Inside midsize law firms, things can get loud. They're often in a stage where they're in constant motion, frequently hosting events, updating websites and sponsoring conferences. But when asked about the end results, the answer isn't always clear. Erika Steinberg, founder of CMO2Go, says the problem often starts with how firms think about strategy itself.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Erika joins Michelle Calcote King to discuss why strategy doesn't need to be a capital 'S' undertaking that costs a fortune and ends with a binder nobody reads. With more than 30 years in legal marketing and leadership roles at Am Law 100 firms, Erika partners with firms nationwide, bringing a high caliber of expertise to organizations. She explains how two simple questions — "What are we trying to accomplish?" and "Who are we trying to reach?" — can provide all the clarity a firm needs to move forward.

• How to simplify strategy by focusing on two foundational questions that bring clarity to business and marketing efforts.

• The "one-year lookback" exercise that helps teams define success before they start a major project.

• Why leading indicators like new contacts, follow-ups and quality of conversations stand out when revenue attribution is unclear.

• The common roadblocks that prevent smaller firms from building marketing momentum and structure.

• Why law firm leaders should bring marketing professionals into strategic conversations and share business goals with them.

• The role of PR in telling a firm's story and building third-party credibility in an age of AI search.

• Why thought leadership and content strategy have become client expectations rather than optional extras.

Erika Steinberg started CMO2Go because she believes that expert marketing is not just for the largest law firms. More than six years later, CMO2Go now works with midsize law firms around the U.S., helping them create roadmaps for success with marketing planning, executing on those plans and keeping their momentum going by bridging any marketing gaps in their teams. Whether building marketing infrastructure, managing firm rebrands or leading complex initiatives, Erika and her team help firms create marketing functions that are strategic, effective and sustainable.

Before launching CMO2Go, Erika held senior marketing leadership roles at Sidley, Kaye Scholer and Arent Fox. With more than 30 years in legal marketing and business development, she speaks fluent lawyer, understands how law firms operate and how to work effectively within them.

• Check out CMO2Go

• Follow CMO2Go on LinkedIn

• Connect with Erika Steinberg on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

AI tools are changing the marketing game for small and midsized law firms, making it easier for them to compete with the bigger players in their markets. In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King interviews Jennifer Scotton, the Chief Marketing Officer at Constangy, to discuss how AI is transforming legal marketing. Jennifer's team views AI as an enhancement of human capabilities, not a replacement, and has implemented a firmwide policy emphasizing its ethical use. In this interview, she highlights specific tools her team uses, including custom GPTs for website content and AI headshot tools for remote photography. Jennifer explains how she selects which tools to adopt, and considerations for maintaining a growth mindset and preserving institutional knowledge for long-term success when using AI in law firms.

• Why treating AI as an accelerant rather than a replacement extends human expertise and creates space for higher-value thinking and relationship building.

• Which AI tools make Jennifer's shortlist, including Aragon.ai, OpusClip, Picky and There's An AI for That

• How to develop custom GPTs that maintain brand voice consistency.

• How AI headshot tools solve professional photography challenges for remote and distributed law firms.

• How to use AI to establish historical knowledge so teams can access past decisions and processes.

• Why starting with one key pain point and conducting small pilots leads to more sustainable AI adoption than trying to implement everything at once.

• The resources legal marketers can use to discover new AI tools and learn from peers implementing similar solutions across the industry.

• How the shift in client attitudes toward AI from resistance to expectation is creating competitive advantages for firms that embrace innovation.

A relentless innovator and true change agent, Jennifer Scotton serves as Constangy's chief marketing officer. In this role, she guides the firm's marketing and business development strategy, leading a team of highly skilled marketing professionals.

With 20 years of experience in legal marketing, Jennifer has enjoyed multiple leadership positions at both the regional and international levels of the Legal Marketing Association, as well as serving on the American Marketing Association's Board of Directors. An award-winning marketing professional, she was named to Triad Business Journal's "Top 40 Professionals Under 40" list in 2022, selected as an "Unsung Legal Hero" by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly in 2018 and has led her team to win multiple "Your Honor" awards from the LMA.

• Check out Constangy

• Follow Constangy on LinkedIn and Facebook

• Connect with Jennifer Scotton on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

• Use JENNIFER15 to get 15% off Aragon.ai

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.