We are often asked whether a law firm should hire an agency like Berbay or a public relations staff member. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your goals. Here are a few reasons to consider hiring a public relations staff member. Company familiarity. Someone working in the office will naturally be more acquainted with how the firm operates. And it’s easier to knock on an attorney’s door. It can be more cost-effective. You set the marketing professional’s hours and salary, whereas an agency usually has a set fee and can be more expensive because you’re hiring a team. Buy-in from the employee. Agencies are committed to clients, but a staff member has more on the line. We recommend you hire an agency if you want bench strength. A successful PR campaign includes many different facets, and it’s nearly impossible for one person to handle everything.
Media connections. PR agencies constantly talk to reporters who call to connect them with experts. An in-house person may come with media contacts, but an agency will undoubtedly have more. Fresh ideas. In-house pros can certainly be creative, but fresh eyes from an agency are coming from a team of people. These campaigns will likely be more impactful and include elements that can only come with outside input. Efficiency and experience. A team is more efficient than one person. And if your in-house PR person is out of the office, or overloaded with work, projects may have to be pushed back or scaled-down. Clearly, each situation has its pros and cons. So if it’s an option, our advice is to pursue a mixture of both.
For more information on how Berbay can assist your law firm’s advertising efforts, please contact us at megan@berbay.com or (310) 919-1539.
