Many of those in the legal marketing industry already know of Susan Freeman because of her strong online presence and ability to gather and support other women. Susan is the epitome of what is means to be a woman who supports other women. She’s been kind and helpful to me through the years, and she is a role model for all of us in terms of using her platform for the greater good.

I asked Susan to be part of the Women Who Wow series, which is running not only during March, Women’s History Month, but throughout the year, because she selflessly promotes so many others, and I thought it was time to shine a spotlight on her. Thank you Susan for all you do for our industry and for women. Learn more about her.

Crisis Plan

We have entered an unprecedented time with the recent coronavirus outbreak. There’s a lot of uncertainty and as a result, office closures, postponement or cancellations of meetings, events and just about everything else.

Law firms and other business organizations are trying to function in a volatile and rapidly changing environment. So how do you conduct business as usual during the COVID-19 crisis? And is it okay to market your firm and lawyers during this time?

My answer to this is yes, it is okay to market and that you should – but it should be done differently than before the virus.

If you are going to market your firm and your lawyers, showing support and empathy should be at the heart of everything you do. This is not the time to announce the relaunch of your web site, your latest rankings or a new brand.

Your guiding principle should be to show compassion and care to your employees, clients and the greater community and to educate, inform and help others through thought leadership and educational seminars. If these activities lead to enhanced branding and new business by demonstrating your position as an authority in a particular area, then that’s great – but firms that do heavy marketing during a global crisis can be seen as insensitive and out of touch.

It is important to remind your employees and clients that you care about them, you’re here to help them and that it is business as usual at your organization, even if most of your employees are working from home. Companies often struggle with getting this balance right.

In this article, I’ll discuss strategies for marketing your firm during the coronavirus – as well as any crisis – that may arise.

0B860D88-34AF-4EA1-91D4-555AB22ABDF1

It hasn’t been an easy year for me.

Right about this time last year, I was packing up the last of my boxes to move into my boyfriend’s apartment.

I was so excited that I had finally met “the one.” I had never felt this way before and we moved fast. We were so different personality wise and a 10 year age difference. We were talking about marriage and kids, but my intuition knew something was up.

Throughout the month of March and beyond, I will be spotlighting “women who wow” me on the blog– these are women I’ve met through my professional and personal lives. They are leaders who inspire and awe me, and push me to be a better version of myself. They are role models for the future generation of women. I think we can all learn from them.

Today I’m highlighting Carolyn Sandano, who I have known for many years through the Legal Marketing Association. Carolyn is a seasoned legal marketer who is always calm under pressure and offers wise advice. I can think of many occasions where she has supported not only me but other women and been generous with her time and counsel. Get to know more about Carolyn.

Throughout the month of March and beyond, I will be featuring spotlights with “women who wow” me – these are women I’ve met through my professional and personal lives. They are leaders in their fields who inspire me and push me to be a better version of myself. They are role models for the future generation of women.

In the first installment, meet Emily Joslin, a lifelong New Yorker who recently relocated to Florida for the next chapter of her life. Her career has pivoted in a very interesting way – she was a marketing executive in the financial services industry for many years, an entrepreneur in the wellness area and the founder of a nonprofit organization that sought to put kids on the path to philanthropy before she entered the entertainment business as an on-air host in Florida for a lifestyle show, Fly with Kevin Scott.

Emily is kind and strong, she is inspiring to me in so many ways. I met her unconventionally – we bonded over a shared connection and our experience with that person. We supported each other and became friends – I immensely value her advice and friendship. Emily is a great mom and friend, and she’s someone you should know more about. Here’s my interview with her.

Thank you so much to Baker McKenzie’s BakerWomen’s group for inviting me to speak about LinkedIn best practices and building your personal brand today. It was a great way to…