Here are some things you can do to promote your lawyers promotions, which can increase your firm’s visibility and theirs, and showcase your strategic growth.
- Draft and distribute a press release.
- Post the press release on your web site
- Wire services such as PR Newswire will send your release to newsrooms in your state or nationally, in addition to posting the release online where it will show up in search engines indefinitely.
- Send the release to key media contacts who cover lawyer promotions and law firm news. If you are a mid-size law firm, send it to Am Law’s Mid-Market Report.
- I would recommend not only sending this release to news outlets but also to the promoted lawyer’s alma maters – they will often run this sort of news in their alumni publications.
- Also most publications prefer to have a headshot of the lawyer with the press release, which can help increase the likelihood that they will run news of the promotion.
- Craft and post a social media post on the major channels you use. Always use their headshot with the post.
- Make sure you have permission to use their headshot from their former firm if you do not have a new headshot yet.
- Encourage employees to share the social media post to their networks to increase visibility of the news and to tap into their valuable networks. Doing that ensures that your firm page gets in front of potentially thousands of new eyes.
- Most small/mid-size law firms don’t have a ton of followers on social media, but that’s OK because you still have access to hundreds, if not thousands, of clients and potential clients who are connected to your individual lawyers and staff online.
- Don’t forget to tag the promoted lawyer in these posts.
- Send out an email announcement to clients, past clients, other lawyers and law firms, judges, referral sources, and family/friends of the new partner.
- Word to the wise – work with the lawyer in advance to obtain a list of their contacts so you are prepared for the date when the promotion takes effect. I find this takes the most time to arrange with a new lateral.
- If your budget allows, an advertisement announcing your promotions is another way to spread the news to your target audiences. Just make sure it’s in a key publication and you check the demographics first.