Taking the Lead in Social Media Taking the Lead in Social Media Marketing for LawyersMarketing for Lawyers

oror“Social Media Marketing for Dummies”“Social Media Marketing for Dummies”

Presentation before GAWL Leadership Committee

March 10, 2009

Jackie Hutter, MS, JDChief IP Strategist

The Hutter Group LLC & Patent MatchmakerWebsite 1: www.JackieHutter.com

Website 2: www.PatentMatchMaker.comBlog: www.ipAssetMaximizer.com

Follow me on Twitter: @ipStrategistBlip.fm DJ JackieHutter

Why Social Media Marketing Why Social Media Marketing (SM) for Lawyers?(SM) for Lawyers?

Alternative to traditional law firm marketing◦ People send business to lawyers they trust and/or know

through reputation Web marketing is no different

◦ Can make significant and valuable connections with potential clients and referral sources from comfort of own home

Far lower cost to potentially reach many people◦ Small firms/solos can develop significant presence on web

without much investment◦ Many large firms are late adopters

As law firms increasingly fail and downsize, important to build own brand◦ Reputation is portable

25% of Americans today go online for legal information◦ Likely to grow significantly◦ If you post relevant information, people will seek you out

Quote from Vickie Pynchon, Quote from Vickie Pynchon, Esq. about SM MarketingEsq. about SM Marketing “Blogging has raised my profile locally, nationally

and internationally.  I have been retained to mediate cases pending in foreign countries; have been hired to provide training to Fortune 500 companies out of state; and, have been quoted in national news outlets solely as a result of the reputation I’ve developed as a negotiation and IP ADR blogger.  I have also made friends and gathered legal blogging colleagues around me who have become a vital part of my work, my life, and my business network.  I frankly cannot imagine how impoverished my life and my ADR practice would be without the benefits of blogging and other social networking activities, including twitter and social network sites like ning.  Professional networking on the internet is collaborative, reciprocal and deeply rewarding.”

My Journey into SM MarketingMy Journey into SM Marketing

Key Takeaway from My Key Takeaway from My SM Marketing JourneySM Marketing JourneySuccess in Social

Media marketing is a process not an event◦ But this is true for all

legal marketing effortsNot enough to just

show up, you have to participate◦ More is more

My journey continues◦ Wherever I am, I am

not yet there

First Step to Any SM First Step to Any SM Marketing Program Marketing Program Decide whether you would rather

hire someone to design and implement your SM program for you◦Huge number of SM marketing

experts Many legally focused

Even if someone assists, you still will have to provide content◦Significant commitment required

Second Step to Any SM Second Step to Any SM Marketing ProgramMarketing Program

Set up a Google Alerts for your name & your law firm◦What and who is talking about you◦http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&gl

=usAlso good for monitoring blogs that

discuss subjects in which you are developing expert status

Ex: My Alerts 1x’s a day Patent Strategy Intellectual Property Strategy Jackie Hutter My blog: ipAssetMaximizer.com

Elements of a SM Marketing Elements of a SM Marketing ProgramProgramBlogsBlog commentsLinkedInTwitterContent Marketing

◦JD Supra◦Ezine articles

FacebookOthers

Why So Many Options?Why So Many Options?The key to success in Web 2.0

world is getting your name out there in your chosen niche◦SEO◦Page ranks in your niche

Jackie Hutter “IP Strategy” http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=jackie+h

utter&aq=0&oq=jackie+hutt Jessica Harper “lawyer”

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=jessica+harper+lawyer+atlanta

◦Use same content over and over in different locations to boost visibility Tweak for use in various contexts

BlogsBlogsMillions of blogs in the worldNot as many legal blogs because

lawyers tend to be late adopters of new technology

Great opportunity to establish a presence on the web with premium content◦Become a recognized expert in legal

nicheDistinguish from advertising

◦Like being published in bar magazine on a regular basis

BlogsBlogsMy story: www.ipAssetMaximizer.comTruly niche area of IP business strategy“Expert” blog

◦ Takes me about 4 hours for each post Sometimes more

◦ Ranked in searches as more substantive because I have original content As opposed to aggregation

Not large readership, but high influence◦ Looking to hire blog marketing organization

www.lexblog.comBiggest challenge with blog is time takes

to write◦ Can collaborate to lessen commitment◦ Note: found easier to start because I have

been reading blogs for several years

Blog CommentsBlog CommentsCommenting can be great way to

enhance web presence◦ Indexed on web and attributable to you if

under your own name (or traceable alias)◦ Crowdsourcing for journalists

Comments have to be substantive and relevant to your expertise

Can gain significant credibility as expert in chosen subject◦ Ex: I was recently contacted by Business

Week about a comment I made Will appear on BusinessWeek.com soon which will

be highly ranked on “importance” Perpetuates my Web-based reputation

LinkedInLinkedInwww.LinkedIn.com

◦ Over 8 million members Over 200K lawyers as of November 2008

Conservative estimate

◦ Many people not on at all or have only a couple of connections

Provides single source of online visibility◦ Continuous source of connection

Independent of current jobResume/cv checker

More reliable when public?Everything you wanted to know about

using LinkedIn as a lawyer◦ http://linkedinlawyer.blogspot.com/

+/- of LinkedIn (IMHO)+/- of LinkedIn (IMHO)

What I Like What I Don’t Like

Can find people easily Central place to put info about

me◦ Business information◦ Resume◦ Automatically posts blog updates

Can enhance reputation◦ Answer questions◦ Presentations◦ “What am I doing”

Can find collaborators for projects◦ “Everyone is a free agent”

Emerging high level jobs board◦ Low cost source of employees

more likely to move or work virtually

Has become crowded◦ Specialness hard to extract◦ Lots of foreign users,

especially in networks No peer review

◦ Not reputation based, promotion based

◦ Answers often wrong, but no way to call out

Increasingly requires substantial effort to extract value◦ Hearing that lawyers have

admins to mine for info and keep updated

◦ Better for those with marketing professionals?

TwitterTwitter“Microblog”

◦All entries in 140 characters or lessMore personal form of SM Requires continuous updating

◦Once a day at a minimum◦Multiple times a day better

Develop relationships with people based upon Tweets

Many applications to make easier and more valuable to use

TwitterTwitter Value Proposition for Lawyers

◦ Can gain immediate expertise by asking a general question or sending a direct message People very happy to give info

◦ Focused niche information Find content aggregators Learn about issues your clients may be facing by tracking

linked urls◦ Clients get better served by immediately connecting

the client's lawyer with a needed lawyer in unfamiliar jurisdiction almost immediately Great source of reciprocal referrals

◦ Meet business associates and prospective clients on Twitter who arguably are in a higher demographic group and more innovative than the general business population. Early adopters more likely to respond to new marketing

techniques like Twitter◦ Greater interaction likely leads to greater enjoyment

of legal practice

TwitterTwitterCan be confusing when starting

◦Think of as “virtual watercooler”IMO numbers not as important as

content◦My “Twitter grade” very high even

though I don’t have huge # of “followers”Fact that people select you

effectively makes Twitter peer reviewed

Keys to success◦Get Retweets◦Gain followers◦Make personal contacts

TwitterTwitter IMHO Twitter is the greatest source of personal

marketing today◦ “Networking on steroids”◦ People hire and recommend those whose name

they recognize and trust as expert @Labor_Lawyer posts news and views on employment law

Followed by HR people at Fortune 500 companies

Relatively few lawyers on Twitter as compared to other professions◦ Still time to stake a claim, especially in niche area

Auxiliary benefits◦ “Tweetups”◦ Drive traffic to your blog◦ Publicize news◦ Learn about new tools to make work and life easier

and less expensive◦ Find like-minded people in far-flung places

TwitterTwitterSources of information

◦Lextweet http://www.lextweet.com/tweeters Legal Index

◦Justia Legal Birds http://legalbirds.justia.com/ Legal Rankings

◦Basic guides http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/

2009/02/to-twitter-or-not-to-twitter-t.html http://www.10e20.com/blog/2009/02/06/

twitter-for-lawyers-legal-professionals/

FacebookFacebookPlace for people to

◦Communicate◦Update◦Collaborate via groups

Still evolving into a product◦Likely to be very different product in a year

IMO, I look at as place to engage socially◦Wish to keep personal friends separate

from business friends◦Ways do exist to wall off personal from

business◦Might want to investigate because good for

search engine rankings

Content MarketingContent Marketing JD Supra http://www.jdsupra.com/

◦ “Give content, get noticed” Legally focus and directed toward consumer of

legal services Place to post content to boost search engine

rankings as legal expert◦ Ex: court filings, articles, memos etc.

Free and paid options Founded by former Yahoo folks, so know how to

get SEO and page ranks I create documents from blog posts and load as JD

Supra content RSS to Twitter Great customer service

◦ Communicate with founder on Twitter

Content MarketingContent MarketingEzine Articles

http://www.ezinearticles.com/Less legally focused, more

toward general audience◦But does boost SEO and page ranks

Free and paidRepackage my blog postsRSS to Twitter

Other Emerging SM Other Emerging SM Marketing Sources for Marketing Sources for Lawyers and OthersLawyers and Others Law Marketing Groups

◦ http://lawmarketing.ning.com/ Professional Women’s Groups

◦ http://pwnscal.ning.com/◦ We need one in Atlanta!

LinkedIn Groups Specialty expert and niche sites

◦ Forbes.com◦ Toolbox.com

Friendfeed.com http://friendfeed.com/◦ Helps you discover and discuss interesting stuff that your

friends and family find on the web Slideshare http://slideshare.com Music social sites

◦ Blip.fm http://blip.fm/

Parting ThoughtParting ThoughtYes, the Web 2.0 world is confusing and

time consuming!Don’t assume that tools you use today

will be there in future◦ Web is continually evolving

But if you don’t jump in, you can never be part of this world◦ Increasingly important if law firms not

dominant form of legal service provider in future

Your reputation belongs to you, so best not to rely on others solely to develop and maintain your online reputation◦ Ok, to hire a Web 2.0 marketer to assist you