“How should I structure my marketing team?” I get this question a lot from law firm marketers.
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, it depends on your firm’s size, goals, and even culture.
I’ve seen everything from a one-person marketing “team” (where I was basically the director, content creator, and coffee fetcher all in one) to a fully staffed department with specialised roles for days.
Small firm or solo marketer? You probably wear many hats. One week you’re optimising the website, the next you’re coordinating a webinar, all while juggling social media and maybe designing a brochure on Friday. The upside: you become incredibly versatile.
The challenge: burnout is real, and prioritisation becomes your superpower. (Been there, earned that t-shirt!)
Larger firm with a growing team? It might be time to divide and conquer. When our team grew past 5 people, we experimented with structure. We set up focus areas: one person led content and thought leadership, another focused on digital (SEO, web, social), and another on events and client seminars.
We still collaborated constantly, but having “owners” for each area brought clarity. It also helped team members develop deeper expertise in their niche.
A key lesson: keep it flexible. Law firm marketing is evolving (who had “virtual conferences” on their 2019 bingo card?). Be ready to pivot. We once shuffled roles mid-year because we realised our event coordinator had a knack for social media engagement, moving her to a digital role boosted our online presence and made her happier at work.
Tips for choosing a structure:
>>> Align with your strategy: If your firm’s growth plan is heavy on content marketing, consider dedicating a role to content creation and distribution.
>>> Generalist vs. Specialist: Early on, generalists can do more with less. As you grow, sprinkle in specialists who bring expert knowledge (our first specialist hire was an SEO guru, and it paid off).
>>> Clear responsibilities: Titles are nice, but clarity is nicer. Make sure everyone knows what they’re owning, and where you expect teamwork and overlap.