I am an avid reader and there is nothing better than finding a book that you feel everyone should read.
So in this the last Ahead of the Wave article in 2022 I wanted to share some things I have learnt during 2022 and which may help you too. I started my own business this year and this newsletter so it has been a big learning curve! I have been amazed and over-whelmed by all the wonderful people I have met in person and online who have been so generous with their help and advice. You know who you are!
- I am going to start with a book. After all, we are all soon going to be sitting around digesting all that Christmas food and there is a limit to the number of times you can watch “Love Actually”, “The Snowman” or (and this will resonate with those of us who remember life pre-streaming) “The Sound of Music”. If you haven’t read “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus then you need to buy it immediately! I absolutely hated chemistry at school so be reassured that this is not about chemistry. It is about believing in yourself and succeeding in life, being receptive to being taken in a different direction to that you had initially envisaged. It is an amazing and life enhancing book.
- Succeeding in any business is about people. Invest in your workforce, take time to relate to clients: (20) It’s all about people! Even/especially in legal organisations | LinkedIn
- Developing business relationships can cause a lot of angst with people agonising over how to best approach it. This short article gives you some easy to follow tips: (20) How to develop relationships in a post-pandemic world | LinkedIn
- And if you are worried about how to operate now so much is online then read this piece: (20) Are you digitally dexterous? | LinkedIn
- One of the biggest gaps that I have seen in the legal market is having clear business and marketing strategies. Taking the time, either internally or with the help of consultants, to sit back and look at the bigger picture rather than worry about actioning the minutiae: (20) Why action is important and thoughtful action is key to success | LinkedIn
- Content is a big deal in developing relationships and attracting clients. Ensuring you put out regular content is very important. So is ensuring that it is quality content that is relevant to the people you are seeking to attract – personalisation is key. How you send the content and what it looks like also need thought. I have written several pieces on this which give advice and help: (20) Building website traffic to your expertise pages | LinkedIn, (20) Developing business. It’s personal. | LinkedIn, (20) 8 quick ways to energise your content and mailings | LinkedIn, (20) 6 steps towards creating an effective content marketing strategy | LinkedIn
- Digital marketing is big news and I was amazed to read Ultimedia’s review of the top 100 law firms’ performance in this regard. There are opportunities here to get ahead of the pack: (20) Legal organisations take heed: effective digital marketing can give you the edge | LinkedIn
- Standing out on social media is difficult: (20) 6 ways to maximise your social media impact | LinkedIn and it is important to know how LinkedIn operates: (20) 9 things you may not not know about LinkedIn and which could help you | LinkedIn
- Which leads me on to SEO. Much is written about SEO and a lot of it is very confusing for those of us who are not IT experts. I have written a number of articles looking at different aspect of this very complex area, including on Google Analytics: (20) Building website traffic to your expertise pages | LinkedIn, (20) The holy grail: how to improve legal organisation SEO | LinkedIn,
- Defective data is a key reason for legal organisations not reaching the people they want to. Are you getting it right? (20) Defective data: are you reaching the right targets? | LinkedIn
- Marketing has trends and not all of them are relevant to all organisations or to the legal fraternity. It is easy to feel that you might be missing a trick. I have been picking up on some of the trends I think are most relevant to the legal profession and not all of them are expensive or new: (20) 5 marketing trends of interest to the legal market | LinkedIn and (20) Content marketing trends: what are they and how to keep on top | LinkedIn
- Mention the words “legal directory submissions” to legal marketing personnel and you will invariably see a grimace. Submissions are enormously time-consuming for all involved. I have handled them literally for years and my articles give you some tips to help improve the process: (20) UK legal directory submissions – roll up your sleeves time! | LinkedIn and (20) Legal directories: how to make the most of research calls | LinkedIn
- Keeping an eye on an organisation’s profile across different media is more difficult than you might think. Google Business is definitely one to keep on top of: (20) Your Google Business listing – why you need to care | LinkedIn
I want to leave you with what for me has been a key learning point this year: (20) Outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens! | LinkedIn
I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and New Year!