How Do the Four Pillars of Marketing Apply to the Legal Industry?

The four pillars of marketing are aspects of a brand that are central to building, supporting, and sustaining a business. A brand may encompass a company’s logos, slogans, and other identifying features that differentiate the company from others in the field. However, a brand is also a presentation of the company’s offerings, and what makes those offerings valuable.

While branding is not often discussed in the legal industry, it is particularly important for law firms and attorneys to establish an effective brand to communicate their services and unique offerings to potential clients. Establishing a strong brand can be tricky without a roadmap, which is where the four pillars of marketing come in. Understanding the four pillars of marketing can help an attorney or law firm assess their current brand, and identify areas in need of clarification or strength. When these four pillars of marketing have been clearly established, they can be relied upon to support a law firm in much the same way architectural pillars support a tangible building.

The four pillars of marketing as they apply to the legal industry are as follows:

• 1. Product: What are you selling?
  In the legal industry, the product includes whatever services that particular
  attorney or law firm offers. This ties in closely with the practice areas relevant to
  that law firm and attorney. For example, a personal injury law firm may offer legal
  representation in areas such as car accidents, product liability, medical
  malpractice, etc. Taking this further, each attorney within the law firm is likely to
  have several specialties within the realm of personal injury law. All of this should
  be easily identifiable in the set-up of a law firm’s website, attorney pages, and
  marketing efforts.
• 2. Price: How much does it cost?
  In the legal industry, the price can vary widely from case to case. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to take here. This is where it is important to make sure potential clients have a clear understanding of your firm’s payment structure from the get-go. Are consultations free? Do all of the attorneys in your firm work on a contingency fee basis? Do only some of the attorneys work on contingency? Does your firm charge hourly rates, and if so, how does this cost typically average out in your area of law? If your firm charges hourly rates, do you offer free consultations? Price is particularly important for law clients to understand; people seeking legal aid are typically already under a good deal of stress and worried about finances. In fact, the “attorney fees” page on a law firm’s website tends to be one of the most viewed, revealing how much of a concern price is for potential clients.
• 3. Place: In what geographic area is your product bought, sold, or used?
  In the legal industry, this typically refers to what geographic area your services are applicable to. What states are your attorneys licensed in? Are any of them licensed in more than one state? If a client is injured out of state, which state should they seek legal representation in?
• 4. Promotion: What makes your product better than others in the field? Do you offer any special deals or promotions?
  In the legal industry, promotion has two components to consider. First, what sets your law firm or practice apart from others in the same field? Are any of your attorneys board-certified? Trial-certified? What rate of success do your attorneys experience? Is your website user-friendly and mobile-friendly? Anything that sets your practice apart from others falls into the promotion pillar. The second component of this pillar refers to tangible promotional aspects. For example, do you offer any other resources besides traditional legal representation, such as informational videos, blogs, reviews, or other helpful material? Are you present on social media, and is your website easily accessible via a quick web search?

To learn more about the four pillars of marketing as it applies to the legal industry, reach out to a legal marketing professional.