Social networking

December 5, 2008

• Internet Marketing for Attorneys - Speed Counts, Part 2

  As addressed in my previous post, Internet marketing for attorneys and lawyers demands speed.  Working with speed provides momentum, allows for testing and "failing fast," and allows one to keep up with the tidal wave of social media and new media that is affecting lawyers with dizzying rapidity. (…)

November 24, 2008

• Social Media Marketing for Attorneys an Oversight Nightmare?

  Does the intersection of social media and internet marketing for attorneys and lawyers create management and oversight headaches for law firms?  Last week, I moderated a panel discussion at the Utah State Bar's Fall Forum on new media, social media, social networking and e-marketing.  Following the panel, an attendee who works in IT and knowledge management confided in me that services like Twitter and Facebook would create nightmares of logistical control from the standpoint of overseeing lawyers' content, controlling the expression of opinion, maintaining continuity of a company or law firm's marketing message, and maintaining control of branding.  Thus, the attendee was not a proponent of having those within his company participate in social media. (…)

November 10, 2008

• "Social" Marketing for Attorneys through Holiday Gifts

  With the Holiday Season fast approaching, law firms should consider the role of Holiday gifts in marketing for attorneys.  Okay, so Holiday gifts may not qualify as social media, new media, or social networking - depending upon the nature of the gift.  However, the power of giving gifts during the Holiday Season should not be overlooked. (…)

November 7, 2008

• Internet Marketing for Attorneys Begins with Tracking

  In Internet marketing for attorneys and lawyers, tracking and testing are key.  If you are not tracking and testing your results online, you are not taking full advantage of the power of the Internet.  The same is true for social marketing and social networking for attorneys: tracking your efforts is the only way to know if they are having any effect. (…)

November 1, 2008

• Are Teleseminars Part of "New Media" Marketing for Attorneys?

  Where do teleseminars or teleconferences fit into the new media marketing for attorneys world of webinars, webcasts, streaming video, blogs, and social networking?  Are teleseminars simply an "old" technology that should be jettisoned for more glitzy, high-tech platforms like VoIP? (…)

October 30, 2008

• Is Blogging a Dangerous Form of Marketing for Attorneys?

  While an October 28, 2008 post in the Am Law Daily warns that blogging can have dangerous implications for job searches, there is an implication that it could also be dangerous as a form of marketing for attorneys.  The post recounts the example of a spouse of a law student who listed in a blog the cities in which the couple was interested in living.  The law student had interviewed at the law firm of Bryan Cave, but the spouse's blog failed to include the city where Bryan Cave is located as one of the cities in which the couple was interested. (…)

October 26, 2008

• Is Social Media Incompatible with Billable Hours?

  While social media and social networking seem like promising marketing vehicles for the general public, their utility for attorneys in a system of billable hours could seemingly be less obvious.  After all, many attorneys live their lives in six-minute increments and constantly have to watch the clock in order to provide value to their clients.  Lawyers are uncommonly busy, and within the billable hour system, they often have relatively uninterrupted focus and a "steel trap" mind in churning out legal work. (…)

October 24, 2008

• Should "Retweeting" Be One of Your Marketing Tools?

  Attorneys who use Twitter as part of their marketing strategy should consider "retweeting" when it makes sense.  In an excellent post from earlier this year (http://bloggingbits.com/the-art-and-science-of-retweeting-for-twitteraholics/), AJ Vaynerchuk describes the mechanics and strategy of retweeting.  To "retweet," you re-post to your own followers a tweet (or post) that was broadcast by someone else.  This is usually done by taking a tweet, clicking "reply" to that post (which will start a new post that begins with "@" the name of the original poster), typing "Retweet" or "RT" before or after the name of the original poster, copying the original post into the retweet, and providing some commentary on the original tweet. (…)

October 23, 2008

• Is Social Media or E-Mail a Better Marketing Tool?

  Social media is still in its early stages as a marketing platform for law firms.  According to a recent study performed by Ball State University and ExactTarget, as reported by Digital Response Media, e-mail is still more effective than social media in influencing purchases and buying behavior of those between the ages of 18 and 34.  In addition, although teenagers are the heaviest users among all age groups using social networking, teenagers are more influenced by email marketing and direct mail than any other group. (…)

October 22, 2008

• Is Marketing for Attorneys through Blogging Still Viable?

  An October 20, 2008 article in Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/16-11/st_essay) suggests indirectly that marketing for attorneys should no longer include blogging in its mix.  Entitled "Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004," the article suggests that one should no longer write or start a blog.  According to the article, the blogosphere is flooded with mediocre content, and blogs supposedly have a tough time gaining followers.  Thus, Jason Calacanis, who apparently made millions in blogging, recently decided to stop blogging because the medium had become too impersonal and too large. (…)

October 19, 2008

• The Internet Marketing for Attorneys Mindset

  Whether it's Internet marketing for attorneys or more traditional marketing for attorneys, there is a mindset that one needs to have. (…)

October 8, 2008

• Vanderbilt and Marketing for Attorneys, Part III

  In the third and final installment of the series, this post examines the example of Vanderbilt University's recruiting efforts as they relate to marketing for attorneys.  While attracting new work and new clients is a key element of marketing for attorneys, another important element is attracting talented lawyers to a law firm.  The Vanderbilt View article that I reference in my two previous posts notes that the younger generation is especially receptive to new media and comfortable with using it.  Thus, the Vanderbilt admissions department is using new media to attract candidates who will be a good fit with the school.  For example, admissions officials sometimes respond to questions on the College Confidential website. (…)

October 5, 2008

• Vanderbilt and Marketing for Law Firms, Part I

  Is there a connection between Vanderbilt University and marketing for law firms?  In addition to a stunning college football victory today over Auburn, Vanderbilt has been a pioneer in the use of social media.  (My father teaches physics at Vandy, so I am biased in favor of Vandy football and basketball).  A September 2008 article in Vanderbilt View (Vandy social media article) quotes Vandy's associate director of the Vanderbilt News Service and director of Web communications as noting that the concept of a "conversation" is key in social media, and that the old idea of just putting out news is outdated.  Communication must be a two-way street, and there is an expectation that both sides will be able to share their viewpoints. (…)

October 4, 2008

• Marketing for Attorneys and Social Media Presence

  Having a presence in social media has become a necessary component in marketing for attorneys.  In a September 25, 2008 press release from Cone, the Boston-based strategy and communications agency provided the results of the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study and noted that 60 percent of those in the United States use social media.  Of those 60 percent, 59% use social media Internet sites, and 25% use such sites more than one time per week. (…)

October 2, 2008

• Marketing for Attorneys and LinkedIn

  Social networking is playing a larger and larger role in the world of marketing for attorneys.  A September 22, 2008 article in the Wisconsin Law Journal explores how attorneys in Wisconsin are using LinkedIn in their marketing and client development efforts.  The article profiles the Milwaukee law firm of Davis & Kuelthau s.c., where approximately 70% of the lawyers have joined LinkedIn.  One of the partners at that firm asked two clients to connect with him on LinkedIn, with the result that they did so and sent him two new matters. (…)

September 20, 2008

• Do-It-Yourself Social Networks for Lawyers

  Another TechCrunch post profiled a website called twittermoms.com.  According to that post, Twitter should consider establishing "groups."  On Facebook and LinkedIn, members can join groups in areas of interest.  The post notes that twittermoms.com has only been in existence for about 15 days, but that it already has around 5,000 daily users. (…)

September 17, 2008

• Marketing for Attorneys and Audio Indexing

  Today's good news in the marketing for attorneys world is that Google announced the launch of audio indexing.  Part of Google labs, and called GAudi, audio indexing works with YouTube and catalogs the words mentioned during an audio or video clip.  The transcript then becomes part of a database that can be searched: according to Google, you can "[s]earch what people are saying inside YouTube videos."  GAudi is currently in beta form and only indexes video and audio related to politicians or politics.  Thus, GAudi has a large Barack Obama section and a smaller John McCain section.  Although there is not yet a Sarah Palin section, I wouldn't be surprised to see one in the near future. (…)

September 5, 2008

• Marketing for Attorneys using Web 2.0?

  Have the fields of marketing for attorneys and internet marketing for attorneys embraced Web 2.0 methods?  According to a report in the ABA Journal Law News Now, most lawyers have been slow to adopt Web 2.0 in their practices: http://tinyurl.com/5fwgrv. (…)

August 30, 2008

• Facebook Pages as Marketing for Attorneys?

  Facebook has become dominant in the area of social networking, but does it have a role in marketing for attorneys?  While Facebook profiles are generally limited (in theory) to individuals, Facebook "pages" are intended for businesses and can be used by law firms.  In fact, some law firms have already set up pages on Facebook.  One such law firm is New York City-based Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.  As of today when I looked, Curtis Mallet had 90 "fans" on its Facebook page.  Curtis Mallet's Facebook page appears to focus on recruiting of attorneys, showing the summer associate class, interview schedules at law schools, information on diversity, awards and rankings, and assessments from former summer associates. (…)

May 19, 2008

• Facebook for Lawyers

  On May 13, 2008, I interviewed Mari Smith in a Utah Bar-sponsored teleseminar about how lawyers can use Facebook as a client development tool; Mari is one of the leading experts on the use of Facebook for marketing and business purposes.  If you're not already a Facebook user, I recommend that you add Facebook (www.facebook.com/profile.php) to your legal marketing mix.  In the world of social networking and web 2.0, becoming an active Facebook user is becoming more and more important.