3 Effective Ways to Get Free PR for Your Law Firm
Regardless of your law firm's size, getting PR for your law firm is always beneficial.
Why?
Because PR can increase visibility, build credibility and generate new leads.
When developing your PR strategy, keeping your target audience in mind is essential. What are your client's needs and interests? What kind of content will resonate with them? Once you understand your target audience, you can tailor your PR efforts to reach them.
It's also advised to track the results of your PR efforts so you can see what's working and what's not.
Most importantly, you do not need to hire a PR agency to do PR for your law firm. This article walks you through 3 effective and free ways to get PR for your law firm.
How to get free PR for your law firm
If you want to increase visibility, build credibility and generate new leads, getting PR for your law firm can be an effective marketing strategy in addition to content writing and your social media strategy. Here are three ways to get free PR for your law firm.
1. Sign up for HARO
HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, is a free tool that helps businesses, including law firms, build authority, awareness and credibility. HARO is used by journalists who need expert quotes from industry leaders to add to their content. It allows lawyers to share opinions and thoughts on current legal topics. Answering reporter's and journalist's requests through HARO can be a simple but significant addition to your marketing plan. HARO is a great tool to express legal opinions within your practice area. It's free to sign up, and you will receive two to three emails daily. Here are additional tips to help you with HARO.
Create a PR kit: A PR kit be as simple as a one-page document that outlines your experiences, expertise, specialties, awards and education. You can also include a bio photo, links to your social media profiles, previous media and links to your website and blog.
Create an email template: Your email template should include links to your PR kit, the easiest way to contact you and links to anything else you feel would be significant to grab a journalist's attention.
Respond asap: HARO emails go out at the same time every day, so it's important to check them immediately and respond to topics of interest asap. Being prepared with a PR kit and an email template will help you respond more quickly.
2. How to use Twitter for PR
Twitter is a powerful tool that can be used for public relations (PR). Using Twitter effectively, law firms can increase their visibility, build credibility and generate new leads. You can set up a professional Twitter account and ensure your branding reflects your law firm. Your bio should include your law firm information, top services, expertise, website link and a professional photo. As you build up creditability on your Twitter account, here are some tips on what you should post.
Share interesting and relevant content. Content could include blog posts, videos, or news articles about legal topics relevant to your target audience. Remember to be consistent with posting; once in a while is not enough. You should have a social media strategy.
Use hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by more people. When you use relevant hashtags, your tweets will show up in search results for those hashtags.
Engage with your followers. Respond to comments and questions and retweet interesting content from others. Engagement will help you build relationships with your followers and make your Twitter account more engaging.
Twitter is a great, free way to get PR for your law firm. Here are some ideas for building your online authority and getting more client leads using Twitter.
Pitch journalists. If you have a newsworthy story, you can pitch it to journalists on Twitter. Most have their email address displayed, or you can send them a DM to request contact information. Most journalists are on Twitter and looking for great content for stories.
Follow hashtags to look for trending topics or stories relevant to your industry. Engage in the conversation by providing a tweet or quote regarding the report. Or reach out to the journalist who wrote the story and ask if they are welcome to you providing a comment or quote.
Look for lawyer podcasts. Most law firm or lawyer podcasts are posted on Twitter among other social media channels. For example, you can look for lawyer or law firm podcasts using the hashtag #lawyerpodcast or #lawfirmpodcast. Find recent, relevant podcasts, view their website and see their guest opportunities.
3. How to use LinkedIn for PR
LinkedIn is a social media platform that is specifically designed for professionals. It is a great way to connect with potential clients, other lawyers and journalists, and provides PR opportunities.
Set up a professional profile. Your LinkedIn profile should be complete and up-to-date. Include your contact information, your professional experience and your education. You should also add a summary that highlights your skills and expertise.
Join relevant groups. Many groups on LinkedIn are relevant to the legal industry. Joining these groups is a great way to connect with potential clients and other influencers in your field.
Be consistent in sharing interesting content. Content could include blog posts, articles or videos related to your law firm's practice areas. You can also share infographics, images and videos to make your content more visually appealing.
Use hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to reach a broader audience on LinkedIn. When you use relevant hashtags, your posts will show up in search results for those hashtags.
Engage with other users. Respond to comments and questions, and share other users' posts. This will help you build relationships with potential clients and other influencers in your industry.
Write thought leadership articles. This is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract new clients. Your articles can be published on your law firm's website or LinkedIn's publishing platform.
Get featured in the media. Just like Twitter journalists are on LinkedIn. You can pitch your story to journalists on LinkedIn. You can comment on relevant law firm articles and contact journalists to provide a comment or quote.
Additionally, here are some specific examples of how law firms have used both Twitter and LinkedIn for PR:
A law firm specializing in personal injury law tweeted about a recent settlement they won for a client. The tweet was then shared widely and helped the law firm attract new clients.
A law firm specializing in immigration law wrote an article about the latest changes to immigration law. The article was shared by several journalists and helped the law firm get its message out to a broader audience.
A law firm specializing in corporate law tweeted an article about a recent merger they were involved in. The tweet was retweeted, and the article was shared by several executives from the companies involved in the merger and helped the law firm raise its profile in the corporate world.
A family law firm shared their blogs on Twitter, and they were invited to be guests on a podcast about divorce.
What you should do once you get PR for your law firm
Just getting a journalist to put a quote you gave them in an article is not enough. You should have a strategy for once your law firm gets PR. This is your moment to promote your law firm for getting PR. So, what should you do next? Here are some ideas;
Share your quote, comment or the article your law firm was featured article in your own social media channels.
Create a press page on your law firm’s website to showcase your law firm's PR
Release a press release based on the PR you received for your law firm. This not only gives your creditability and increases your visibility, but it’s also great for SEO. With our own clients, we like to use EINpresswire and 24/7PressRelease.
Include links in your press kit to your PR piece or press release.
Share your media appearances on your client and lead newsletter to show you are an authority in your field.
Tips for developing a successful PR strategy
Here are some additional tips for developing a successful PR strategy for your law firm:
Be consistent with your messaging. Ensure your website, social media and other marketing materials convey the same message about your law firm.
Be timely. Respond to media inquiries quickly and be prepared to provide timely updates on your cases.
Be professional. Always be professional in your dealings with the media and other members of the public.
Personalized attention. Clients want to feel like they are working with a law firm that cares about their individual needs.
Clear and concise communication. Clients want to understand their legal options and what to expect throughout the legal process.
Be patient. PR takes time to build results. Don't expect to see overnight success.
We can help you with your law firm’s PR and PR strategy
Although you can create your own PR strategy, it is time-consuming to create and build. If you are interested in getting effective PR for your law firm, we can help you correctly set up your social media profiles, put together your PR kit, and help find your PR opportunities.
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