While appearing in a publication is an excellent form of communication, most clients, prospects, and firm members will never see the article unless you bring it to their attention. There are several ways to do it.

• Email a digital copy or distribute hard copies to colleagues, clients and prospects with whom you are in contact. Stack some hard copies for clients to take while in your office. Lawyers who distribute articles to their clients and prospects raise top-of-the-mind awareness, increasing the likelihood of familiarity with and favorable impressions of you and your firm.

• Include your positive publicity in any direct mail campaigns you already do. Promoting the firm in connection with an individual or practice group accomplishment that illustrates the firm’s expertise is an excellent way to introduce yourself and your firm to prospects.

• Check that your website gets updated with news clips and links, when available. Share your good news with your creative team, and see if they can work it into your promotional materials. A professional copywriter can do wonders to promote your recognition with a catchy headline, or even a full-scale creative campaign centered on your positive publicity.

Remember, cross-selling often depends upon internal knowledge of achievements, so if you regularly distribute media placements within the firm, far more attorneys buy into the overall cross-selling efforts, increasing the firm's esprit de corp, plus it often increases enthusiasm for others in the firm to work publicity into their marketing strategies, all of which lead to still greater client and prospect awareness for you.

Tom Stanton is an Account Supervisor in Jaffe’s Public Relations group and can be reached at stantont@jaffeassociates.com or at www.jaffeassociates.com.