After an unpredictable 2021 and a much talked-about recession in 2022 into 2023, PR pros have had quite rocky few years. As we come into the holiday season, PR professionals will have to adapt and pivot with all the variables to think about ways to satisfy 2023 PR trends and get their client in the spotlight. Combining this with the persistence of remote work schedules, it’s clear that 2023 will already be a year to remember.

So, another holiday season is upon us, bringing the year to a close. Let’s take a look at some PR predictions for 2023. These predictions are good discussion points within your department regarding how they may impact your lawyers and firm, what issues may affect your press coverage, and how you will use your resources in the coming year.

Breaking Through the Noise

Over the past few years, the daily news generated has increased tremendously. There is hardly a day that goes by when there is not a new major breaking news story that all major outlets are covering. Firms are more than ever cranking out content, sending press releases and hosting events and webinars.

In 2023, it will be essential to break through all the news and noise that is out there. Your pitches, press releases and content must immediately capture a reporter or editor’s attention and be strong enough to stand out. As the number of reporters continues to shrink media will be more selective about the sources they use. Get to know reporters and introduce your attorneys.

Getting Ahead of the Warp-Speed News Cycle

Again, the amount of news coming out daily is tremendous, and the news cycle is much faster than before. While major stories will stay in the news cycle longer, many topics that interest your firm and your clients might have a shorter shelf life.

That means you must stay on top of the news and jump on it quickly. Get ahead of the news by having a running list of the topics your attorneys are tracking. What is on the horizon, what trends and issues are they following, what cases are they watching, and what will impact them? Be ready with pitches, press releases and whatever you need to pull the trigger as soon as the news breaks.

Media Outlets Will Welcome More Contributed Articles

Newsroom employment has been on a downward spiral for many years. Newspaper staffs continue to shrink even though demand for online and print content, especially in the legal industry, continues to grow. Communications professionals have long felt the pressure from diminishing full-time writers at the targeted publications.

What does this mean for your lawyers and law firm? There is an opportunity here, less staff makes contributed articles by outside authors more attractive, and as we know, thought leadership is also very effective in raising profiles. If you need to improve in writing thought leadership pieces, 2023 should be the year you change this. Plenty of legal, trade and top tier-publications are hungry for contributed articles by experts. One thing to note is that outlets are looking for a news hook and analysis in all contributed content. A summary of the issues is no longer enough to guarantee publication.

Regular Tabletop Exercises

Tabletop exercises with a facilitator will become a thing. All companies have found themselves in an unfortunate situation due to a lack of foresight and planning. A tried-and-true method for mitigating the unknown is the tabletop exercise.

Tabletop exercises are an excellent way to challenge and examine crisis plans, including crisis media. These exercises can sharpen your problem-solving in pressure situations and elevate your company’s preparedness—provided you properly design, carefully conduct, fully evaluate, and use your test results.

Tabletop exercises are interactive discussions by a facilitator focused on a hypothetical issue. Key crisis personnel meet in an informal setting to discuss their roles and how they would respond to emergencies. These exercises developed from planning for significant logistical challenges like military conflicts and major disasters. They help sensitize key personnel to the importance of acting at the right moment and being prepared for the unexpected as the crisis deepens. Well-designed tabletops will test the organization’s media response plan and response procedures through guided discussion of various emergency scenarios.

Moving Faster With Announcements

You’re opening a new office, bringing on a new team, launching a new practice, or having a significant litigation victory or deal to announce. So, does everyone else. The amount of information sent to publications consistently for these announcements is astonishing. You must move fast if you want your news to get out there.

Be sure to announce a deal, a new hire or a litigation win before days or weeks. It is already challenging to grab attention with dated news, but moving forward, it will be increasingly difficult as you try to get noticed in a sea of other, more current information. Know what is coming, prepare your announcements in advance and be ready to go as soon as you have the green light.

Face-to-Face Interviews Will Increase

Zoom calls, is anyone going to miss all those? In 2023, reporters and media outlets will return the face-to-face interview. We are already seeing it, and this is especially true when the reporter is interested in a profile and discussions of nuanced or controversial topics: You get a person’s personality better when talking to them in person.

Zoom interviews will still be available. They are easy, and some online discussions have proven as effective as face-to-face meetings. This is especially true when lawyers and often reporters need more time to travel between home and the attorney’s location.

With more clients speaking to the media you want to be sure they are effective communicators. Law firms should invest more in preparing their attorneys for interviews, webinars and provide more guidance on communication skills.

ESG Will Continue To Grow in Importance for Clients and Recruits

There is unprecedented pressure on law firms to set environmental, social and governance policies. Consequently, a company’s ESG commitment is linked to its reputation, and public relations and communications have a vital role in guiding law firms to ensure they appropriately communicate ESG successes to the appropriate audiences.

Additionally, law firms need to attend to both internal and external audiences. Internal communications ensure that employees understand and support the firm’s sustainability message and contribute to reducing consumption in the areas of ESG. Increasingly, employees are sensitive to environmental issues. Communicating what your law firm is doing to address these issues and what initiatives it is launching helps engage staff with ESG-related issues and demonstrate by example a firm’s commitment to a more sustainable world.

Law firms can communicate their unique ESG narrative by selecting and preparing an effective spokesperson with a description supported by facts and accomplishments so that the spokesperson can share the firm’s ESG efforts resulting in the confidence of internal and external stakeholders.

Diversity and Inclusion Matter

Most law firm diversity and inclusion programs strive to create real change. Law firms that want to keep and attract lawyers, especially Gen Z, must double their efforts on diversity and inclusion initiatives. When it comes to the media, attempts by law firms to use their diversity and inclusion policies merely as PR fodder will backfire. You must demonstrate real effort and showcase the implementation of meaningful programming and results.

Remote Work Is Changing Media Professionals’ 9-5

Going digital and work from home has changed print newspapers’ deadlines and also publishing schedules. Additionally, remote work hours have changed the prime time to send pitches.

With PR professionals, journalists, and editors working from home, 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. hours may no longer stand. Next time you speak with a journalist, ask when and how to reach them, when are their deadlines and be ready to change your shift to that schedule as necessary.

Owned Media Will Take on New Meaning

It would be best if owned media were added to your earned media initiative to create your firm’s most comprehensive PR strategy. Owned media includes blogs, articles, newsletters and social media posts across a firm’s channels. Through owned media, your firm can reach a company’s target audience and, the firm fully controls it, which allows a law firm to express information on its terms. Balance your resources and efforts between earned and owned media in 2023. This will give companies the freedom to create the content they want and increase visibility on all platforms.

Elizabeth Lampert is Table Top Facilitator, PR, and Crisis Communications Strategist and can be reached at Lampert@elizabethlampertpr.com. 

Lara Cupit is a high level PR strategist, media savvy professional based in Dallas.