Should I Say Yes To This This Random Law Firm Marketing Opportunity? Asking For A Friend...

Building business development cultures that thrive.

If you're a lawyer, you've probably received an unsolicited email offering you a marketing opportunity. A 15-second video ad in a GP waiting room. A billboard near the courthouse. A directory listing that promises you’ll rank #1. A fancy SEO package.

Before you say yes or no, let’s talk about what these reactive marketing opportunities might be telling you about your current approach to Marketing and Business Development (MBD).

“You don’t need to say no to everything—you just need a better way to decide.”

Why Am I Looking at This Offer?

Because you are possibly:

- Flat out with client work and grabbing any solution.

- Unclear on what ‘good marketing’ should look like for your firm.

- Feeling pressure to generate files, fast.

- Operating without a clear BD plan, so every email pitch sounds like a possibility.

You’re not alone.

Lawyers are trained to practise law—not to market or grow a business. So unless you’ve had hands-on experience, training, or support in developing marketing strategy, chances are your MBD efforts have evolved reactively: word of mouth, a new website, a Google Ads trial, maybe a social post when you had something to say.

You might be doing a lot—but not necessarily in a way that’s deliberate or sustainable.

What’s the Cost of Saying Yes to Random Opportunities?

You’ll waste money.

Or you will:

- Dilute your brand by being in the wrong places.

- Spread your message too thin across too many channels.

- End up fatigued by “doing marketing” without seeing results.

- Feel disheartened that your efforts aren’t delivering matters.

Reactive marketing spend often comes from a place of hope: maybe this will work. But if you don't know how a tactic fits into your broader strategy, you're taking a punt.

So, Should I Do It or Not? Ask Yourself:

1. What’s my actual goal right now?  

- More brand awareness?  

- More leads from referrers?  

- Better conversions on telephone or email enquiries?

2. Does this tactic serve that goal—or is it just distracting noise?

3. Do I have the systems to support it?  

- Website ready? With a page or landing page that speaks to the topic?  

- Intake process clear?  

- Staff briefed and trained on what to say and do?

4. Can I measure it?  

- How will I know if it worked?

If you can’t answer those questions clearly, the offer probably isn’t aligned with your strategy—which may be a sign you don’t have one yet.

What to Do Instead: Plan Proactively

You don’t need a 40-page marketing plan. Just a one-page framework that helps you make fast, confident decisions about how to spend your time, money, and attention. Start with:

- Your positioning – What do you want to be known for?

- Your audiences – Who do you want to reach? Clients? Referrers? Community groups?

- Your chosen channels – Website, referral networks, local presence, etc.

- Your current assets – What’s already working that you can do more of?

Then, when a new offer lands in your inbox, you can hold it up against your plan and ask: Does this align with what we’re trying to achieve?

If yes, great. If not, delete and move on.

Bottom Line

Unsolicited marketing pitches aren’t the problem. It’s the absence of a clear decision-making framework that makes them feel so tempting—and a bit risky.

If you’re saying “maybe” to too many things, it’s a sign you might need to shift from reactive to proactive. A little upfront thinking will give you a lot more confidence—and a much better return on your marketing spend.

MBD Plan Starter – One Page Checklist

- What do we want to be known for?

- Who do we want to attract (clients, referrers, media)?

- What’s already working? (Website, SEO, LinkedIn, word of mouth?)

- What’s missing or underused?

- What are our 1–2 goals this quarter?

- What’s our budget and capacity?

- What tactics best serve our goals? (rank them)

- How will we track results?

THANK YOU