Julie Talenfeld of BoardRoom PR.

Let's face it, most articles are filled with expert sources. Some of them even provide insight that you could have reported on yourself. Wondering why a big competitor is the go-to and not you? It is time to get your fair share of coverage. Become an influencer in the legal realm with an integrated marketing and public relations plan.

Are you searchable? Google key words important to your practice. Does your firm come up? Key phrases such as “Florida personal injury lawyer,” “Miami property insurance attorney” or “Florida workers' compensation lawyer” will return pages of results, but most people will not scroll past the first page if they found what they are looking for. Grab the attention of potential clients, referral sources and reporters by grabbing the top spot with a search engine optimization campaign.

Show your expertise. Write and speak about what you know. Take advantage of media and speaking opportunities. Research trends and stay on top of industry updates to be among the first to bring these changes to the public. Speak to your firm's marketing director or public relations agency to discuss how to get timely and relevant bylined articles placed and getting quoted in stories.

Take it online. Dedicate a section of your website to starting a blog. It will need to be consistent and up-to-date, so start off with a low frequency and increase it once you realize you can handle the workload. Use keyword phrases to help with SEO rankings and link any relevant sections to other parts of your site. Using social media services like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even YouTube, turn news and insight about the day's events into content that sheds light, shares perspective and establishes company executives and the company itself as thought leaders.

Socialize. It's easy to reach every corner of the world with today's technology. If your firm doesn't have social media channels set up, finish reading this article, then log in and get them going to avoid being left in the dust. If they are established, there needs to be a collaborative effort. Comment on, like and share posts to your own following. Contribute content. Ask the page administrators how to be more involved in getting your name in front of the firm's followers. If you have been featured in an article, ask for it to be shared. Make sure you are tagged in the caption so you can easily be found. Share content from your blog straight to social channels to drive traffic back to your own site.

The same goes for personal channels. Start a #TuesdayTopic and share insights about the news, the industry or how it affects the local marketplace and consumers. Show you should be the go-to for legal matters, and they will come to you.

Get involved. You cannot be an influencer if no one knows your name, but there is more to it. Get to know other key players in the industry. Join bar associations, young professional and special interest groups to widen your network. Once you meet someone, stay in touch to stay top of mind. LinkedIn is the place for professional online networking. Search for company employees, industry executives and even fellow graduates. There is a group for every interest imaginable. Join these groups to share opinions, news and thought leadership.

Remember, make it easy for others to know that you are the one they need. Adopting a few of these practices will help skyrocket your visibility and how your level of influence.

Julie Talenfeld is the president of BoardroomPR, one of Florida's largest integrated marketing agencies. She can be reached at [email protected].