Question
I'm building a legal marketplace (info, lawyer directory, free Q & A) which is essentially a lead gen site for lawyers with a freemium model.
On the demand/client side there is low scope for virality due to the often private nature of legal questions asked plus an unwillingness to bore social media connections; and
On supply side there's a disincentive to refer colleagues outside their own law firm as increases competition on the platform.
What are some imaginative ways to encourage referrals on either side? One thought I had for the lawyer side is create scarcity by limiting the platform to a certain number of lawyers per geo area but this doesn't really fit with a freemium model.
Answer
For a double-sided marketplace, I recommend doing the following:
1. Pick a niche service specialty. If you're just starting out, determine which service speciality can get you the most early traction through secondary research. Make sure your basic premise (macro-level thesis) is solid.
2. Create your customer persona
3. Validate that by speaking with 30 prospects (or a statistically significant sample size).
4. Pivot (if need be)
5. Build your supply and create liquidity
6. Generate transactions and ...
I can go on about this, but I'm sure it will be never ending. Happy to talk more about this, if it would help.
