When you’re an established, successful law firm, it can seem like promoting your business is not a necessary means to drive revenue—but this could not be further from the truth.
In reality, when you’ve got a strong reputation to uphold, it’s even more important to have good marketing sharing your brand message and strong public relations work in place to protect your position in the market.
If you’re a law firm on the rise, then putting in the hard work now to create a secure holding against your competitors is, of course, of vital importance. So what PR opportunities are there for law firms? Let’s explore more.
Getting the most from local press and PR contacts
Whether you deal with high profile cases or smaller suits which tend to fall below the radar of national press, you want to have strong connections to your local journalist circuit and PR builders. Press communication is the public’s way of learning about current law activity, especially if you operate in a country where the press has open access to courtrooms, such as the United States.
When it comes to working with journalists, honesty and open communication are paramount for success. The press can be your ally if you approach them in the right way; if you don’t, you may find your PR exposure suffers unnecessarily.
Journalists are trained to ask drilling questions, which can make you feel vulnerable when you’re discussing a high profile or sensitive case. Never feel pressured to respond to a question you don’t know how to answer. Either pass the inquiry onto someone who’s better placed to comment or politely refuse to discuss it at this time. Either way, timely responses are appreciated by the press. You can take control of your press and PR contacts by regularly updating them with details of importance.
Holding or sponsoring events
Events can be a fantastic way to get your law firm’s name out into the public. Here, you have two options: either host an event yourself or look to sponsor an existing event which will bring positive exposure to your brand.
Again, honesty and relevance are essential. The public is increasingly aware of brand promotion and publicity to make sure any event you choose to connect your name to is likeminded and fitting to your firm’s values.
An open office event can be ideal for showing the human side to your law firm; often a type of business which can feel alien and unwelcoming to the general population. Inviting selected guests into your working space can tell the story of your business, especially if you’re looking for investors or positive exposure for the next step in your business’ journey. For example, if you are looking to buy a law firm, which Lawbiz can assist with, this kind of event is one which can create the positive reaction and exposure to build your brand’s reaction.
Make the most of social media
This form of PR and publicity should be approached with some caution, as law firms need to respect client confidentiality attentively. Yet, social media shouldn’t be overlooked as a method of sales.
Once more, word of mouth through social platforms can be very powerful for bringing in new clients and allowing the public to have a better understanding of your brand. There are several law firms using social media very well, so you should be aware and learn from the best.