Tony Roe, principal of Tony Roe Solicitors, explains why the business should win the marketing and PR category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
Small businesses can rarely afford professional public relations consultants, let alone professionally made promotional videos. Sometimes, however, you can be part of something bigger, perhaps helping to promote your own profession or industry.
I was lucky enough to stumble across an online appeal by The Law Society for media-trained solicitors who might want to feature in its ongoing consumer campaign. Entitled “Use a Professional. Use a Solicitor”, this was to promote its Find a Solicitor website and highlight the value solicitors offer to private clients. The deadline was looming but I made my submission anyway. We were chosen from 60 firms to feature in its family law video to be broadcast on ITV on Demand and YouTube.
The problem was that I was away on the day that shooting was scheduled in London. I thought I’d blown it. Fortunately, the producers liked the idea and authenticity of filming me in my office in Berkshire. Soon afterwards, I found myself staring down the lens of a camera with lights and cables all over our reception area.
The resulting Family Law Expert Focus video went live on The Law Society’s social media feeds in July this year. My practice is now part of the biggest ever consumer campaign run by The Law Society.
The Society has seen great results. So have we. My firm’s website and Facebook page have had significantly more visitors.
There are a lot more marketing and PR opportunities out there for smaller businesses than we might think.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
