A law firm sells, fundamentally, confidence. And this confidence must not only be transmitted to potential clients, but also to the media.

This is because, in the process of generating trust and certainty, one of the keys is to appear in the press, but to do so you have to know what you want to say, how and when.

When a law firm carries out a strategy to achieve an expert positioning in the media, it is not carrying out a direct action to attract business, but rather it is working to generate trust and, therefore, to turn visibility into influence and reputation.

There are different ways of appearing in the media, so the firm must be clear about what it wants to communicate, what image it wants to project, what is its target audience and its objectives as a firm, as well as the channel and format in which it wants to do so.

The options include appearing in general or specialized media (economic, legal, etc.) through interviews, opinion articles or expert statements.

Clarity, conciseness and proactivity are essential to build trusting relationships and successful collaborations.

What content is interesting for the media?

One of the keys is to be clear about what content is of interest to the media. To this end, it is essential to know the editorial line of each media outlet, its sections, formats and the profile of its audiences.

Thus, it is important to propose specialized topics in which the firm’s professional is the expert voice that provides valuable information to the media.

It should be borne in mind that, for the press, it is essential that such information is linked to current affairs, so that content included in the public agenda will be more easily fit into the media. For example: articles or statements on the implications of legislative reforms, such as the current labor and bankruptcy reforms, content on areas with a regulation to be defined, such as cryptocurrencies or the metaverse, or regulatory aspects with economic implications, such as taxation.

Define and maintain your own agenda

In line with the above, the firm must define the type of content it wants to work on, its focus and frequency.

Precisely, the fact of maintaining a regular weekly activity in their social networks will help them to increase their contacts and their presence in the sector, not only for their business, but also for their projection in the media.

The main objective of social networks as a communication tool of a law firm is to create brand image, generate notoriety and gain visibility, which has an impact on the good reputation of the firm. This will undoubtedly also have a positive impact on the firm’s relationship with the press.

In short, managing a content agenda that is in line with what the firm wants to communicate, according to its strategy, and with the profile of each media.

Building a relationship of trust

It should not be forgotten that the media have full autonomy to publish or discard the contents proposed by law firms and are not tied to the marketing strategy of each one of them.

Therefore, building and taking care of the relationship with the media is fundamental. This takes time and requires a professional management that involves the treatment, the way and the periodicity with which the topics are proposed to the media professionals.

In this task, it is as important to keep in mind what to do as what not to do. Thus, it is necessary to discard invasive strategies that involve an almost daily mailing of the firm’s contents via mailing, since such a mailing without a defined strategy may generate the opposite effect to the desired one and the mails may end up being considered as ‘spam’.

Hence the importance of preparing personalized messages and exclusive content addressed personally to the journalist who will be in charge of the publication.

Contributing to a better informed society

The presence of the firm’s professionals in the media not only fulfills a function of generating trust for the organization itself, but also plays a social role.

This is so because providing analysis, opinion or being quoted as a source on a legal matter, due to the vision as an expert in the sector, is to contribute to a better informed society.

Bearing in mind that the vast majority of socioeconomic relations have legal implications that affect all citizens in their daily lives, the intervention of legal professionals in the media is of particular value, because it enriches the debate.

Public visibility and adaptation to the media

The presence of the legal profession in the media requires time and willingness on the part of its professionals.

In the same way that their knowledge of the law is constantly updated, something similar happens in the world of the media if they want to maintain their presence.

Thus, simple and direct writing is key, always respecting technical rigor but making the information accessible and adaptable to the target audience. Likewise, fluent communication and oral expression will facilitate not only your professional work and your participation in forums and conferences, but also your appearance on podcasts, radio and television.

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Gerico Associates is the first legal marketing and legal communications consulting firm in Europe and Latin America. If you need advice for your law firm, please contact us.

5 keys to improve your law firm´s relationship with the media