Creating and Maximizing An Online Presence

An exclusive presentation for members of the

Let’s Quickly Re-examine the Purpose of Creating and Maximizing Your Online Presence

Help potential clients FIND you

Help CONVERT an online visitor into a client

Break down standard barriers to entry of client/attorney relationship. FEARS: costs, lack of client understanding law, desire to establish trust/credibility

Help members of the Beverly Hills Bar Association monitor what is being said about their industry and area of practice, as well as professional “personal brand”

Previous Methods Members of the Beverly Hills Bar Association May Have Utilized to Maximize Their

Presence in the Greater Los Angeles Area The emerging online channels still allow Lawyers to utilize the traditional methods, which have proven to be successful in obtaining clients.

Referrals. Peer to peer (accountants, other lawyers, doctors) alumni associations, inbound leads from website, networking, client referrals.

Online solution: Facebook, Linkedin, Yelp.

Print mediums—Advertisement in local papers, phonebooks, billboards, direct mail.

Online Solution: Blogger outreach, Twitter, Facebook.

Anyone ever filmed a commercial? Online Solution: Youtube

IMPORTANT: Social Media Myths Debunked

MYTH: Lawyers don’t need social media. ALL marketing requires Top of the Mind

Awareness. In the online space, TOMA comes from creating and maximizing your online presence through:

Facebook Google Profiles Linkedin Yelp Twitter Blogging

Not all two channels were created equal

Although there is some overlap between social media usage, i.e potential clients that use Facebook may also use Linkedin, this is not ALWAYS the case. For this reason, you need to diversify your channels then over a 3-6 month period of time examine which of the channels is the most effective in establishing your online presence AND obtaining clients as a result of your efforts.

Twitter

Blog

FB

Linkedin

Yelp

Google Let’s start with

something simple. Google alerts.

Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

How to set up a Google Alert Let’s go to:

http://www.google.com/alerts

Under search terms, lets put your name or the name of your firm and the area of law you specialize in.

Once a day alerts are fine.

Enter email address.

Google Profile

Information that gets included in your Google profile is your photo, an introduction, your occupation as well as links to your other social profiles.

How to Create One for Yourself

https://profiles.google.com/ Sign in with your Gmail

account If you don’t have one, that is ok. It is

easy to make one and they are free. TIP: Additional way to utilize your Google

Profile to maximize your online presence Click on the link option, this is where you can put your website url, Facebook business page and other

profile links that you create.

Back to Facebook Business Profile

Now that we have set you up on Google Alerts and a Google Profile, let’s take a look at Facebook.

Facebook myths debunked Do I have to update my business page Facebook status every hour?

No, as a matter of fact, you may only need to update your status 1-2 per day. It’s not quantity, it’s quality. Developing the quality takes a little bit of time and patience but it can be done.

TIP: The majority of individuals marketing their business (58%) are using social media for 6 hours or more each week, and more than a third (34%) invest 11 or more hours weekly.  Unsurprisingly, those who invest more time reap greater rewards.

**Statistics from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2011/

Another Facebook Myth Social media marketing should not require

much time. FALSE Implementing an under-funded marketing

plan is just as bad as not using any marketing plan at all because of the Law of 7 Touches

It takes 7 to 10 meaningful touches to move someone through the sales process to get them to the point where they are ready to buy from you.** 

**Source http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2011/

The Lesson of a “Like” Per Facebook.com: When you click "Like" on a Page,

you are making a connection. The connection will be displayed in your profile and on your Wall and your friends may receive a News Feed story about the connection. The Page may also post content into your News Feed or send you messages. You may also share this connection with applications on the Facebook Platform.

More information on Facebook for business

http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=721

Ways to obtain Facebook Likes Great resource for social media articles inclusive of Facebook and

other channels is the SocialMediaExaminer.com http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-ways-to-grow-your-facebook

-page-following/

Easy ways: comment on blog posts, newspaper articles. Place the url

of your Facebook business page in the comments section. Add your social website links inclusive of Facebook to your email

signature. Option: Wisestamp** can only be used in Mozilla Firefox. http://www.wisestamp.com/first-steps/?utm_source=extension

Here is an instructional video for adding your icons using Outlook:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz4EBW8H-cU&feature=related

What exactly are social icons?

Increasing Engagement through your Facebook Business Page

Question: How do I increase the amount of people that come across my Facebook business page without having the same, redundant status on my profile everyday, week?

Answer: Now that we have set up Google alerts for your firm and industry, perhaps you come across a relevant blog post that already exists, one that may be applicable to your potential clients. Post the link to the blog on your Facebook business page wall then comment

as to why you are sharing it. What is its significance?

Creating and Maximizing Facebook Presence

Using your Business Page Facebook wall, you can also:

Share networking events that you may be going to. As you experience your own use of this social media space,

share a tip with your Facebook fans about what has helped you.

List any charitable organizations or causes you may support. Like other business pages then invite them to like yours. Ask former clients to write a testimonial about your firm on

your Facebook business page wall.

Facebook myths debunked one last time

How do I make time to post and more importantly, post updates at reasonable times so that my potential clients will see?

The three biggest usage spikes tend to occur on weekdays at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET.

The biggest spike occurs at 3:00 p.m. ET on weekdays.

Weekday usage is pretty steady, however Wednesday at 3:00 pm ET is consistently the busiest period.

Fans are less active on Sunday compared to all other days of the week.

**Statistics from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2011/

The Jury is Out

The moral of the story is, put yourself in the clients seat.

HOMEWORK—check out your personal friends Facebook profiles. Do you interact with any status updates? Ask yourself why or why not? Take a personal survey.

Has anyone else asked you to Like their Facebook page? If so, why did you Like it?

Write these answers down then think about them as you create your own content engagement strategy.

Recap on Facebook The site has the most active amount of users,

600 million people that spend 700 billion minutes on Facebook each month.

Now that you have a Facebook business profile, let’s help continue to maximize its online visibility by placing it into your Linkedin profile.

Reminder--you may also go back and add it to your Google profile as well.

**Statistics from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2011/

LINKEDIN-Relationships Matter

Linkedin currently has over 100 million users and is used strictly for business networking.

The site averages 1 new user per second.

Linkedin can be an additional place where you list your business Facebook page and website to drive traffic back there.

Getting Started is Simple Go to http://www.linkedin.com Let’s create some basic info.

Name, website url, Facebook url, Law School affiliations.

What associations are you involved in?

Under summary, answer: what made you go into this area of law?

TIP--Your practice is a product—it’s time to think of the compelling brand features behind it and promote those.

Other benefits of using Linkedin

Online networking with those you know and those you don’t.

Identify several professions or industries that already have trusted relationships with your target market and connect with them as referral sources.

Free Linkedin Help

http://learn.linkedin.com/ GREAT RESOURCE: Linkedin New User

guide http://learn.linkedin.com/new-users/

We’ll touch on Twitter

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People write short updates, often called "Tweets" of 140 characters or fewer.

Follow Twitter on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543

Watch the stream of updates, read a few of the interactions and posts.

GRADUATION-Don’t sign up for Twitter…yet. Read this first: http://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics/topics/104-welcome-to-twitter-support/articles/215585-twitter-101-how-should-i-get-started-using-twitter

Sharing is Caring Twitter is a great mechanism for you to

maximize you online presence: Facebook Business Page Linkedin Profile Twitter Profile BLOG Profile

The Business of Blogging

Blogger: Free, user friendly, owned by Google

Wordpress: Content Management System, Enhanced features for Search Engine Optimization, Posts can auto-published.

What Does All Of This Really Mean?

Reference material: Blogger vs Wordpress http://www.professorbeej.com/2010/05/post-mortem-blogger-vs-wordpress.html

Try these 40 blogging action items courtesy of Margie Clayman, social media proof that sharing (someone else’s content) is caring. http://www.margieclayman.com/1-month-40-blogging-action-items

Ways to continue maximizing your online presence The weight of the online world

(Twitter, Blogging, Facebook, Yelp) does not have to be on your shoulders. Work with a social media strategist through individual consulting or group training sessions to improve your abilities.

Contact Jaclyn Mullen Media about our packages

www.jaclynmullenmedia.com (310) 254-7781

info@jaclynmullenmedia.com

jennifer@jaclynmullenmedia.com

About Jaclyn Mullen Media

Jaclyn Mullen Media provides a wide range of services including individual consultations, workshops and monthly retainer options.

Jaclyn Mullen Media Offerings Group sessions are available. Simply organize 5 or more

attorneys and Jaclyn Mullen Media will bring our social media simplified programs to your office. Evenings and weekends available, two week advanced notice required. Sessions are 2 hours, $150.00 per person (group of 5), $125.00 per person (groups of 6-10).

4 one-hour consulting sessions: $599.00

8 one-hour consulting sessions (maximum 2 per week): $999.00 Please email info@jaclynmullenmedia to discuss which option

may be the best fit for your online presence.