The recent drastic transformation in the media sector affects how you would write a press release for a law firm. At the same time, there’s a lot that has remained unchanged. Therefore, if you want to improve the visibility of your law firm with the help of media, learning about PR writing is vital. This is especially important if you don’t have the funds to hire a PR agency to help you. After all, writing a press release is one of the ways you can run the PR on your own without external help.
Working with the media is the most cost-effective means of exposing your business to prospective clients. While it’s inexpensive, the value your business gets from it is remarkable. Collaborating with members of the media for coverage gives you a wider reach and is very resourceful for building your brand authority and brand reputation.
This is good news for a law firm, especially if you have a lot of information to share with the public. Even so, you need to engage the right strategies to evoke excitement in the reporters. It’s also important to recognize what kind of news reporters and journalists value. Additionally, you should remember that reporters and journalists have tight schedules and deadlines to meet.
Therefore, when you are reaching out to the media, you’ve got to be precise with your story. It must be brief and newsworthy. While a press release is still the best tool for reaching the media, you need to be intentional with how you write it if you want to attract positive attention.
Why are press releases effective?
For starters, press releases are the most effective and efficient tools for reaching the media. A press release expresses all the information you have in detail. It also provides the journalists with enough intel to guide their follow-ups. Writing a press release comes with additional benefits for the image of your law firm. For instance, it allows you to coin the story from your perspective. Most importantly, it will get published the way you want, including the images and quotations.
When writing a press release, it’s important to focus on the critical information the audience will want to read. If your story is newsworthy, the reporter will publish it. For instance, if you are hosting a charity organization, you need to find a way to make it look special. You can name any special links you have with them. You must also provide the date and location of the event.
What does it take to write a press release for a law firm?
When writing your release, there are special criteria you must follow. By following these guidelines, you can craft a story that stands out:
- Eye-catching headline – the headline is the only chance you’ve got to hook the reporter. Therefore, it’s important to make it count. Avoid fluff and make sure the subject is in line with the release content.
- Paragraph 1 – Provide all vital information. This includes answers to the five Ws (why, when, where, what, and who). You should cover the entire story in this section briefly. You can then use the remaining paragraphs to add details.
- Keep your content brief and jargon-free – As a lawyer, you’re probably used to interacting with people in your field using technical terms. We understand that this is normal to you and the people in your circle understand what you mean. However, your release is getting published in a newspaper for average readers, the majority of whom are not lawyers. Therefore, you should keep it simple. Make sure you use a language that an 11th-grade audience can read. Using jargon will only alienate the same audience that you’re trying so hard to reach.
- Provide quotations – Provide quotes to add context to the details.
- Date of launch – This shows your release is news because it covers an upcoming event.
- Boilerplate – Provide a brief bio about your company, links, contact information, and references.
If you want a sample to help you know what the release should look like, check out this link. This press release follows the above format to the letter. It’s a great example of how to write a press release. You can use it as a reference point to write one for your law firm.
Does a media advisory come before a press release?
First, you’ll not always need a press release when reaching out to media outlets. Sometimes you just need a media advisory instead. What’s a media advisory? It’s a document that is similar to a press release but one that serves a slightly different purpose.
A media advisory is more of a teaser. It leaves reporters burning with curiosity, and invites them to a media event where they can get additional information. When writing it, you only need to highlight the major highlights. Do not provide the reader with too much information. If you do this, they will not follow up, and they won’t attend your event either.
If you are hosting a live event with attendance, then you can use a media advisory to reach the media instead of a press release. It will encourage the journalists to attend in person. Furthermore, it turns your story into a priority.
What details to include:
- Event host
- Location and time
- A brief highlight of the event
- Details on opportunities for photos
Other tools for pitching
1) Social media
Being active on social media boosts your profile. It also links you with the reporters, directly enabling them to find your story easily. Finally, it allows you to interact and stay in touch with them.
2) Website
The fact that you need a website for your law firm goes without saying, because reporters will be looking for your website so that they can learn more about your practice. Some reporters may use it to get your contacts and address.
3) Pitch list
A pitch list or media list contains the contact details of reporters you’re identified as targets for your release. Ideally, the pitch list must allow for regular updates as you discover new prospects to contact.
4) Media kit
This is a package with general information about your company. It’s very resourceful for reporters because they can use it to learn more about your business. When they choose to cover your release, reporters will need a source of information about your firm. A media kit ensures they can get this information with ease. Your media kit should include previous coverage links, images, company bio, and personal bio.
Write an outstanding press release for a law firm today
The above are key resources you can use to reach the media and secure coverage for your law firm. With the help of this guide, you should be able to write a good press release for your practice. If you’re not familiar with press release writing, you should contact the experts at Pressfarm for help with this.
The team over at Pressfarm can help you turn your legal announcements into newsworthy content by creating engaging email pitches, press releases, guest posts, and media kits. With this content, you can capture media attention and inspire your target audience.
Pressfarm’s PR professionals and expert writers can also help proofread and edit an existing press release for you, in addition to providing insight and advice into the PR industry. Moreover, by providing custom media lists and a database of 1 million+ journalists, Pressfarm can help you connect with the best journalists in your niche. By partnering with Pressfarm, you could launch a PR campaign that boosts your online visibility by helping your brand to feature in relevant search results.