Whether you work as a legal PR in-house, at an agency or as a consultant like me, the same client questions come up time and time again. Some things we can help with. Others are simply outside our control.
Here are a few of my favourites:
1. “Can you get me on Sky News?”
Probably not! TV opportunities are like gold dust. You generally need to be making the news yourself or already be recognised as a leading expert in your field. I can certainly help with the latter, which may lead to broadcast opportunities. But I can’t promise Sky News!
2. “Can you get me into the ‘How I Made It’ column in The Times?”
Again, probably not. This column is reserved for founders and business leaders with an interesting backstory. Being a successful partner at a law firm, impressive though that is, won’t necessarily fit the brief.
3. “Can I change the headline?”
Not unless it’s factually inaccurate. Headlines are written by the publication, not by the contributor or their PR. For obvious reasons, editors often run with dramatic and/or controversial headlines to draw readers in, rather than the headline you might have chosen yourself.
4. “Can they include my full bio and job description?”
Usually not. This is editorial coverage, not an advert you’ve paid for. Space is limited and journalists will include the information they think their readers need. The house style of some trade publications may allow this, but that is the exception.
5. “Can they add a call to action?”
No, for much the same reason. An article or comment piece should inform the reader, not advertise your services.
6. “Can I approve a proof?”
Probably not. While some trade titles, such as the Estates Gazette, will send the author a proof of the final article, this is the exception rather than the rule. Again, it’s important to remember that this is editorial coverage, not an advert you’ve paid for.
7. “Why haven’t they said I’m Head of Leeds / Head of Department / Global Sector Lead?”
Probably because there wasn’t room and because it won’t be of interest to the audience. If they’ve quoted you, named you and mentioned your firm, that’s a good result.
8. “Can you ask the publication to include a backlink?”
No! National newspapers and many other editorial titles have their own policies on external links. A journalist is unlikely to add a link to your firm’s website simply because it would be good for your SEO.
9. “Why wasn’t I quoted?”
There could be lots of reasons. The journalist may have received ten strong responses but only had room for three. Or somebody else made the same point more succinctly. Or, to put it bluntly, your comment didn’t add anything new or simply wasn’t interesting! Or you took too long refining your comment, so it arrived after the journalist had filed the piece.
10. “When will the article be published?”
Often, it’s impossible to say. A journalist might say “next week” or “in the next few days”, but editorial schedules change constantly. Articles get moved, held over, shortened and occasionally dropped altogether because a bigger story comes along. I can politely chase, but I can’t control the news agenda.
And perhaps that is the common thread running through all nine questions.
Good PR can create opportunities, improve your chances of being included and make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
But earned media is exactly that: earned, not bought.