Expert Witness & Consultant: To Advertise or Not to Advertise?

At the risk of sounding self-serving, we do believe that the following information should be shared with Expert Witnesses and Consultants for their benefit as well.

The age-old argument of whether it is best to advertise in lean or lucrative times has definitely been put to the test these last few years.  Those who understand the marketing industry would tell you that there should always be money in the budget for advertising.

Some Expert Witnesses and Consultants claim that they have so much business that they don’t need to advertise.  To this, great caution is advised – unless, of course, they have the all-knowing crystal ball.  As we already know, business is never static.  The engagements that one may be working on now will come to an end and there is no guarantee that the same profitability or source of income will return.  Confucius was not a lobbyist for the advertising industry, but in his timeless wisdom, he did profess that it was necessary to, “Dig the well before you thirst.”

The same holds true for the lean years.  Yes, budgets will be tighter and reasonably so.  It has been said, however, that if you are not advertising your business, you’ll be advertising that you’re out of business.  The Experts who spend a little to get their names out there have a better chance of making more during hard times.

Internet Marketing:   In his book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, David Meerman Scott says that, “…Web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the precise moment that a buyer needs it.”  He goes on to say that advertising content must be built specifically for niche audiences, in this case, attorneys, the media, businesses or anyone in need of higher knowledge.  Expert Witness Directories target this specific niche.

Which Expert Witness Directories to Choose:  There are many different Expert Witness Directories out there.  Where to spend marketing dollars is a tough decision. Here are a few things to consider:

• The Directory Should Be “Free” To The User
• The User Should Not Have To “Sign In'” To Use The Directory Services
• The Directory Should Be User Friendly
• The Expert And Consultant Profiles And Contact Information (and possibly CVs) Should Be Visible To The User
• The Directory Should Advertise In Legal & Business Venues
  
• The Directory Should Not Broker Your Engagement Or Take A Referral Fee*

As it is part of growing and sustaining your business, advertising should be taken seriously and done professionally.  If done properly, it can be an affordable and effective way to help protect against hard times and maintain profitability in good times.

*It is our opinion that Expert Witnesses and Consultants should have direct contact with the client and control over the negotiation of their fees and services.  Fee mark-ups cost law firms more for Expert Witness Services, and, in this troubled economy, they are less likely to pay unnecessary fees.  Experts and Consultants end up pricing themselves out of the market with the mark-ups that brokers impose upon them.  Experts.com DOES NOT broker or mark-up the fees of its Expert Witnesses and Consultants.