Congratulations, you have recently taken a case to a satisfactory verdict or settlement, and you received a call from a media outlet who might be interested in discussing your case. Should you talk to the media outlet and what would you say? Assuming that the outcome was beneficial to your client and it wasn’t a confidential settlement, by all means – talk to the reporter. Media coverage / Public Relations has many advantages over other forms of marketing. One is that it doesn’t cost you anything and another is that PR coverage is typically viewed as being objective, which gives it more credibility. The question is: do you know how to handle a media call in order to gain positive visibility for your law firm? Maximizing the benefits of your media coverage requires a strategy and persistent follow-through. Here are 4 tips to help you handle media calls.
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Have a strategy – Have a strategy for each media opportunity to enforce your firm’s core message and brand.
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Tell a compelling story – The story must be newsworthy and have a hook or angle and it must be something that is of interest to the media outlet’s audience. Tell your story quickly and succinctly. If the coverage is on a specific case, the story is not about you, it’s about your client!
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Be Prepared – Being prepared is crucial to ensuring your points are covered in the way you intended; think before you speak. Remember, the reporter is looking for an angle that is of interest to his or her audience. Help the reporter develop that story.
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Know Deadlines – All media outlets are driven by deadlines and typically have more stories to cover than staff to cover them, so the more you can accommodate them, the more likely they will cover your story. If they call and leave a message, make sure that you call back as soon as possible; else they will look for another story to cover.
Media coverage means increased visibility, which exposes your firm to more prospective clients. The more people you can reach, the better the impact will be on your law firm.