Public Reputation Management Tip for August 1, 2012

It is hard to believe that we are already past the half-way mark for the year. Are you using the PR and marketing strategy that you created last year as a road map? Have you even looked at it in the past six months? If you followed Kevin Aschenbrenner’s advice, you should be all set. If not, it is time to pull out your 2012 strategy and give yourself a report card.

How many objectives have you achieved? If the answer is fewer than you had hoped, here are some tips to kick-start your efforts anew.

1. Check your budget. With the help of the firm’s accounting department, you probably have a good sense of how much money is left for the year, but the key is understanding how the dollars translate into executing the projects left on your list.
2. Prioritize. If your budget is dwindling and your task list is long, choose the top three to five items that will have the most impact and budget accordingly. Some examples:
   1. Social media. It just takes a little time to make sure that the firm’s social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are up to date. A little more time and outreach, and you can also create a template and encourage firm attorneys to update their LinkedIn accounts as well. You can even schedule a lunch-’n’-learn to present tips on how to do it.
   2. Attorney bios. Are your attorneys’ bios up to date on your website? Website bios are such an important aspect of legal marketing because, many times, they are the first introduction an attorney has to a future client (read more about this in a Jaffe PR whitepaper).
   3. Branding. Is the firm’s branding consistent on all of its materials (website, presentations, letterhead, etc.)? Double-checking your branding efforts is an important aspect of maintaining a strong identity, looking professional and avoiding confusion.
   4. There is still time! If there are larger projects on your list, now is the time to get them started. Create a schedule for each one, engage vendors and get quotes. Keep the momentum going!

As my colleague Michelle Samuels wrote last summer, you should also use the summer months as a time to engage with clients and pitch article ideas during the slow news season. Most importantly, take advantage of this time to think creatively and get ahead for the fall.