There has never been as much emphasis on keeping costs low for businesses of all kinds and law firms are no different. If you are a paralegal who prefers to work from home, there are some innovative ways to expand your client base so that you can capture those firms that often need extra help but are reluctant to hire an additional in-house paralegal. These are just a few of the many ways in which you can freelance with an ever-growing base of attorneys.
Target Your Specialty
If you are a paralegal with an online MSL degree, like this one, with a specialization in employment and labor laws, there are several ways to go about targeting your audience. You ‘could’ simply advertise your services to any and all lawyers or you could compile a list of attorneys who specialize in labor laws. It is important to bear in mind that some lawyers will take cases out of their own specialization, especially for clients they have been serving over the years.
If the need for case law is in regards to a suit against an employer, that attorney may need a paralegal well versed in that aspect of the law in order to find the documentation needed in litigation. The point is, make sure it is known that you have experience and a specialized advanced degree in your field. When seeking paralegal services, attorneys will plug in exact keywords and those are what you really want to target.
Create Social Media Profiles
LinkedIn is always a great way to build a following of other paralegals and lawyers because it is considered to be more professional than other social sites. Facebook is good, too, because you can build a following and over time will find that friends of friends of friends find you, helping you to grow your customer base. The one thing to remember about social media is that your posts must be made frequently. Every time you post, a notification will pop up for those following you and so you will stay fresh on followers’ minds.
Join a Paralegal Forum or Members Only Site
In the early days, a forum was called a message board. Since then, forums have become much more advanced. Forums are generally a sort of combination between a social site and a knowledge base because members are able to share information, ask questions of the community and give and get answers to legal questions within their field of expertise. It’s amazing just how many leads you can get from forums in the legal sector.
The one thing to keep in mind is that a paralegal with a specialization such as an online masters in law degree is often much more in demand because an attorney prepping for a case wants focused information, including case law, within the scope of a case they are working on. Being visible in the search engines, social sites and in industry forums, you can expect to grow your client base significantly.
