It doesn’t matter if you’ve just enrolled in an online paralegal program at The George Washington University or you’re close to finishing your degree, your future career is likely on your mind. Of course you want to be successful, and perhaps you’ve been thinking about using your online masters in paralegal studies to open your own business. If that’s the case you’re going to need to market your business, and we’ve got some tips to help you do just that.
Because you will be starting your own business, you won’t have a portfolio of past clients that you can use as references. And while you may not have on-the-job experience yet, it doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills to market. A good idea is to focus on the individual skills that make you excellent in the position, as well as your educational background.
As a paralegal, there is no doubt that you excel in keeping things organized, being able to multi-task, finding even the smallest details, and focusing on the facts. These are all excellent skills that you can use when marketing yourself.
Of course the most effective tool you can use to market yourself is to create a cutting-edge website. The website needs to be professional, convey your message, and provide visitors with substance and a reason to come back. A couple of key points to keep in mind about your website is that all pages need to load smoothly and quickly, so you’ll want to take advantage of SEO tools and linking text, and add plenty of images, videos, and audio to keep it interesting.
Writing a blog is an excellent way to better the site’s rankings, and help to create credibility in your skills. By creating a blog you instantly form the image of being an expert in the field. You can also take it one step further and have guest posts from experts and others working in the legal field.
There are plenty of ways you can go about advertising your paralegal services, and this is why it’s important to think about who you want to reach. Are you hoping to catch the eye of attorneys or clients? Typical ways to advertise include social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), print ads, and flyers.
The last step, but certainly not the least important, is to get out and network. Nothing beats face-to-face contact with industry professionals. This means attending industry events, seminars, conferences, and other places where you can network and meet people in the field.
Starting your own business is never an easy task, even when you’ve got the skills and education to back you up. It’s important to keep at it, use all forms of marketing, and stay positive. Remember you are working to build your professional image and that takes time and persistence. Eventually, all that hard work will bring rewards.