Building Elite Marketing Teams for Modern Law Firms | Katherine Wilson from Fractional Law Firm CMO

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Excellent. Welcome, everyone, to the Pathmonk Presents podcast. Today we’ve got Katherine from the fractional law firm CMO. Katherine, how are you doing today?

Katherine: I’m great, Kevin. Thanks for having me.

Kevin Shirley: No problem. We’re looking forward to having you on the show and talking a little bit more about your business. Today, I wanted to let you know that we’re going to be focusing on growth, marketing, digital strategies, and being a fractional CMO specifically in the law firm industry. We’re really excited to hear what you have to say. But to get started, I wanted to give you the floor with a pretty basic and introductory type of question. So maybe you can tell me a little bit about fractional and what you guys are doing and how you help your clients.

Katherine: Right, so fractional law firm CMO. We are a small but mighty team of seven, and we provide fractional business development and marketing services specifically for law firms. These are law firms of any size. For the larger firms, known as the AmLaw100, with a thousand-plus lawyers, we provide workshops on business development as well as specific project-based work. For smaller firms, we act as their CMOs. We provide both strategic guidance and the implementation of those strategies. We believe that marketing tactics should follow your guiding light, which is your business development objectives. That’s what we provide for law firms of all sizes.

Kevin Shirley: Excellent, excellent. Thanks for that answer. The next follow-up question I wanted to ask was, what sort of problems do you solve for your clients?

Katherine: We founded this company almost two years ago. Both my business partner and I came from Big Law, meaning those large firms with a thousand-plus attorneys. When I left my firm, we had 75 people in the marketing and business development function—dedicated business developers, content writers, and even a video studio at our headquarters. It was highly sophisticated. Most law firms don’t have that. They may have a couple of people or even just half a person dedicated to marketing. They’re still competing for the same high-level work and clients as those big firms. What we do is provide that same sophisticated level of business development strategy and marketing implementation to help them stay competitive.

Kevin Shirley: Interesting. I like the fact that you’re able to provide these top-tier solutions and expertise to firms that might be under-resourced or just starting. It’s about evening the gap and making them more competitive. Switching gears a bit—how do you guys go about acquiring new law firm clients?

Katherine: My partner and I have each been in the industry for over 20 years. This is a relationship-based business, so we rely heavily on our referral network. Honestly, LinkedIn has been a valuable tool for getting our content out, reminding people who we are, and building relationships. We also get leads through Google, though we don’t pay for Google Ads. Our very literal name helps with traffic, and we’ve gotten some clients through that. But most of our business comes from warm referrals and our LinkedIn network.

Kevin Shirley: When you mention having that huge network and coming from Big Law, the first thing I think about is LinkedIn. It’s 2024, and leveraging your network through LinkedIn seems like the perfect way to reach people in your industry.

Katherine: Exactly.

Kevin Shirley: Focusing on your own marketing strategies, what role does your website play in client acquisition?

Katherine: Right now, it’s primarily a validation tool. Since most of our work comes from referrals, people visit the website to confirm our capabilities. In the future, as we grow, we might use it more for conversion and acquisition by paying for leads or Google Ads. But for now, it’s about validation. We’re actually redoing our website because we’ve grown a lot in two years. We’ve expanded our services and our team, so it’s time for a refresh to reflect where we are now.

Kevin Shirley: That’s exciting. It’s nice to hear about your team’s growth and the next steps for your website. Switching gears again, let’s talk metrics. When you’re working on campaigns for your clients, what metrics do you focus on, and what do you think are the most important?

Katherine: It depends on the type of law firm. For B2B law firms, it’s about relationship-building metrics like LinkedIn engagement and attorney activity—where they’re speaking or networking. For consumer-focused firms, like plaintiff firms, it’s lead generation metrics—how many calls they’re getting, conversion rates, and intake metrics. Each firm’s focus varies based on their clientele and practice areas.

Kevin Shirley: It’s interesting to learn about the different types of law firms and how they measure success. Even decision-makers at these firms probably prioritize different metrics.

Katherine: Absolutely. Financial metrics are also critical. Analyzing client growth and opportunities through financial data helps shape business development strategies. Unfortunately, many firms have inflexible financial systems that hinder their ability to plan effectively. It’s something we help address.

Kevin Shirley: Fascinating. Let’s talk about tools and methods. Are there specific tools or strategies you use for client campaigns?

Katherine: We have a business development team focused on research and networking opportunities. On the creative side, we have a brilliant creative director and a social media manager because LinkedIn is key. We also use tools like Asana for project management to ensure alignment between teams. It’s all about connecting business development, creative, and social strategies for a cohesive approach.

Kevin Shirley: That’s great. Moving on to you as a leader—what are some key tasks you focus on daily?

Katherine: Every day is different. I might oversee website redesigns, work on sponsorship opportunities, or develop social media strategies. I also collaborate with our fractional CFO to analyze financial data and help attorneys focus their efforts. Our goal is to take as much off their plate as possible so they can focus on building relationships, which can take months or even years.

Kevin Shirley: That’s insightful. Where do you go to stay up-to-date and continue learning?

Katherine: The Legal Marketing Association has been an excellent resource. I also learn a lot from my team. Hiring people with skills I don’t have and learning from them has been invaluable. It’s important to recognize when you need help and surround yourself with experts.

Kevin Shirley: That’s smart and admirable. Let’s move into rapid-fire questions. Just short, crisp answers. Ready?

Katherine: Got it.

Kevin Shirley: What’s the last book you read?

Katherine: I’m a fiction writer, but my business partner and I are working on a book called No Clubs Required: Business Development in a New Era. Stay tuned!

Kevin Shirley: Great plug! What’s the one thing your company is focused on the most right now?

Katherine: Smart growth—honing in on the skills our clients need.

Kevin Shirley: If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d fix for your role as a marketer?

Katherine: Ease of integration between systems.

Kevin Shirley: If you could automate one repetitive task, what would it be?

Katherine: Honestly, we don’t have repetitive tasks. Everything is customized.

Kevin Shirley: What advice would you give yourself if you were restarting your marketing journey?

Katherine: Don’t stress. Try things, move on quickly, and don’t overthink.

Kevin Shirley: Excellent advice. Before we wrap up, what’s the one thing people should remember about your company?

Katherine: No matter the size of your law firm, we can help with your business development and marketing needs.

Kevin Shirley: Well said. Thank you, Katherine, for joining us today. If any law firms out there need fractional help, check out fractionallawfirmcmo.com. Thank you so much.

Katherine Wilson: Thank you, Kevin. It was a pleasure.

Kevin Shirley: Thank you.