Media coverage, including comments and linking by influential bloggers, can create credibility for lawyers and firms, and result in file and case inquiries. Here’s the outline of a mechanism that can help maximize traditional and online media coverage for you and your firm:

1. Create a list of publications and blogs, including any key trade publications of your clients and referral sources, which when they cover law/legal issues you want to ensure contact you for comment or contribution.
2. Obtain the editorial calendars of each publication. Some will have calendars, but some won’t.
3. Have as a standing agenda item at your Marketing Committee meetings to review the editorial calendars and the upcoming special editions at each. Specifically discuss which you might participate in, or to which you might contribute articles or expert comment. If you do contribute, keep your copyright.
4. In addition to addressing scheduled coverage, have as a standing agenda item at Marketing Committee to discuss trends, rulings/decisions (whether you or your firm were involved or not) and about which you might alert writers of the influential publications or blogs.
5. Try to have an ongoing conversation with key editors and writers at the influential publications about what your firm sees happening. A couple of times annually will do. Most of the time this effort will not be to obtain coverage, but be backgrounding to help them understand business transactions and trends and changes to the law. The message is something like: “Here are three things we see and about which you might want to be aware…” This would be done by lawyers over coffee, or even simply by email. Make sure someone is listing the editors and writers and which lawyer talks with them. Yes, this is much easier said than done since the media bluntly and universally tells me lawyers historically only talk to them when it’s to their immediate advantage. This process I’ve outlined can help you get past that. You have to become a resource to them. They understand you can’t talk about clients and pending deals and cases.