Are Law Firm Press Releases Old School?

Public relation (PR) campaigns for law firms have long involved press releases. A press release is an informational official statement typically shared through one or more media outlets; for law firms, press releases often involve news of successful settlements, verdicts, achievements, and more. While these have been somewhat overshadowed by newer methods of outreach, there is a lot to be gained from a timely and well-placed press release.

Press releases can increase a law firm’s online visibility.

Seeing as newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets are more often digital than not these days, utilizing press releases can be a great way to increase your overall web presence. When a potential client searches for the name of an attorney or law firm and a positive press release is one of the first things to pop up, this increases your visibility while simultaneously building your professional reputation.

Additionally, anywhere that a media outlet shares their news presents another audience that will be exposed to your press release and thereby become aware of the existence of your firm. While it is certainly important to have a consistent and professional presence on social media and a carefully crafted, engaging website, press releases present another level of web visibility with a less biased air than anything that comes directly from the firm itself.

Positive press releases increase a law firm’s credibility.

Even though law firm press releases are typically written with the intent to showcase the best part of the subject, this does not make them any less effective or convincing. Producing any kind of professional-grade content with an unbiased, informational tone can have a similar effect to a potential client discovering a positive third-party review.

Even if a press release is written with the intent to make a law firm look good, the hallmark of this type of work is that it focuses on presenting true information. This is a great way to build credibility in a potential client’s mind. If someone wants to learn more about a lawyer or their firm before reaching out for a consultation or deciding to work together, and they come across a positive press release from an outside source during their research, this can be a big point in favor of the firm.

Press releases can be a perfectly acceptable and professional way to brag about a firm’s success.

Bragging is a bit of a paradox. While bragging about one’s own achievements can be off putting in personal life as well as professional life, it’s important to share moments of success and even to exude pride in work done well. This is where press releases shine. Unlike other types of written content marketing, press releases focus on delivering clean, concise, and fact-checked information, thereby removing the sensation of personal bias which can make bragging feel so irksome to the reader.

Instead of giving the impression that an attorney is saying, “I’m so awesome at my job,” a good press release can show interested readers why an attorney is awesome at their job with the unbiased tone of a trustworthy third-party observer. In other words, law firm press releases present one of the few ways to brag in a helpful, completely unannoying way.

To learn more about when and how to utilize press releases in a law firm’s marketing strategy, reach out to a legal marketing expert.