As an expert witness, you can spend a fortune on marketing materials - brochures, direct mail, display advertising, directory listings, etc.  But most of these techniques have a limited shelf life, assuming they even make it to the shelf.  So what method should you use?

A website for your expert witness practice can be an effective tool IF it portrays a professional image, is reliably hosted and is updated regularly.  If it lacks any one of these qualities, it may do more harm to your practice than any benefit it may provide.

Many businesses and individuals attempt to create their own websites.  If you have the technical background to do so, go ahead.  But if terms like metatags, SEO, crawling and flash sound like foreign concepts to you, please trust it to a professional.  Your image as an expert witness hangs in the balance.  Search the web and find sites that appeal to your tastes.  The website developer is usually listed at the bottom of the page.  Call or e-mail them for a consultation and/or proposal.

But don't look for just any site.  Remember your audience - legal professionals.  Remember the SAM principle - "Same As Me" - and create a site that has the same look and feel as those of the audience you wish to reach, whether it be large corporate law firms or small personal injury firms.  So look for law firm websites, bar association sites and others who do business with the legal profession.

Once you have an idea of what your site should portray, discuss the following issues with your developer: (1) domain name and registration; (2) hosting; and (3) SEO (search engine optimization).  Other than the actual design, these are the three most important concepts to consider.  A competent professional website developer can either perform these functions for you or refer you to another professional with whom they have a partnering relationship.

One reason is it important to use a developer who is familiar with law firm sites is the requirement to comply with the unique ethical and confidentiality challenges of the legal profession.  While you want to include enough information on your site to allow attorneys to find you and understand your background and qualifications, you must temper that with the knowledge that everything on your site is in the public domain and is DISCOVERABLE ("discoverable" in search engine terms is a great thing - you want your site to be "discovered"; but "discoverable" in litigation can spell disaster for your credibility).  Is there anything embarrassing or contradictory?   Do you proclaim yourself as the "greatest ever" in your industry?  Would every page of your site pass muster with the jury if blown up and displayed as an exhibit during your cross-examination?  The best advice: keep it OBJECTIVE.

Finally, once you have invested time and money in your site, it is wasted if no one can find it.  That is where SEO comes into play.  "Search engine optimization" is exactly what it implies - optimizing your website so that search engines such as Google can "find" it, index it and "rank" it in search results.  Keep in mind, however, that it may take six months or longer for your site to appear in search results.  In the meantime, your SEO consultant can keep you apprised through behind-the-scenes analysis of how many times your site is being visited so you can continue to improve it.

In sum, having a web presence can be a valuable marketing tool for an expert witness, as long as: (1) it is professionally done in a manner that is aesthetically and substantively pleasing to lawyers; (2) it does not contain information that can be used against you in court; and (3) it can be successfully optimized to eventually appear near the top of search engine results.

Many expert witnesses are new to the industry. Its logical, of course, as they have been spending the last few (or few dozen) years actually becoming an expert. So how can experts get their name and reputation into the awareness of those who need them? Round Table Group can help! Here are four ways to market your expertise.

Develop a powerful and compelling web presence, by creating a professional web site that includes your CV, publications, conferences, awards, previous expert witness work, and of course your contact information. Link this to your professional blog, if you have the time to put into one. Web sites are getting easier for the layman to create, or invest in having a professional web developer build one for you. If you go this route, be certain to get a firm price quote before you start.

Use your social networks, both the personal 'hand shake' type of network of colleagues and associates, as well as professional internet social networking services, such as LinkedIn. Let your colleagues know that you are actively seeking expert witness opportunities. Many will already be in the industry, and may have opportunities, or at least some advice to share with you.

Join an expert witness referral service. We can do much of your marketing for you. There are some key things to look for in a good expert witness referral service, such as reputation, service, geographic and area of expertise scope, and of course, client base.

Consider consulting with a reputable marketing firm, particularly if they specialize in working with expert witnesses. Like your area of expertise, marketing is a highly specialized field, with its own experts. 

Go to pertinent conferences where potential clients will gather in large numbers. These are great places to meet people, learn about the current litigation trends, and of course, pick up some great swag. 

Round Table Group has a whole team of expert services coordinators who are ready to assist you in building your expert witness business.
 

 

At the end of every year, I always have a whole list of things I need to do before the end of the year. Things such as year-end reviews of my staff, making sure I have submitted all my 2009 expenses (which usually means scraping up the receipts), budget planning 2010-11, reviewing our company insurance plans, and so forth.

And for expert witnesses, it's the time of the year to do the three things all expert witnesses should do: touch base with everyone they've invoiced, update their public CV/Web page/profiles, and finally, speak with a financially savvy professional to see how being an expert witness may have tax implications. (This is the part where I say that I am completely unqualified to offer any legal or financial advice, yada yada ...).

The first of the three things all expert witnesses should do before the end of the year is speak with every firm (or better yet, person) they sent an invoice to this year. While verifying that they have all of the latest contact information for any tax documentation, experts also get to check in with clients, wish them a happy new year, and strengthen their relationships a bit as well.

The second thing every expert witness should do is to update their public presence, such as their professional Web page, CV, and expert witness referral firm profile. If you are a Round Table Group expert, you can update your profile right here! If you don't yet have your own Web page, there are quite a few easy-to-use packages out there for less than 30 bucks.

The third thing every expert should do is to understand how their expert witness income and perhaps their expenses pertain to their taxes. As someone who works from home, for example, I am able to claim certain expenses by virtue of the square footage of my office. Especially for those new to the expert witness industry, it's worth the hour appointment to review 2009, and perhaps plan better for 2010.

Thanks everyone for all your cool comments and suggestions. As this list keeps growing, I fear it will need to be re-posted as the five things every expert witness should do before the end of the year, or maybe it will require a whole new blog. Send in your replies!

Round Table Group sent me, and two of our terrific researchers down to DC last week to participate in our 6th INC Magazine 500/0 event. This invitation-only conference highlighted several key note speakers and presenters. And while every one of these entrepreneurial superstars (seriously, i saw one guy in a $3k suit waving a lighter at the end of Jim Collin's presentation) had a different message, two common themes ran through them all: Tough economic times breed opportunities, and that surrounding yourself with the best and the brightest was just plain smart.

I have seen these trends in the expert witness industry as well. Savvy experts are finding new business models to fit these new economic realities, turning economic crisis into opportunity. And clients are, of course, surrounding themselves with the best and the brighest experts, often times much earlier in the process to ensure success.

I was particularly impressed with the CEO of Zip Car talking about how he turned a 'cause into a company', and the importance of employees who believed that their job, their company, was more than just a paycheck. He stressed how hard it was to find such people, and how important it was to keep trying.

At Round Table Group, I get to work with thousands of such motivated, dedicated experts every year. And maybe that has a lot to do with our success; surrounding ourselves with the very best and brightest expert witnesses in the world. Thank you to all the amazing experts, entrepreneurs all,  that we get to work with. 

After so many our experts asked for it, we finally have official  Round Table Group Membership Badges for you to place on your web pages! The membership badge is an excellent way to show your experience, and your network! This is a really cool feature, and you can check out all the graphics options, and the easy-to-install directions,  just by logging on to your expert profile.

Like the rest of the businesses world, expert witnesses are joining social networks to grow their businesses. However, the business world has also realized that working within social networks takes time. Web site marketing firm Brick Marketing says that "you need to think about how to best structure your time so that you get the most out of the activity."

In their article "Social Networking: Are You Measuring ROI?" the team at Brick suggests that consultants pick social networks that match their business needs. Expert witnesses must be aware that being active on all sites will not provide the same return on investment as being strategically active on a site that meets their needs. When choosing social networks, consultants must consider the balance of the time commitment needed and the time available to keep a social network active.


Clark

"You will not distinguish yourself in a crowded field by relying on general terms like 'courteous professional services' or 'high quality litigation services.'" That is what expert witness marketing specialist Margaret Grisdela says.

In her article "Expert Wtinesses Shine with Winning Word Selections," she highlights tips for expert witness consultants to update their Internet presence. Some tips are: pay attention to keyword selection, know industry best practices, and stay away from boring and generic marketing language.

For additional tips on building an expert witness's Internet presence, review Round Table Group's blogs on the topic.

Clark