especially in the legal industry, aren’t using it to its full potential. Here’s how to elevate your LinkedIn presence, optimize your profile and leverage the platform to expand your reach and influence.

When it comes to optimizing your LinkedIn profile, most people focus on their headline, profile picture and work experience. But one of the most impactful sections often goes unnoticed—the LinkedIn Featured section. This underutilized section is a hidden gem for showcasing your work, highlighting achievements and driving more engagement to your content.