For a long time, law firms considered public relations and marketing for law firms — if at all — to bring only “soft benefits” to business development. Consultants would talk about “word-of-mouth,” “raising one’s profile,” and “touchpoints” to justify the costs involved with either in-house or outsourced staff focused solely on securing placements in publications, spots on panels, or broadcast interviews.
While some attorneys enjoyed the spotlight, others griped that their billable hours were better spent on existing clients or at least on tangible, attainable prospects over lunches than through outreach to a vast audience that might never actually materialize into paying clientele.
