It’s a rigorous landscape of differentiation. I’ve spoken at length about lawyer “differentiators” and the fact that they’re…well…oftentimes not very different. That can be recalled in the following article.
Of all the partners a law firm can have in the Marketing and Advertising space, one of the most overlooked professionals is the Public Relations Professional. They are one of the few experts that are really able to help you develop what makes you you, if you know what I’m saying. They are able to develop your credibility, find your voice, and inevitably position you on unique footing in your community and beyond.
From where I’m at in a legal marketing standpoint, and more specifically SEO, I love PR because I know they can get you great backlinks for your website. And not any ordinary backlinks. We’re talking about backlinks your competition can’t just go out and buy. Earned backlinks, by contributing to local news, speaking engagements, webinars, blogs, and so much more. This form of authority-building, from both a literal and SEO standpoint, does require efforts (and at the end of the day, maybe the money is going to PR instead of just the link vendor). But this is a way to truly separate from competition and leaving them scratching their head when you’re mentioned on dozens of websites that may be forever beyond their reach.
The following interview has been transcribed for our readers from rev.com. Please excuse any discrepancies from the transcription.
Annie Scranton:
Depending on the matter, hiring an attorney can be a very personal process. So, if you’re also getting a video of your potential lawyer that you’re going to work with, now you know how they talk, how they carry themselves, their nature, their personality. It gives you a glimpse into the person you’re going to be working with, and it gives you an idea of how they’re thinking about bigger issues in the world. And you could figure out from there, “Okay, are we like-minded? Are we not? Is this person a good fit or not?” I think it’s a great way for potential clients to get to know you.
Chase Williams:
Today on the Legal Mastermind Podcast, we have Annie Scranton. She is the founder and president of Pace PR. Welcome to the Legal Mastermind Podcast.
Annie Scranton:
Thanks for having me.
Chase Williams:
And today we’re going to talk about something very, very exciting, how to get national placements on television, such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC. And we know that you’re the go-to expert on assisting many law firms and lawyers on doing this exact tactic. Do you want to give our listeners a little bit of a background on who you are and exactly how you came to focus on this very specific-?
Annie Scranton:
Yeah, sure.
Chase Williams:
I guess, how’d you get into PR?
Annie Scranton:
So, I got into PR, actually, because I got let go from a job that I was working on. I was working at CNBC, and I was producing for Donny Deutsch’s show, and his show got canceled. And so, I found myself without a job and without really knowing what to do. So, I sent an email out to everyone I knew, a big email blast, and saying, “I need a job.”
And a publicist who I had worked with frequently emailed me back and said, “Annie, I don’t think you have any formal PR training, but I have a client. He is a financial analyst. He just wrote a book on the stock market. If you can get him booked on any show at CNBC, I’ll pay you for it.” And I was like, “All right. Well, let me see.” So, I sent the pitch to my friend who worked in the newsroom, and she wrote me back right away and said, “He looks great. Can he come on the show tomorrow?”
And that was my light bulb moment. Because in my career, I had worked at multiple TV news stations. I worked at CNN, CNBC, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Fox News, MSNBC. So, I realized that my special currency was that I knew so many producers and had real relationships with them because I was friends with them and had worked with them for so long.
But I also understood the nuances and the differences between each of the networks. So, I understood how to pitch and what kind of pitch would work that would result in a booking. And so, that moment was when I was 28. And when I was 30, I officially went out on my own, and that was almost 12 years ago.
Chase Williams:
Awesome. That’s a great origin story.
Ryan Klein:
Now that you’ve been at it for a bit and you work with clients, what are your typical relationships look like? Are you trying to get people on national news every day, every week, every month? What kind of cadence is really appropriate, especially for a specialized field, maybe, such as legal?
Annie Scranton:
At my agency, we have clients on national TV every single day. Of course, it’s not the same client on TV every single day. But for lawyers, attorneys, specifically talking about them, I would say that our clients go on TV a few times each month on national TV news. So, the cable networks like MSNBC, CNN, Fox News often are covering legal stories, whether it’s something relating to politics or it’s something relating to crime.
And those types of segments, they often like to book a debate where they have one attorney who will take one side and another attorney taking the other side. So, I would say the sweet spot is a few times every month, but a lot of it is also predicated on the actual stories in the news that are happening. So, if it’s a news cycle period where we’re focusing more on foreign affairs and foreign policy, it might be a little slower that month, as opposed to another month when there’s a big legal story that everyone is interested in.
Chase Williams:
So, the appearances on these national networks, are your clients seeing a direct correlation to increased leads, or is it more of a branding play?
Annie Scranton:
It really is about the latter. It’s more about the overall branding awareness exercise. And also, it helps to really boost the credibility and legitimacy of the attorney. A lot of my clients in the legal space and otherwise put these clips then on their homepage. They put it on their social media. They send it out in digital newsletters to everybody in their network. And it just elevates them, for lack of a better way of saying it, and sets them apart.
I’ve had clients tell me that they have had new clients say to them that a determining factor in choosing them over another attorney was that they saw an appearance of theirs on a national network. And it made them realize how important and how well-respected that attorney must be in their field. Certainly, over the years, clients have absolutely reported back saying that appearances have led to new business. But it’s really about how do you then take the clip, the link of that interview, and utilize it to go after the sort of clients that you want?
Ryan Klein:
For your clients, do they have to have a certain type of personality? Do they have to be a natural-born extrovert to even consider moving into this? Because we’ve had conversations in the past where people seem very intimidated even by local news. National news just seems even that much more intimidating. So, are they always extroverted? A hybrid? Maybe even introverted and maybe you coach them along?
Annie Scranton:
I mean, I think if somebody is painfully shy, they’re probably not an attorney anyway. So, most attorneys that I know and that we’ve worked with don’t really mind talking in front of a group or presenting. So, for most of the legal clients we have, that’s not an issue like extroverted or introverted.
But many of them don’t have live TV news experience. And it’s very different than talking in front of a courtroom. It’s very different than presenting in front of a roomful of people because you have to speak in soundbites. If you’re in a studio, you have to know where to look. You have to be aware of just all of the moving parts that go into a TV news production.
So, for that, we do have a media trainer that we work with and that we recommend our clients do a one or two-hour session with, so that way they can actually practice. The trainer records the session, so that way they can actually watch back and see how they answered the question and how it worked in that format of live TV.
Ryan Klein:
That reminds me. In some law firms, they’ll do mock trials with their clients to prep them for what it’s like actually in the courtroom. So, this, do you have mock media appearances where you have that faux studio?
Annie Scranton:
Yeah, we do. There’s a studio right down the hall from where I’m sitting. So, clients, if they’re in New York, they can come in and actually get mic’d up, sit in the chair behind a green screen, have the cameras on. And it gives them just an advantage, so that way, when they do go into a studio for their first national live TV news appearance, they already know everything situationally that they need to be aware of.
And it allows them then to singularly focus on making sure their talking points, and the message that they want to get across is getting across. It lets them prep in terms of just their talking points, as opposed to worrying about, “Well, where should I look? Should I use my hands?” Those kinds of more like presentation kind of stuff.
Chase Williams:
So, for our listeners that have never been in the media before or done any sort of appearances, what’s their first step, obviously besides talking to a PR company, that they can do to see, “Hey, is this something that makes sense for me and my firm? Am I going to be comfortable in front of the camera?” What’s the first couple steps that they should take?
Annie Scranton:
Well, I think that whoever is running the firm should think about the makeup of the entire staff. Generally speaking, we’ve found that clients skewing a bit younger more appreciate the value of social posts, and video content, and using some of those marketing tools. So, we found that that sort of demo is really interested in the work that we do.
I also think it’s something for them to think about too is just taking it one step further of, who would be the voice for the law firm? And a lot of times, it’s really beneficial to think about putting a woman forward or putting a person of color forward, because it just exemplifies that, “Okay, we take DEI initiative seriously, and we’re investing in those members of our team to promote themselves within the greater organization.”
And I think obviously it would be beneficial to know what the law firm’s goals are. Where do they want to drive their business? What types of clients are they looking for? And from there, if they are working, say, and they have a really a good handle with more conservative-leaning clients or something, then maybe trying to target audiences like Fox News or some of the more conservative outlets would be really useful in those marketing materials that they have.
But I think also, just again thinking about the industries that the lawyers represent is really important too. Because, say for example, a law firm really focuses on a lot of climate-oriented issues. Well, it might be a really good idea then for a PR firm to keep the lawyer informed of what are some big climate stories that are happening in the news all the time? Is there a legal angle that goes along with that?
And then you could pitch national media the attorney as a thought leader, a subject-matter expert to speak on those issues. And then that’s going to give you a piece of content, a video that is going to hopefully attract the attention of some of the types of clients you’re looking to acquire.
Chase Williams:
I love that you mentioned before, disseminating that video across social media. There are so many times you go to a lawyer’s website and the first thing you see above the fold is “as seen in”. Sometimes it’s a syndicated press release they put out.
Really, when you’re seeing something like “as seen in”, like we were talking about like the national news, which brings it to a whole nother level. So having that clip even front and center on your website creates that credibility and helps you stand apart from, literally, probably every other lawyer on the internet that says “as seen in” in quotes.
Annie Scranton:
It really does. And I think too, just depending on the matter, hiring an attorney can be a very personal process. So, if you’re also getting a video of your potential lawyer that you’re going to work with, okay, now you know how they talk, how they carry themselves, their nature, their personality. It gives you a glimpse into the person you’re going to be working with. And it gives you an idea of just how they’re thinking about bigger issues in the world. And you could figure out from there, “Okay, are we like-minded? Are we not? Is this person a good fit or not?” So, I think it’s a great way for potential clients to get to know you, as well.
Chase Williams:
You also get that celebrity effect, like, “Oh, the person I saw on TV is the person I’m working with. That’s my lawyer.”
Ryan Klein:
You beat me to it.
Annie Scranton:
I mean, yeah. Absolutely.
Ryan Klein:
Yeah. I like calling it the rockstar effect, celebrity effect. I completely agree. And you make a really great point actually. I haven’t really thought about it. Because we’re all about from overview videos, when you hop on the website, and you learn more about the law firm in advance.
But that’s heavily produced, that’s edited. And this is an opportunity to see them in real time, unfiltered, for the most part. So, I definitely love presenting that angle of it. You get to really see what’s behind the curtain in a lot of ways.
Annie Scranton:
Yeah, for sure. And I think, like I mentioned, a lot of these cable news networks that we work with do a debate format too. So, it’s a really good way… Listen, you have to have the personality and you have to be built for it, but sometimes these debates can be a little contentious, or you have actually an anchor who doesn’t agree with what you’re saying.
If you are somebody who’s confident and capable, it could be a very good selling point for a prospective client or another law firm who’s looking to partner with your agency, to give a sense to them about how you carry yourself, how you handle yourself in a situation that might be a little contentious.
Ryan Klein:
I want to go back also to what you said, and I thought was also interesting. When I think about who engages with the PR firm, you think about the business owner. So, it’s like, the law firm Smith and Smith. The first thing you think is, “Which Smith is going to be the one that does this?” But it could be someone else within the firm.
So, do you have success with potentially not even the owner? Someone that does have a big personality and does have the ability to go on nationwide audience and speak eloquently for their firm, of course, without even having to be owner or partner?
Annie Scranton:
Yeah. I mean, for me in the work we do, it literally doesn’t matter at all if it’s the owner of the firm or not. What is most important is the attorney’s willingness and desire to want to go on TV. Because if you don’t have the desire or the willingness, it’s going to be really, really hard to have any level of success. So, you have to have the right sort of personality and demeanor for it.
But we’ve worked with a lot of more sort of junior-level members of a law firm that do extraordinarily well on TV and are able to help raise the overall awareness of the law firm. I think it becomes a dynamic in which the older guard needs to be comfortable letting some of the more junior people take that ownership and those public-facing opportunities. But we have found that it can really help them in terms of leading to new business and just overall growth.
Chase Williams:
I think there’s also, if we can touch on it briefly, another reason why you want to hire a PR company. Let’s say I take on this case and the media starts bashing me as an individual for defending this person that everybody is presuming is very guilty and is not a good person. And there’s a whole nother angle there on your side to bring light to that individual. How do you go about doing that?
Annie Scranton:
I think that the best way for somebody to get around a crisis situation is to promote and put out the good work that they’re doing. So, that would be my first recommendation. And 90% of the time, the best advice for dealing with a crisis is to actually do nothing at all and to just wait it out. Because a lot of times, it’s over within 24 hours.
But if you want to be proactive about it, and probably what I would recommend in a situation like that is creating a piece of content, whether it’s a video or a written piece, where you can have the agency to come at it from your own perspective, where it’s not going to be edited, it’s not going to be written in someone else’s voice.
And you can write that piece to put on your own website or in your own social media. Or if it’s tied into a more national issue, there’s a lot of times where then we pitch that as an op-ed or a contributed article to a major national outlet. And that can be a really good way to counteract it.
Ryan Klein:
Let’s say you have a client that’s not quite ready to make the leap to retaining a PR agency. In the future they will, especially after listening to this podcast. But they’re trying to do things, I guess, on their own, a little bit more DIY.
Are there things that your clients have maybe done in the past to increase the likelihood they’ll get the attention of nationwide news, whether it be their social media or content, or any initiatives they can take on their own to start to get people’s attention?
Annie Scranton:
If you’re even thinking about national media, you have to make sure that you have a great website and that all of your social media is being updated very regularly. Because those are the first sort of places that producers and journalists look at when they’re vetting you, whether it’s for TV or even for accepting a contributed article or something like that.
What I tell a lot of my perspective clients or anybody who’s looking to get their own personal brand out there, is to really focus on LinkedIn as a place where you can start writing and start contributing to that thought leadership, subject-matter expert opinion. You can find an article that’s related to your specific subset of law that’s in the news and tell me what your opinion is. What do you think is going to happen? Why should we care about this case? Why does it matter? It could be a hundred words that you write, but it’s starting that conversation going.
And then for there, once you feel like you have a good presence, a strong presence, we always recommend going to the legal trades. So, you could pitch Law360 or one of those types of legal outlets with a longer opinion piece or contributed article. That’s a great way to get referrals from other agencies and to make connections in that way.
And then from there, definitely local news is an easier get. So, if you’re a law firm that’s based in Birmingham, Alabama, start calling your local news networks and the local newspaper, and let them know that you’re available to give a soundbite or to give a quote when they need a legal opinion on something. You don’t need to ask them for something. Just make yourself be available to the journalist, to the producer. And that could really do the trick, as well.
For national media, you can definitely do it on your own. PR is not rocket science. Anybody can presumably do what I do, but it just gets hard if you don’t have the right connections and you don’t have also just the time and the effort to put into it. That’s why people hire us, because you’re a lawyer. You’re busy doing legal work. You don’t have time to promote yourself and pitch yourself to these national outlets.
Chase Williams:
Awesome. And Annie, for our listeners that are on the fence or have any questions about hiring a PR professional, or even possibly want to reach out and learn more about what you can do, what’s the best way for our listeners to get in contact with you?
Annie Scranton:
Sure. Well, please visit us on our website, pacepublicrelations.com. My name is Annie Scranton, and you could find me on Twitter, @AnnieScranton, or on LinkedIn. And I’d love to connect with any of you and answer any questions that I possibly can.