Attorneys are on the front line. They are in the know when in comes to the latest legal trends and information, and they often draft outstanding bylined articles on the issues. Attorney-written articles are a great way to showcase expertise in one’s area and to stake claim as a thought leader in the space.
But, why stop once the article is placed? The majority of the work has already been completed and savvy marketers can take the main topics covered and retool them for an effective “pitch” to reach legal and business media. Attorneys get another shot to comment on topic and reach a wider audience.
Here’s how to stretch the marketing mileage of an article:
- Work with the author to pull key messages from the article. They should be timely, highlight a new trend, or analyze the impact of a recent decision. A short, two- or three-sentence paragraph is all that you’ll need. Remember to keep it on point and summarize for reporters what is at stake and why their readers should care.
- Once you have the pitch down, you’ll need to create a press list. Do a quick Google search and see what’s been covered in the past. You want to be sure that you’re providing new information and not rehashing old news.
- When the requests for interviews start rolling in, be sure to prep the attorneys for their time in the spotlight. Draft a handy list of speaking points so that the attorneys can stay in charge. You can also hire an outside media trainer to help attorneys nail the interview.