11

Social Media for Business Development and Professional

Networking for Lawyers______________________________________________

WCBA Law Office Technology SectionThursday, April 8, 2010David A. Barrett, Esq.

Part One

22

“The legal community are historically slow in adopting new technologies but an increasingnumber of lawyers are starting to view social

media as a valuable business tool.”- Bentley Tolk, Marketing for Attorneys

3

“While many lawyerspracticing today

think they don’t havetime for online

networking,law students consider

it essential.”

- Davida Brook, Stanford Law School Student

44

Social Media for Business Developmentand Professional Networking for Lawyers

Part One - Social Media Basics and Key Concepts

• Adopting a productive social media philosophy and strategy• Social currency and open networking• Why a website is not enough / search engine optimization (SEO)• Online “findability”• Personal vs. professional online presence and online reputation• Attorney profile do’s and don’ts and content rich profiles• Legal networking vs. legal marketing• The relationship based nature of social media / engagement

marketing• Social media venues (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter)• Social media and legal ethics

55

“Stop thinking of the Internet as a place.”

-Adrian Dayton, Marketing Strategy and the Law

6

Why social media marketing?

• Your competition is doing it• Your customers are using it• Your vendors and partners

are using it

- Todd Malicoat, Stuntdubl

77

Adopting a Productive SocialMedia Philosophy and Strategy

• Understand the key concepts - social media is here to stay, and permanently changing online business development – it is a cultural shift

• Develop a marketing plan and a social media strategy/plan

• Develop a law firm social media policy before getting started

8

“Lawyers who depend strictlyon traditional marketingtechniques are quickly learningthat many “tried and true”methods no longer perform likethey used to.

Attorneys could dramaticallyimprove their results byupdating their marketingprograms to include morecurrent practices.”

- Kevin Quinlan, LaywerMarketing101

9

“It is crucial to

expand your

presence in the

online world to

stay relevant in

the market place.”

– Sanjay Sivam

1010

Social Currency

• Social currency - “information shared which encourages further social encounters”

(Wikipedia)

• Give to get• Engage your audience• Create interest and value• Social networking is a “two-way street”

11

“Open networkers use social media to

initiate and build new relationships while

closed networkers simply have an online

address book that never grows.”

- David Barrett, The LinkedIn Lawyer

1212

MoreLawyer to Lawyer

Referrals

IncreasedFindability

GroupSustainability

Better QualityQuestion and Answer

Forum

Larger Networkson Other PlatformsMore Website

and Blog Traffic

MoreSocial Currency

Shift Law FirmBusiness Strategies

MoreNewsletter

Subscribers

More Access toSlideShare

and JD Supra docs

Benefits of a Larger Networkand an

Open Networking Philosophy

LinkedIn for Lawyers

1313

“It is about doing for others, not about others doing for you. Toget value, offer value. Provide feedback, answer questions,share ideas – create a following. Then those followers will wantto assist you.”– Frank Ball, Attorney

1414

Why a Websiteis Not Enough

• Websites are like business cards or brochures unless they have been developed to be social media enabled

• Maximize search engine optimization (SEO)• Lack of opportunity for law firms to engage

potential clients on a traditional website

1515

“Your website is only a billboard. You can have

the most beautiful website in the world and

without traffic, it might as well be a billboard in

the middle of a cornfield in Iowa.”

- Todd Malicoat, Stuntdubl

16

“Few people realize that there is anSEO benefit to LinkedIn. You can createthree text links with keyword rich anchortext pointing back to your website.”

– Scott Testa, Dr. Scott’s Cool Business Blog

1717

“You've heard the hype.

Print media is dead.

The Yellow Pages are

passé. You have to

be on-line to survive.

Websites aren't enough.

The only thing a website

provides is an on-line

brochure of your firm.”

- Al Nye, The Lawyer Guy

18

“I've read estimates that over 80% of people begin their search for a lawyer by using one of the popular search engines like Google or Yahoo.

If someone searched for a lawyer online under your specialty, would your name come up at the top of the listings?”

- Al Nye the Lawyer Guy

1919

The Importanceof an Impressive Profileand Promoting Findability

• Content rich profiles• Incorporate as much information as possible into

social media profiles and onto static lawyer directories and other social media networks

- Blog - SlideShare content - JD Supra content - Twitter feed

2020

“You are in the

findability department.

The marketing

department is dead.”

- Todd Defren,

Shift Communications

2121

Personal vs. ProfessionalOnline Presence

• Online presence• Online reputation• How others see you• Reputation management• Personal branding

22“The Farmville Lawyer”

23

“Before Facebook,what happened in Vegas

stayed in Vegas.

Now, what happensin Vegas can

impact your business.”

- Matt Homann, LexThink

2424

Engagement Marketingvs. Interruption Marketing

• Traditional marketing: television and radio commercials, junk mail, telemarketing, print advertising

• Conversational marketing: initiated by customer search, increased customer sophistication due to growth of Internet use

• Conversation venues: blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other social networks

2525

Social Networking LawyerCommunities of Interest

LinkedIn:- Law firm profiles, lawyer networking groups

Twitter:- LexTweet, Twibes, Twellow Pages

Facebook:- Lawyer groups, lawyer product fan pages, bar

association fan pages

2626

How LinkedIn, Facebook,Twitter and Blogs WorkTogether to Enhance Relationships

• The continuum of “professional” to “personal” online environments

• LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the virtual handshake

• Biography and professional profile vs. interaction, engagement and conversation

LinkedIn > Blog > Twitter > Facebook

272727

2828

LinkedInProfile Page

BlogSlideShare

ContentJD SupraContent

Increased SEO

29

3030

Law FirmBusiness Page

Link IndividualAssociate Profiles toFirm Business Page

Link IndividualAssociate Profiles toFirm Business Page

Facebook for Lawyers

LAW FIRM CONTENT:

Link Firm BlogTwitter Feed

JD Supra ContentSlideShare Content

Cause(s)Audio

YouTube

3131

32

EthicalSocial Media

Legal Marketing

33

3434

Social Mediaand Professional Ethics• Legal ethics - client solicitation, attorney advertising• Social media - lawyers, investigators and trial evidence• Social media and the attorney/client relationship• Legal networking vs. legal marketing• Social media contact with jurors and judges on open

cases, ex parte communications, jury tampering, recent advisory opinions from bar counsel

• Everything you say on social media networks is considered publishing

35

Consider everything you say(or type) on social media sitesas publishing.

36

“It is the lawyer’s conduct,not the medium, when ethics rules are violated while using social media”.

– Eric Cooperstein, Lawyerist

3737

Facebookand Lawyer Ethics

• Facebook has been used as a means for service of process in Australia and New Zealand

• The Philadelphia Bar Association has issued an opinion on lawyers investigation of a witnesses Facebook page – that the lawyer could not engage in such an investigation

• A North Carolina Judge was reprimanded for “friending” a lawyer on a case before him and discussing the case with him on Facebook

3838

•FB CHAT MESSAGES – 11,000,000 / DAY

• LEGAL ETHICS – • No ex parte communications with judge• No communication with trial witnesses• Prohibitions extend to third party investigators or paralegal staff• May not make any misrepresentation to any third party

3939

4040

4141

4242

4343

Recommendations may not say anything the lawyer himself would not be allowed to say.

Watch particular prohibited words in specific jurisdictions:

• “best lawyer”• “specialist”• “expert“• “guaranteed results”

4444

To Tweet orNot to Tweet

• In the NY State Bar Association Journal, a partner at a NYC law firm argued that Twitter posts could spell litigation trouble for attorneys

• Messages must be treated with the same caution as messages in any other form and should not reveal confidential information, appear to contain legal advice, or violate rules of solicitation

45

“Twitter is nota sales call.”- Jaffee Associates

4646

“Keep in mind, tweets can be usedin litigation discovery. They are

searchable, permanent and findable.”– Steven. J. Bennett, New York State Bar Journal

47

“The old maxim that‘one should think before they speak’

(or Tweet) applies no less to the Internet than to other forms of communication.”

- Eric Cooperstein, Lawyerist

4848

“Don’t drink

and Tweet.”

- Adrianos Facchetti,

California Defamation

Law Blog

49

“When you take the

time to understand

the rules of social

media, you open

yourself and your firm

up to the immense

power of these law

firm marketing tools.”

- Stephen Fairley, The Rainmaker Institute

5050

Social Media for Business Development and Professional

Networking for Lawyers______________________________________________

WCBA Law Office Technology SectionThursday, April 8, 2010David A. Barrett, Esq.

Part Two

5151

Social Media for Business Developmentand Professional Networkingfor Lawyers

Part Two – Advanced Social Mediafor Business Development

• Building your network, why size matters• Networking targets and strategies• Out of jurisdiction lawyer to lawyer referrals• Linkedin functions and groups• Facebook and the multi-media power of viral marketing• Twitter functions, lists and groups• Legal blawging• Social media measurement• SlideShare, JD Supra• Game Plan

5252

5353

Building YourLinkedin Network

• Increase the number of people who enter your marketing funnel

• Increase number of followers/connections to drive more website and blog traffic

• Increase number of newsletter subscribers and improve number of signups for white paper or marketing promotions

5454

“When you hire someone, you hire hisor her network.”

– Omar Ha-Redeye, Law is Cool

5555

Why Size Matters

The larger your network, the better yourchances of:• Becoming findable on LinkedIn• Shifting business strategies over the life of the

law firm• Out of jurisdiction lawyer-to-lawyer referrals• Larger networks on other social platforms

(Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, Martindale Hubbell Connected)

• Group sustainability

5656

“Using the six degrees of separationconcept, you benefit by gainingpotential access to hundreds orthousands of contacts as your

LinkedIn network grows.”

– Margaret Grisdela, Rainmaking Club

5757

LinkedinNetworking Strategies

• Identify your networking targets• Conserve invitations to connect as precious

currency by using “Quicklinks” instead• Help your networking targets by creating

business opportunities for them• Leverage the power of LinkedIn groups to build

connections

5858

“The biggest mistake

I see is that many

lawyers are not on

LinkedIn.”

– LegalMarketer

5959

LinkedinFunctions

• Connections, search• Recommendations• Groups, sub-groups, group Questions• Questions, answers, SEO• Announcements, events, messages• SlideShare notifications, status

6060

Linkedin AttorneyProfile Do’s and Don’ts

• Do include written disclaimers on profile regarding the attorney/client relationship and providing legal advice

• Don’t clutter your profile with “LION” (linkedin online networker) “invite me”, your email address or your business name

• Do include notice that “this LinkedIn profile may be considered attorney advertising” and make sure that all information on the LinkedIn profile is “true and complete”

• Don’t use LinkedIn questions differently that you would a comment on any other publication

• Don’t be that guy inviting random people to connect with a form letter that begs the recipient not to click the “I don’t know” button

6161

6262

“Any professional or business today

who is seeking to engage an audience in meaningful ways, should maintain a

presence on Facebook.”- Adrian Lurssen, JD Supra

6363

Why Lawyers Needa Facebook Profile

• Facebook is the world’s largest social networking site with more than 350 million active users.

• Facebook is the social media platform with the most powerful multi-media tools.

• Facebook, because of its dynamic interactive nature, is a “relationship enhancer” allowing users to engage others from static social networks like Martindale Hubbell Connected, Plaxo and LinkedIn.

6464

“There is no longer any goodreason to avoid Facebook.

The site has crossed athreshold – it is now sowidely trafficked thatit’s fast becoming a routineaide to social interaction,like e-mail and antiperspirant.”

- Farhad Manjoo, Slate

6565

Getting Your FirmStarted on Facebook

• Set-up “personal” pages for everyone in the firm - NOT for the firm itself

• Set up a “business” or “fan” page for the firm• Link firm’s website, blog, newsletter, JD Supra content,

Twitter feed, SlideShare content, audio and YouTube videos to the Facebook page

• Share content that establishes your firm as an expert in a practice area

• Demonstrate your firm’s ability to remain current on topics important to your target clients and target client referral sources

6666

Building YourFacebook Legal Network

• Invite LinkedIn connections and newsletter subscribers to join fan page

• Search fan pages/groups/business pages for law schools, paralegals, bar associations, chambers of commerce and groups within your practice area

• Search lawyer groups to build connections with other lawyers and groups where your networking targets spend their time

• Build groups that will attract your target clients or target client referral sources

• Use groups to locate and build relationships with your networking target contacts

67

“Meet your audience where they gather, cultivate and engage them on Facebook.”

– Aviva Cuyler, JD Scoop

6868

Facebook Causes

• Causes recruit members and encourage those members to recruit others – creating a viral marketing effect. This subtle self promotion is more effective than traditional interruption advertising with consumers that effectively avoid traditional advertisements

• Set up a “cause” related to your practice area or embrace/promote a cause that already exists to promote visibility and help raise firm’s visibility among target clients or target referral sources

6969

Harnessing theMulti-Media Powerof Facebook

• Photos: Facebook holds more photos than any other website, users are allowed unlimited photo uploads)

• Audio: blog talk radio, podcasts• Video: made part of one’s permanent Facebook

profile• YouTube: may also be imported onto your

Facebook wall which shares the video in news feed for all Facebook friends

7070

Viral and SpreadableMarketing

• Viral and spreadable marketing is a technique that uses pre-existing social networks to achieve marketing objectives

• Much like email forwarding (“viral” as in computer virus, “spreadable” as in word of mouth)

• Viral promotion products: video, interactive games, e-books, images, email, text messaging, photos

• Categories: wow, funny, emotional

7171

“LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter enhance

the traditional networking process but the

real power of social media marketing is

viral and spreadable media.”

- David A. Barrett, The LinkedIn Lawyer

7272

Facebook Applicationsfor Lawyers

• Mobile Facebook applications• Facebook events• Lawyer virtual gift applications• Facebook groups• Facebook business pages/fan pages• Facebook causes• Facebook connect• JD Supra, Twitter and SlideShare

7373

“If I tell my Facebook friends about your brand,

it’s not because I like your brand but rather

because I like my friends.”- Mike Arauz, Undercurrent

7474

“Facebook is the most

powerful, populated and

utilized social media

platform. By keeping FB

personal instead of

professional, it’s like your

marketing campaign has

one arm tied behind its

back.”

- David A. Barrett,

The LinkedIn Lawyer

7575

FacebookDo’s and Don’ts

• Do balance the personal and professional: Set up a “professional” page with enough “personal” information to let people know you

• Don’t decide against leveraging one of the most powerful tools in social media by “keeping Facebook personal and Linkedin professional”

• Do develop multi-media content to share on your Facebook wall (i.e. YouTube videos, e-books, client alerts, newsletters). Don’t share tired news articles everyone has seen

• Don’t fill up Facebook with blatant self promotion or begs for support

7676

7777

“Twitter is one of the fastest-growing

phenomena on the Internet.“- The New York Times

7878

WHY LawyersUse Twitter

• Set yourself up as a specialist, and as an expert within that specialty

• Increased media attention: promote your appearances and publications

• Express your willingness to take and make referrals• Keep in regular touch with the people in your network• Mold your image, enhance relationships• Distribute your news, simulate the water cooler, monitor

the buzz• Legal marketing, law firm business development• Attorney lead generation

7979

“Used well, Twitter is a powerful tool for

building reputation, leadership, trust and

influence.”- Laura Fitton, Pistachio Consulting (@pistachio)

8080

WAYS LawyersUse Twitter

• Networking, sharing, branding• Research, information gathering• Monitor breaking news • Follow trends in the legal industry• Follow conversations about legal issues in your

field• Get noticed • Used as an RSS reader

8181

“Nobody really pays attentionto what you have to say on Twitter

unless you have shownthat you know how to listen.”

Adrian Dayton,Marketing Strategy and the Law

(@adriandayton)

8282

Getting Startedon Twitter

• Create an attractive profile (with professional description and photo)• Add a twitter background and use as ad space• 70% microblogging and 30% conversation style Tweets• Retweet interesting items to build relationships and networks• Identify networking targets from marketing plan based on practice

areas of law firm• Find Twitter lawyer directories (Justia Legal Birds, LexTweet,

Twellow Pages, Law Line, Twibes)• Law schools, bar associations, CLE providers, law libraries,

chambers of commerce, law enforcement• Get to know your followers: If you don’t know who is following you,

Twitter will not help your business

8383

“Why Twitter? Because the conversation

will happen whether you are there or not.” - Alin Wagner-Lahmy, Lexis Nexis

8484

Twitter Search

• Twitter search vs. Twitter interface• Use hashtags (#) to follow structured

conversations, conferences, seminars, online CLE

• Search your own Twitter address (@barrettdavid) for reputation management and communication

• Search key words of interest

8585

“Twitter is a great

way to promote

your expertise by

commenting on

timely legal topics.”

- Paul Gillin

8686

“Twitter makes me approachable.”- Kelly Phillips Erb, Tax Attorney (@taxgirl)

8787

Initiating andEnhancing Relationships

• Following others on twitter• Automatic welcome message• “@replies” for public conversation• Direct messages “dm” for private communication• Import Linkedin connections• Bringing your connections from linkedin and

other business networks into a real time interactive environment

• Moving from the virtual handshake to interaction and building and spending social currency

8888

“Dear Boomers: Twitter works, you’re just

not doing it right.”

- Adrian Dayton, Marketing Strategy and the Law

8989

TwitterDo’s and Don’ts• Don’t violate legal ethics by soliciting business on

Twitter, don’t try to make sales• Do Tweet interesting items and be thought provoking• Don’t Tweet client information that is confidential or

without explicit written permission: good news is not always public news

• Do think strategically in terms of building relationships with people in your geographical jurisdiction

• Don’t answer the question “what are you doing”• Do get listed in Twitter lawyer groups and directories• Don’t spend time reading everything on your Twitter

feed• Do RT often and build social capital

90

“A blog is probably the most

effective way to drive potential clients to your (virtual) door.”

– Sam Glover, Lawyerist

91

Why a Blog?

• A blog is one of the most powerful ways to build relationships with prospects, clients and referral sources.

• A well written blog will get great search engine optimization or SEO.

• Establishes yourself as an expert in your practice area.• A combination of more personalized “push and pull”

marketing.• A blog cuts through the PR and is a forum for honest

communication with personality that websites do not have.

9292

Why LawyersShould Have Blogs

• A combination of push and pull marketing• Less intrusive than e-mail newsletters• Creates an appearance of authority due to online punditry• Offers an opportunity for a conversation instead of a lecture• Showcase professional’s intellect or wit, thus personalizing them to

potential clients• Stand out from your competition• A blog cuts through the PR, a forum for honest communication• Offers personality that websites do not have• Easy to update when breaking news occurs• Transparency• Makes lawyers seem more human and approachable

93

“Effective blogging can lead to many unexpected opportunities.”

– Niki Black, Sui Generis

94

Legal Blogging asYour Social Network Hub

• Blogs are the “content hubs” for all your social media work online• Set up one for each practice area, and/or each attorney• Demonstrate expertise, cover timely and controversial issues• Use Google Alerts and Alltop to start “microblogging”• Blogging, legal writing and microblogging as a graduate level thesis:

remain abreast of current news and developments in the law much like a graduate student publishing articles found on topic during a literature review

• Repost high quality, high-interest content produced by others (with credit) Establish your practice area expertise by sharing high quality content via online social networks

• The effect on those in your social networks• The effect on the legal blogger and microblogger

95

Surveying YourArea of Expertise

• Focus on a niche to set you apart

• Do your homework: read other blogs in your practice area

• The more focused your niche, the better your blog will work as a marketing tool

96

Blogging Topics,Titles and SEO

• Types of blog posts: referential andexperiential

• Re-posting material someone else has written• Offer lessons learned, recent successes,

announce seminars• Interviews, and reviews• Blogging subjects that allow narration on both

specific topics and areas of general interest• Blog posts crafted with key words• Blog posts crafted with a marketing message

9797

“Having your own blog is vital to effective law firm Internet marketing.”- Stephen Fairley,The Rainmaker Institute

98

Developing anOngoing System forCapturing Blog Topics

• Produce a stream of ongoing blog posts• Create a few months worth of blog titles at once

and fill in the blanks with breaking legal news and announcements

• Set up Alltop and Google alerts

9999

BloggingDo’s And Don’ts• Do embrace criticism • Do respond to comments in a timely manner• Don’t ignore your readers• Do give credit where credit is due• Don’t hide behind a pseudonym• Do commit for the long haul and post

consistently• Don’t overdo promotional copy

100

JD Supra and SlideShare

• JD Supra – An open publishing and content distribution platform for legal professionals. Court filings, decisions, forms, articles, alerts, newsletters.

• SlideShare – A slide sharing service. Upload and share PowerPoint, Word and PDF documents.

101101

“In the online world, transparency is key.

This premium on transparency may be the

single greatest cultural shift that businesses

will face as they engage with social media.”- Paul Gillin

102

Social MediaMeasurement

• Feeling the shape of the elephant (influence, engagement)

• Monitoring and tracking activities

• Online tools for measurement

103

Social MediaGame Plan

104104

Social Media Plan:Step One

• Identify your firm’s competitive advantage• Identify networking targets• Start with a blog as your content hub

Start with:

Blog > LinkedIn > Twitter

105105

Social Media Plan:Step Two

• Increase online presence with: Legal OnRamp, Martindale Hubbell Connected, Facebook, Plaxo, Ning and free lawyer directories

• Thread blog and Twitter content into all available social media portals

• Increase social networks - quantify and quality

106106

Social Media Plan:Step Three

• Implement systems to achieve rapid and high volume social network growth

• Effectively use existing social networking groups• Identify needs and opportunities for new social

networking groups• Utilize administrative support to maintain high

level of participation and content sharing for constant awareness in various social networks

107107

Social MediaDo’s and Don’ts

• Do initiate new relationships online• Don’t keep LinkedIn professional and Facebook

private• Do keep your profile identity in mind• Don’t focus exclusively on self promotion• Do integrate social media activities of all lawyers

in the law firm• Don’t allow social media pages to die on the

vine

108108

“This is clearly the

direction where social

media campaigns are

headed – going beyond

simply having a

presence on key social

sites and also doing

something creative

that engages

customers with your

brand.”

- Adam Ostrow, Mashable

109109

Thank You!

Questions? Comments?Contact me:

Email: linkedinlawyerwebinars@gmail.comBlog: http://www.linkedinlawyer.blogspot.com

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