Firms come to us asking for press. Some want coverage because they have very little. Others want more of what they already have. Many bring newsworthy projects, awards, and talented people to the table, but they’re not proactive about outreach. When they see a competitor who appears in every magazine, on every panel, and in all the right rooms, they call us to close the gap.

Press is one piece of a much bigger picture, and it is rarely the place to start. Coverage works when it’s based on clear messages, your team’s expertise , and your firm’s business goals that tell you where to aim. Define those from the outset, and press becomes the payoff instead of the plan.

First, Get Your Story Straight 

Before you call an editor, you need to know what you say about your firm and who says it. Are you all saying the same thing? Does what you do today connect to the work you want to win three years from now? What do clients get from you that they cannot get from your competitors?

Many firms answer these questions on an ad hoc basis. Partners change their answers from one interview to the next. The website says one thing, proposal boilerplate says another, and a LinkedIn post carries another message altogether. When six leaders describe six different firms, the firm is not suffering from a lack of press. In fact, that result is a good reason to hold off on the press until everyone agrees.

Your messages come first because every other communications effort relies on them. Get them wrong and you will spend two years pitching a firm you do not want to be to clients you do not want to have.

The Strategic Shift– Instead of asking “How do we get more press?”, ask “What do we want the press to say about us, and do we all agree on that message?”

Try This– Read your website, proposal boilerplate, and recent social posts side by side and note where the messages differ. Then ask each partner to write down, in two sentences, why a client should hire your firm. Combine the points you agree upon into a unified, cohesive messaging strategy.

Your Comms Strategy Needs an Owner 

Many firms have marketing or communications directors who spend most of their time on proposals, social media, and other deadlines. Even with the best intentions, they have little time left for strategy. Scattershot efforts made during scarce downtime rarely produce thought leadership, and thought leadership is how firms build reputation over the long term.

To keep your comms on track, you need one person to own your strategy and ensure that it’s clear and consistent. The strategy differs for every firm. Some need a Director of Communications who can oversee quality from 30,000 feet. Some find that they already have a team member on board who can grow into that role. Some need an outside partner who provides writing support and manages media relationships while the internal team handles the pipeline. Whatever strategy you choose, it needs to be in place before the first pitch goes out. A clear story needs an owner.

The Strategic Shift– Instead of assigning comms to whoever has a free afternoon, ask who owns the firm’s story and make sure they have the hours to manage it.

Try This– List every communications task your firm handles in a typical month and the person responsible for each. Circle the ones that build long-term reputation, like articles, speaking engagements, and awards. Count how many tasks land on someone with a full plate, and let that number decide whether you need a new role, a restructured one, or an outside partner.

Point Press at the Pipeline 

A great article about your firm feels like a quick sugar high. There are plenty of good reasons to see your work in print, and the question worth asking is whether the coverage reaches the people who hire you.

If you want more healthcare work in Texas, a beautiful story about your museum in a design magazine will make your staff very happy and do very little for your pipeline of hospital projects. That does not make the museum story worthless. It means you need to put more resources into the sectors and markets that build the firm you want to have.

Once you know your messages, the clients you want to reach, and your priorities, then you can point your press releases, pitches, articles, speaking engagements, and awards in the same direction. That’s when your communications efforts really start to work.

The Strategic Shift– Instead of asking “Will this get us coverage?”, ask “Will this coverage reach the clients we want in the markets we want to grow?”

Try This– Write down the two or three sectors or markets you want to grow over the next three years. Next to each, list the publications, conferences, and awards those potential clients pay attention to. Compare that list with where your firm appeared last year, and direct next year’s outreach toward the gaps.

Press Is the Payoff, Not the Plan

Getting your name out there without a plan is like starting construction before you finish the drawings. Something will rise out of the ground, but it will not be the building you wanted, and you will pay to fix it. When the foundation is solid, the outreach follows, and the coverage reaches the clients you want.

Skyline Summary

• Ask what you want the press to say before you ask for press
• Give one person or partner clear ownership of the firm’s story and the hours to build it
• Measure coverage by whether it reaches the clients who hire you in the markets you want to grow
• Treat press as the payoff of a communications plan, and build the plan first

Keep building influence!