As the legal marketplace becomes increasingly crowded and disrupted, a focus on PR could prove to be a worthwhile investment in 2023. PR could make all the difference when it comes to differentiating your firm and getting your brand in front of potential clients. Below are five simple but critical things a sound PR strategy can help attain.
1. Brand recognition – few law firms can claim to offer a truly unique service. Most provide high quality but almost identical offerings making it tricky to build brand identity. Yet research shows that senior decision makers are more comfortable choosing a well-known b2b brand and are willing to pay a premium for it. Good PR should lead to high quality media mentions which over time will help raise brand awareness and ultimately provide a competitive edge.
2. Build trust – the third party endorsement provided by media coverage cannot be underestimated. A quote in a national newspaper or leading trade title will position the commentator as a thought leader, enhancing the reputation and credibility of the firm. Standing out as an expert on the key challenges facing your clients will build trust with existing and potential clients.
3. Talent retention – the one thing that can make a firm stand out is the quality of the lawyers. Everyone wants to work for a firm that’s going somewhere and good PR can provide a brilliant way to create a feel-good factor in the workplace thereby helping to attract and retain the best talent. Whether done in-house or by an agency, PR should involve everyone from junior fee earners through to the most experienced partners.
4. SEO – optimizing your firm’s visibility on the internet could give you a significant commercial advantage. This involvess making sure that when a potential client searches for relevant legal services, they are seeing you because your site is at the top (or near the top) of the results that are returned. Search engine optimisation (SEO) can be achieved with some fairly simply strategies. For more detail on how to improve your SEO, read my recent blog.
5. Support your business development efforts – if your law firm is looking to grow a practice area, introduce a new service line or even open an office in a new location in 2023, PR will support your BD strategy.
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Need some help with PR? Feel free to drop me an email to arrange a 30 minute complimentary call or take a look at some of the packages I offer law firms, accountancy practices and other b2b businesses.