Professional Branding in the Legal World

Why is Professional Branding Important in 2018?

The concept of personal branding is extremely important in 2018 because of the many social media platforms there are around us. Not many people walk outside to their driveway to pick up the newspaper to read what's going on in the world because they're able to find out during the 6 am news or find out the latest buzz through news source apps. We literally have the world in the palm of our hands because of cell phones (an amazingly resourceful device if used properly). We are able to pick up our phones and google every question we could possibly think of and find the craziest answers. Sometimes, when we are searching for something, in particular, we stubbled across adds. Adds that include attorney offices offering legal counseling, the nearest doctors in your area, or local store sells that may be going on online from a website you frequently visit. Well, the importance of personal branding is everywhere and we sometimes don't realize it because we are so busy with our personal lives. We may have same an add pop up and not paid much attention to it, but when it comes up again on our phones, we are well aware of what that add is advertising and convincing us to do until we actually need a specific type of attorney, a doctor that specializes in certain areas, or a store that sells exactly what we've been needing for our home. The importance of personal branding is how we present yourself to the world around us and what we have to offer to. It may come with a well-known logo, specific colors that catch the eye of potential clients and pertains to a certain audience. Since I've been wanting to become an attorney for some time now, I have realized the importance of networking in building a personal brand before I am officially an attorney. It is never a bad idea to get ahead of your competitors nor a bad idea to make a name for yourself even if you change your career choice down the line, at least people will know your intentions and purpose. People will recognize your name when you are able to connect with them on a personal level and they know that you are genuinely there to help and make a difference in their lives through your profession. There are many ways attorneys go about personal branding. Most the time here in Texas, attorneys make 30-second commercials or, you can see many billboards across town with attorneys advertising what type of law they are specialized in. I personally feel that this is a great way to present yourself to the world, but I also feel more attorneys should have social media platforms for the younger generation that is so tech savvy. Rather it is Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook. All these social media platforms make it easier to get in contact with a professional or get a glance into their every life. Most importantly, I believe it would allow clients and potential clients to come in contact easier. I have yet to come across an attorney in my city that has all the social media's I mentioned (or maybe I haven't searched far enough). I feel it would greatly impact the community to get an insight of what a attorneys life looks like on the daily. To be able to get an inside looking in view, I feel people would be less intimated by the person who is in the legal profession. Personal branding for an attorney can make or break their entire career. Attorneys are a public figure and word of mouth travels fast, and even faster when social media is involved. It seems nearly impossible for an attorney to make it out their success in their career without having a personal blog with legal advice, a website that links to their law firm, or be in the top of Google search when a client is searching up "top attorneys in Texas."


Here are two helpful links to display multiple examples showing personal branding is being done in the legal profession in 2018: https://brandyourself.com/blog/guide/personal-branding-for-attorneys-and-lawyers/ and https://beyondbillables.com/kickstart-personal-brand-as-a-lawyer/