“Process. Driven.” is more than just our tagline, it’s one of our core values here at Builden and is at the center of every service and special project. Before Builden was “Builden,” we were focused on process; our founder took the mindset of the financial services industry and applied it to the unique challenges in legal marketing. 

Our focus on making marketing turnkey has not only relieved law firms of the day-to-day burdens of marketing management but has also allowed them to concentrate on what they do best — practicing law.

After ten years marrying innovation and efficiency, we’re taking a closer look at our process driven culture and how it results in creative problem solving and success for AmLaw and midsize firms. 

Random Acts of Marketing, Meet the Infrastructure Model 

One of the most common problems we see in small and midsize firms is not knowing or understanding where to target marketing efforts (and dollars!). The result: random acts of marketing. It’s easy to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. 

Whether a firm is just starting out with their marketing efforts, or trying to course correct, a good place to start is establishing a marketing infrastructure. And yes, Builden has a process for that. At the core of Builden’s strategy for midsize firms is a five-step process designed to elevate a law firm’s presence and streamline their marketing efforts. This process is not just a framework but a philosophy that permeates every aspect of the marketing strategy from the overarching goals to a hashtag at the end of a post. It’s about understanding that effective marketing is not just about creativity but also about consistency, precision and collaboration.

We break down the marketing infrastructure model down into five steps: 

1. Mine for what the firm is already doing well 
2. Put the news on the firm website 
3. Share the news on social media 
4. Circulate the news internally 
5. Distribute a curated newsletter 

Your firm is more than likely already generating newsworthy things that can be used as marketing touchpoints, Builden’s process helps them think about those as news. By taking that news and consistently applying these five steps, firms can raise their profile with their clients and prospects.

Special Projects with a Plan 

Even AmLaw firms with existing infrastructure, departments and strategies can still fall to the dreadful random acts of marketing. The tickets that go to waste, sponsorships and conferences you don’t capitalize on, the website refresh that’s been sitting since 2016 – without a process-driven strategy, these marketing blackholes become a major drain on AmLaw resources. 

Every project at Builden begins with a strategic foundation. Our team of experienced managers, who have deep roots in AmLaw firms, work closely with clients to understand their goals, challenges and opportunities. This collaborative stage is crucial for setting the direction and ensuring that every marketing effort aligns with the firm’s overall objectives.

Special projects, even with leadership support, can lose momentum without a plan. Here are Builden’s top tips to keep special projects process-driven:

1. Establish key stakeholders who are empowered to make decisions. This is not the time for large committees! 
2. Audit what you have. Website redesign? Audit your pages and competition. Pitch content refresh? Audit attorney bios and practice descriptions. Whatever the project may be, it’s important to have a baseline. 
3. Set realistic goals and keep them visible. Special projects can get sidetracked, even with a seemingly good idea. Revisiting goals throughout a project makes it easier for stakeholders to row together in sync – it also makes it easier to say “no” to requests that don’t align with the project’s goals. 
4. Learn from your soft launch or pilot group. Special projects don’t always need to launch with a lot of noise. If you’re redesigning the firm’s website, start with a soft launch before the big announcement to catch any bugs. Starting a business development coaching program? Start with a small pilot group and get their feedback to make the real program even more of a success. 
5. Track. Your. Data. Your next project (and process) is only as good as your current project’s data. Be sure to track your results at least six months after launch. How? Leverage CRMs to see what business came in from the firm’s big summer event. Check your website page visits to see if that bio refresh project paid off. Bonus: having the data to backup your budget request makes approval so much easier! 

Walking the Walk 

Both midsize and AmLaw firms benefit from Builden’s process-driven approach, but we don’t just “talk the talk” about process, behind the curtain, we leverage process internally to ensure every piece of content, onboarding of a new team member or event goes off without a hitch. 

Over the past decade, this process-driven approach has been at the heart of numerous success stories. From launching comprehensive rebranding initiatives to navigating complex website redesigns, we’ve seen over and over the power of a structured, collaborative marketing strategy.

Here are the steps we apply to streamline success:

1. Document Existing Processes. Getting in the weeds of a project, the “what” and the “why” are talking about a lot, but often times the “how” can get lost in translation. By documenting each step and its owner in a document accessible to the entire team, we ensure consistency and provide an easy reference for new team members.
2. Developing New Processes. Even with a process-driven approach, we know that every project has its own unique challenges and a “one-size fits all” approach doesn’t always work. We carefully consider these factors, and when necessary, create a new process tailored to that project. 
3. Continuously Update Processes. Just as it’s important to create new processes, it is equally important to pivot, adjust and update current processes. This also helps us best capitalize on new tools and trends.  

Each Builden strategy is looked at closely by the stakeholders, even those only responsible for a few steps, which helps provide new perspectives about what works well and what doesn’t.

As Builden celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024, we’re not only celebrating the future, but also taking pride in the consistency of our roots. For a decade, we’ve applied a process-driven approach from our first projects, to our biggest challenges internally and externally. This approach has allowed us to grow, learn and reach new heights.