Spotlight Branding - March 2020

Spotlight Branding - March 2020

MAR. 2020 (800)-406-7229 SpotlightBranding.com

SO, I TOOK 6 WEEKS OFF ... And the Company Didn’t Burn Down

About two months ago, I realized that my mindset had reached a crisis point. It had been about 10 years since I’d started Spotlight Branding, and in that time, I’d hardly taken any time off. Now, that’s pretty typical of small- business owners. Burning the midnight oil, taking work home with you, skipping family dinners in favor of the office — odds are you’ve done all that, just like me. But another thing happening to me at that point wasn’t normal or healthy: I couldn’t sleep. When I’d get home fromwork and lay down in the quiet of my bedroom, all I could think about was my business. It turns out that if you’re not careful, instead of owning your business, it can end up owning you. So, I took some time off because I realized that I needed to create some mental space, step back, and get myself into a better place. I missed loving my business and had almost forgotten what it was like when Spotlight Branding didn’t feel like a heavy sack of potatoes I was carrying around 24/7. Now that I’m back, I have to say that taking the time off just might be the best thing I’ve done. Not only did the world keep turning, but Spotlight Branding kept killing it even while I was sleeping in, visiting friends, and having long dinners out with my wife. Here are the three most valuable lessons I learned during my six- week sabbatical. 1. DISTANCE CREATES PERSPECTIVE. When I left, I really left. I turned over my email account to a colleague and left strict instructions to not call me unless it was an emergency. Not having to worry about constant calls and emails turned out to be really therapeutic and liberating.

Without emails weighing me down, I was free to think bigger thoughts. 2. IT’S VITAL TO STAY (MENTALLY) FED. Consuming content from other business leaders through podcasts and books motivates me, inspires me, and reminds me of what matters. When I was bogged down in the day-to-day slog of running Spotlight Branding, I lost sight of that big picture. During my time off, I let those positive influences back in and went back to work buzzing with new ideas. 3. THERE’S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING A GREAT TEAM. Simply by being there to answer questions and take on the toughest projects, I was holding my team back. When I left, they had free reign, and wow did they run with it! First, December (the month I was pretty much gone for) turned out to be our best sales month of the year. Second, my team implemented a new flex schedule (without even running it by me!) that made everyone happier and more productive. And third, I came back to find that while I was gone, my team had done what I’d meant to do for years: published a book. (Read more about that on Pg. 3.) If your business is well-established and you’re thinking of taking a similar step back, here’s my advice: Start planning it today. If your sabbatical goes anything like mine, it will benefit you, your team, and your business. Trust me: Sometimes, to really act like a business owner, you need to work on your business rather than in it! When you come back full of ideas and goals for taking your firm to the next level, give me a call. –Marc Cerniglia

Dinner with my wife

Visiting friends in Atlanta

Giving grandfather a gift on Christmas

SpotlightBranding.com

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LIKES, COMMENTS, AND SHARES DON’T MATTER! 3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T TRY TO BE A SOCIAL MEDIA ‘INFLUENCER’

NO. 2: MOST EYE-CATCHING POSTS DON’T INFORM.

When it comes to social media, 99% of users — businesses or otherwise — try to play an engagement game. They think likes, comments, and shares are currency and that they can only win by chasing them. While this might be true for celebrities, food bloggers, and Nike, in our experience, lawyers won’t convert social media leads by aiming for engagements. The best thing for a lawyer to do is abandon the social media “influencer” dream and reach for a new archetype: social media resource. There are three big problems with aiming for influencer status.

media are pretty, sexy, or shocking. None of those things will help bring you clients that are educated, informed, and ready to work with you.

This isn’t an absolute rule, but in general, social media posts that grab the eye and generate engagements aren’t the most informative ones out there. Most posts that get likes on social

NO. 3: HYPE DOESN’T ALWAYS EQUAL TRUST.

You don’t want your potential clients to see you as an attention-grabber or an alarmist — you want them to trust you and view you as competent, confident, and experienced. If you’re constantly pedaling irrelevant stories or begging for likes, you’ll build wariness, not trust. So, what should a smart lawyer do? The law firms we’ve seen succeed on social media are the ones who use it as a tool to educate their audiences, reinforce their expertise, and stay top of mind. By filling their feeds with relevant, well-researched, expert content, they build trust with their followers, convert them to clients, and inspire referrals. If you’re ready to refresh your social media presence and become a resource, call our team today. We can put together a marketing campaign that will take your firm to the next level.

NO. 1: NO ONE WANTS TO BROADCAST THEIR LEGAL NEEDS.

Do you think a guy looking for a divorce is going to like a divorce lawyer’s post? What about a woman facing bankruptcy — is she going to share her secret with all of her friends? Of course not. Lawyers solve problems, and often these problems are personal, embarrassing, and unshareable. This makes becoming an influencer nearly impossible, and you’ll waste your time trying.

CLIENT SUCCESS STORY CLARK.LAW: BUSINESS LAW

Chris Clark opened Clark.Law in September 2016, and it has been growing ever since. When his old firm didn’t have much of an online presence, Chris made sure that having a premium online brand was at the top of his priority list. After doing his research, he chose us. He started as a true solo, with his wife working as a part-time paralegal. (As a side note, Chris’s wife has since gone on to win a seat in the North Carolina House!) But even as a solo, Chris wanted to convey to current and potential clients that he had over 15 years of sophisticated business and intellectual property

experience, including experience with entrepreneurs, major universities, and Fortune 500 companies. He had a clear vision, and Spotlight Branding helped him bring it to life with a website, e-newsletter, blog, and social media services. Since working with us, Chris’s firm has grown to a seven-person team and seen continuous revenue increases each year since the firm opened.

WANT MORE REFERRALS AND BETTER CLIENTS? Visit SpotlightBranding.com/NL to schedule a call!

More Referrals. Better Clients. Higher ROI.

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OUR BOOK IS FINALLY OUT! AND WE SAVED YOU A FREE COPY

While Marc was taking his well-deserved break from the office this winter, our teamwas hard at work on a project five years in themaking: Our very own book! The over 100-page resource, compiled by our own administrative director andmarketingmanager John Hinson, is a comprehensive guide for lawyers looking to turn their marketing campaigns around. “ The Ultimate Solo Lawyer’s Guide to More Referrals and Better Clients is just what it sounds like,” John says. “It’s a good starting point for an attorney who is either relatively new to owning a firmor who has been in business for a while and is really frustrated with how their marketing has been going.” With over 13 chapters, the book provides strategies and philosophies for growing your practice without spending a ton of money on Google and has a big focus on referral-building and staying top of mind. It starts with tips for establishing a referral-based mindset, then transitions into the individual pieces of a good internet marketing strategy — your website, blog, videos, andmore.

John is the author of more than a dozen books, so he was right at home sorting through content from the brightest minds in our company and compiling it into a guide complete with action items for readers. The end result is a book that will not only inspire you but alsomotivate you to take your marketing to the next level. “Honestly, I feel like from the very first page it really challenges readers,” John says. “The first four chapters tackle preconceived notions about how an attorney shouldmarket their law firm, and turn them on their head.” We’re so excited about sharing this new resource that we’ve decided to give copies of The Ultimate Solo Lawyer’s Guide to More Referrals and Better Clients away for free for a limited time. To score your free copy, all you have to do is go to SpotlightBranding. com/Free-Book and put in a request. When you’re finished reading, feel free to call our office and let us knowwhat you think —we’d love to hear your feedback and help you level up your marketing, too!

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