When I joined the solicitors profession in 1974, advertising was an anathema to most lawyers. The only form of promotion was the brass plate by which we could announce the name of our firms in self-effacing terms on the outside of our offices. The old art of networking through the golf club or professional men’s club coupled with the old boys’ network was about as fierce as the business development game could get. This was a comfortable world where lawyers could get away charging large fees for fairly mediocre work without anyone raising an eyebrow. After all, these were professional men who one automatically looked up to. How could anyone dare to question what they did?

You may have noticed that women have not got much of a mention so far. There were one or two shining exceptions to male domination and Betty Behn of Behn Twyford, ably assisted by Liz Steele, was a good case in point. Behn Twyford associated themselves with the Trade Unions and got much of their work that way. Needless to say, the world did not end when advertising was at last permitted by the Law Society in 1986. However, it has taken until the digital age for legal marketing to become a genuinely sophisticated tool in the hands of some lawyers.

I rarely give a plug to third parties in my blog but I am grateful to Clients First, the specialist professional services marketing agency based in Macclesfield. In their recent analysis of the legal services market in the North West, they ranked Jackson Lees’ Website 4th best in the sector and our overall online presence and marketing activity 7th best. That is quite an achievement for a website and brand which was created and launched in July 2017.

When we decided to exit QualitySolicitors and create our own new brand out of the coming together of Lees Solicitors in the Wirral and Jackson Canter in Liverpool, we knew we were taking a risk. We calculated that our online presence would take an immediate hit and we were not sure how our new brand would be perceived. However, the figures for our new fledging website have astounded us. There was virtually no reduction in visits to our site and the performance has continued to build since those early days; Our new Jackson Lees brand and new Broudie Jackson Canter identity has been universally well received. Our brand developers Industry likewise did a superb job and we are very grateful to them.

I also have to pay tribute to our Marketing Team who planned and executed the move to our new site and brand brilliantly. In particular Stephen, Lili, Nick and Emma have been so creative and diligent in what they have done and continue to do. Our success is also due to the dedication of all our staff who keep our online content refreshed and relevant to what is happening out there for our clients and potential clients. What we say externally is governed by what we read in the media day by day and upon what our clients tell us is important to them.

Our strategy has always been simple. We do not exist for ourselves and we stand or fall by the quality of solutions we provide for clients’ circumstances. Our services are focused as much as possible on what our clients tell us they want. That is also the message of our external online presence out there on digital platforms. What problems are our clients or potential clients encountering and how can we help to solve those issues?

For someone born in 1948, the concept of online, out there in the ether heaven knows where, is still mind blowing. But it’s good to know that our law firm, although still focused on the rule of law, access to justice and client service, is effective in this mysterious digital world.