By: Megan Braverman

We are all very busy and can be over­whelmed by large daunting tasks like participating in social media. However, by only spending 10 minutes each day (no more, no less) you can take your social media to the next level....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Recorder

As professionals, we are so focused on what's in front of us that it can be hard to believe we are already in the second quarter of 2012. The beginning of the second quarter, however, is a good time to stop, take a breath, look back at the first quarter's marketing results, and determine what, if anything, needs to be adjusted in order to improve.
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By: Megan Braverman

You may be among the many professionals who want to incorporate social media into your marketing plan, but don’t know where to start.  Social media remains terra incognita for many professionals. If you’re wondering why you should do it, don’t know where to begin and are reluctant to invest the time, you’re not alone.  With this in mind, we’ve created a series of articles illustrating how to effectively use two of the most popular social media sites for businesses: LinkedIn and Facebook....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Recorder

In my work, I meet seasoned lawyers who are world-class at what they do, but who shy away from networking, reluctant to enter a venue to mingle with unfamiliar people. For this reason, while they may want to penetrate a certain industry, these professionals find reasons not to attend an industry-related conference. Similarly, they may be interested in meeting and networking with professionals who can refer them business, but they are simply too uncomfortable in these situations to attend valuable meetings and mixers....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Recorder

You’ve heard it before. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” When it comes to marketing your practice in 2012, some aspects of marketing, especially the tactical aspects, are continuing to change, while many fundamentals, such as the need to know who your market is, remain the same. Social media – LinkedIn, blogs, Facebook, etc., – is growing in importance to a firm’s overall marketing strategy as a means to magnify traditional marketing tactics such as networking....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: Rain Today

Marketing and business development are critical aspects of your firm's growth no matter the stage of its lifecycle. It's also vital to succession planning if you want your firm to continue into the next generation. If you hope your company will thrive long after you've moved on, you need to evaluate its marketing and business development practices today....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: Rain Today

Does the term "multilevel marketing" conjure up images of people signing up their friends and relatives to sell cosmetics, jewelry, vitamins and household gear, with all the money flowing toward the top of a pyramid? If so, you will probably cringe if I suggest you become a multilevel marketer. But there is another definition of multilevel marketing that is much more relevant to professionals. It means marketing your services on multiple levels, concurrently in several realms....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Recorder

As time and money are never plentiful, getting a good return on your marketing investment is always a challenge, regardless of economic conditions. Given today’s plethora of ways to market, including vehicles that didn’t exist several years ago, it’s even trickier to allocate your marketing dollars wisely.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that optimum marketing depends on not just one technique — rather it’s a mix of tactics, which is referred to as the “marketing mix.”...

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Bottom Line - Publication of the State Bar of California Law Practice Management & Technology Section

It is a basic tenet of professional services marketing: the first step toward generating new business is establishing a qualified lead−a prospective client who fits within the parameters of the services you provide.

While it is great to receive an inquiry from a qualified prospect who ultimately gives you a signed agreement with payment, it does not always turn out this way. This does not mean that the lead should be dropped or discarded. Every inquiry has the potential to become a valuable future client if you remain on the prospect’s radar screen. To do this, you need to develop a “lead pipeline” by focusing on three areas: capturing the lead information, keeping it in the pipeline and nurturing the lead along the road to becoming a client....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: Rain Today

When people require the professional services of an accountant, attorney or other type of professional services provider, they are really looking for a knowledgeable, approachable individual they can talk to, not just a firm. Even if your website articulately communicates your expertise and experience, you remain just another faceless company to a prospect who has never met you, your colleagues or one of your satisfied clients.

To counteract that dilemma, proactive service providers are now placing videos on their websites to show the people behind the firm. Some of these videos feature the firm's professionals reaching out to website visitors and connecting with them on a personal level. Other firms have posted video testimonials, with actual clients telling powerful success stories....