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Making the Case: Social Media for Attorneys
NATHAN DEVAULT
[email protected]/ndevault
www.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault
AT A GLANCE• Founded in 1985
• Certified M/WBE (local and state)
• 18 employees
• More than 375 awards
• Clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies
Self Promotion
15-20• As little as 15 to 20 years ago, the
options for self promotion were limited:–Advertising‣Newspaper ads‣Yellow pages‣Radio ‣Television
–Public Relations ‣Media relations ‣Community relations
Advertising vs. Public Relations• Advertising:
–Allows you to control the message–Requires frequency, frequency, frequency –Is expensive –Is heavily regulated in the legal profession
• Public Relations:–Offers 3rd party credibility –Is inexpensive when compared to advertising –Is more widely accepted among professional
services
Public Relations and Social Media• Similarities:
–Neither can be completely controlled–Both involve sharing information –Both offer 3rd party credibility
• Differences:–PR is more effective if it is initiated by
someone else–Social media has to be done by the
individual
SOCIAL MEDIA IS HERE TO STAY
It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. Terrestrial TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users. The internet took four years to reach 50 million people. In less than nine months, Facebook added
100 million users.- Erik Qualman
Socialnomics.net, published August 11, 2009
“”
Here’s Why:Growing Market Opportunity
“Grown Up Digital”
• 77 million Baby Boomers(born 1946-1964) =23% U.S. population
• 81.1 million Gen Y/Millenials(born 1977-1997) =27% U.S. population
• “Echoing” effect =largest swell in U.S. population
BabyBoomers
GenY/millenials
NEW WAYS TO COMMUNICATE• 70% – social media web sites• 68% – corporate sites• 45% – share content via social media
Where consumers get information:
For the first time, social networking has surpassed e-mail (67% vs. 65%).*Source: Nielson
70%
45%
68%
• Information sharing via Facebook surpasses e-mail
Is Social Media a Match for You?• Depends on …
–Comfort level and enjoyment of social media–Type of law practice (consumer vs. corporate)–Time commitment–How open you are to sharing information
• Women Rule–Did you know women outnumber men in the
social media landscape?–Based on the statistical data of the most popular
social networks, women users outnumbered men in almost every case
WHY GET INVOLVED?
Benefits of Social Media• Build your practice:
–Offers genuine interaction with clients/potential clients
–Increases your online presence and web traffic–Build better connections with other attorneys–Learn and share information–Establishes you as an authority
Public Relations and Social Media
48%52%
48% of in-house counsel have joined an online social network52% have not
59%41%
59% of lawyers have joined an online social network41% of lawyers have not
Benefits of Social Media• Build your presence:
–75% of journalists start research online–Bypass media “gatekeepers”–Create advocates–Crisis management–Community relations
Social Media Isn’t• Traditional marketing “digitized”• Easy opportunity for new business• Free• Stand alone
Photo credit: Alejandrooo !http://www.flickr.com/photos/44858457@N00
Social Media Is• Conversational (e.g., not “100% polished”)• Strategic• Valuable … when done correctly
Photo credit: g-hathttp://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat
It’s all about getting information out there, providing good backgrounders on the key areas of our practice. The rule of thumb I developed is that if I would have provided a certain amount of information during an initial consultation without fee, I just put all of that information online.
- Gary Wise of Wise Law Officewiselaw.blogspot.com
Quoted from LawPRO (December 2009 issue)
“”
Social Media ChartSocial Media Chart
WHERE TO BEGIN
Questions to Ask• Who are you trying to reach?• How are they using social media?• What are people saying?• Where are they saying it?• Are they talking about you?
• Develop a plan for staying in front of clients and potential clients based on this research
Based on the Research• Choose the right tools• Create interesting, helpful content (think
information – not selling)• Cultivate influencers• Promote others• Share, share, share
Photo credit: bategahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat
Join LinkedIn• Social Network geared toward professionals that
allows you to “meet” other people through on online bio
• Join professional groups, answer questions related to your field and expertise
• Showcase references• Post presentations (e.g., SlideShare) • Good for corporate lawyers looking to make
professional contacts (in-house counsel, referral sources)
Tips to Maximize LinkedIn• If you have a good result for a client, ask for a
recommendation • Join a group• Start a discussion • Ask a question • Connect with clients, prospects and business
contacts
Develop a Blog• A self-published online journal
(blogger.com or wordpress.com) that can be used to present:– Timely articles that clients may find
interesting– Commentary on issues or national cases– Information on community
involvement– Virtually anything related to your
interests and practice
• 77% of all active internet users regularly read blogs
“I think that personal views (kept to a professional level) are best because that’s the beauty of social media. You have the ability to put out your thoughts on cases,
and the area of law that you enjoy in a way that personalizes you for clients.”
- Christopher G. Hill, LEED AP Attorney at DuretteBradshaw PLC
Construction Law Musings
“”
Facebook• Social networking site focused on building online
communities of people who share interests and activities – Becoming more widely used for commercial networking (fan
pages and company pages)– Good way to stay top of mind among friends and associates– Provides a forum to share real, current information about
you and your practice– Can repost blogs and promote webinars, educational or
charitable events – Personal vs. professional, or blend of the two– Ultimately driving traffic to your blog and web site
If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth most populated place in
the world. - Erik Qualman
Socialnomics.net, published August 11, 2009
The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females.
“”
A few people I knew as far back as high school are now human resources managers
or directors who are looking for an employment lawyer.
- Stuart E. Rudner Attorney at Miller Thompson LLP
Quoted from LawPRO (December 2009 issue)
“”
Twitter (twitter.com/yourusername)
• A free micro-blogging service that enables users to send brief messages (140 characters) to followers who have signed up to receive them–Fastest way to drive people to your blog–Share pertinent articles and information with
shortened URL links (tinyurl.com)–Can “follow” relevant sources and experts–Tweet about news relating to your
community, practice areas and the legal profession
Twitter (twitter.com/yourusername)
• Tweetdeck.com–Organizes your contacts
and tweets as well as offers search functions (e.g., estate planning, divorce, etc.)
• Tweetfeed.com–Creates instant tweets of
your blog entries
“”
The best thing about Twitter is that it provides me with a large group of friends, professional acquaintances, some total strangers and some technology superstars who all voluntarily serve as a clipping service for me with links to news
articles, blog posts and more.- Jim Calloway, Director of the Oklahoma Bar Association
Management Assistance ProgramQuoted from his article, “Can a Lawyer Really Use
Twitter to Market a Law Practice?”
OTHER USEFUL TOOLS
Additional Resources• Martindalehubbell.com/connected
– Free global online network for legal professionals ‣Linked to MH database ‣Enables expansion of professional referral network‣Share expertise globally‣Contribute to blogs and forums
• Legallyminded.com– Social network for lawyers set up by the American Bar
Association‣Offers social networking tools‣User generated content including articles and news‣Engage with peers via blogs, wikis, chats and
discussion groups
Additional Resources• Legalonramp.com
–Social network for general counsel and in-house lawyers–Offers discussion boards and search functions–Corporations are using the site to hire outside attorneys
• Plaxo.com –Online address book and social networking service
with more than 40 million people
Getting Started: Five Steps
5• Step 1: Create measurable objectives
• Step 2: Research and listen
• Step 3: Choose the right tools
• Step 4: Create meaningful, real content
• Step 5: Stay with it, and measure what is working for you
Content is king - find your voice
People don’t connect with ‘firms’ or engage with ‘firms.’ They engage
with individuals and hire individuals. Therefore, you want to always
represent your own views, not those of the firms.
- Susan Cartier LibelFounder of Solo Practice University
“”
THE BENEFITS TO YOU
You can become part of a community that will both add to your
professional knowledge and expand your professional world.”
- Scott E. Greenfield Criminal defense lawyer
Blawger for Simple Justice
“”
“”
Lawyers who look to social media for purposes like writing, educating,
engaging in discourse and building relationships are likely to have the
most success.- Carolyn Elefant, attorney and blogger for law.com, founder of MyShingle.com
Author of How to be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be and Social Media for Lawyers (spring 2010 publication)
Nathan [email protected]
www.twitter.com/ndevaultwww.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault
Doreen [email protected]
www.twitter.com/doreenohttp://www.linkedin.com/in/doreenoverstreet