Profiting With Public Relations

Tips for Law Firms Working with Foreign Press.

In an increasing fast paced 24/7 world, receiving requests from foreign media should no longer be a surprise, even though outreach to foreign press may not be part of law firm public relations plans. 

Journalists from foreign media require certain cultural sensitivities since interactions with them are different than those with domestic journalists.  Michael Morley, who has penned a "Foreign Media Relations Guide" for Business for Diplomatic Action suggests the following: 

1. Remember the time difference. Yes, those pesky time zones can be a headache when the European publications are closing 5-6 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.

Golden rule take a proactive step and be familiar with the time zones. Its pretty standard that everyone knows the time difference between Britain and US. Make sure you aware of times zones in India and China.  

2. Be alert to language and cultural  nuances.
 
Avoid slang and local  jargon, like "full-court press" or "runaway best-seller" or "blow them out of the water."  Best to keep the language simple, clear and concise.
 
3.  Pictures speak louder than words.

Photos tell a story oftentimes they are compelling than words, especially when communicating with a journalist for whom English is a second language. Cardinal rule here it to make everything as easy as possible for the reporter. 

4. Get to know key media.

Just as PR professionals use media contacts as "currency" in the field, so, too, should they familiarize themselves with foreign reporters, bureau editors and correspondents. With foreign journalists, just like domestic ones, it’s all about the relationship.  And the more journalists – foreign and domestic – whom the law firm gets to know , the more value that will be bought to the table.

Finally on a personal note, I've always found just knowing how to say hello in the reporter's language makes a big difference in breaking the ice.

  

Becoming A Go-To Source For the Press

Whether you are just starting to build your practice or are a seasoned attorney, how do you become a valuable source for the press?

Here's some suggestions to get lawyers started: 

1. By taking an active role in one of the committees at your bar, you will be listed in a directory.  Reporters use such directories as important tools to reach out to potential sources.  You can also get listed as an expert on our SCG Legal PR Network legal expert directory for member journalists, which features experts based on practice areas.  These are virtually effortless ways to become a source.

2. When you are giving seminars or educational speeches, invite a reporter who covers that area.  Follow up by sending him or her a copy of your speech with a note inviting them to call you with additional questions. 

3. Make sure your firm has an online press room.  I cannot emphasize how vital this is.  You’d be surprised at just how many firms and non-legal companies don’t have press rooms.  Having a press room will increase your chances of becoming a resource because reporters will have constant access to all of your firm’s news releases, reports, photos, videos and/or other resources.  These resources will help reporters flesh out information you give them in interviews.

 4. This may take more time, but you can start becoming a resource by writing letters directly to editors.  Just make sure that you have followed reporters’ bylines and know their areas of interest well.  You want to demonstrate that you have done your homework, so you don’t waste their time.  Don't forget the old axiom first impressions count.

 5. Scan editorial calendars often for stories that are relevant to your practice-area expertise, and contact the writer for stories that pertain to your knowledge and experience. 

Undoubtedly, there will always be other competing interests for your time, but understand that, when done well, articles can be leveraged into other marketing activities, such as incorporating them into blog postings and white papers, republishing them in your firm's newsletter, and utilizing pieces of them in speeches or presentations.

Rather than just receiving a check from the trade-publication editor, consider your "payment" an extended byline or resource box.  That little blurb about you at the end of an article provides more information about you, the author, and that will be priceless.

For more information on us visit SCG Legal PR Network

What Lawyers As Sources Can Do For The Press

1.    A source gives short, concise quotes; responds quickly to all media requests; and does not wait until one “suits” them. 

2.    Although they may not have all the answers, a source will take the initiative and time and look into their network to help the reporter out.

3.    A source is someone who is very familiar with the reporter's beat and regularly sends story ideas and developments in that area.

It is important to remember that most reporters cover several different areas and constantly require help in understanding the intricacies and complexities of different stories.  Sources are their bloodlines when under tight deadlines.

For more information on us visit SCG Legal PR Network

SCG Legal PR Network Wins Gold MarCom Award For Creativity And Innovation

Press Release

Contact: Mary Waldron

Mary@suncommunicationsgroup.com 

NEW YORK—Only 10 months after its launch, SCG Legal PR Network, a service that connects attorneys as sources to reporters, received the Gold MarCom Award for creativity and innovation this past October.

“SCG Legal PR Network is excited and honored to accept the Gold MarCom Award. We’ve experienced tremendous growth throughout our first year, and this award is a great testament to that,” said SCG Legal PR Network Founder Paramjit L. Mahli. “Smart folks in the legal industry understand that during tough economic times, it’s imperative to continue with their media relations; it sets them apart from their competition who are using draconian measures to slash their communications budgets.”

Its legal-expert member database ranges from lawyers from all sizes of law firms.

Since last January, SCG Legal PR Network has facilitated relationships between its members and journalists from news outlets such as Law360, New York Law Journal, Financial Times, Fox News, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money magazine, and The Times (UK). This coverage includes comments for television, print and speaking engagements.

The MarCom Awards is an international creative competition administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals that recognizes outstanding achievement by communications professionals. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies and PR firms. Winners of the awards range in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. A complete list of winners can be found on the MarCom Awards Web site at www.marcomawards.com.

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About SCG Legal PR Network

SCG Legal PR Network is a global network that connects lawyers as expert sources with reporters. Its team is comprised of former award-winning journalists whose experience spans over three continents and 30-plus years of experience in the field of journalism and public relations. The network was started by a former journalist, Paramjit L. Mahli, who has worked within news outlets like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Financial Post, CNN, CNNfn and The Journal of Commerce. For more information about the SCG Legal PR Network, please call 212-661-9137 or visit SCG Legal PR Network’s Web site at http://www.scglegalprnetwork.com.     

About the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP)

Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP) administers and judges several international competitions for marketing and communication professionals. The foundation for AMCP began in 1995 as a means to honor outstanding achievement and service to the communication profession. It was founded by a group of communication professionals who were involved in competitions for several of the national and international trade organizations. The goal of the group was to provide an inexpensive, independent competition on an international level that would be fair, respected and open to everyone.

Press Releases and SEO For Law Firms

Press releases come in all shapes and sizes. The best are short, sharp and crisp. Best of all, they grab the reporter's attention. In today's fast paced digital world one of the most important factors of press releases is  SEO. Here are are couple of tips to help law firms with SEO: 

1. Give 'Em What They Want: When crafting your headline and release, it's important to think like a reporter. They want something new and different. Tell 'em something new. But have the facts to back it up.   

2. Emphasize Your Most Important Keywords: Once you have some quality keywords to choose from, pick the most important ones and focus your headline on those and use them throughout the body of the release. Keep the release short. 

3. Keep The Release  Brief: Google generally displays only the first 63 characters (letters and spaces) of release headlines in search results, so make sure to get your key information across as concisely as possible.

As with all marketing tactics, the trick is to pick a couple of things and then consistently implement them. Far too often people follow the latest marketing and are often disappointed with they don't reap the results.

Maximizing Investments in Conferences/Workshops

Conferences and workshops are one the best ways of meeting potential clients, forge strong relationships and of course if you are speaking a great opportunity to showcase expertise.

Here's a couple of tips to get you started to maximize your return on investments:

• Go with the mindset of meeting a few people and making a solid connection with them. Remember its the quality not the quantity that counts.
• Make notes at the back of the business cards. These notes will help you reinforce the relationship once you have returned home.
• Do what you said you would. Case in point recently a promised a couple of female entrepreneurs some audio links of a teleseminar I had purchased. Upon my return from the West, I kept my word and delivered. 
• Finally, implement implement implement. Recently I heard a staggering statistic that most people who attend conferences don't implement anything but rather have this tendency to hop from one conference/workshop to another.  So become a doer. Remember things will be never be perfect implement and modify rather than waiting to be perfect. 

Finally apologies for to those who read my blog regularly. There's  been a bit of lapse since my last blog post back in early October.  Its been quite the year and I will keep you updated on the changes/developments as I get back into the swing of posting regularly. Finally a  big heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who read the blog regularly.

Three Ways Lawyers Can Build Their Brand (Part One)

Creating personal buzz is about consistent recognition.  If your name and/or law firm is published (digitally or in print) your credibility is heightened.  Even something as simple as your name being listed as a committee member in a program guide reinforces brand You.  In today's climate where  "Content is King", there are myriad ways to get your name out there.

Getting articles published in trade publications, magazines and newspapers have long been considered important benchmarks for building reputations as thought leaders and experts in specific markets for all businesses.  Bar associations' newsletters often have volunteer editorial positions, whether you'd like to write or edit.  These opportunities will lead to getting to know other lawyers of all professional levels and from other firms.  Used strategically, this can often provide gateways to jobs in law firms.

Where you can be published:

• Start your own blog dedicated to an area of your expertise
  
•  Get quoted in a news article that requires an expert opinion from your area of law.
  
•  Get listed on the web site and letterhead of a corporate or non-profit board.
  
•  Write and publish articles (not advertorials) for trade publications, bar newsletters, trade newsletters, local community papers, and web sites.  For newsletters especially, you never know who the subscribers will forward the articles to.
  
•  Post comments on blogs or news web sites.
  
•  Get listed as a speaker or panelist.
  
•  Collaborate on a project that will be published.  This is especially valuable for those associates who want to build their rainmaking skills.  Do the work and get your byline in a published article.
  
  Now, granted, getting immediate attention in the press is very possible, but it is dependent on a number of factors, such as timing, area of expertise, what the current news cycle is covering, and availability and accessibility of attorneys.  When approached strategically, getting published can help you:
  
  
•    Increase the law firm's visibility with key constituents.
  
•    Begin building relationships with editors of publications read by your target market.
  
•     Enhance the law firm, attorneys, and associates' reputations.
  
•     Gain exposure to new audiences.
  
•     Build referral relationships with other attorneys.
  
•     Establish your expertise.
  
•    Give prospective clients a way to sample your knowledge.
  Undoubtedly, there will always be other competing interests for your time, but understand that, when done well, articles can be leveraged into other marketing activities, such as incorporating them into blog postings and white papers, republishing them in your firm's newsletter, and utilizing pieces of them in speeches or presentations.  Rather than just receiving a check from the trade-publication editor, consider your  'payment' an extended byline or resource box. 
  
  Next week the focus will be on networking. Looking for inexpensive ways to get public relations for your firm? 

Faux Pas Committed by Law Firms When Approaching Reporters

There is a perception out in the legal word that press releases and lawyer's becoming partners in law firms is somehow newsworthy. Both of these are necessary in a law firm's overall communications program but don't necessarily require contacting the press. It is Important to remember that journalists are inundated with emails and story ideas every day. Many of these story suggestions are not are not relevant to what the reporter covers. In such circumstances not only do  you risk alienating the reporter but they will not be responsive to your pitch next time.

Last week I asked Cynthia Cotts from Bloomberg News best way for firms (lawyers doing their own pr, office management staff wearing several hats) to approach Bloomberg Media. Here's a part of the q/a. The rest is available only to SCG Legal PR Network Diamond members.

1. Top 3 faux pas legal media folks commit when approaching  legal/general reporters at Bloomberg news?

CC: DON'T:

• Pitch a story exclusively focused on one firm or lawyer without connecting it to a general industry trend and/or an upcoming news hook.
• Call reporters on the phone -- we definitely prefer email.
  
• Send long e-mails when first trying to gauge interest. Better to start with a quick e-mail pitch identifying names, facts and the trend or news hook, and then, if the reporter is interested, send the back-up info.

2. Do you only work/quote  big law?  Do you talk to lawyers from small to medium sized law firms. Or is this just a case of which firm/lawyer is best prepared and responsive in a very timely manner.

CC: Bloomberg has traditionally focused on big law. However, because of the ongoing economic changes in the industry, I'm interested in lawyers from small and medium sized firms who can tell me a story, with concrete details, about how they got work that previously would have gone to a big law firm. Sample  subjects: billing models, strategic focus on a single practice, ability to  recruit talent that would otherwise have gone to big firms, better culture,  etc. Any lawyer that can put me in touch with a satisfied client is someone I
want to talk to.

The rest of this q/a will be available to SCG Legal PR Network Diamond Members only.
A very heartfelt thanks to Cynthia Cotts for taking the time to answer my questions.

Here's What SCG Legal PR Network Members Are Saying....

Feedback from clients is always is good thing. Its a good way of measuring the good, bad and ugly of a product or service. Here's what a couple of SCG Legal PR Network members are saying...

1. Results are what clients demand of us and what we as professionals strive for. It's elating to be a client and have immediate results which exceed expectations. That's what SCG Legal PR Network provided. Within my first month as a client, I was interviewed by an Associated Press reporter concerning my practice area. To my delight, a week later, I found my name in newspapers nationally. I have no doubt that Paramjit and her team at SCG Legal PR Network are striving to create similar opportunities for all of their clients. I’m sold.

Wayne Greenwald, New York, NY

2. "As the legal marketing and business development community strives to tighten budgets, there is greater scrutiny on line items and vendors who do not deliver added value. For any law firm looking for focus and personal communications support, I highly recommend SCG Legal PR Network. While there are other PR tools that sound similar, SCG Legal PR Network is the only national firm specifically dedicated to upping the media profiles of lawyers and their firms. The team has deep media resources globally largely untapped by competitors, which provide a terrific add-on component for any current public relations or business development program."

Cindy Morgan Olsen Digital Immersion PR

3. “As a relatively new ‘Discovery Counsel’ law fir, we have a very unique message to communicate to our prospective clients. Paramjit Mahli and her team at The Sun Communication Group took the time to truly understand the special services and competitive advantages we offer, as well as learning about the textured nuances of the niche market we serve. Drawing on decades of experience in assisting law firms enhance their public profile, The Sun Communication Group team helped us devise an efficient, intelligent, and targeted plan to help us promote our particular brand of legal expertise and leadership credentials in the field of discovery law. The results were immediate and impressive—within a week of hiring The Sun Communication Group, our firm was mentioned prominently in a national legal publication. Similar successes followed immediately. We strongly recommend The Sun Communication Group to any law firm seeking to improve its public profile.”

David Tanenholz
Hardinger & Tanenholz LLP, Washington, D.C

4. Because of the class on media relations, (How To Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget)I feel I have the foundation  to grow in the area of public relations, and I even got some one-on -one help outside of the class with a TV interview. I learned how to prepare and to leverage the engagement by following up with the reporter and keeping in contact.
I would definitely recommend this class. The class lived up to its description of marketing on a shoestring budget and more. A great way to get started or restart a marketing plan.”

Laurie Kadair Redman
Louisiana Estate Planning and Elder Law
Editorial Board of ABA GP Solo

For a limited time we are offering a free month of Amethyst Level membership.

Action item: Get out of the analysis paralysis way of being and do something!

How Getting Published Helps Lawyers Get More Clients

This week, a legal prospect called and saw a competitor's article in a trade publication. This certainly motivated this prospect into action. His question was simple: How does getting published help grow my practice?

Here's a written version of that conversation:

Establish your expertise and credibility. Writing  articles for trade publications, or your own newsletter draws upon your expertise in your legal practice area  by providing good relevant information that web site visitors/potential prospects  are looking for. These articles position you as an expert in your practice area  and demonstrates a level of authority which in turn, establishes trust.

Trust increases when your articles appear on web sites and newsletters with a loyal readership. When high-traffic, high-credibility web sites and newsletters publish your articles, you ride on the coattails of their existing relationships with visitors and readers.  Simply, your published work is  seen as referrals from trusted friends. We have had many lawyers forward SCG Newsletter FocusPointe! as a resource.

Articles provide the valuable “word of mouth” that gets people in your target market talking about your business. If your articles deliver solid, useful content, readers will recommend you and your web site to their friends and associates. In fact you can leverage a good article by converting it to a speech.

Finally since lawyers seem to be more familiar with advertising rather than public relations. Its important to clarify some differences. On a purely practical level consider if a law firm buys an ad, it will last a day, a week, or a month. If the firm wants to keep it longer, more dollars will come out of the marketing budget. On the other hand articles published in reputable publications  never seems to go away. Written articles can stay up indefinitely, sometimes working for years as effective client-attracting tools. Increase search engine rankings. 

If you're looking to transform your legal practice, get known, liked and trusted  in your target market,  get more clients, move them along the sales pipeline and become the go to firm try out  SCG Legal PR Network free for a month. Note the free month is  available ONLY for a limited time.