worcester county bar association presents the linkedin lawyer
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11
Social Media for Business Development and Professional
Networking for Lawyers______________________________________________
WCBA Law Office Technology SectionThursday, April 8, 2010David A. Barrett, Esq.
Part One
22
“The legal community are historically slow in adopting new technologies but an increasingnumber of lawyers are starting to view social
media as a valuable business tool.”- Bentley Tolk, Marketing for Attorneys
3
“While many lawyerspracticing today
think they don’t havetime for online
networking,law students consider
it essential.”
- Davida Brook, Stanford Law School Student
44
Social Media for Business Developmentand Professional Networking for Lawyers
Part One - Social Media Basics and Key Concepts
• Adopting a productive social media philosophy and strategy• Social currency and open networking• Why a website is not enough / search engine optimization (SEO)• Online “findability”• Personal vs. professional online presence and online reputation• Attorney profile do’s and don’ts and content rich profiles• Legal networking vs. legal marketing• The relationship based nature of social media / engagement
marketing• Social media venues (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter)• Social media and legal ethics
55
“Stop thinking of the Internet as a place.”
-Adrian Dayton, Marketing Strategy and the Law
6
Why social media marketing?
• Your competition is doing it• Your customers are using it• Your vendors and partners
are using it
- Todd Malicoat, Stuntdubl
77
Adopting a Productive SocialMedia Philosophy and Strategy
• Understand the key concepts - social media is here to stay, and permanently changing online business development – it is a cultural shift
• Develop a marketing plan and a social media strategy/plan
• Develop a law firm social media policy before getting started
8
“Lawyers who depend strictlyon traditional marketingtechniques are quickly learningthat many “tried and true”methods no longer perform likethey used to.
Attorneys could dramaticallyimprove their results byupdating their marketingprograms to include morecurrent practices.”
- Kevin Quinlan, LaywerMarketing101
9
“It is crucial to
expand your
presence in the
online world to
stay relevant in
the market place.”
– Sanjay Sivam
1010
Social Currency
• Social currency - “information shared which encourages further social encounters”
(Wikipedia)
• Give to get• Engage your audience• Create interest and value• Social networking is a “two-way street”
11
“Open networkers use social media to
initiate and build new relationships while
closed networkers simply have an online
address book that never grows.”
- David Barrett, The LinkedIn Lawyer
1212
MoreLawyer to Lawyer
Referrals
IncreasedFindability
GroupSustainability
Better QualityQuestion and Answer
Forum
Larger Networkson Other PlatformsMore Website
and Blog Traffic
MoreSocial Currency
Shift Law FirmBusiness Strategies
MoreNewsletter
Subscribers
More Access toSlideShare
and JD Supra docs
Benefits of a Larger Networkand an
Open Networking Philosophy
LinkedIn for Lawyers
1313
“It is about doing for others, not about others doing for you. Toget value, offer value. Provide feedback, answer questions,share ideas – create a following. Then those followers will wantto assist you.”– Frank Ball, Attorney
1414
Why a Websiteis Not Enough
• Websites are like business cards or brochures unless they have been developed to be social media enabled
• Maximize search engine optimization (SEO)• Lack of opportunity for law firms to engage
potential clients on a traditional website
1515
“Your website is only a billboard. You can have
the most beautiful website in the world and
without traffic, it might as well be a billboard in
the middle of a cornfield in Iowa.”
- Todd Malicoat, Stuntdubl
16
“Few people realize that there is anSEO benefit to LinkedIn. You can createthree text links with keyword rich anchortext pointing back to your website.”
– Scott Testa, Dr. Scott’s Cool Business Blog
1717
“You've heard the hype.
Print media is dead.
The Yellow Pages are
passé. You have to
be on-line to survive.
Websites aren't enough.
The only thing a website
provides is an on-line
brochure of your firm.”
- Al Nye, The Lawyer Guy
18
“I've read estimates that over 80% of people begin their search for a lawyer by using one of the popular search engines like Google or Yahoo.
If someone searched for a lawyer online under your specialty, would your name come up at the top of the listings?”
- Al Nye the Lawyer Guy
1919
The Importanceof an Impressive Profileand Promoting Findability
• Content rich profiles• Incorporate as much information as possible into
social media profiles and onto static lawyer directories and other social media networks
- Blog - SlideShare content - JD Supra content - Twitter feed
2020
“You are in the
findability department.
The marketing
department is dead.”
- Todd Defren,
Shift Communications
2121
Personal vs. ProfessionalOnline Presence
• Online presence• Online reputation• How others see you• Reputation management• Personal branding
22“The Farmville Lawyer”
23
“Before Facebook,what happened in Vegas
stayed in Vegas.
Now, what happensin Vegas can
impact your business.”
- Matt Homann, LexThink
2424
Engagement Marketingvs. Interruption Marketing
• Traditional marketing: television and radio commercials, junk mail, telemarketing, print advertising
• Conversational marketing: initiated by customer search, increased customer sophistication due to growth of Internet use
• Conversation venues: blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other social networks
2525
Social Networking LawyerCommunities of Interest
LinkedIn:- Law firm profiles, lawyer networking groups
Twitter:- LexTweet, Twibes, Twellow Pages
Facebook:- Lawyer groups, lawyer product fan pages, bar
association fan pages
2626
How LinkedIn, Facebook,Twitter and Blogs WorkTogether to Enhance Relationships
• The continuum of “professional” to “personal” online environments
• LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the virtual handshake
• Biography and professional profile vs. interaction, engagement and conversation
LinkedIn > Blog > Twitter > Facebook
272727
2828
LinkedInProfile Page
BlogSlideShare
ContentJD SupraContent
Increased SEO
29
3030
Law FirmBusiness Page
Link IndividualAssociate Profiles toFirm Business Page
Link IndividualAssociate Profiles toFirm Business Page
Facebook for Lawyers
LAW FIRM CONTENT:
Link Firm BlogTwitter Feed
JD Supra ContentSlideShare Content
Cause(s)Audio
YouTube
3131
32
EthicalSocial Media
Legal Marketing
33
3434
Social Mediaand Professional Ethics• Legal ethics - client solicitation, attorney advertising• Social media - lawyers, investigators and trial evidence• Social media and the attorney/client relationship• Legal networking vs. legal marketing• Social media contact with jurors and judges on open
cases, ex parte communications, jury tampering, recent advisory opinions from bar counsel
• Everything you say on social media networks is considered publishing
35
Consider everything you say(or type) on social media sitesas publishing.
36
“It is the lawyer’s conduct,not the medium, when ethics rules are violated while using social media”.
– Eric Cooperstein, Lawyerist
3737
Facebookand Lawyer Ethics
• Facebook has been used as a means for service of process in Australia and New Zealand
• The Philadelphia Bar Association has issued an opinion on lawyers investigation of a witnesses Facebook page – that the lawyer could not engage in such an investigation
• A North Carolina Judge was reprimanded for “friending” a lawyer on a case before him and discussing the case with him on Facebook
3838
•FB CHAT MESSAGES – 11,000,000 / DAY
• LEGAL ETHICS – • No ex parte communications with judge• No communication with trial witnesses• Prohibitions extend to third party investigators or paralegal staff• May not make any misrepresentation to any third party
3939
4040
4141
4242
4343
Recommendations may not say anything the lawyer himself would not be allowed to say.
Watch particular prohibited words in specific jurisdictions:
• “best lawyer”• “specialist”• “expert“• “guaranteed results”
4444
To Tweet orNot to Tweet
• In the NY State Bar Association Journal, a partner at a NYC law firm argued that Twitter posts could spell litigation trouble for attorneys
• Messages must be treated with the same caution as messages in any other form and should not reveal confidential information, appear to contain legal advice, or violate rules of solicitation
45
“Twitter is nota sales call.”- Jaffee Associates
4646
“Keep in mind, tweets can be usedin litigation discovery. They are
searchable, permanent and findable.”– Steven. J. Bennett, New York State Bar Journal
47
“The old maxim that‘one should think before they speak’
(or Tweet) applies no less to the Internet than to other forms of communication.”
- Eric Cooperstein, Lawyerist
4848
“Don’t drink
and Tweet.”
- Adrianos Facchetti,
California Defamation
Law Blog
49
“When you take the
time to understand
the rules of social
media, you open
yourself and your firm
up to the immense
power of these law
firm marketing tools.”
- Stephen Fairley, The Rainmaker Institute
5050
Social Media for Business Development and Professional
Networking for Lawyers______________________________________________
WCBA Law Office Technology SectionThursday, April 8, 2010David A. Barrett, Esq.
Part Two
5151
Social Media for Business Developmentand Professional Networkingfor Lawyers
Part Two – Advanced Social Mediafor Business Development
• Building your network, why size matters• Networking targets and strategies• Out of jurisdiction lawyer to lawyer referrals• Linkedin functions and groups• Facebook and the multi-media power of viral marketing• Twitter functions, lists and groups• Legal blawging• Social media measurement• SlideShare, JD Supra• Game Plan
5252
5353
Building YourLinkedin Network
• Increase the number of people who enter your marketing funnel
• Increase number of followers/connections to drive more website and blog traffic
• Increase number of newsletter subscribers and improve number of signups for white paper or marketing promotions
5454
“When you hire someone, you hire hisor her network.”
– Omar Ha-Redeye, Law is Cool
5555
Why Size Matters
The larger your network, the better yourchances of:• Becoming findable on LinkedIn• Shifting business strategies over the life of the
law firm• Out of jurisdiction lawyer-to-lawyer referrals• Larger networks on other social platforms
(Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, Martindale Hubbell Connected)
• Group sustainability
5656
“Using the six degrees of separationconcept, you benefit by gainingpotential access to hundreds orthousands of contacts as your
LinkedIn network grows.”
– Margaret Grisdela, Rainmaking Club
5757
LinkedinNetworking Strategies
• Identify your networking targets• Conserve invitations to connect as precious
currency by using “Quicklinks” instead• Help your networking targets by creating
business opportunities for them• Leverage the power of LinkedIn groups to build
connections
5858
“The biggest mistake
I see is that many
lawyers are not on
LinkedIn.”
– LegalMarketer
5959
LinkedinFunctions
• Connections, search• Recommendations• Groups, sub-groups, group Questions• Questions, answers, SEO• Announcements, events, messages• SlideShare notifications, status
6060
Linkedin AttorneyProfile Do’s and Don’ts
• Do include written disclaimers on profile regarding the attorney/client relationship and providing legal advice
• Don’t clutter your profile with “LION” (linkedin online networker) “invite me”, your email address or your business name
• Do include notice that “this LinkedIn profile may be considered attorney advertising” and make sure that all information on the LinkedIn profile is “true and complete”
• Don’t use LinkedIn questions differently that you would a comment on any other publication
• Don’t be that guy inviting random people to connect with a form letter that begs the recipient not to click the “I don’t know” button
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“Any professional or business today
who is seeking to engage an audience in meaningful ways, should maintain a
presence on Facebook.”- Adrian Lurssen, JD Supra
6363
Why Lawyers Needa Facebook Profile
• Facebook is the world’s largest social networking site with more than 350 million active users.
• Facebook is the social media platform with the most powerful multi-media tools.
• Facebook, because of its dynamic interactive nature, is a “relationship enhancer” allowing users to engage others from static social networks like Martindale Hubbell Connected, Plaxo and LinkedIn.
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“There is no longer any goodreason to avoid Facebook.
The site has crossed athreshold – it is now sowidely trafficked thatit’s fast becoming a routineaide to social interaction,like e-mail and antiperspirant.”
- Farhad Manjoo, Slate
6565
Getting Your FirmStarted on Facebook
• Set-up “personal” pages for everyone in the firm - NOT for the firm itself
• Set up a “business” or “fan” page for the firm• Link firm’s website, blog, newsletter, JD Supra content,
Twitter feed, SlideShare content, audio and YouTube videos to the Facebook page
• Share content that establishes your firm as an expert in a practice area
• Demonstrate your firm’s ability to remain current on topics important to your target clients and target client referral sources
6666
Building YourFacebook Legal Network
• Invite LinkedIn connections and newsletter subscribers to join fan page
• Search fan pages/groups/business pages for law schools, paralegals, bar associations, chambers of commerce and groups within your practice area
• Search lawyer groups to build connections with other lawyers and groups where your networking targets spend their time
• Build groups that will attract your target clients or target client referral sources
• Use groups to locate and build relationships with your networking target contacts
67
“Meet your audience where they gather, cultivate and engage them on Facebook.”
– Aviva Cuyler, JD Scoop
6868
Facebook Causes
• Causes recruit members and encourage those members to recruit others – creating a viral marketing effect. This subtle self promotion is more effective than traditional interruption advertising with consumers that effectively avoid traditional advertisements
• Set up a “cause” related to your practice area or embrace/promote a cause that already exists to promote visibility and help raise firm’s visibility among target clients or target referral sources
6969
Harnessing theMulti-Media Powerof Facebook
• Photos: Facebook holds more photos than any other website, users are allowed unlimited photo uploads)
• Audio: blog talk radio, podcasts• Video: made part of one’s permanent Facebook
profile• YouTube: may also be imported onto your
Facebook wall which shares the video in news feed for all Facebook friends
7070
Viral and SpreadableMarketing
• Viral and spreadable marketing is a technique that uses pre-existing social networks to achieve marketing objectives
• Much like email forwarding (“viral” as in computer virus, “spreadable” as in word of mouth)
• Viral promotion products: video, interactive games, e-books, images, email, text messaging, photos
• Categories: wow, funny, emotional
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“LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter enhance
the traditional networking process but the
real power of social media marketing is
viral and spreadable media.”
- David A. Barrett, The LinkedIn Lawyer
7272
Facebook Applicationsfor Lawyers
• Mobile Facebook applications• Facebook events• Lawyer virtual gift applications• Facebook groups• Facebook business pages/fan pages• Facebook causes• Facebook connect• JD Supra, Twitter and SlideShare
7373
“If I tell my Facebook friends about your brand,
it’s not because I like your brand but rather
because I like my friends.”- Mike Arauz, Undercurrent
7474
“Facebook is the most
powerful, populated and
utilized social media
platform. By keeping FB
personal instead of
professional, it’s like your
marketing campaign has
one arm tied behind its
back.”
- David A. Barrett,
The LinkedIn Lawyer
7575
FacebookDo’s and Don’ts
• Do balance the personal and professional: Set up a “professional” page with enough “personal” information to let people know you
• Don’t decide against leveraging one of the most powerful tools in social media by “keeping Facebook personal and Linkedin professional”
• Do develop multi-media content to share on your Facebook wall (i.e. YouTube videos, e-books, client alerts, newsletters). Don’t share tired news articles everyone has seen
• Don’t fill up Facebook with blatant self promotion or begs for support
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“Twitter is one of the fastest-growing
phenomena on the Internet.“- The New York Times
7878
WHY LawyersUse Twitter
• Set yourself up as a specialist, and as an expert within that specialty
• Increased media attention: promote your appearances and publications
• Express your willingness to take and make referrals• Keep in regular touch with the people in your network• Mold your image, enhance relationships• Distribute your news, simulate the water cooler, monitor
the buzz• Legal marketing, law firm business development• Attorney lead generation
7979
“Used well, Twitter is a powerful tool for
building reputation, leadership, trust and
influence.”- Laura Fitton, Pistachio Consulting (@pistachio)
8080
WAYS LawyersUse Twitter
• Networking, sharing, branding• Research, information gathering• Monitor breaking news • Follow trends in the legal industry• Follow conversations about legal issues in your
field• Get noticed • Used as an RSS reader
8181
“Nobody really pays attentionto what you have to say on Twitter
unless you have shownthat you know how to listen.”
Adrian Dayton,Marketing Strategy and the Law
(@adriandayton)
8282
Getting Startedon Twitter
• Create an attractive profile (with professional description and photo)• Add a twitter background and use as ad space• 70% microblogging and 30% conversation style Tweets• Retweet interesting items to build relationships and networks• Identify networking targets from marketing plan based on practice
areas of law firm• Find Twitter lawyer directories (Justia Legal Birds, LexTweet,
Twellow Pages, Law Line, Twibes)• Law schools, bar associations, CLE providers, law libraries,
chambers of commerce, law enforcement• Get to know your followers: If you don’t know who is following you,
Twitter will not help your business
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“Why Twitter? Because the conversation
will happen whether you are there or not.” - Alin Wagner-Lahmy, Lexis Nexis
8484
Twitter Search
• Twitter search vs. Twitter interface• Use hashtags (#) to follow structured
conversations, conferences, seminars, online CLE
• Search your own Twitter address (@barrettdavid) for reputation management and communication
• Search key words of interest
8585
“Twitter is a great
way to promote
your expertise by
commenting on
timely legal topics.”
- Paul Gillin
8686
“Twitter makes me approachable.”- Kelly Phillips Erb, Tax Attorney (@taxgirl)
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Initiating andEnhancing Relationships
• Following others on twitter• Automatic welcome message• “@replies” for public conversation• Direct messages “dm” for private communication• Import Linkedin connections• Bringing your connections from linkedin and
other business networks into a real time interactive environment
• Moving from the virtual handshake to interaction and building and spending social currency
8888
“Dear Boomers: Twitter works, you’re just
not doing it right.”
- Adrian Dayton, Marketing Strategy and the Law
8989
TwitterDo’s and Don’ts• Don’t violate legal ethics by soliciting business on
Twitter, don’t try to make sales• Do Tweet interesting items and be thought provoking• Don’t Tweet client information that is confidential or
without explicit written permission: good news is not always public news
• Do think strategically in terms of building relationships with people in your geographical jurisdiction
• Don’t answer the question “what are you doing”• Do get listed in Twitter lawyer groups and directories• Don’t spend time reading everything on your Twitter
feed• Do RT often and build social capital
90
“A blog is probably the most
effective way to drive potential clients to your (virtual) door.”
– Sam Glover, Lawyerist
91
Why a Blog?
• A blog is one of the most powerful ways to build relationships with prospects, clients and referral sources.
• A well written blog will get great search engine optimization or SEO.
• Establishes yourself as an expert in your practice area.• A combination of more personalized “push and pull”
marketing.• A blog cuts through the PR and is a forum for honest
communication with personality that websites do not have.
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Why LawyersShould Have Blogs
• A combination of push and pull marketing• Less intrusive than e-mail newsletters• Creates an appearance of authority due to online punditry• Offers an opportunity for a conversation instead of a lecture• Showcase professional’s intellect or wit, thus personalizing them to
potential clients• Stand out from your competition• A blog cuts through the PR, a forum for honest communication• Offers personality that websites do not have• Easy to update when breaking news occurs• Transparency• Makes lawyers seem more human and approachable
93
“Effective blogging can lead to many unexpected opportunities.”
– Niki Black, Sui Generis
94
Legal Blogging asYour Social Network Hub
• Blogs are the “content hubs” for all your social media work online• Set up one for each practice area, and/or each attorney• Demonstrate expertise, cover timely and controversial issues• Use Google Alerts and Alltop to start “microblogging”• Blogging, legal writing and microblogging as a graduate level thesis:
remain abreast of current news and developments in the law much like a graduate student publishing articles found on topic during a literature review
• Repost high quality, high-interest content produced by others (with credit) Establish your practice area expertise by sharing high quality content via online social networks
• The effect on those in your social networks• The effect on the legal blogger and microblogger
95
Surveying YourArea of Expertise
• Focus on a niche to set you apart
• Do your homework: read other blogs in your practice area
• The more focused your niche, the better your blog will work as a marketing tool
96
Blogging Topics,Titles and SEO
• Types of blog posts: referential andexperiential
• Re-posting material someone else has written• Offer lessons learned, recent successes,
announce seminars• Interviews, and reviews• Blogging subjects that allow narration on both
specific topics and areas of general interest• Blog posts crafted with key words• Blog posts crafted with a marketing message
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“Having your own blog is vital to effective law firm Internet marketing.”- Stephen Fairley,The Rainmaker Institute
98
Developing anOngoing System forCapturing Blog Topics
• Produce a stream of ongoing blog posts• Create a few months worth of blog titles at once
and fill in the blanks with breaking legal news and announcements
• Set up Alltop and Google alerts
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BloggingDo’s And Don’ts• Do embrace criticism • Do respond to comments in a timely manner• Don’t ignore your readers• Do give credit where credit is due• Don’t hide behind a pseudonym• Do commit for the long haul and post
consistently• Don’t overdo promotional copy
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JD Supra and SlideShare
• JD Supra – An open publishing and content distribution platform for legal professionals. Court filings, decisions, forms, articles, alerts, newsletters.
• SlideShare – A slide sharing service. Upload and share PowerPoint, Word and PDF documents.
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“In the online world, transparency is key.
This premium on transparency may be the
single greatest cultural shift that businesses
will face as they engage with social media.”- Paul Gillin
102
Social MediaMeasurement
• Feeling the shape of the elephant (influence, engagement)
• Monitoring and tracking activities
• Online tools for measurement
103
Social MediaGame Plan
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Social Media Plan:Step One
• Identify your firm’s competitive advantage• Identify networking targets• Start with a blog as your content hub
Start with:
Blog > LinkedIn > Twitter
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Social Media Plan:Step Two
• Increase online presence with: Legal OnRamp, Martindale Hubbell Connected, Facebook, Plaxo, Ning and free lawyer directories
• Thread blog and Twitter content into all available social media portals
• Increase social networks - quantify and quality
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Social Media Plan:Step Three
• Implement systems to achieve rapid and high volume social network growth
• Effectively use existing social networking groups• Identify needs and opportunities for new social
networking groups• Utilize administrative support to maintain high
level of participation and content sharing for constant awareness in various social networks
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Social MediaDo’s and Don’ts
• Do initiate new relationships online• Don’t keep LinkedIn professional and Facebook
private• Do keep your profile identity in mind• Don’t focus exclusively on self promotion• Do integrate social media activities of all lawyers
in the law firm• Don’t allow social media pages to die on the
vine
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“This is clearly the
direction where social
media campaigns are
headed – going beyond
simply having a
presence on key social
sites and also doing
something creative
that engages
customers with your
brand.”
- Adam Ostrow, Mashable
109109
Thank You!
Questions? Comments?Contact me:
Email: linkedinlawyerwebinars@gmail.comBlog: http://www.linkedinlawyer.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettlawofficesFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/barrettdavid
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/barrettdavid
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