Picking a PR agency to partner with is a big decision that could have significant long-term consequences for your law firm, so how do you give yourself the best chance of getting it right?
Here are my top tips for choosing the perfect PR partner:
- Look for an agency which can hit the ground running without taking too much time (or fee-earner resource) to get up to speed. This generally means an agency which can demonstrate it has experience in the legal sector and extensive media contacts – ask for testimonials and examples of press contacts. Ideally, the experience of the agency should also align with the practice areas you want to focus on.
- Are you confident the agency is going to be proactive in their approach? The last thing you want is to have to chase them to come up with ideas! Ask the agency to provide case studies and references which demonstrate that they are able to hit the ground running.
- Make sure the people you will be working are the right fit i.e. do you have chemistry? You will be working very closely so you need to establish a good relationship. Make sure the people at the agency you’re speaking to now are the ones who will be on the team assigned to your law firm.
- When it comes to the team, ask about personnel turnover and check whether they are employees or freelancers. If the latter, there may be a risk that they won’t be as focused on your account as they may have lots of outside interests. Check out the team’s credentials and PR/other relevant qualifications.
- Satisfy yourself that the quality of the agencies communication and writing skills is good enough. Check their own blogs, websites and social channels as a starting point and ask for examples of previous work.
- Do they have the right experience to deliver what you want them to do now and in the future? For example, if you are looking to increase your reach through social media can they advise on what channels and platforms are best for reaching your target market? Digital media changes constantly – are they up to speed on the latest developments?
- Do they understand your business, are they interested in your long-term business plan and putting forward ideas to enhance your PR/marketing strategy? Do they have an instinctive feel for your clients and targets? For example, does the PR agency have good contacts within the media consumed by your client base and does it have the right contacts in the legal/trade press?
If you find a PR agency who is the right fit and you are confident in their experience, skills, team cohesion and pro-activity then the last part of the jigsaw is likely to be price. An agency which shows more interest in your budget than your business is a red flag! While no law firm has an unlimited budget for PR, engaging the services of highly skilled professionals is never going to be cheap, so make sure you pitch your expectations realistically.
How can I help?
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.
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