Do you feel like you never get around to actually marketing your law firm? Do you feel like the random effort you DO put into marketing and branding your firm gets lost in the chaos?
Honestly, a lot of law firm owners hit a point in their success when they feel that way. It’s tough to try to be everything—a great lawyer, a great business owner, and a great marketer. And it’s nearly impossible to do all of it entirely on your own.
That’s why marketing managers exist!
The right marketing manager can take a lot of tasks off your plate, turn your “random” marketing into a real marketing strategy, and boost the number of leads you get for your efforts. And, ideally, they’ll end up paying for themselves over time by attracting great clients and giving you time back for actual, billable hours.
The only issue is finding the “right” one. So, what makes a great marketing manager? Keep reading to find out what you really need to know to hire a marketing manager that will be a great fit for your law firm.
What Do Marketing Managers Do for Law Firms?
Generally speaking, a marketing manager is someone that is responsible for branding and marketing your law firm through a variety of channels. They’re your “point person” for all things marketing, and it’s their job to both maintain a strategy and explore new ways to improve on the results you get.
However, the reality is that the role of a marketing manager can be very different from law firm to law firm. It’s a title that can mean a lot of different things and come with very different levels of responsibility.
To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, all the following examples could reasonably fit under the “marketing manager” title:
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Someone that is solely responsible for the budget and planning of the entire marketing department and works with several other employees under them. They’re experts that recommend strategy and analyze performance data, taking full ownership of the role.
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Someone that only works within the budget you set to market your firm through the channels you’ve chosen. They simply carry out what you tell them to do and make sure day-to-day tasks are completed.
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Someone that is a part-time employee and helps create content, updates social media accounts, talks with vendors, and generally supports your DIY marketing efforts. They’re more of an “assistant” that covers the marketing and branding duties you can’t get to.
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Someone that works with internal teams, external partners, and contractors to maintain your website, digital marketing, offline marketing, and ads. They decide which avenues to lean into, which campaigns to pursue, and delegate most of the hands-on work to the right partners and experts.
As you can see, it may be an entry-level kind of job, or it may be more of a “team leader” position. It could come with a lot of authority and independent judgement, or it could be more of an implementation role. It could even be a blend of duties, depending on what you need.
And that’s really the key to finding a great marketing manager—it’s about what YOU need.
What Makes a Marketing Manager the Right One for You?
Hiring the right marketing manager is all about knowing WHY you’re hiring a marketing manager. Like we said above, the role varies a lot, and there’s a lot of variances in the skills required to do it well.
So, really, hiring the right marketing manager starts with defining what you want that marketing manager to do.
To get started, ask yourself the following questions:
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How much marketing do I want to continue to do personally?
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How much decision-making power should my marketing manager have?
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Will they be maintaining an already strong marketing strategy or building one from scratch?
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What outcomes do I want to see if I hire a marketing manager?
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What marketing software and systems do I already have in place to automate tasks?
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How much do I expect to get done in house, and how much will be delegated to partners?
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How much will this person build their own role and consult with decision-makers in my firm?
When you have a clearer picture of the role, finding the right fit becomes a lot easier.
Not sure what you need out of a marketing manager? Not even sure where to start looking? Don’t stress—just reach out to us with your questions. We work with law firm marketing managers every day, and we’d be happy to talk more in depth about that role and how YOU can find a great fit.
You can also check out our FAQ, What Should I Look for When Hiring a Marketing Manager?, for more insight in the hard and soft skills every marketing manager should possess.
Are You A Lawyer Or podiatrist Who Needs To Get More Clients?
If you've been trying to get more leads, more clients or patients, and you're not sure how to get there, Foster Web Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free consultation. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.