Have you ever wondered why the same lawyers seem to crop up time and again in the media?
Whenever there is a major court judgment, a change in legislation or a legal story dominating the news, certain names appear almost automatically.
It isn’t necessarily because those lawyers know more than everyone else. Often, it is because journalists already know who they are, know they will respond quickly and, crucially, know they will give them something they can actually use.
So how do you become one of them?
Make journalists’ lives easier
Journalists are generally working to tight deadlines and often looking for somebody who can explain a complicated issue quickly and clearly. When a big story breaks, they might approach experts they have used before, search online to see who has previously commented on the subject, contact a PR agency or look through the comments that start arriving in their inbox.
Your job is to make yourself an obvious choice and this starts with being useful. If you are reacting to breaking news, speed matters enormously. There is little point producing the most beautifully crafted comment in the world if the journalist filed their story three hours ago. We generally work on the basis that comments need to be out within a couple of hours of a piece of news, for example a court judgment.
Give them something worth quoting
Speed alone won’t get you very far if your comment doesn’t say anything. Journalists don’t need a lawyer to outline the announcement or judgment or just say that it’s “interesting” or “welcome.” They want to know what it means – was the decision surprising? Will it create problems? How will it impact businesses or individuals? What might happen next?
Be punchy, avoid legal jargon and don’t sit on the fence. A journalist should be able to lift a sentence or two from your comment and drop it straight into their article.
You also need to be discerning about what to comment on. If the Chancellor has just delivered a Budget, business leaders and accountants are likely to be competing for space alongside lawyers. If the Supreme Court hands down a significant judgment directly related to your area of practice, you have far more reason to be part of the story. Being relevant is just as important as being quick
Build a track record
Getting onto a journalist’s contact list rarely happens because of one brilliant pitch or press release – it’s cumulative. Every time you are quoted in an article or appear on a business podcast, you are creating another reason for them to find you next time.
It also strengthens your online footprint. A journalist searching for an expert on a particular subject is understandably more likely to approach somebody who has already written about it or been quoted discussing it. Blogs can help too. Writing regularly about your specialist area demonstrates expertise and gives both journalists and potential clients something useful to find when they search.
It’s also important not to become obsessed with coverage in national newspapers. Being regularly quoted in a respected trade or regional title read by your clients and peers can be far more valuable than one fleeting mention in a national paper.
Be friendly
This sounds ridiculously obvious, but it is easily forgotten. Sometimes a friendly email saying you enjoyed an article they wrote and letting them know you are happy to help with similar stories in future is enough to introduce yourself.
Follow relevant journalists on LinkedIn and other social media. Look out for requests for experts and case studies. Engage with what they write because you’re genuinely interested, rather than only appearing when you want something from them.
Above all, be helpful when they do contact you. If a journalist asks for 150 words by 2pm, don’t send 700 words at 4.30pm!
Become somebody they remember
There isn’t really a secret journalist’s contact list that lawyers somehow need to break into, it’s much simpler than that. Journalists remember people who make their jobs easier. Lawyers who respond quickly, explain things clearly, have something interesting to say, understand deadlines and are pleasant to deal with naturally become people they approach again.
Do that consistently and, eventually, instead of you trying to get the attention of journalists, they will start contacting you.
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