There are many useful online discussions on marketing and management issues that I feel sure are helping to develop legal services marketing. In these discussions, descriptions of clients, customer groups and market segments appear to be variable and used interchangeably without much thought to what they mean. These compact descriptions hide many of the details that slow or stop actual promotions happening. This is because once you ask who your potential future clients that should know about your services are, it all gets rather complicated.

How do we usefully identify client groups in meaningful ways that help get your firm’s promotional messages across without costing too much? ‘Conveyancing clients’ is a group that covers a wide range of customer needs. Are they first-time buyers, families trading up/down or seniors cashing out of the property market? What about probate, matrimonial and commercial client types? Each legal service has a distinct group of potential clients who may need a particular set of benefits to suit their situation. The other side of this issue is how to avoid paying to send the wrong message to potential clients.

The answer is a similar response to the question: ‘How long is a piece of string?’ Measure it or define it yourself by looking at what your firm does well. Think about the services you offer in your firm’s geographic area. Look at your past clients and what best describes them, things like postcode, income levels, family or business circumstances. Enquiry sources, referrers and professional contacts may also help you identify discernable groups with similar legal services requirements. Since the aim is to retain or gain clients in an increasing competitive market (particularly people interested in conveyancing around Bristol) talking about client groups’ needs for legal services and not the services you offer will help you deliver the right benefits messages to the right people.

Defined future client groups should always be viewed with two other factors: the relevant future competitive services and the benefits the client will receive. If the client group changes, the benefits and competitors will also change. Spending the time to do this analysis will save promotional budget, make marketing choices easier and provide better-informed website debates.