Public Relations: Start the New Year with a fresh focus on marketing and staying visible

By Ellen Keiley

The start of the New Year presents an ideal opportunity for lawyers to pause and reflect on the past year’s successes and challenges. It’s a time to evaluate what strategies worked well and to determine what else can be done to enhance efforts to increase client work. Equally important, the New Year offers a fresh start—a chance to refocus on marketing, visibility, and business development. From building a strong personal brand to leveraging networking opportunities, social media, and thought leadership, lawyers can use this time to set actionable goals and position themselves for greater success in the year ahead.

Get out there

For those who enjoy attending events, the New Year is a perfect time to review the event calendars of organizations you align with and start signing up for opportunities that resonate with your goals. Commit to attending a set number of events per week or month based on a comfort level that is both reasonable and achievable. This intentional approach not only helps you stay visible but also ensures you’re consistently building meaningful connections and expanding your network throughout the year. Take the extra step of adding these events to your calendar to ensure they are prioritized and don’t get overlooked.

Connections and reconnections

Use the New Year as an opportunity to connect with those in your network and reconnect with individuals you may have lost touch with. Reaching out to colleagues, clients, business contacts, and potential referral sources through a brief email, a coffee meeting, or a more formal catch-up can help strengthen relationships and open doors to new opportunities. It’s a fresh start to re-engage with people who could offer valuable insights, collaborations, or referrals, and it shows that you’re proactive in maintaining meaningful connections.

Helping others without expecting anything in return

Be a connector and help others—it’s a powerful way to create goodwill and good karma. When you help others, whether by introducing two people who could benefit from knowing each other or opening a door to someone with a need, it not only strengthens your relationships but also builds a positive reputation. It’s important to do so without expecting anything in return. The true reward comes from knowing that you’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life or career, and that sense of fulfillment can be far more valuable than any immediate gain.

The benefits of social media

Leveraging social media is a powerful yet simple way to increase your visibility and build relationships. Just like signing up for events, it helps to block out dedicated time in your calendar to engage with others by liking, commenting, and sharing. This doesn’t require a significant time commitment but can have a big impact on strengthening connections and staying top of mind within your network. People are busy, and it’s easy for them to forget about you and your expertise if you’re not consistently visible. Leveraging social media is a simple way to stay on their radar and top of mind.

Amplify your visibility through published articles in earned media

Publishing articles in business and industry publications can significantly boost your visibility through earned media. It not only showcases your expertise but also enhances your credibility in the eyes of your audience. Unlike publishing on a firm blog, which may have a more limited reach, contributing to established publications provides an enormous opportunity to connect with a broader audience. This added reach amplifies your message, positioning you as a thought leader in your field and opening doors to new connections and opportunities.

Invest in a PR professional

Public relations professionals have valuable media contacts that internal marketing teams may not have access to. These established relationships with journalists, editors, and industry influencers can significantly increase your chances of securing media placements and getting quoted in high-profile publications. While internal teams often focus on creating content and managing day-to-day marketing efforts, PR professionals specialize in leveraging their network to secure earned media opportunities, ensuring your expertise reaches a broader, more targeted audience.

In the New Year, take the opportunity to reflect, reset, and invest in activities that will increase your visibility and make meaningful connections. Whether it’s attending events, engaging on social media, publishing articles, or helping others, each step you take toward strengthening your presence will contribute to long-term success and more client work. By focusing on building relationships, showcasing your expertise, and giving back to your network, you not only position yourself for growth but also create new opportunities. Here’s to a year of growth, visibility, and impactful connections.

 

Ellen M. Keiley is president of EMK Consulting Group, which offers public relations, business development coaching, marketing services, and training for law firms and other professional services firms. She can be contacted at [email protected].