The days of attorneys being frowned upon for using anything other than a “shingle” on their door for advertisement are far behind us. Reputable attorneys and law firms now consistently publicize their practice and attorneys and with excellent results. There are at least five reasons your legal practice should consider hiring a PR media firm.
1. Businesses of all Kinds Use PR Firms to Promote their Company
Realistically, since a law firm is a business endeavor, it only makes sense to do everything possible to promote the business. How is the public going to know about what your firm offers unless you use tools to publicize your work? But, why a PR firm?
- The more complicated the business, the more necessary it is to rely on trained professionals to publicize it.
- Legal practices are largely misunderstood by the public. All too often attorneys are misrepresented through television programing and in the media as a whole. Professional PR firms bring a great deal to bear in helping erase damaging stereotypes.
2. Professional PR Firms Utilize Far More Tools Than May Be Expected
As technology has developed, so has the usage of all that it brings to the table for law firms to promote their attorneys. A legal practice can be promoted through social media platforms [Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.] This is, of course, in addition to the older, more traditional media outlets such as newspapers and radio ads. However, an established PR firm can promote your legal practice in additional ways:
- Arranging speaking engagements for one or more of your attorneys
- Marketing campaigns
- Sponsoring or hosting special community events
- Providing assistance with strategy, outreach, branding, and messaging
3. Most of Your Competitors are Probably Using PR Firms
If your firm lacks a presence within your community, potential clients are not likely to contact you. The legal services you offer will be underutilized, while firms that retain PR professionals to promote their work will likely be far busier.
4. A Professional PR Firm Can Raise Community Awareness About Your Practice
The more positive exposure that a legal practice can earn within their community, the more likely they will be considered a resource by potential clients. When someone is looking for an attorney like a car accident lawyer Minneapolis MN trusts to handle a legal issue, they will often choose a law practice whose name is familiar to them. A good PR firm is adept at accomplishing exactly this kind of exposure for its clients.
5. Few Law Practices Can Adequately Handle PR Work on Their Own
It is usually not cost-effective to mount impactful PR campaigns from in-house.
- Most law firms simply do not have the staff qualified to do so.
- Another important consideration is that employees doing PR work cannot bill their hours to clients.
- Professional PR work demands a particular mindset, along with compatible skills and experience.
- Another advantage to hiring a PR firm is that it should qualify as a legitimate business expense that can lower a legal firm’s tax base.
If your law firm is considering hiring a PR media firm, request a consultation with an organization that focuses on legal practices. They should be happy to detail the services they offer that may be beneficial for your law firm.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Johnston Martineau PLLP for their insight into the business side of legal practice.