National media coverage for lawyers: is it worth the effort?

For many lawyers and law firms, exposure in a national newspaper or established news outlet is the holy grail of PR.

Many clients have told me over the years that getting into The Times or on the BBC or Sky News is what success looks like to them – it’s at the top of their wish list. But are they right? Is national media coverage really a “must have”?

Talking heads

It’s true that there are some very high-profile lawyers and their firms who seem to crop-up again and again being interviewed or quoted – think [Vanessa Lloyd Platt, Aleysha Vardags, Ronnie Fox, Nick Freeman (Mr Loophole) and Mark Stephens]. And it’s understandable that other similarly experienced lawyers may covet a slice of the action. However, the important question to ask is: do the results repay the investment?

The answer is – it depends. National coverage does have a role to play and can massively raise brand awareness and profile but, don’t ignore some of the very good reasons not to pin all your hopes on the national media to meet your PR goals.

It may not be all you hope for

The time and resources needed to invest in building relationships with journalists who will be able to provide this type of exposure may be too much for many law firms who do not have unlimited PR budgets.
National media is unpredictable and there are no guarantees of your quote being used or even an interview you have recorded being broadcast if some other breaking news story comes along first, as it often does.
It may turn out to be harder than you think to get national coverage as lawyers often can’t respond as quickly as the journalist needs them to, due to their day job of dealing with clients, attending court etc.
National media exposure may not fit your PR strategy – you may not actually reach existing clients and the potential clients you want. Your target audience should always be a key consideration.
If you reach the wrong audience, you could end up having to deal with lots of low (or no) value enquiries while missing out on higher value instructions from existing clients.
Leading trade journals, such as the Estates Gazette, Property Week, Retail Week and The Grocer may have lower circulation figures, but they are often hugely influential within the sectors in which they operate.
In the same way, regional law firms shouldn’t underestimate the influence of local newspapers and local broadcast channels.
An article in a top business title may turn out to be as valuable as a piece in a national newspaper while also leaving time and budget to devote to other PR and marketing activities.

So, my advice would be for lawyers and their law firms to be careful what they wish for, national media exposure may not be the holy grail after all.

National media coverage for lawyers: is it worth the effort?

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