Architecture public relations: 6 publications every architectural firm should target to showcase projects, expertise

June 28, 2022

When prestigious architectural publications showcase an architecture firm’s work, it gives that firm an invaluable stamp of approval that can play a key role in business development. 

While these publications are read by other architects — and not necessarily by clients — the coverage in these publications acts like a coveted referral from a trusted expert. It sends the message that your firm does quality work. 

While coverage in publications that clients read — like your local business journal or trade magazines such as Building Construction + Design, Medical Construction & Design and Hospitality Design (depending on your industry focus) — is also important, the strategy is different. These publications, while helping to establish your firm on your clients’ radar and demonstrate expertise in their industry, don’t provide the same cachet as publications like Architectural Record or Metropolis

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11 ways attorneys can improve their chances of securing speaking engagements

September 13, 2021
11 ways attorneys can improve their chances of securing speaking engagements

Several years ago, I set out to become an industry speaker to promote Reputation Ink’s law firm public relations services to prospective clients. I’ve now spoken to many professional organizations at the local, regional and national levels and can attribute those speaking engagements to winning several new accounts.

Securing speaking engagements may be one of the most effective ways for attorneys to showcase their knowledge and get in front of prospective clients. However, the higher-profile speaking engagements are competitive and are often monopolized by just a few of the top professionals in any given industry. That’s why you must work hard to stand out.

Here are the lessons I’ve learned in my own process of securing speaking opportunities that any lawyer can use to book their own gigs.

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Why you should focus your marketing on one (or a few) industries

August 2, 2021
Why you should focus your marketing on one (or a few) industries

This article originally appeared in DRI’s The Voice.

We’ve all heard the age-old adage: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” There’s a lot of truth behind this quote: it can be difficult to know where you should invest your marketing dollars. Should you invest in media relations? Social media? SEO? Videos? Email newsletters? Webinars? Speaking at events? There’s a lot you can do, but what’s going to make the most impact?

When working with clients facing this question, I often advise them to pick an industry (or two or three, depending on the firm’s size and budget) and focus their marketing efforts there. Here’s why:

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Why podcasting is an introverted lawyer’s dream networking tool

May 30, 2021
Why Podcasting Is an Introverted Lawyer’s Dream Networking Tool

The last time I went to a networking event (over a year ago thanks to COVID-19), I remember sitting in my car and giving myself a pep talk. “This is a party. Go inside and enjoy it. This is a party. Go inside and enjoy it,” I repeated over and over again to myself. 

While I’m the life of a party when I’m with my friends, I loathe networking events and dread small talk. Instead, I enjoy substantive conversations and don’t know how to achieve meaty, engaging discussions with people I don’t know very well. Thus, the topics stay in the weather and cute-things-my-dog-did-today categories. I inevitably go home exhausted and dreading the next time I have to discuss the weather with strangers while snacking on a charcuterie board. 

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Why law firms need to know about the ‘excess share of voice’ rule

May 6, 2021
Why law firms need to know about the ‘excess share of voice’ rule

There’s a well-known principle in business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing: Brands that have a higher “share of voice” than their “share of market” will grow. This is called the “excess share of voice” (ESOV) rule.

While market share is a widely known metric, share of voice (SOV) isn’t as clear. It’s defined a number of ways depending on the source, but it essentially means the number of conversations about a brand, divided by the number of conversations about a topic, industry or niche (i.e., whatever “market” you are measuring).

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6 ways lawyers can use downtime to build for the future

May 21, 2020

6 ways lawyers can use downtime to build for the future

While much has been written about how to network and build business during the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of the advice has focused on short-term activities and gains. And while the recommendations are solid (as marketing and biz dev are critical during a downturn), a basic principle of marketing cannot be ignored: Marketing and business development are long-term endeavors. In professional services like the law, those who succeed are consistent over the long term with their marketing and business development.

However, marketing is time-intensive and requires the involvement of the attorneys themselves. This becomes a Catch-22 — marketers and publicists need access to lawyers’ knowledge and expertise (I call our role in the process “knowledge extraction”), while lawyers’ time is stretched thin as they meet aggressive billable targets.

That’s why, as COVID-19 disrupts every aspect of our society, I see an opportunity. While some lawyers are busier than ever in areas such as bankruptcy, healthcare, insurance, employment and cybersecurity, others aren’t faring so well, as M&A deals and court proceedings are put on hold. For those attorneys, now is the time to focus on the labor-intensive marketing activities that form the foundation of any successful practice.

Here are six ways lawyers with coronavirus-induced free time can build for the future:

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How lawyers should network during the coronavirus crisis

April 23, 2020

How lawyers should network during the coronavirus crisis

Wendy Merrill is the Founder & Chief Rainmaker of StrategyHorse Consulting Group, providing leadership, professional and business development training and support to lawyers. We talked to Wendy about how lawyers can continue to nurture and develop their networks during the coronavirus crisis.

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8 ways to get people to sign up for your newsletter

May 16, 2019

8 ways to get people to sign up for your newsletter

Want the good news or the bad news first?

Let’s go with the good news: Email marketing is incredibly effective for B2B companies and professional services firms.

And now the bad news: Your email list degrades by about 22.5% every year. People change jobs, unqualified leads unsubscribe and others disengage after emails get trapped in spam folders.

I’m no mathematician, but with a churn rate of 25%, if you don’t grow your email list, you’ll be left with just you and your grandma reading your emails in a few short years.

Here’s more good news (you just got served a shit sandwich): There are lots of ways to grow your email list, and I’ve helpfully summarized them for you below.

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Why B2B marketers can’t afford to ignore email marketing

February 19, 2019

If you’re a B2B marketer and not taking advantage of email, you’ve missed the effective-marketing boat (sounds like a fun party, doesn’t it?).

To put it in a way your CEO will understand, if your B2B company is not engaging in email marketing — including email newsletters, drip campaigns, lead nurturing emails, prospecting and promotional emails — your client acquisition and retention will suffer.

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