By ESQCoach, Terrie S. Wheeler
www.MarketYourLawPractice.com
Email: TWheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
My last post examined ways to measure marketing return on investment under the second pillar of marketing– Attracting New Clients and Developing New Business. This post will explore measuring marketing ROI under the third pillar, Increasing Name Recognition and Awareness. This is an area of marketing where it is very easy to spend lots of money (buying advertising, hiring public relations firms, or attending tradeshows), so carefully measuring your return is particularly important. Below are listed Pillar III marketing strategies and their corresponding ROI measurement techniques.
Advertising (Print and Web-based)
Considering the generally high costs associated with advertising, it is important to make sure that your advertising dollars are truly well spent. While you may like to think that your advertising helped you to land that new client, you can’t be sure unless you ask. Check in with new clients and ask why they hired your firm. If they cite specific advertising as one of the reasons they hired the firm, your advertising has resulted in measurable ROI!
Another simple way to determine whether your advertising works is to include a call to action in your ad (such as registering for a seminar). You can also determine if your advertising works by seeing if there is higher name recognition of your firm in the marketplace based on independent market
research. Finally, if you are using web-based advertising, monitor your search engine rankings to see if they improve.
Branding and Identity
Developing professional, cohesive identity and branding materials for your firm is a smart investment. Your materials should include a logo,
letterhead, brochures, and website that, when viewed together, are consistent and have the sa
me strong visual identity. Done correctly, your materials will result in a higher level of professionalism conveyed through your firm’s brand and resulting identity materials that will generate complimentsfrom clients, contacts and referral sources. You will know your branding and consistency has paid off when your firm “becomes known” in the marketplace for some element of its branding or identity.
Public Relations
We all know that, generally speaking, publicity for your firm is a good thing. But how can you measure the ROI of such an intangible marketing function? If you have an article written about your firm in a local or national publication, or if you appear on the radio or television, check the media outlet’s advertising rates. Multiply the cost of placing an ad of similar length by 3 or 4 to arrive at the approximate dollar value that the public relations “advertising” has been worth to your firm. Next, count the number of media impressions your firm made – how many people had the opportunity to see the article or hear the interview.
In a more general way, you can measure your public relations ROI by looking at how often the firm gets substantive content placed inpublicationswhich are read by A-level clients. Look at the number of news releases the firm proactively distributes each month and the number of bylined articles published per year by you or other professionals in your firm.
You can also measure your public relations ROI by examining the relationship between your firm and reporters. How many times in the last year have firm professionals been quoted in the press? How many reporters does each professional know and have a relationship with?
To learn more about effective public relations, see Tip #10 in my blog post, “Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy—Part III.”
Trade Shows
Participating in key trade shows in your area of expertise and within your community can be a great way to reach a focused group of potential clients. However, with your limited time and resources, it is important to only commit to those trade shows that generate the most ROI.
To measure the ROI of a participation in a trade show, look at the number of new client or referral source leads generated as a direct result of the firm’s participation in a trade show. Also, count the visitors who leave their card or ask for additional information and the number of your own firm professionals who participate in the event. If you or someone from your firm is a speaker at a trade show, it is likely that you were able to reach more potential clients. Finally, look honestly at your level of proactive follow up after the event. Are you truly reaching out to and connecting with the trade show participants?
Community Involvement
Volunteering in your community is the right thing to do. It can also be an opportunity to build your skills and your network. Is your firm taking advantage of this great professional and marketing opportunity?
To measure how well your firm is doing in its community involvement efforts, look at the number of professionals in your firm serving on non-profit boards and delivering pro bono work (hours per year).
Does your firm create an environment and culture where volunteerism is encouraged and rewarded? If your firm encourages its professionals to volunteer for organizations they are committed to and passionate about, your firm can become a community leader with a reputation for excellent and ethical work. While not every volunteer or board position will directly lead to new clients, it is important to stay consistently involved. Positive results may take time but community involvement is always rewarding!
To learn more about the importance of community involvement in your marketing efforts, read my blog post “Giving Back: Why Lawyers Need to Spend More Time Volunteering.”
Social Networking
Considering how recently online networking has developed, it’s astounding how pervasive it has become in such a short time. And it’s only growing! As you consider ways to market yourself and your practice, keep in mind that social networking allows you to communicate your key messages and make connections with people that you would likely never find using traditional methods.
Although social networking can seem amorphous, social networking can and does lead to the development of new relationship and clients. Tomaximize your social networking activities, participate actively in groups on several social networking sites. Be willing to share expertise and NOT use social networking to directly sell. Finally, spend time on each site at least once a week to update your profile or status, to contribute to conversation, or to post an informative article.
To learn more about the social networking for lawyers, see my blog post “A Lawyer’s Guide to Social Networking.”
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January 26, 2011
Posted by ESQCoach |
Advertising, Community Involvement, lawyer, Marketing Planning, Measuring the ROI of Marketing, Public Relations, Social Networking for Lawyers, Trade Shows |
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By ESQCoach, Terrie S. Wheeler
www.MarketYourLawPractice.com
Email: TWheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
What is Search Engine Optimization and Why is it Important?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website through organic searches on a search engine. Increasingly, potential clients are turning to the web to find legal services. To be competitive, your website must be found by potential clients when they search the internet using search engines like Google or Yahoo, or when they are surfing the blogosphere or social networking sites like LinkedIn. Learn more about SEO so that you can ensure that you are being “found” on the internet!
The Difference Between Paid and Organic Search Results
There are two types of results on search engines—paid results and organic, or natural, search results. Paid results are typically listed at the top of the search results or in a side bar and must pay a fee to the search engine for the listing when certain key words are used in the search. The most common type of paid result is the Pay Per Click, where the website pays the search engine every time someone clicks on the paid link.
In contrast, organic search results are generated by search engine crawlers that go through websites, scan their content, and then list the websites most relevant to the search term used. If your website is one of the first sites that comes up, it is more likely to be clicked on. Not only are these organic search results free to you and your website, but organic search results are clicked on much more frequently than paid search results.
How are Rankings Decided?
In order to make the most of organic searches and get more web traffic directed to your website, it is important that your site is ranked highly so that you are one of the first websites listed in the organic search. Search engines like Google rank your website based on relevance to the search term, which is determined by factors like the content on your site and the number of links to your website from other websites.
How To Search Engine Optimize Your Website
- Determine Your Key Words: Decide what search terms you want to be found under. For example, you may want to be highly ranked when someone searches for “Minneapolis patent attorney” in a Google search. Be sure to use words that your clients would know and use when creating a search, not legal jargon.
- Gauge the Competition: Do a search for your selected keyword and look at the top ten to twenty results. Do you think you can overtake them based on your site’s relevance and authority related to the search term? If not, you may want to experiment with another key word or search term.
- Work with your Web Developer: Once you’ve selected some key words you want to be found under using a search engine, work with your web developer or technical support to ensure the terms are used in the page content, the metatags, page titles, and page descriptions. If you are in the process of creating a website, be sure to work with the copywriter or content creator to ensure that key words and terms are drafted into the site content from the beginning.
- Build Inbound Links: The more websites that link to your website, the higher your ranking will be because search engines see such links as a recommendation or referral to your site. You can use hyperlinks within your own site to other pages on your website. You can also submit your website to online directories like Yahoo! Directory or business.com. Finally, consider creating a blog and participating in social networking activities in order to build traffic to your site.
For more information, see my blog postings on:
Measure Your Results
Website analytics programs, like the free Google Analytics
(www.googleanalytics.com) program, allow you to measure and analyze various aspects of your website traffic. You can track site statistics, like the number of site visitors and unique site visitors, how long visitors view each page, and, most importantly, what key words are driving visitors to your site and what search engines they are using.
Looking at what key words current site visitors are using to find you can help you determine which key words to use when you optimize. Moreover, getting a snapshot of your site’s traffic both before and after search engine optimization will show you how well your SEO worked or whether you need to make some modifications.
Other Resources:
Free SEO Kit from Hubspot
Information on SEO from Google
Learn more about Google Analytics
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February 11, 2010
Posted by ESQCoach |
Social Networking for Lawyers, Website Development for Lawyers | Google Analytics, law firm SEO, lawyer webistes, Optimizing website, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, SEO for lawyers |
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By Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC Founder
www.MarketYourLawPractice.com
TWheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
For lawyers, a website is no longer a “nice to have” tool – it is a competitive necessity. As a result, nearly every lawyer and law firm in the country has website. Because of this, it will become increasingly important to ensure your online presence in more than simply an electronic brochure. Following are hands-on, practical suggestions that every small firm and solo practitioner should consider.
Tips from Our Experts
The objective of your website is to validate your firm, build its image, create credibility, convey important firm and industry information, and help prospective clients, contacts and referral sources contact you. Following are some tips to ensure you make the most of your firm’s website investment:
Be strategic – Develop your website based on and in support of your firm’s strategic marketing plan. Your website strategy and marketing strategy must be in synch and based on:
- A clear definition of who your target market is and what makes your firm unique
- Positioning against firms with whom you compete
- Your firm’s brand, image and visual identity
Think creatively – Use the “Parade of Homes” concept and visit law firm/attorney websites. Pick the most creative functions you like and build your “dream home” website. Select features that allow you to stand above the competition versus blending with it.
Find a strong technical partner – Make sure your website developer has the turnkey skills necessary to:
- Create a strategic site map and user-focused navigational strategy
- Design the visual/graphic elements of the site
- Develop the content with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind – - writing for the Web is very different
- Technically develop the site
- Register your site and domain name with relevant search engines
- Integrate web-driven database functions
- Maintain your website to ensure that over the long run your site remains current
- Provide statistical updates on website usage using software like WebTrends, or Google Analytics
Do your homework – Create an overall plan and outline for your website so that it is logical and consistent; focused on the experience you want visitors to have when they visit your site. This will help your website designer create the site map.
Be realistic – Allow enough time and money for the project.
Plan for the future – With the proliferation of websites, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pick a domain name that is not already in use. When you do find the domain name that works for you, consider registering not just the .com but also the .net, or other extensions.
Be consistent – Make sure you have a unified strategy for visual design (logo, font and tagline) that is consistent across all of your printed marketing communications materials.
Be creative – Try to let go of the old, boring, static approach. Make the website reflect your success and solid experience combined with a dynamic modern approach. Don’t create a website that is simply an online brochure. Rather, focus on creating a dynamic, ever-changing site that is constantly updated with new content of interest to your visitors.
Stress what makes you unique –Make sure that your website promotes the services and features about your firm that are truly unique and client-service oriented. Use representative experience to show clients you have done what they need versus just identifying a long list of client services: show them don’t tell them!
Focus on your audience – Build every feature and function of your website with your clients, contacts, and referral sources in mind.
Brag! – Your home page should promote your successes, big deals your firm has done, and awards received. Set a goal of updating your “what’s new” content weekly.
Create a Web-based media room – An online media section will support your firm’s public relations efforts. An online press room can include news releases, published articles, fact sheets, backgrounders, biographies, contact information, and more. Make it easy for reporters to cover your firm in the news by providing media kit information on your website.
Market Your Website – Make sure you add your website address to your email signature block, to your invoices, letterhead, note cards, and any other printed or electronic materials used to communicate with your clients and contacts.
Promote your Website – Create a proactive plan to communicate the existence of your website to relevant audiences. Generating traffic to your website is a continuous job. In a service business, it is likely you will need to “drive” traffic to your site rather than wait for someone to find you online.
Track your Website’s effectiveness – Subscribe to WebTrends or Google Analytics, software that allows your website host to provide valuable visitor information including:
- Number of visitor sessions
- Number of unique visitors; number of repeat visitors
- Search phrases used to access your site
- Length of time visitors stayed on your site
- The path visitors use on your site – the pages they accessed
- Most popular day of the week for website traffic
- Top referring search engines
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July 27, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers, Uncategorized, Website Development for Lawyers | attorney website, maximize your website, website development, website tips, websites, Websites for Lawyers |
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By Terrie S. Wheeler
Twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
Blogging 101: What Lawyers Need to Know
A blog is a website, maintained by a person with substantive knowledge willing to share their viewpoints, opinions, and ideas with the world. It’s easy to establish a free account with www.Wordpress.com, or www.Typepad.com . You can search all blogs by topic (and subscribe to those you are interested in) at www.technorati.com. One of the best ways to “get into” blogging is to find blogs in areas you have expertise, and provide substantive comments on select posts. Here are links to a few blogs serving legal and financial professionals:
Blogging is a very powerful tool for professionals with refined knowledge, who are willing to share substance, who are good writers, and who will make the commitment to keep adding posts to keep the blog current.
Another great way to find blogs of interest to you is through Google Reader, a service which searches blogs and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to deliver desktop access to the content you are interested in (including links to blogs).
So if you have significant expertise, are willing to share the substance of your knowledge, are a good write, and will keep your blog current (at least one entry per week), here are some tips for you to consider:
Blogger’s Block: Don’t Over-Think your Blog Post – It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing each and every blog post must be an amazing work of art – - a literary treasure that will rock the world of its readers. It’s easy to fall into the trap of painstakingly over-analyzing the content of your next post. In other words, learn to overcome any perfectionist tendencies you might have, and simply trust your intuition on what readers would be interested in – - and DO IT.
Don’t Take your Role as a Blogger Too Seriously – - but Seriously Enough – There are millions of blogs out there in the blogosphere. Is anyone really keeping track of yours? Actually, they are! A well written blog must not only convey substance, it must convey the personality of its writer. Don’t let your quest for brilliant, thought-provoking content prevent you from sharing your thoughts right now – today – in the format that flows when you meld fingers with keyboard.
Promote your Blog – Join an affinity group on a social networking site like LinkedIn or Facebook. Start a discussion “thread” and ask for comments on your blog. You’ll be amazed at the responses you receive by reaching out to other bloggers and readers of blogs. There is also a very cost-effective service called PRWeb where for a reasonable amount of money, you can send targeted news releases about YOUR blog to web-based news outlets and search engines to drive visitors to your blog.
Cross-Market Your Blog– Drive traffic to your blog by doing any (or all) of the following:
Signature Block – Include a link to your blog in your Outlook signature block
Add an RSS feed to your blog on your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles – These links show you how to establish RSS feeds on both sites. In doing so, each time you post to your blog, the posting automatically appears on both of your profiles.
Make sure your website home page provides an easy-to-find link to your blog – Consider adding a “What’s New” section to your homepage which is automatically updated using an RSS feed. Here is one example on the Professional Services Marketing website. Adding an RSS feed to your homepage has the dual benefit of driving traffic to your blog – - but also of ensuring the content on your homepage is fresh, which ultimately increases your search engine rankings
Promote your Blog on other Sites – Promote your newest blog posts on Twitter. Learn more about how to use ONLY 140 characters by shortening long web addresses using Tiny URL.
On every blog post, reference your other social networking activities.
Visit www.MarketYourLawPractice.com
Visit www.PSM-Marketing.com
Visit my LinkedIn Profile
Visit my Facebook Profile Visit me on Twitter Visit my Lens on Squidoo
June 23, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers | blogging, marketing a law practice, marketing for lawyers, social networking, Terrie Wheeler |
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By Terrie S. Wheeler
Twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
With all of the new social networking sites popping up, sites like MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook have been joined by hundreds of others. If you print this link you will have over ten pages of social networking sites listed on Wikipedia.org alone including the name, description, number of users, registration requirements, and global ranking. Wikipedia defines Social Networking as:
A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people.
Social networking has changed the way we build relationships by opening a previously one-on-one interpersonal process – - into the electronic world of global cyberspace. Professionals are jumping onto the bandwagon too, and because of this, we would like to provide a few practical tips on your journey to not just understanding, but utilizing and benefiting from this amazing – - and free – - technology.
A Few To-Do’s as You Get Started
Build a Solid Profile – each site allows users to build a personal profile. Spend time ensuring your profile accurately represents who you are as a professional, includes your photo, and is well written and free of typographical errors.
Invite your Contacts to Join You – extend invitations to your best contacts asking them to join you. Your social networking efforts should be built around your current business relationships
Update your Status Daily – Most social networking sites ask questions like “What are you working on?” or “What are you thinking?” Make sure you focus on your professional reputation when you update these little snippets.
Stick to Business – If you join a personal site like FaceBook or MySpace, make sure you keep your updates focused on the activities you are pursuing as a professional, not on what you drank and with whom last Saturday night
Manage your Privacy Settings – every social networking site allows you complete access over who can see your profile. You can even control what parts of your profile certain people can see.
Choose your Friends Wisely – Social networking sites all have a process where you invite someone to connect with you online. Then, the recipient of the request needs to affirmatively acknowledge their desire to add you (or vice versa) to their contacts. Don’t randomly connect with people, be strategic and only connect with those you know or met professionally.
Look into Aggregator Services – there are web-based services like www.delicious.com that will take your status updates and automatically disseminate your update to all sites you are a member of. Make your social networking time as efficient as possible!
Join a Group and Interact – sites like LinkedIn allow you to join affinity groups. Research groups that attract others like you including, Legal Marketing (5,000 members), Legal Blogging, (2,700 members).
Add an RSS Feed of your Blog to your Social Networking Page – if you also decide to join the “blogosphere,” make sure you add a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed to your blog on your Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.
Additional Resources on Social Networking:
Link: Social Networking Sites on Wikipedia
Book: The New Rules of Marketing and PR, November 2008, David Meerman Scott
Book: World Wide Rave, March 2009, David Meerman Scott
Book: Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, October 2008, Dave Evans and Susan Bratton
10 Ways to Use LinkedIn, Guy Kawasaki
www.Delicious.com – Social bookmarking site
www.Digg.com – Social bookmarking site
www.Ping.fm.com – Social media communicator to multiple sites
www.Wordpress.com – blog spot
www.Typepad.com – blog spot
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June 7, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Networking for Lawyers, Social Networking for Lawyers | marketing for lawyers, new business development, Social Networking for Lawyers |
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By Terrie S. Wheeler
twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
We recently conducted an internal survey for one of our law firm clients to help us solidify the firm’s marketing priorities. One of the questions was, “What are your greatest barriers to marketing?” Interestingly, and in this order, the responses were:
· My workload is too heavy
· Unsure of how to proceed
· Concern about spending money
However, when asked, “How interested are you in building your reputation with clients and prospects?” well over 80% said “Extremely!”
So how can you move beyond client demands and a heavy workload to take action on your marketing efforts, by focusing on high impact low cost strategies? Consider the following ideas:
Do One Small Marketing Activity Every Day – no matter how busy you are, take the time to do one small task related to building your relationships each and every day. Place a call to someone you want to meet with, knowing it will likely take a few weeks to get schedules coordinated; add a piece of experience to your biography; take a look at our four-part blog post on Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market your Practice: Even if you Only Have Five Minutes!
Figure out Why You Procrastinate Marketing – I am a firm believer that most lawyers wish they didn’t have to market – - that clients would consistently seek them out. It just doesn’t happen that way in today’s competitive marketplace. Revisit our earlier post on Why do Lawyers Procrastinate Marketing? Get Yourself Back Into the Game Today!
Build your Reputation with Clients – some of the best ways for an individual lawyer to build his/her reputation with clients can be found in low-cost activities including:
· Speak at a conference, trade association function, etc.
· Participate on an industry panel or in a community forum
· Write an article for a publication read by clients and referral sources
· Write a blog about your area of law
· Participate in a podcast about a new law’s impact on clients
· Join LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media sites and build your online profile
· Speak at a client seminar
· Write an Alert about a pressing legal issue impacting clients (for posting on your website)
So as you approach your day today, this week, and next week, set a goal of asking yourself, what one small thing can I do today that will allow me to continue planting marketing seeds with my contacts and referral sources? Then, take action. If you do one small thing every day, you will, over time, attract new clients.
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April 23, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | high impact strategies, lawyer, low cost, marketing, marketing tips for lawyers, procrastinating marketing |
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By Terrie S. Wheeler
twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
So – - is anyone watching? Do “they” realize it’s been a month since I last posted? Me — the marketing consultant who tells her clients to post new content a minimum of once per week – - and look at me! Let’s reflect for a minute on the life of one who blogs and figure out how best to make good on the “keep it current” rule. Let’s hope I learn something!
Blogger’s Block: Don’t Over-Think your Blog Post – It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing each and every blog post must be an amazing work of art – - a literary treasure that will rock the world of its readers. One of the reasons I haven’t posted for a month is because I have been painstakingly over-analyzing the content of my next post. In other words, I must overcome my perfectionist tendencies and simply trust my intuition on what readers would be interested in – - and DO IT.
Don’t Take your Role as a Blogger Too Seriously – - but Seriously Enough – There are millions of blogs out there in the blogosphere. Is anyone really keeping track of mine? Actually, they are! Is my honors English teacher from high school one of my readers? Probably not! A well written blog must not only convey substance, it must convey the personality of its writer. Don’t let your quest for brilliant, thought-provoking content prevent you from sharing your thoughts right now – today – in the format that flows when you meld fingers with keyboard.
Promote your Blog – One of the best things I did after launching my blog in January 2009 was to join a group on LinkedIn called Legal Marketing. Through this group I started a discussion and asked for comments on my new blog. Many generous solo practitioners offered great ideas and positive feedback. Some even subscribed to my RSS feed. There is also a very cost-effective service called PRWeb where for a reasonable amount of money, you can send targeted news releases about YOUR blog to web-based news outlets and search engines to drive visitors to your blog.
Cross-Market Your Blog– Drive traffic to your blog by doing any (or all) of the following:
- Include a link to your blog in your Outlook signature block
- Add an RSS feed to your blog on your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. These links show you how to establish RSS feeds on both sites. In doing so, each time you post to your blog, the posting automatically appears on both of your profiles. I also include an RSS feed on my Squidoo Lens!
- Make sure your website home page provides an easy-to-find link to your blog. Consider adding a “What’s New” section to your homepage which is automatically updated using an RSS feed. I do this on my Professional Services Marketing website. Adding an RSS feed to your homepage has the dual benefit of driving traffic to your blog – - but also of ensuring the content on your homepage is fresh, which ultimately increases your search engine rankings
- Promote your newest blog posts on Twitter. Learn more about how to use ONLY 140 characters by shortening long web addresses using Tiny URL.
- On every blog post, reference your other social networking activities (see below)
Until next week!
Visit www.MarketYourLawPractice.com
Visit www.PSM-Marketing.com
Visit my LinkedIn Profile
Visit my Facebook Profile
Visit me on Twitter Visit my Lens on Squidoo
March 23, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Social Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | blogging for lawyers, keeping blog content fresh, procrastinating marketing, promoting your blog, RSS Feed, Using RSS feeds |
3 Comments
By Terrie S. Wheeler
twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com
Podcasts, forums, Wiki’s, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging, RSS Feeds….. Is your head spinning yet? Mine certainly was – - and to some extent, it still is. Over the past few months, many of our clients have asked how best (or not) to implement social networking into their practices. This post is meant to provide a 101-level primer on the topic, and to share my current forays into the new (for this 40-something professional) realm of social networking.
Let’s start with a few basic definitions of some of the most popular social networking tools. Because I tend to learn by doing, I will also direct you toward my attempts at practicing what I have learned to make social networking an important part of my relationship building habit. And trust me – - it can become a very addictive habit!
Podcast - Audio content connected to an RSS Feed (see below) distributed over the Internet to portable media players (like IPods) and personal computers.
RSS Feed – Stands for Really Simple Syndication; allows authors to publish frequently updated information in a standard format which you can subscribe to and receive electronically. Here are a couple of examples of RSS Feeds: one to current decisions from the United States Supreme Court, the other to the ESQCoach Blog.
Wikis – Websites that anyone can update; collaborative web-based encyclopedias. The best known is Wikipedia.
Twitter – A social networking, “micro-blogging” site that allows users to send and read other users’ updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length answering the simple question, “What are you doing?” Here is a link to my Twitter Page. If you sign up, you can Tweet with me – - just search for ESQCoach. I’m not (yet) seeing the true benefits but I’m sticking with it!
Blog - A website, maintained by a person with substantive knowledge willing to share their viewpoints, opinions, and ideas with the world. I recently launched THIS very blog you are reading by establishing a free account with www.Wordpress.com. In addition, you can search all blogs by topic (and subscribe to those you are interested in) at www.technorati.com. One of the best ways to “get into” blogging is to find blogs in areas you have expertise, then provide substantive comments on select posts. Blogging is a very powerful tool for lawyers with refined knowledge, who are willing to share their expertise, who are good writers, and who will make the commitment to regularly adding new posts to keep the blog current. Another great way to find blogs and other news of interest to you is through Google Reader, a free service which searches blogs and RSS feeds to deliver desktop access to the content you want (including links to blogs).
Facebook - It’s not just for kids! I am having a LOT of fun with my new Facebook profile – - more fun than being on LinkedIn, actually. Facebook is THE ultimate social networking site. It provides the perfect blend of offering up tidbits of personal and family information – - while allowing you to maintain a strong focus on your business activities. I highly recommend you create a Facebook profile, then selectively add friends based on others you find (and know) on Facebook. You might be surprised at who else is out there! Here is a link to my Facebook Profile. I also integrated my Facebook profile with my ESQCoach blog so new blog posts are automatically added to my Facebook profile – - a very cool feature.
LinkedIn - I refer to LinkedIn as the “professional version” of Facebook. All attorneys in private practice should have a LinkedIn profile. Take some time to learn more about LinkedIn, or take a look at my LinkedIn Profile. It’s just not quite as fun as Facebook – - but still a very credible way to create, nurture and grow your professional relationships.
Share your experiences with social networking and post a comment!
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February 4, 2009
Posted by ESQCoach |
Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Lawyers in Transition, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | Social Networking for Lawyers |
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