What does the future hold for legal PR?

As our panelists for the LMA Toronto annual conference were prepping last week, we got into a discussion of what we think is in store for legal PR in the next three to five years – in particular, the influence social media will play. Drew Hasselback, Legal Post editor at Canada’s Financial Post, offered some interesting insights on a reporter’s point of view on the matter. When asked if reporters really use social media to search for stories, he confirmed that his publication has two positions dedicated solely to watching social media platforms. Those staffers follow industry leaders on Twitter and participate in LinkedIn group discussions – and they say Google+ is beginning to create a stir.

With changes in the way the world distributes and shares information, there is no question that traditional media outlets must evolve to keep pace with content consumption. Rather than coming up with a clear answer as to what PR will look like in the future, we were left with more questions:

• How will this affect the way your firm communicates?
• What must you do to manage the public reputation of your firm and its individual attorneys?
• Is your firm keeping up with new distribution channels?
• Does your firm have a social media policy in place to regulate what your professionals post online?

Watch this space for our ongoing exploration of these important concerns!