One of the great things about the internet is that it allows for people with similar interests and ways of thinking to connect and find one another.  Very specific niches and communities coalesce where like-minded people exchange ideas.  This creates new relationships, connections, and platforms for discussion...but there is a downside as well.

I think it can be detrimental to surround yourself with marketing ideas that only serve to reinforce your existing ideas.  If your concept of marketing exploration is to find others that agree with your marketing plan or assure you that you are "doing it the right way", than you are missing a much larger opportunity.

The Curse Of The Yes-Man

Everyone wants to be confident they are putting their resources behind a marketing plan that is going to work.  However, if you surround yourself with people that simply reinforce your existing marketing ideas, you will never be able to discover new ways of marketing your firm.  

Yes-men make you feel good in the short-term, boosting your confidence and giving you a pat on the back that you are going about it in the right way.  The problem is that no two firms are exactly alike.  What works for one law firm may not work for another.  The only way to truly find out what works for you is to seek out new ideas, step outside your comfort zone, execute the plan, and measure the results.  The actual results will never lie.