The COVID-19 coronavirus crisis of 2020 is a unique event in American history. Literally, our economy went from full steam ahead and close to full employment to about 80% shutdown within less than a month.
In this article, we’ll discuss what you should do about your law firm marketing both in the short term and in the six to twelve month period to come. Continuing business as usual will waste your valuable marketing dollars and not get you the results you need.
What is the Outlook for the Next Twelve to Eighteen Months?
Currently – as of early April, 2020 – governors is most states have issued “shelter in place” orders and entire industries have been shut down. Transportation, hospitality, retail, personal service, food service and many others are either closed or operating with skeleton staffs.
We are being told that anti-viral medications and vaccines are being tested but whether we will be able to reopen the economy in six weeks or eighteen months is unknown. Therefore you should plan for the worst, i.e., an eighteen month slowdown but be prepared to ramp up your marketing sooner if conditions so allow.
Like other businesses, this crisis will negatively impact attorneys, certainly in the short term. If you handle accident injury work, your business will slow down because fewer people are driving. If you handle domestic relations, your potential clients are not likely to have the money to pay legal fees. Many types of litigation are stayed and because the courts are closed, there will be no jury trials. [Read more…] about Should You Make Major Changes to Your Law Practice In Response to the Coronavirus Crisis?