MARKETING 101
the who, what, when, where and why of marketing

The idea of marketing your association, or anything, can be very daunting for some people. Who do I market to? What (specifically) do I market? When is the best time/place to market? Where do I market? Why should I market? And finally, how do I get started marketing? The who/what/when/where/why and how of marketing can be very frightening, until it’s broken down into six simple steps with the information you need to start you on the path of becoming a marketing pro.

STEP ONE - WHO-- Although the answer to this question seems very obvious to some, to others just starting out, it’s not that easy. Basically, we market our association to the legal profession. This includes: secretaries, legal assistants, paralegals, file clerks, project assistants and law clerks, as well as attorneys, firm administrators and office managers. The key point to remember is that membership in our association is beneficial to all law office professionals.

STEP TWO – WHAT - Not only are we marketing the idea that membership in our multi-level association is beneficial to law office professionals, but we are also marketing our “products,” which include certification, seminars, education, career enhancement, professionalism, and legal knowledge.

STEP THREE – WHEN - Every single day. You are a card-carrying member of this association, and even if you are not a part of a formal marketing committee, your satisfaction with your membership in this association should show through and you should “talk up” your association.

STEP FOUR – WHERE - You can market almost anywhere. The sky is the limit. Since this article is dealing with the “basics,” start there -- your own law firm. Word-of-mouth is a great place to begin. You are a member, and you have renewed your membership, so tell your co-workers about the association and why you renewed your membership. Look around your environment and ask yourself: Do you have a bulletin board at work? If so, post a flyer of upcoming events. Do you have an office newsletter? If so, post information there. Every time you speak to a nonmember on the phone, try to turn the conversation to legal education, and then expound on that (of course, you have to set limits here or you’ll be working at McDonald’s -- and that’s a totally different article).

STEP FIVE - WHY - I don’t ask why, I ask why not? Because if you don’t market your association, how do you expect to get new members? How do you expect people to find out that your association exists? Basically, if you don’t market your association, it will become a clique, and that will not lead to growth.

STEP SIX – HOW - Okay, now that you know the (very basic) reasons behind the who, what, when, where, and why of marketing, you’re ready to learn HOW to market.