Effective advertising for lawyers
September 15, 2010 11:48 AM   Subscribe

Attorneys and patent agents: what kinds of advertising have you found to be the most effective?

I'm an attorney and patent agent, and I'm starting to take on clients secondary to my main job as an academic researcher. Right now I'm working on a web page and considering taking out some Google ads, and I have a listing on Metafilter Jobs. I doubt it will be sufficient, but I am still interested in internet advertising, since patent work doesn't have the same geographical limitations that some other areas of law do.

If you're an attorney or patent agent, what advertising media and methods have worked well for you? What hasn't worked so well? Ultimately cost is a consideration but don't worry about it for the purposes of the question.

In case this question is itself interpreted as attorney advertising: the choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
posted by jedicus to Work & Money (2 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I'm not sure traditional advertising is very worthwhile: when I was in private practice, all of my client leads came from networking and referrals. Oddly, one came from someone finding me on the USPTO registration list and looking me up (my listed address was with a small firm which probably suggested a low billing rate, and the company liked my credentials).

I would definitely get the web page up and consider paying a web designer so that it looks more professional. Establish an account on LinkedIn. Be active in alumni and other groups. Make sure everyone you know is aware that you're interested in doing patent work.
posted by exogenous at 3:05 PM on September 15, 2010


Response by poster: That confirms my suspicions. Networking and word-of-mouth it is, then.

(Oddly enough, I've also gotten a client via the registration list. Maybe the PTO should add a few fields to the attorney/agent search (e.g., attorney vs agent, technical background, currently seeking clients) and make it a proper referral service like a lot of the state bars offer.)
posted by jedicus at 7:36 AM on September 16, 2010


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