| Law firms that lack a sound public relations strategy | | | | and increasing exposure for your firm. To generate |
| are missing valuable opportunities to represent clients | | | | trend commentary, PR practitioners collaborate with |
| who are enmeshed in the most important and | | | | executives to identify key thought leadership platforms |
| impactful legal issues of the day. To secure such | | | | that traverse both current business trends and the law |
| clients effectively, smart law firms know how to | | | | firm principals' own expertise. The platforms are then |
| engage and leverage the media effectively. | | | | shaped to cater to the target segment and then |
| The most effective public relations strategies for law | | | | pitched to the media. |
| firms are founded upon a keen understanding of the | | | | Tip #4: Represent yourself to the media as a resource |
| issues. They entail the effective positioning of the law | | | | offering substantial, well-articulated insight: The final |
| firm as a credible resource offering valuable insights | | | | secret to success in media placements is approaching |
| into the issues and problems their clients face. | | | | a topic with an insightful, well-articulated perspective. It |
| Here are 5 tips for conducting effective and efficient | | | | is important to reach out to the right reporter(s) with |
| public relations for law firms: | | | | relevant information. The main goal here is maximum |
| Tip #1: Know your audience: It is essential that law | | | | reach and clarity, which can only be possible with |
| firms identify the key spheres of referrals, relationships | | | | effective and lucid channels of communication. The |
| and prospective clients in their field of specialty. Each | | | | law firm's presentation must be eloquent, refined and |
| time the firm initiates a media outreach campaign, it | | | | precise. This is crucial in terms of the portrayal of the |
| should be sculpted to speak directly to one of a set of | | | | firm's image vis-à-vis the media. |
| clearly-defined target client segments. The most | | | | Tip #5: Author expert articles: Another facet of a |
| commanding strategies are those that seek to inform | | | | thought-leadership campaign is the authoring of |
| audiences while highlighting key issues that personally | | | | in-depth, by-lined, expert articles. These articles, often |
| and directly affect those target clients. | | | | written in partnership with public relations professionals, |
| Tip #2: Intersect your firm's expertise with real pain | | | | have the power to go into specific details that highlight |
| points: Showcasing your firm's true talents and | | | | trends, problems and solutions. Expert articles can be |
| specialties entails first understanding the real pain points | | | | developed for specific industry trade segments or for |
| of your target client segment. Fostering a relationship | | | | general business magazines. In some cases, they are |
| with clients that is conducive to trust and loyalty | | | | developed to articulate detailed trends to other expert |
| increases the likelihood that they will approach you in a | | | | audiences. Articles and other literature often receive |
| reliable, confident manner. If you are unclear as to | | | | coverage in local publications such as newspapers, |
| which issues to specifically address with your target | | | | journals and newsletters, which in turn can create a |
| client group, ask yourself: what is an issue or cluster of | | | | potential gateway to national and possibly international |
| related issues that are important to lives of my target | | | | exposure. |
| client segment? How might the resolution of these | | | | When launching a PR campaign for your law firm, the |
| issues increase their upside (e.g., income, happiness, | | | | end game involves knowing your audience, identifying |
| peace of mind) or decrease their downside (e.g., | | | | their pain points, and effectively positioning your firm as |
| expenses, stress, health problems, etc.)? | | | | a thought leader who holds a substantive, insightful |
| Tip #3: Understand current trends: Trend commentary | | | | position on the issue or topic. |
| is a frequently-employed method for generating visibility | | | | |