Viva the evolution. Thought leadership gets social

Law firm partners’ new role in executive communications

Gone are the days of firms rolling out tome-like white papers to express their grand view of the world at large. Intellectual engagement with clients today is instantaneous, bite-size, relevant – and personal.

Thought leadership continues to play a key role in brand differentiation and value affirmation. But delivery and distribution have evolved: it’s now social, inclusive and ubiquitous. And the spotlight has shifted from the firm to the people who are the firm.

With the increased traffic of intellectual capital, the bar has been raised for how law firms can stand out. The answer is found in the new role partners should play in executive communications.

Because the legal sector deals with decision-makers who are individuals, people just like you, they want to know about the people who drive your decisions. Who are the experts who deliver your services?

Tell your story, share your ideas

A winning digital experience for any brand involves a smart balance between content creation and web and social channel functionality. But what will differentiate your brand is how you engage your audience by telling your story – that is, the story of your people.

Law firm partners should each establish a dynamic (though pragmatic) communications strategy to increase their visibility and voice, to be heard by clients and prospects alike, as well as the influential players in their practice areas. While this may include occasional videos and podcasts of staged presentations and conversations, the foundation should be a robust approach to social media posts. Messaging should be targeted, topical and timely, with every expression designed to reflect on the brand equity of the person and the firm they represent.

Your profiles speak volumes

Building relationships through social communications will drive new visitors to a firm’s website where the first view is often the ‘People’ pages to investigate a partner’s bio. All too often, websites fail to offer interesting profile pages, with only cold, sterile search results listing biographies written in the third person. It’s a lost opportunity because these sections usually have the highest web traffic of interior pages. It’s the place to celebrate your partners as well as their teams – a place to promote your people so they can be recognised by and relatable to the people who want to do business with you and even come work for you.

The power of your people on centre stage

Living helps clients shine a spotlight on their most valuable asset: their people. This begins with developing a brand positioning strategy that aligns with your firm’s values and reveals the human relationships that exist within your value proposition. We look to highlight this ‘human factor’ of your firm by developing full editorial calendars with videos, podcasts, and featured articles; crafting engaging social media posts; writing compelling first-person biographies; helping you plan reader-friendly blogs; and designing webpages that deliver interactive and creative content – all this to draw upon the personalities of your team members.

Kevin Windorf, Client Strategy Director, New York

This article was first published in the Living Ratings of law firms 2021.

Since 2004, Living has helped financial, professional services and technology clients of all sizes improve their brand and digital intelligence. If you’d like to discuss how we can help your brand come to life, please contact: Duncan Shaw in New York, Greg Hobden in London or Gigi Yung in Hong Kong.