The short answer is that it depends on your business and marketing goals. Rankings can be a great opportunity to increase awareness, showcase successes, and even attract talent. However, with thousands of awards globally (and more popping up daily), choosing the right ones can be time-consuming and confusing.
We realize an “it depends” answer feels like what a lawyer might say, but it’s true. As the outcome of a case depends on the specific facts, what nominations to go after will depend on your specific firm and attorneys’ objectives. With this in mind, we’re here to guide you through the complex nomination world by examining a few things you should consider when determining which ones to pursue – or if you should even pursue them at all.
Who are your clients and referral sources?
This may be the most important question because, at the end of the day, every firm is looking to bring in new business. So, what do your clients and referral sources care about?
- If your clients are the public, nominations serve as credibility – a third party saying you are a top professional. It may not matter what the ranking is, as much as you are ranked somewhere. For example, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Best Law Firms tend to cater to consumers and offer online directories to help people find legal counsel among the ranked attorneys and firms. Most consumers don’t know about awards and what it takes to get a ranking, so the superlatives “super” and “best” may be all you need to get their attention.
- If your clients are in-house counsel, not unlike the public, they see awards as a badge of credibility. Still, they are likely looking for more coveted ranking inclusions such as Chambers and Partners, Law360, Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500, or practice-focused lists such as Managing IP’s IP Stars, Variety’s Top Entertainment Attorneys or GlobeSt.com’s Women of Influence.
- If you get a lot of business from referral sources, such as other lawyers, rankings published by industry trades like American Lawyer, National Law Journal and Daily Journal will resonate since lawyers are generally familiar with and reading these outlets.
Where are your competitors ranked?
Regardless of who your target audience is, if you regularly see your competitors on certain lists, the decision becomes, do you want to “keep up with the Joneses?” Is it important for your attorneys to be seen alongside those they go up against?
There is also the factor of leveling the playing field. If you’re a smaller or newer firm competing with larger, more established firms for the same business, you may want to pursue lists to be ranked alongside them.
Where is your market geographically?
As a boutique firm primarily working in Southern California, does it make sense to go after a national list? While there is prestige to being recognized nationally, these lists could be more competitive and won’t necessarily get you in front of the right prospects.
If you’re starting out in the ranking world, consider targeting regional and state lists first. Not only will this reinforce your local presence, but it can also add to your body of work when you pursue national awards.
What are your marketing goals?
You may want to enhance visibility and credibility firmwide for a particular practice area or specific attorneys, and being named to lists can certainly achieve this. Beyond being published on the list, promoting the award on your website and social channels, marketing material and proposals, and other areas further showcase your expertise and success. There are numerous ways to maximize a ranking; leveraging it is among the most critical.
If you’re looking to attract new talent, some rankings may be more important than others. Lists like Los Angeles Business Journal’s Best Places to Work demonstrate your firm’s commitment to a strong workplace culture, making it an attractive destination for attorneys and staff. Firms that want to bring in a lateral attorney to a practice group should consider lists like Law360’s Practice Groups of the Year to underscore the firm’s excellence in specific areas, and spotlight a dynamic, successful team that attorneys will want to join.
What marketing resources do you have?
If you submit to numerous awards yearly, they require input from multiple lawyers, meaning time spent on the nomination and not billable hours. Your marketing team (if you have one) is also dedicating time to gather information and finalize for submission.
While you shouldn’t let a lack of manpower stop you from putting together a nomination, it is a consideration if you want to pursue more in-depth submissions such as Chambers and Partners, Benchmark Litigation, Legal 500, etc. The good thing about these is that once you compile and draft information for one, it’s essentially the same submission for the others.
Should nominations be part of your marketing mix?
Back to our original question. Everything we discussed above should guide your decision-making and help you land on an answer that’s right for your firm. We recommend that if you’re not submitting for any nominations, then yes, you should incorporate some aspect of awards and rankings into your marketing. However, if you’re doing a lot of other marketing and it’s successful, then awards can probably be a lesser piece of the pie.
Check out some of our other blogs that break down types of awards and rankings, offer best practices for submissions and compare the reputations of each:
How to Decide Which Awards Are Reputable in This New Era of Award Saturation
The Rise of Legal Award Nominations
The Importance of Legal Directories in Law Firm PR: Comparing Guides & Examining Effectiveness
Not Getting the Chambers and Partners Ranking You Want? Here’s How.
Partner with a Trusted Marketing and PR Agency
Berbay Marketing & Public Relations has nearly three decades of experience providing law, real estate and financial firms with strategic marketing and public relations services that propel your business forward. Berbay’s dedicated team has demonstrated success in securing media placements, achieving nominations and rankings, revitalizing websites and social media, obtaining speaking engagements, and more.
Looking to grow your firm with a proven marketing and PR team? Contact Berbay at 310-499-2584 or info@berbay.com
