Anonymous Law Student

Branding a service company is critical for success in a competitive marketplace. The purpose of branding is to establish an identity for a company so that it is immediately recognizable and stands out when compared to competitors. The Internet offers law firms and other professional service organizations an excellent opportunity to promote their company through blogs, a website, social media, a digital community, press releases, email, video and other creative channels. For companies that provide a service, customers or clients will respond to online branding that elevates the image of the company to one of first-class service.

Below are seven ways lawyers and other professional service companies are branding their business online.

1. Create a company blog and post relevant articles to it at least twice a week. Blogs offer the perfect opportunity to establish a company as an expert on relevant subject matter. The other good news about blogs is that they rank higher than websites because they are updated more frequently. Search engine optimization (SEO) experts recommend blogs for promoting a business.

2. Create a digital community for different client niches that are hard to communicate with otherwise. By creatng a digital meeting place for blogs, job postings and forums, a company can offer expert advise and gently promote the company image while establishing the company as a helpful problem-solver and building trust.

3. Maintain a first-rate website. Keep the website up to date. Prospective clients will judge your company by its website. It is a good idea to update your website completely every two years. Post company events and awards that show-ff the firm as an accomplished leader in the industry.

4. Utilize social media as a vehicle for communicating about company events and to promote the company brand. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are three of the best tools to use. Foursquare is a new social media tool that is gaining ground as the newest member of the pack.

5. Be creative and make a video. What makes video so special is that they have the ability to go viral over the Internet. Videos are superior for creating traffic. Many companies rely heavily on videos to boost their rankings on Google.

6. Broadcast brand information as often as possible using press release broadcasts via email. Use press release to announce company promotions, company awards and achievements.

7. Use carefully designed email campaigns to keep in front of old clients and to engage prospective new clients. Email campaigns have proven to play an important role in Internet marketing.

For many professional service companies, the size and age of the company combined with a prestigious client list served to promote business relationships in the past. While “wining and dining” potential clients the “old-fashioned” way has not been replaced, using online techniques designed to get faster results and provide a forum for promoting “brand” are being used to complement traditional business development methods. Progressive service companies see the writing on the wall and embrace online branding strategies as a way to differentiate their firm from the competition and reap the benefits of promoting a positive image.

Author Bio: Ethan Wayne writes for NSB Civil Rights, the law firm popularized by attorney and partner Barry Scheck in the film Conviction (2010).