If you’re a solo, you’re an expert.
That might seem odd, especially to lawyers. You’re been taught a specific definition for that word — “expert” — and it feels strange to think about applying it to yourself. But it’s true: you’re an expert in some area of law, and you’re well on your way to being an expert in running a business. Now, the level of your expertise might vary, and that’s not in any way to suggest that there aren’t still things you need to learn.
Still: expert.
And that expertise is the primary way you can distinguish yourself from your competitors in your marketing efforts. How do you do that? Three ways:
- Write articles.
- Speak publicly.
- Serve as an expert for a writer or journalist.
It’s that last one — #3 — that we’re going to discuss today.
Why A Journalist Can Be Your Best Friend
Imagine it. You open the paper tomorrow morning, and there — above the fold, front page — is a feature article on the current foreclosure crisis. The article’s author begins by discussing a specific case of a local couple that is in danger of losing their home. Their fears, their anger, their shame — all are explored in some detail.
Then, the article quotes an expert in foreclosure law in your state. This expert, identified fully by name and place of business, explains the process of foreclosure, and comments on the crisis in general, closing by offering concrete suggestions to others, like the article’s subjects, who might be facing foreclosure themselves.
And that expert is you.
You truly cannot buy that kind of advertising. First and foremost is the credibility factor. This one’s easy to demonstrate: just go to Google and type in a search — any search, but specifically one for some product or service. You’ll get two kinds of results — the organic results and the paid ads. Which do you click on? Most of us go for the organic results first, although we may be persuaded by a particularly well-written ad from time to time.
The same is true for articles like our example on foreclosure. An expert quoted by a journalist in a newspaper carries an automatic trustworthiness that you can’t buy with the best copy and the most professionally-designed ad. It’s an automatic “in” with the very people you’re trying to reach.
How Do You Become An Expert Source?
Getting into a reporter’s contacts isn’t necessarily as hard as it might seem. There are a few methods but they essentially boil down to the direct and indirect methods.
To reach reporters directly, there’s one solid and immediate method I can recommend and that’s Peter Shankman’s Help A Reporter Out list. Simply visit Peter’s site and sign up for his list on the front page. Peter sends out his list three or so times each day. (You’ll also want to follow Peter on Twitter since he often tweets “urgent HARO requests” when reporters need an immediate source to meet a deadline.)
When Peter’s email arrives in your inbox, scan the headings for items that might pertain to your area of expertise, read those items, and follow the instructions (usually to email a particular address). One warning, and fail to heed this one at your own peril: Peter takes the threat of spamming his reporter/writer list members very seriously. Send a pitch that’s off-topic, and you may find yourself summarily booted off the list. So, only respond to those items for which you meet the criteria exactly. If a request asks for “clients of foreclosure attorneys only,” for instance, don’t respond as a lawyer.
The indirect method is a bit more round-about but equally effective (if a bit more effort-intensive). Simply monitor your local papers either in print or online. Find out which writers cover stories related to your areas of practice. Then, look those writers up online. Oftentimes the paper itself will print their email addresses. Sometimes they’ll have their own blogs and increasingly you can also find them on Twitter.
Now, once you have that information, the idea is most definitely not to send an avalanche of requests to be included in their next article. The only thing you’ll get out of that is a reputation as a pest, and quick deletion of all your emails. Rather, carefully time and plan your contacts. Comment on their blogs (always following the rules of good commenting — making sure to keep the comment about the story, not about you or your services).
Begin to build a relationship with the reporter, and then when you have a great idea that fits their beat, pitch it carefully. You can also build goodwill by simply directing them to a good story idea and offering yourself as a source for background information. In short, offer something of value to them. (Hmm. Where have I heard this before, recently? Oh right.)
Extend the Reach of Your Efforts By Creating a Press File
Any time you’re quoted in the paper, or interviewed for the local evening news, you’ll want to secure a copy for your own use. Ask the reporter if you can post the article or upload the video to your own website or blog (or both). At a minimum, create and keep updated a “Media” page on your site or blog. There, you can post information about each appearance or quote and provide information for other reporters/journalists to contact you directly. You may want to set up a special email address just for this purpose, by the way — something like “media@mylawfirm.com.”
Conclusion
This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list of all the ways you can secure press coverage, but these are two of the simplest methods with a solo-friendly effort/payoff ratio. However you choose to proceed, do yourself the favor of exploring this marketing path. It’s one of the best ways to make your name the one that immediately pops into the minds of your targeted clients when the need arises.
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