Marketing: Products to Sell Yourself
You are limited only by your imagination when it comes to what can be created to market yourself, although the bulk of items produced by lawyers tends to fall into only a few categories. Specific products being successfully produced by lawyers around the country now include articles in publications, newsletters (both hard copy and electronic), books, seminars, surveys, audiotapes and videotapes.
Articles
Publishing articles is a great way to become known, and it’s fairly easy to do. Brainstorm a legal issue that people are concerned about and in which you have (or can develop) expertise. Determine which publications might be interested in this subject. Then contact them and offer to write an article that their readers will want to read. Some publications will pay, and some will not. Even those that want your article for free, though, will frequently offer other services, such as free ad placement.
Newsletters
Printed newsletters can range from a single black-and-white page to an elaborate, multipage, full-color affair. Or they can be all-electronic, which may be the simplest and least expensive type of newsletter to create and distribute these days. While most newsletters are distributed free to a list of clients or prospects, if the information is unique or extremely valuable, you might be able to charge for it.
Books
A book with your name on it as the author is the ultimate in credibility and one of the easiest products to sell on its own merits. There is more than one way to create a book. You can take your new idea to a book publisher, who will either love it or send you on your way to try again with the next publisher. A second option is to self-publish your book.
Audiotapes
Many people are familiar with audiotapes as an education tool, and conferences frequently have tapes of the programs that are presented. You can produce stand-alone audiotapes that focus on a specific topic, or you can have a periodic series or “audio magazine.”
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