A comprehensive public relations program is a great way to promote your firm and enhance its credibility.
Advertising will always have credibility issues. No matter how carefully crafted your ad is, everyone knows you’re trying to sell something and, as a society, we’ve become thoroughly skeptical of any sales pitch.
This creates a unique opportunity for a public relations program to supplement or even replace your advertising.
Public relations can be used to:
- • Increase visibility of the firm and its partners
- • Enhance its image of competence and credibility
- • Communicate the benefits of using the firm
- • Create real or perceived endorsements
- • Support causes important to the firm
- • Produce unsolicited, qualified inquiries and referrals
Public relations used to be the exclusive realm of a few professionals who’d “cracked the code” and knew how to reach editors and writers.
While that’s still true to some extent, as with almost everything else, the Internet has changed not only the rules, but the game itself. For example, as a blogger or by reading and contributing to others’ blogs, you can bypass all the deadlines and editorial constraints and communicate directly with prospects interested in what you have to offer.
More traditional channels are open to you as well. All it requires is a contact list – which you can create yourself with a little effort – and pertinent content.
Local and regional publications are often on the lookout for informative articles. If you’re willing to provide material regularly and write about subjects of interest to the editor, you can become a recognized – and quoted – authority on the areas of law in which you practice. You may also find that reporters start turning to you for quotes and the more available – and “quote-able” – you are, the more often you get mentioned.
Also, this is a great opportunity to receive the actual – or at least perceived - third party endorsement of the publication and enhance the credibility of your firm with prospective clients.
Posted by jeff 
