Law Firm Newswire - Legal News Marketing Blog

The big picture will lead to greater exposure

lawadm — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:59:41 +0000

Law Firm Newswire is going to launch a new layout this year with a new feature — a big picture.

Law firms spreading the news with Law Firm Newswire will soon have the option of uploading a giant picture or selecting from a library of images that will be provided to LFN users. But this new feature is not about redecorating, it’s about exposure.

Mobile news aggregates are quickly claiming market share. The app developers want to display news on phones and tablets in a way that best resembles glossy magazines. Therefore, they are requiring high-resolution images on every item they include in their database.

That means without a big picture, your news will never reach the mobile news aggregates.

We are always looking for new ways to expand readership for the law firms that look to Law Firm Newswire for powerful news distribution . . . the big picture is one of many ways we are delivering more exposure to law firms like yours.

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Continue the story on your website

lawadm — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:35:18 +0000

A great way to get more out of your press release is to tease the reader with most of the story, but include extra information about the topic on your website. This turns the press release into a gateway to your law firms website, rather than just an advertisement.

For example, say that your law firm is hosting a seminar. Make some literature for the seminar publicly available on your website as a PDF. Rather than including the PDF with your press release, mention that the downloads are available on your website and link to the page where the items can be downloaded.

That gives the reader a reason to visit your website and makes your press release more than just another news piece.

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Social Networks Deliver the News from News Organizations

lawadm — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:57:17 +0000

While many people look to Twitter and Facebook feeds for fast updates on breaking stories, they ultimately get their news from news publications.

In a survey conducted in 2012, nearly 30 percent of respondents said they heard about breaking news from social sites like Twitter and Facebook. But those breaking stories didn’t come from their friends and colleagues; they came from news organizations pushing their stories to the social networks.

During the April 19th manhunt in Boston for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, news reporters were monitoring Twitter to get updates from residents who were staying indoors. The nation was not necessarily getting the news directly from the locked-down residents. Rather, the news agencies were reporting on what they read on social networks.

Facebook and Twitter have become the way to quickly deliver the news, but that is only because they have the most engaged audiences. No more are people sitting around the TV or radio at the same time, tuned into popular programming. Instead, everyone’s phone is connected to these networks.

At the end of the day, the major news outlets are still delivering the news, they are just doing so through social media.

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Giving news titles the sound of news

lawadm — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:58:20 +0000

Every report shows that press releases written like a news story gain more traction, attract more readers, and yield better results than those written like a traditional press release. So how do you make a press release sound like news?

It all starts with a title that tells a story. If a personal injury lawyer is giving a lecture to high school students who are about to hit the road with new, inexperienced licenses, a traditional press release title might look like this:

Attorney John Smith to speak at Kennedy High School April 25th

A news story title would look like this:

Teen Drivers at Kennedy High School Get Introduction to Safe Driving from Accident Attorney John Smith

Aside from sounding more like news and less like a self-serving press release, the second title also has the keywords “accident attorney,” and the really popular key phrase “teen drivers.”

With a strong title and a release that looks more like an newspaper article and less like a boiler plate press release, law firms can have their news spread further, which means more exposure.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Headline vs Full Story Syndication

lawadm — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:31:52 +0000

When a press release is broadcasted to various websites and networks, it is syndicated in two ways.

Headlines – Headline syndication is the most popular, because it allows websites to display current news without using too many resources or needing to archive content on their website. Generally, a headline and story summary will be displayed for a period of time. Aggregates like Google News and Topix are both headline syndicators, as they only display a press release title and excerpt from the article.

Full Story Syndication – Fully story syndicators are news websites like CBSNews.com, SFGate.com, and other news sites. They display the full text of the story, keeping readers on their website rather than forcing them to click on a headline and go to the story source. For this sites, the value is in keeping an audience on their site and exposed to the advertisers. Larger news organizations generally prefer to be full story syndicators, as they have infinite storage and server resources and focus heavily on getting and retaining readers on their website.

Both syndicators increase exposure to your law firm, help your press release reach a wide audience, and play an important role in the distribution of your firm’s news.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Should you cite third parties in press releases?

lawadm — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:40:30 +0000

Some of our users at Law Firm Newswire have recently asked about citing third parties. Is it a good idea? Sometimes.

If your press release is about a case you are involved in and a third party source backs up your claim, this could be appropriate. For example, if you have representing a client that was injured at a dangerous intersection, you could link to a story written by a local newspaper that talks about the dangers of that intersection.

However, you should avoid linking to competing law firms or other businesses that are not related to your press release.

If a third party substantiates your claim, feel free to link to them in your press release.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Large Images Make Big News

lawadm — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:16:24 +0000

News aggregates like Google News are seeing a decline in readership as they have lost market shares to mobile news aggregates. These mobile aggregates aim to provide a magazine feel for readers using tablets.

Aside from changing the way people read your news, these aggregates are trying to change the way your news looks. Their goal to make online news look like magazine articles means that they are requiring large images to be part of your press release.

Take some high resolution photos of your attorneys and office to include with future press releases. Doing so will increase your opportunities for reaching a mobile audience.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Substance matters over length

lawadm — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:19:25 +0000

A press release need to have a few hundred words to substantiate itself as an informative story. Also, news aggregators like Google News tend to reward longer stories with higher placement. So should you pad your press release with words to make the story longer?

No. Substance still comes first. It is true that law firms’ that post long (over 600 words) press releases on Law Firm Newswire enjoy about 25 percent more readers than shorter press releases in the same category. But the other value of press releases is syndication. So, value must come first.

Syndicators are not as interested in word count as they are interesting stories that their own readers can use. If that is a long, detailed story outlined in 1,200 words, that is fine. If it’s an interesting story covered in 350 words, that is also fine. News publishers want something interesting.

If a news release is short and interesting, keep it that way. Adding unnecessary words will dilute the story and lead to fewer republishings.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Two Birds with One Seminar

lawadm — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:41:07 +0000

Seminars are one of the most effective forms of personal marketing, which is why it should not come as a surprise that they are also a popular press release topic.

However, you don’t have to stop with just advertising the seminar; you can get two press releases out of one event.

First, write a press release announcing the seminar, topic, event time(s), and location. It’s best to do this about two-to-three weeks before the scheduled event.

Secondly, about one week after the event takes place, send out a follow-up press release that talks about the success of the seminar and shows off some photos. If your firm does regular seminars, you can use the second release to encourage people to sign up for an email notification for when the next seminar is scheduled.

Seminars and press releases show that your firm is an active member of the community and an expert in your practice area. A “before” and “after” news release can double the value of one event.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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Connect Your Firm to the Story

lawadm — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:57:27 +0000

If your law firm is writing a press release to comment on a popular story, current event, or high-profile case, make sure you connect your firm to the story.

Let’s say there is a high-profile divorce in your city or state and you want to comment on it. Rather than writing a press release such as, “Local NFL player entangled in custody battle,” the press release should be about an increase in similar custody battles.

The difference is subtle, but noticeable to news publishers. If our fictional NFL player is facing a full custody battle wherein his spouse does not want him to have any custody rights, the press release could be about an increase in similar cases in your state, and then reference the high profile divorce as an example.

You can also use popular stories to outline a growing problem. A hospital being sued for medical malpractice might provide a good opportunity for a malpractice attorney to comment. Rather than releasing a story about the hospital’s lawsuit, the story could be drafted in a manner like, “Lawsuit against local hospital highlights growing number of birth injury claims.”

Always give a quote from an attorney with your firm and clearly state whether or not your law firm is involved in the case. Providing commentary or popular stories is a great way to get exposure for your firm.

To learn more, visit http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com.

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