PR - Faster. Better. Yours.

I want to dedicate this post to briefly touching on the "new" model of public relations. Much has been said about the topic already, but check out the links below and incorporate these lessons into your Rainmaking 2.0 arsenal:

PR: Faster

RSS and newsfeeds are nothing new, but are new to a lot of people. This article by Steve Rubel addresses the new model of the press release, and how social network newsfeeds will become the primary way we get news out to the public at large in the very near future.

Similarly, Hubspot has posted a video by David Meerman Scott that dives deep into the topic. This is a must-watch for those trying to understand the immediate relevance of rainmaking via 2.0 channels.

PR: Better

Rubel's comment in the aforementioned article that "what's interesting...is that the freshest story isn't always at the top...it's often the one that generated the most recent activity from the community" really sums up the point. This is "better" PR in the sense that RSS feeds push hot and relevant topics - the topics that people want to talk about - to the top of the pile. It sort of screens out releases that are new but not necessarily newsworthy.

Granted, this automatic filter can also push some really interesting stuff away from us. But it's the fact that PR has become interactive that is most interesting with regards to the PR discipline in general. And if you have something to say about current events (and you should, particularly as it relates to your area of expertise), then you benefit from this model as well.

PR: Yours

So you want to Make Rain? Then read and write.

1. 
   
   READ other's blogs, releases, feeds, Tweets, and similar posts


2. 
   
   WRITE back and tell the world what you think

If your insights are thoughtful, fresh, relevant, and non-predatory (read as: DO NOT SOLICIT), then you'll quickly become to be seen as an expert in the topic and drive traffic to your site(s). Coupled with your own "other" blogs, sites, posts, or feeds, you will soon be seeing more rain than the Gulf shores.

Pulling a Radiohead

October 10th is the one-year anniversary of the release of Radiohead's In Rainbows. Why should we care?

This landmark release prompted marketing-types to begin using the band in conjunction with the description of an interesting revenue model: "Pay what you want."

In Rainbows was first released as a free digital download. The band asked fans to pay what they thought the record was worth. The model was followed by others, such as magazines Paste and Good, and more recently by textbook author Noel Capon, who is letting students pay for a textbook after they take the class, and then only paying what they feel it was worth.

A gimmick, maybe, but gutsy.

Let's take a look at what we can take from this and implement in the way we market professional services:

1. Consider what your client would do if you asked them to pay an hourly rate after you provided your services.

You should be so sure of the service that you provide that you'd be willing to forgo payment upfront. Plan a results-oriented strategy that can set you apart from your peers. That means not only 'showing' your clients your value, your expertise, and your successes in your online marketing; it means accountability and the possibility of having them pay based on results.

2. Remember the adage "Sell the blades, give the razors away for free."

There are things that you can provide at no cost that can help your online presence. You could fill your site with useful links. You could give away a downloadable copy of an estate planning guide. You can email a list of Top Ten things to think about when choosing a divorce lawyer. If you're in insurance or taxes, perhaps a list of compliance points. You get the idea. The point is not to bait a trap - the point is to attract interest and earn trust before you try to close the deal.

3. PR is invaluable.

The buzz generated from these marketing efforts, be they gimmicks or sincere attempts to connect with a target audience, is real. In Rainbows sold well, topping the Billboard 200 upon its retail release. Good had a subscription spike in addition to being featured in The New York Times , and Capon's book - while the term isn't over and so the jury is still out - at least made it into a Wired featured story, which was then blurbed on Fark. And of course, they all landed here. ;)

Take the Inbound

Using SEO to drive traffic to a web site has become commonplace, but what about driving traffic to you, the attorney, specifically? Instead of trying to find clients...

Hubspot is helping to pioneer inbound marketing, which is a form of permission based marketing that utilizes social media in an effort to market non-intrusively.

The idea is to market yourself , your knowledge, and your company to a general population (think Facebook or Twitter) and let others find you, learn about you, and potentially contact you. This is done through a variety of channels and can be part of your firm's marketing mix.

That way, prospective clients can seek out what, when, where, and how they want to buy from you or work with you. I'll be exploring this in much more detail, using specific industry examples and providing resources and links, on subsequent posts.