Braden Pollock is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Legal Brand Marketing, a company that specializes in connecting consumers with attorneys and legal service providers through a network of legal domains. With an extensive background in the legal industry, Pollock has built a reputation as a pioneer in lead generation, helping attorneys grow their practices by providing them with valuable leads and marketing solutions. His innovative approach to legal marketing has positioned him as a key figure in the intersection of law and technology for more than 20 years.
Beyond his work in legal marketing, Pollock is also a well-known domain investor and speaker. He has amassed a significant portfolio of premium domain names and has become a respected voice in the domain investing community. His expertise in domain valuation and acquisition, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, has led him to success in multiple ventures. Pollock’s insights on branding, marketing, and domain investing have made him a sought-after expert and a regular speaker and moderator at industry conferences.
Mike: How long have you been involved in the domain name industry and what drew you in?
Braden: I’ve been domain investing since 2005 or 2006. It all started at Legal Brand Marketing when we were building websites for our clients. I would register domains for our clients and we just include them with the website package since they were only about seven dollars back then. Eventually, I discovered the domain aftermarket and that my clients would pay more for better names.
My friend David Rosenbaum was the sales manager for the .tv registery back then. Since he knew about domains I asked him what I could do with all the extra domains that I had registered. He’s the one that introduced me to domain parking and the rest of the industry.
Mike: Can you tell us about the origins of Legal Brand Marketing and what inspired you to start the company?
Braden: I had an immigration services business that went right into the toilet after 9/11. I was looking for a new business to start and went to lunch with a lawyer friend of mine who told me about DUI defense. It seemed like an interesting area of law. When I got back to my office, I researched DUI lawyers on the internet and did not find any kind of national brand. Most of the lawyer marketing was subpar. So I started 1800duilaws.com. Paired with the phone number, I thought it was a good domain at that time. We built a huge website and took out national ads on yellow pages.com, AOL, etc. We immediately started getting a ton of traffic. I started traveling around the country exhibiting at lawyer conferences and we did well. Eventually, we expanded beyond DUI and now offer many legal practice areas plus insurance products.
Mike: You are well known for your expertise in lead generation. How did you develop this skill and what are some key strategies that have proven successful in generating high-quality leads?
Braden: When I founded LBM, I was already familiar with basic marketing principles, including how to market online. It didn’t take long to learn how online leadgen worked. (It’s a totally different world!) Over the years we have learned how to work with most of our competitors so as not just battle it out in Google. Traffic and lead arbitrage is key to a successful leadgen biz.
Mike: What criteria do you use when evaluating a domain for investment?
Braden: Most investors are looking for a low barrier to entry. Meaning that they want to buy on the cheap. I prefer to focus on premium names that cost much more. It’s a far less speculative area of the domain aftermarket. What I prefer in a name is an “empty vessel.” A domain that could be used for many businesses as opposed to being pigeonholed in just one industry.
Mike: What advice would you give to someone looking to start investing in domain names today? In your experience, is it still possible for a new domainer to become successful?
Braden: It’s totally possible to become successful as a domain investor today. Currently buying domains that come on the market. Which means there’s still opportunity to acquire names for the right price. First thing an investor should do is take Go Daddy’s Domain Name Academy, created by Michael Cyger. It’s a very robust course that includes everything that someone would need to know to get into domain investing. Next, I’d suggest diversifying your investment dollars. Don’t just registered names or buy $50 names on the drop. And don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If an investor has $10,000 to invest, they should divide that up into these various buckets and buy domains at different wholesale price tiers. For example, one $5k name, one $2500 name, one $1k, one $500 name and the balance drops and hand registrations.
Mike: What are your thoughts on the importance of mentorship in business, and have you had any mentors who significantly influenced your career?
Braden: I think mentorship is important. I’ve had mentors throughout my career and I suggest everyone should have mentors. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, there’s always someone that is more successful, that has been at it longer and can teach you best practices. When searching for a mentor keep in mind that they may be busy and don’t have a lot of time to give you. Consider how you might be able to help them as well.
Mike: You are the co-owner of several businesses, such as iBeauty Brands. How do you balance all of your projects in addition to your personal life?
Braden: I don’t run the day-to-day in any of my businesses and spend the most of my time buying and selling domains. I do co-own many businesses so I have to allocate my time appropriately. I have weekly, monthly or quarterly calls with all of my partners or general managers so I can keep tabs on the businesses and advise where appropriate.
Mike: As an investor and a successful business person, what areas should those interested in entrepreneurship focus on in the coming decade?
Braden: The most obvious answer is AI. But beyond that there are other massive, technological shifts happening now, including electric cars, autonomous vehicles, eVTOL vehicles and robots. The demand for cybersecurity will only increase in the future. With the climate crisis as it is, the world is getting hotter. Among many other things, this means there aren’t enough AC techs in the US. More catastrophic weather events are happening and there’s a need for solutions across the board. With baby boomers retiring and human longevity increasing, the US and other countries will need more products and services for an aging population. These are just a few examples of future business opportunities.
Mike: Is there anything you are currently working on or planning that you’d like to share?
Braden:Online privacy laws are changing around the world. I’m invested in and working on a solution related to these new consent laws.
Mike: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work in legal marketing and domain investing?
Braden: As for legal marketing, the most rewarding aspect is that I’ve had staff that have been with me for many years. The woman that runs LBM has been with the company for more than 16 years. Much of the staff has been with me for nearly a decade. I’ve been to several weddings and had lots of staff buy homes and have kids. That’s pretty rewarding!
As for domain investing, the community was very welcoming when I got into the industry. I’m happy that I’m in a place where I can pay that forward. I plan to continue doing that for as long as I can.
