Warren Buffet knows this…

That’s Warren Buffet’s mantra about avoiding unnecessary hardships in running a business.

He said, in business you don’t get extra credit for solving a hard problem (and you usually make less money). So, if there’s an easier way to make money, do it the easy way.

In my experience, marketing is an area where most small business owners make things harder and more complex than necessary.

To make things easier, start with what’s most fundamental in marketing…

Trust Building

Trust is what you need to build up with prospective clients. You already know this. Most lawyers know the importance of trust.

But, if you’re like many solo/small firm lawyers, you forget how important the trust element is in attracting top-notch clients.

We tend to forget the role trust plays in marketing. So, stop now and think about it…

If you can set up a trust-building system that takes a stranger from skepticism to confidence and trust you’ll have built something powerful.

Note the word system in the previous sentence.

You want a system because that’s what will deliver great new clients steadily and predictably.

But there are several options when it comes to building any kind of marketing system.

You can build an expensive system with lots of “moving parts.” Or you can build a simpler system that’s easier to run.

What kind of marketing system would Warren Buffet would advise you to build?

The Easier Path

Which of these options would Buffet recommend?

• Website
• Email newsletter
• Podcast

Well, it’s a trick question because Warren Buffet doesn’t know much (if anything) about websites, email newsletters, or podcasting.

But I do.

I started my Ernie The Attorney weblog in 2002, and was the 5th lawyer with a weblog. So I know the “web marketing thing” pretty well at this point.

I started doing email newsletters over a decade ago, and have sent over 1 million emails to thousands of people. So I know email marketing pretty well also.

I started my LawFirmAutopilot podcast over two years ago. And I’ve learned a lot in those two years.

I’ve learned enough doing all those things to say that…

If I had to start from scratch today, I’d start with a podcast.

That’s because podcasting is the best, easiest way to build trust online.

Caveats

Of course, podcasting is not always the best option for everyone.

Its effectiveness depends on several factors.

But, in general, for most people…

The easiest way to do ongoing marketing that builds trust in the most powerful way is podcasting.

Now if you don’t care as much about trust…

Then email marketing is the next best option.

Super easy, not expensive, and builds trust very effectively (if you do it really well).

Web-based marketing is the hardest to do well. And it doesn’t work as well to build trust as email or podcasting.

Questions?

Now, most people would like to know more about how to assess if podcasting is a good option for them.

Maybe you feel that way.

Unfortunately, the reality is, I can’t effectively help guide you in an email like this. So…

I’ve decided to do a short webinar.

That way I can explain more about the ins and outs of podcasting. Which I believe is important. Because podcasting is the marketing option that’s the least understood by most lawyers.

And yet, it’s definitely the most powerful way to build trust.

Plus it’s the easiest to do (once you get set up, which isn’t as hard as most people imagine). So…

If you want to learn more about marketing in a way that builds trust, you should probably take some time to better understand the power behind podcasting.

Understanding the best marketing options is an essential part of running any small business.

Why podcasting works

This Friday at Noon CST I’ll be doing a webinar on podcasting, and I’ve invited my podcast producer Danny Ozment to join me (since he knows way more about all aspects of podcasting than I do).

The simple, but hard-to-realize-truth (unless you have direct experience with podcasting) is that it’s ridiculously easy.

I guarantee that if Warren Buffet had to market a small business he’d choose podcasting over web marketing and email marketing.

Assuming, that is, he knew what Danny and I will share with you on Friday.

 

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