Establishing, maintaining, and elevating a brand’s reputation and increasing its visibility are essential aspects of marketing and public relations. In the legal industry, where clients have a wide range of law firms to choose from, it is crucial to have a strong public relations (PR) strategy.

While it may be tempting to assign PR responsibilities to someone within your firm, it is critical to recognize that PR is a specialized field that requires the expertise of a trained professional with the necessary skills and connections to secure media opportunities for your law firm.

A skilled PR team can boost your law firm’s exposure, reputation, and brand recognition while also creating and implementing crisis communication plans, mainly when representing clients or cases that may be contentious. If you’re considering hiring a PR professional for your law firm, below are some tactics your law firm should consider implementing in your PR strategy.

Craft a Unique Brand Story

When formulating a PR strategy for your law firm, it is crucial to identify the unique qualities that set you apart from your competitors. Can you effectively communicate this to potential clients and stakeholders clearly and concisely? If not, consider reaching out and getting a PR agency’s or professional’s help in crafting a compelling brand story that will resonate with your audience. Even if you believe you have a strong brand story, a PR specialist can provide valuable feedback and suggest ways to improve it.

PR teams excel in taking a law firm’s brand identity and transforming it into a captivating narrative that can be communicated effectively across various platforms. PR professionals tailor messages to highlight the most impressive aspects of your law firm that differentiate you from others in your practice area. Developing the message is just one aspect of the process, however. PR professionals are also experienced at targeting the right audience and ensuring that your brand story is conveyed accurately and authentically every time. By working with a PR agency, you can elevate your law firm’s reputation and brand visibility and ultimately establish yourself as a leader in your field.

Leverage Digital PR for Online Visibility

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for legal professionals to attract clients. To thrive in this competitive environment, working with a knowledgeable and reputable digital PR agency that can help improve your search engine rankings, increase engagement on social media, and drive traffic to your website is essential.

When discussing website traffic, the main focus is search engine optimization (SEO). Law firms should prioritize optimizing their websites with effective keyword strategies. However, in addition to a strong SEO plan, PR is also crucial for improving search rankings. If industry publications and news outlets mention your firm, they will likely include links to your website. These links serve as references to your domain and can lead readers directly to your site.

Consistent placement of links back to your website can boost your search rank. Backlinks are crucial for Google’s page rankings and for establishing your firm’s credibility in the legal world. However, the quality of backlinks also matters– Google wants to see links back to high-quality content and relevant publications to improve your law firm’s SEO.

Suppose you want to create a solid collection of positive coverage in reliable media outlets for your law firm. In that case, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a PR team, as this involves regular communication with the appropriate media outlets. On top of that, maintaining a strong presence on digital and social media platforms is another reason why it’s beneficial to hire a PR firm. This way, your team can concentrate on their own work while the PR experts take care of the rest.

Implementing Thought Leadership Initiatives

Are there any recent high-profile legal cases or trending legal terms that your firm can discuss? Collaborate with your PR team to determine an appropriate angle and outlet to share your insights.

Through thought leadership, your law firm’s attorneys can showcase their knowledge and establish credibility in their field. PR specialists can analyze tools such as webinars, panel discussions, and podcast interviews to promote your firm in a way that showcases your team.

PR teams can also assist journalists in drafting passionate articles or industry reports and writing bylined contributed articles for their represented experts. At 9Sail, for example, we have a team of PR experts who help get guest blog posts and articles for our thought leaders, taking their thoughts, experiences, and opinions and turning them into expertly-crafted articles and posts. This allows a law firm’s leaders to provide insights on trending topics and common practices while also allowing them to dive deeper into their areas of expertise.

Connect Public Relations and Content Marketing

PR integrates with the content marketing your firm is doing, which includes creating, managing, and distributing content related to your brand and the legal services it offers. As mentioned earlier, talented PR teams understand the impact of high-quality content and its delivery to the relevant audience. By coordinating your law firm’s content marketing efforts with your PR team, your webinars, press releases, blog posts, videos, and downloadable documents can achieve their full potential. This collaboration will ensure that your law firm’s content is distributed effectively, reaching the appropriate audience and maximizing its impact.

Are you interested in seeing how our digital PR experts can help you achieve these strategies and more? To learn more about our services, contact us today!