There are lots of lessons to be learned from baseball — even lessons about law firm public relations. Baseball and public relations have more in common than you might think. Baseball players and public relations professionals both know how to perform under pressure and the baseball diamond is the perfect road map for a foolproof public relations campaign. If you need to hit your next campaign out of the park, look no further than America’s favorite pastime for inspiration.
Follow along with our Why Law Firm Public Relations is Like Baseball Infographic.
The Pitch. In baseball, the game is centered around the pitch. Same with public relations. Without it, you have nothing. Your pitch is anything that people should know about: a large verdict or settlement, a major lawsuit, an impressive new hire or anything else that’s newsworthy. The trick is knowing what your audience will care about — or at least knowing how to make them care. Your pitch is what launches you to first base and eventually all the way home.
First Base. Once you have your pitch, you’re ready to go to first base. Swing at your pitch and send it out to targeted media outlets with a press release. (In this analogy you’re playing for both teams, but work with me here.) A well-written press release is an important step in getting media coverage, but you’re still pretty far from home plate. Once you’ve made it to first base, it’s up to you to keep running.
Second Base. Steal second by leveraging the press release that got you to first. Don’t wait for journalists to report on your news — you have plenty of owned media channels where you can share it yourself. Your press releases should always go on your blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, at the very least. If it’s particularly big news you can find even more places to share it, such as sending an e-alert to your email list. Even if the media hasn’t reported your news (yet), make sure the important people — your clients and followers — know about it.
Third Base. Slide into third by repurposing your news. Once everyone has seen your release in its original form, it’s time to do something else with it. The good news is that you don’t have to start from scratch. Take the content you already have and turn it into something else: an article, a whitepaper, a video, a blog post, a presentation … the possibilities are endless. Now, you have fresh content that you can share with reporters, add to your website and post on your social media channels. Repeat as necessary.
Head for Home. Before you get ready to run for home plate and score that big media placement, you have to prepare yourself. Get some media training to refine your talking points and get comfortable speaking with reporters. Remember, you’re an expert in your practice area — make sure you come across that way!
Safe! Make it all the way home by following up with reporters, responding to inquiries and tracking your efforts. With a solid pitch, diligence and follow-through, you’ll be rewarded with your own trophies: media placements. And like any athlete, practice makes perfect. Building a successful public relations strategy comes from years of consistent efforts. Winning one game is good, but winning the series is better.
Download our Why Law Firm Public Relations is Like Baseball Infographic.
