28
Mar

Benchmark Litigation: Law firm submissions 101

March 28, 2023
by: in Law , Public relations No comments  

Class is back in session!

It’s been a minute, but I’m back to pontificate about the wonders that are legal awards and recognitions.

Did ya miss me?

(If you’ve been studying up, you know we’ve already chatted about The Legal 500, Law360, Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers.)

Okay, with a dash more seriousness: There are pages upon pages of legal recognitions that I’m sure you get spammed with often. Some pop up on social feeds while others have a more personalized touch by sliding into your inbox and addressing you by name.

We’re here to help separate the grit from the gold.

One legal award ranking that always makes our short list is Benchmark Litigation. 

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
17
Feb

What to do when a thought leader leaves your law firm

February 17, 2023
by: in Law , Content marketing , Public relations No comments  

It’s no fun trying to replace a law firm’s in-house superstar. Think of all the countless hours of written-off billable time that the firm’s leaders likely spent mentoring that next partner-to-be, only to let that candidate — and the substantial book of business they initiated and nurtured — slip into the hands of a competitor or solo venture. However, this is precisely a status quo situation that most law firms must navigate, as roughly 36% of law firms reported seeing an increase in associate turnover in 2021 compared to 2020. 

Losing a leading professional hurts, especially if that lawyer or team member left an indelible mark on the firm. But they must still address the potential fallout from the departure, including how it may affect the reputation of its practice groups, team morale and how existing clients interface with the firm. An effective PR strategy — particularly one prepared by an experienced legal PR team — can help bridge these gaps and help the firm move onward and upward. Some considerations on how they can address this is presented below.

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
22
Dec

Why editorial calendars are a legal PR crystal ball for 2023

December 22, 2022
by: in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Public relations No comments  

“If only reporters and editors would just tell us what they’re covering next.”

How often does this thought run through your head as a legal PR professional or marketer? Weekly? Daily? Hourly? Does it haunt your dreams? Your nightmares? Do you wake up in a cold sweat each morning worried you missed getting your sources into the next Big Story? 

If so, you are not alone. Most of us spend way too much time obsessed with what’s going to catch the media’s attention. Some days I wish I had some kind of crystal ball that could help me peer into the future and see the stories to be written that need my clients as sources. 

And then I remember there is such a crystal ball, and I can access it anytime I want. It’s the humble editorial calendar (also known as an edcal). What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s only the best way to predict some of what a target media outlet will cover in the coming 12 months. If this is news to you — or it’s a reminder of a tool you once used but have forgotten while pursuing shiny new whizbangs — have I got a blog post for you.

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
02
Dec

Contributor networks and bylined article opportunities: What lawyers and legal professionals need to know

December 2, 2022
by: in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing No comments  

There are many ways to secure a byline in a key media outlet. While working with a legal PR agency is a surefire method to get in front of the right editors and reporters, it’s just one pathway to publication. Joining a contributor network can be an alternative way to break in — and your PR agency can help with that too.

Think of a contributor network as a bullpen of subject-matter experts a publication relies on to provide one-time articles or ongoing columns. Outlets usually open their doors to contributor network writers to offer practical, boots-on-the-ground stories and opinion pieces that supplement their staff-written stories. Once accepted into a network, lawyers and professionals usually have broad discretion regarding what they can write about, so long as they meet the outlet’s editorial standards and publishing cadence requirements. 

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
23
Aug

Legal public relations: How to get covered by The Wall Street Journal

August 23, 2022
by: in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing No comments  

Getting featured or quoted in The Wall Street Journal can be a major coup for any lawyer whose practice intersects with the business world. With its reputation as the standard bearer of news for the financial community, the Journal has established itself as the leading news source for information about the markets, business developments and — most importantly for lawyers — the latest developments in corporate, M&A and securities law. 

Getting that flashy mention in a Journal feature can do wonders for a law firm. For reputation-building, lawyers get to showcase their knowledge on the ins and outs of emerging business and market issues to the global swath of CEOs, board members, broker-dealers, funds and banking institutions that pore over the Journal’s pages every day. 

For online marketing, one or more WSJ backlinks can do wonders for a firm’s SEO rankings, especially for uber-competitive keywords that CPC-centered law firms lurk around. Not to mention the nifty perk of having a Journal hedcut — which, like a Simpsons caricature, is the media world’s way of saying that a professional has arrived. 

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
05
Aug

How to leverage your next event sponsorship

August 5, 2022
by: in Law , Marketing strategy No comments  
Here are some tips for before, during and after an event to make sure every penny you’ve invested in sponsorship counts.

Sponsoring an event — whether an event discussion, seminar or workshop — is a great way to promote your law firm or legal tech company. By sponsoring and/or putting on an event, you not only align yourself in the marketplace with other thought leaders but you can also demonstrate your knowledge regarding a pressing pain point for potential clients. Inviting speakers and eventists is also a great way to reward clients with a marketing boost or make connections with key influencers. (Flattery will get you very far sometimes…)

Event sponsorships don’t come cheap, however, and often cost thousands of dollars. There’s also your time to consider in setting it up, holding the event, etc… Given these investments, it makes sense to try and get the most marketing bang for your event sponsorship buck. (You’ll also reduce any objections from the firm’s beancounters if you can demonstrate a strategy for achieving the best possible ROI.)

Here are some tips for before, during and after the event to make sure every penny you’ve invested in sponsorship counts.

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
25
Jul

Law360: Law firm submissions 101

July 25, 2022
by: in Law , Public relations No comments  

There are more legal rankings and award opportunities than degrees on our summer thermostats.

And while some are legitimate recognitions for your law firm and attorneys, many are money grabs that give way more of an “aWaRdS” vibe — they aren’t worth your time and truly don’t serve to provide a distinction.

Now, we don’t want to come across as too negative. There are many legal awards we highly recommend for clients (Chambers, The Legal 500, Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers are some of our favorites).  

Today we are exploring Law360 awards and rankings, and why we think they are worth the non-billable hours for your firm.

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
28
May

How to edit your law firm’s Wikipedia page: 3 golden rules

May 28, 2022
by: in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing No comments  

Just like death and taxes, if you’re a marketer, it’s inevitable that you’ll be asked to edit a Wikipedia page (or worse: create one).

It’s an understandable request given Wikipedia’s prominence on the web. The online encyclopedia continues to dominate search results due to its high-quality, up-to-date content on a vast swath of topics. Its pages are frequently referenced in links from other sites, one of Google’s predominant signals of authority. Google’s addition of snippets and knowledge graphs has further cemented Wikipedia in the top few results for nearly any given search. 

Unfortunately, errors are rampant on the site. Correcting inaccuracies, however, is not a simple matter. Any edits, especially those to business pages, have to follow certain rules in order to pass muster. If you do it wrong, there’s also a good chance you could get blacklisted permanently from the site. 

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
04
Apr

The Legal 500: Law firm submissions 101

April 4, 2022
by: in Law , Public relations No comments  

We love legal rankings. It’s true.

We love a lot of normal loveable things, like dogs and books and hot coffee. But we may be unique in our affinity for keeping tabs on the best legal rankings in the game and sharing that information with our clients. 

In the past, we’ve chatted in depth about Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers. 

Today’s star is The Legal 500.

Warm up your coffee ’cause here we go!
(Note: We refreshed this blog post in November 2023 to reflect new insights from The Legal 500 and common questions they hear.)

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
02
Mar

Super Lawyers: Law firm submissions 101

March 2, 2022
by: in Law , Public relations No comments  

After a brief hiatus to cover all things LinkedIn company pages, we’re returning our focus to our “law firms submissions 101” series, where we review everything you need to know about the top legal rankings and awards programs. 

When we last left our heroes, we had just learned all about Chambers and the nitty-gritty details covering the lengthy submission process, as well as the ins and outs of Best Lawyers.

This month we are investigating (dramatic drum roll pleaseeeee) Super Lawyers!

Read more »

 
Leave a comment
 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Get INKsights in your inbox

Archives