Legal Internet Marketing Blog

The simple fact that LinkedIn public profiles are indexed is reason enough to employ a little bit of SEO when filling out your LinkedIn information. However, it’s not always about SEO, particularly when it comes to social media profiles. For businesses especially, it’s important to remember that there is a difference between your company website and your social media profiles, namely the simple fact that one web presence is (by name even) more social than the other.

When filling out your LinkedIn profile, all the experts recommend you do one thing: show rather than tell. Showing your accomplishments always goes much farther than just telling people what you’re capable of. In the world of legal Internet marketing, showing accomplishments can involve a variety of options. Talking about successful case results, mentioning awards you’ve received, and highlighting positions of authority within legal associations are all ways that prospective clients can see how accomplished you are.

If you choose to fill your profile with keywords, it will come across as spammy. It may show up high within LinkedIn search results, particularly since LinkedIn’s ranking algorithm can be very easily manipulated, but it won’t keep people on your profile very long. Telling people you’re an excellent attorney, and doing so with a profile that reads like a sales pitch more so than a resume, is the best way to turn potential clients off. Though everyone these days loves to use industry buzzwords, they do little to help promote your brand and label you as an authority in your respective field of law.

So when filling out your LinkedIn profile, brag a little! Highlight your strengths and how those strengths have translated into happy clients and professional accolades. Your social media profiles should show people who you are, and shouldn’t necessarily just talk about what you do. Visitors to your profile know you’re a lawyer. Now all you have to do is show them that you are a good one.

As you’ve probably heard by now, Google finally released their own version of Facebook’s Fan Page, simply titled Google Pages (not to be confused with Google Places). While Google’s new product may not have as much functionality as Facebook Fan Pages (at least not yet), the potential it has for being an effective marketing tool is unmistakable. Although Facebook is still king as far as business specific profile pages are concerned, it may not be long before Google Pages become not only a necessary part of any legal Internet marketing campaign, but the desired platform for businesses to represent themselves in the world of social media.

For anyone familiar with Google+ profiles, Google Pages basically follow the same format. There are four sections that a business is able to utilize in order to market its brand, with one of those areas set aside for businesses to interact with other Google+ users (very similar to Facebook in the sense that it takes on a newsfeed type format and is ordered with the most recent postings of not only the company but also its followers). In the remaining three sections, businesses may upload videos, photos, and fill in information about their brand. The information section, otherwise known as the “About” section, is the most versatile in that it allows users to link back to their website, practice area pages, biographies, etc. and can include keywords to help the page rank.

Other than the profile itself, the other aspect of Google Pages that you should pay particular attention to reveals itself during the initial setup process. You see, Google Pages can be associated with Google Places pages, which are widely used by businesses everywhere to help establish a foothold on Google Maps and improve their search result rankings. While the connection between Google Pages and Google Places is relatively small at this point in time, with the only evidence of such being a link to a Google Map associated with the businesses address, it may prove extremely significant down the road. And if Google Pages find themselves intertwined with Google Maps search results, the edge in the “page” wars between Facebook and Google may shift to search king Google, leaving social king Facebook in the dust.

Are you on Twitter? Did you know that for even the least social person in the world, Twitter is a great place to interact with other users and post links to your own work? And did you also know that, as an attorney, there are many people that may turn to your legal prowess on Twitter during their time of need? In you answered “no” to any of those questions, you’re unfortunately missing out on one of the best ways to promote your online brand, and interact with others who have already done a good job of marketing themselves.

Twitter is the world’s most recognizable micro-blogging service. In 140 characters or less, users are able to talk about anything they want, and are even allowed to post shortened URLs to web addresses that would otherwise be too long and cumbersome to include. Pictures can be posted, links to social media profiles can be shared, websites can be promoted, and links to blog articles can be automatically posted. Twitter users have “followers,” not “fans” or “friends.” Unlike Facebook, where users are likely to personally know the people whom they interact with, Twitter users generally follow individuals and companies whom they typically do not know in real life, but are interesting enough to subscribe to, nevertheless.

For law firms and attorneys, having a presence on Twitter can only be beneficial. Not only does it allow for a forum to address client questions, concerns, and complaints, but it also allows companies to post links to photos, videos, blog articles, and other interesting web pages. For Twitter users who establish themselves as authorities in their respective fields of law, priority ranking amongst search results can be another benefit. That is, Twitter accounts that are recognized as authoritative, and that have a fair amount of “real” followers, are awarded by search engines, such as Google, and are often highlighted in search results. Obviously, if an account benefits from this search engine boost, so will all links that the account Tweets about.

Bottom line, it’s good to Tweet. While it may seem as though no one is listening to what you’re saying via Twitter, gaining followers is a good indication that people are listening. How do you gain followers? Be interesting, be informative, and be yourself. People want to follow people and companies that are real, those who are clearly willing to interact with others and engage in discussion. Remember, if you’re just posting links, and not doing much else, the whole social component of this social networking site is lost. Talk to people, like you would bumping into them on the street, direct them back to your brand, and you’ll be followed in no time.

Using social media can seem overwhelming at first, but the team at SLS Consulting helps guide lawyers in the right direction. We utilize the latest in social networking, web development, and blogging to help our clients establish and maintain a strong web presence. Call us today at 323-254-1510 for a free growth assessment.

CNN recently reported that LinkedIn has surpassed Myspace as the second-most popular social network in relation to online traffic in the United States. Facebook, as many would guess, is the most visited social networking site.

According to the article, there were 33.9 million unique visitors from the U.S. to LinkedIn last month, which is an increase of approximately half a million from May. In comparison, Myspace had less than 33.5 million visits from Americans in June, which was a decline of about 1.4 million visitors from the previous month. In sharp contrast, Facebook had 160.8 million unique visitors in June.

While Myspace still has about 130 million active users, the social networking site has struggled to reinvent itself after being ousted by Facebook. In June of 2010, Myspace had over 66 million unique visitors, and that traffic has declined by half. While online traffic to Myspace from the U.S. places the site in third place, it is expected that Twitter, which had 30.6 million unique visitors in June, will soon eclipse the site.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn has an estimated 115 million active users, and is continuing to grow rapidly. In March, CEO Jeff Weiner announced the social networking site had been adding approximately a million members a week. TechCrunch, a popular site dedicated to technology and Web 2.0, also recently announced that LinkedIn is now its number two social referrer, behind Facebook.

A recent survey highlighted how people are using LinkedIn. Market-research company Lab42 surveyed 500 LinkedIn members and found that 35 percent of members visit the site every day, with 42 percent regularly updating their profiles. Interestingly, the survey discovered that entry-level workers and top-level executives use the site very differently. Younger users mostly use LinkedIn to search for jobs, while older executives use the site for promoting their business as well as networking.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/07/11/linkedin.myspace/; http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/twitter-who-linkedin-is-sending-us-far-more-referral-traffic-now/2011/06/30/AGT4gcsH_story.html

Recently, Bing paired up with Facebook and rolled out its Social Search, which is similar, but not an exact replica, of Google’s system with the same name. While Bing’s search is solely Facebook-orientated, Google’s Social Search system integrates data from Flickr, Google Buzz, Twitter, Quora, and YouTube, in addition to the soon-to-launch +1 Button by Google.

To access Bing’s Social Search, users need to log into Facebook. Search results through Bing are then filtered by what a user’s friends “Like” on Facebook. As in, when a user is searching for something, Bing takes into account what their Facebook friends have liked and returns results based upon that information. Bing has dubbed the practice the “friend effect” and believes that people are more likely to trust what their circle of friends Like on Facebook. For example, if a user is searching airline tickets and finds that many of their friends clicked Like for Southwest, the assumption is that the user is much more likely to book through Southwest rather than United or other airlines.

Additionally, Bing will populate users’ Facebook feeds with search results if a user clicks Like for the results. For example, if a user searches Bing for flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco and clicks “Like” for the results, their Facebook profile will be updated with new offers of flights to San Francisco. While many Facebook users may view this as spam, other users may find it convenient. Many users may also be uncomfortable with linking search results to their Facebook, and it remains to be seen whether Bing will share users’ preferences with Facebook.

Bing’s launch of its own Social Search makes it more relevant than ever for attorneys and law firms to have a quality Facebook page that engages with and encourages users to Like. It is also important to consider finding a way to effectively integrate the Facebook Like button on both legal websites and blogs, making use of other relevant coding and tags in order to appear in search results. And hopefully, by being optimized socially for Bing, it will generate more likes for your Facebook page.

While the integration of social and search continues to evolve, think about what your legal Internet marketing goals are in relation to your target audience and reputation. To find out what kind of plan you need to fulfill these goals, contact the law firm Internet marketing team at SLS Consulting. Call 323-254-1510 today for a free growth assessment.

Source: http://www.searchenginenews.com/se-news/content/are-you-optimized-for-the-new-bing-social-search

If you haven’t heard of Quora yet, chances are you will soon. The latest trend in online social networking, Quora is a Q&A platform that began in 2009 and was made public in early 2010. Similar to Yahoo! Answers, Quora allows users to ask, answer, or edit questions on a wide variety of topics. Users can also invite someone who is not on the platform to answer a question, as well as share questions on Twitter or Facebook.

Mashable recently featured an elaborate infographic about Quora from KISSmetrics, a web analytics company. According to their research, the platform grew an astounding 37,000 percent between January 2010 and January 2011. As of January 2011, Quora had over 547,000 registered users, with approximately 160,000 of them active users. In February 2011, Quora had an estimated 283,500 unique visitors, and that number is expected to continue to grow.

Recently, the company was valued at $86 million. Almost even more significantly, in February, search giant Google announced it was integrating information from Quora (in addition to Flickr and Twitter) throughout the search engine, with the results appearing “blended” throughout each search page rather separate from other content and at the bottom.

At the time this blog was written, under the Law category, there were 409 open questions, with questions such as “How long will a DWI conviction stay on your record in Texas?”, “What is Native American Law?”, and “If a person wrongfully charged for a crime by the state is taken to court and found not guilty, is the government obligated to compensate the defendant for their time, emotional stress, and attorney fees?” (It should be noted that attorneys and doctors are able to attach a legal disclaimer to their answers to legal and medical questions on Quora.) There were 32 open questions under the “Law Firms” category, with questions such as, “Who is the best startup lawyer in Silicon Valley?”

It is also important to note that the Twitter account for Quora regularly tweets links to interesting questions that have been asked on the platform, in addition to sharing intriguing answers. These actions further widen the potential reach a thoughtful, relevant question and/or answer can have through social networking.

While the amount of time and effort an attorney could spend on Quora may yield little results relating to things such as new clients, there is an opportunity to gain followers while building a strong online reputation. Attorneys may find it helpful to share questions and/or their responses to questions on Quora with their audience on Twitter and Facebook as well, and engage with users there. In conclusion, Quora provides attorneys with an opportunity to connect with not only others within the legal community but with people looking for help, which ultimately is what the legal profession is all about.

Sources: http://mashable.com/2011/04/04/quora-stats/, http://mashable.com/2011/01/14/get-more-out-of-quora/, http://mashable.com/2011/02/17/google-social-search-2/

In our last post, we discussed three of the top mistakes some law firms and small businesses make when it comes to marketing themselves on Facebook. We covered how some law firms broadcast their message on Facebook repetitively, instead of trying to engage their fans by giving them content that is interesting and relevant. We also addressed the importance of presenting the content in a varied manner; through video, status updates, articles, and more, to guarantee that fans won’t become bored and block the law firm’s Page. We also talked about how many attorneys don’t realize the substantial amount of time it takes to maintain their Facebook Page. Now, to conclude our two-part series, we will cover the least anticipated mistakes businesses and law firms should be sure to avoid.

1. Failing to learn enough about Facebook’s tools and mechanics. Law firms sometimes do not take enough advantage of the tools Facebook offers. Business Pages are able to create a custom welcome page, which many law firms and attorneys don’t do but should. Oftentimes the “Info” tab isn’t filled out fully, which can make Facebook users question whether a Page is legitimate. Another common mistake occurs when a law firm uploads a version of their logo to be their profile image but the resulting thumbnail image only shows their logo partially; resulting in the almost meaningless image as the law firm’s brand throughout Facebook.
2. Violating Facebook’s Terms of Use, whether accidentally or intentionally.
   It is critical to understand how Facebook works and what tools are available for attorneys and law firms, and it’s just as important to understand the rules of the social networking site. Most commonly, law firms create a personal page instead of a proper business Facebook Page, or don’t abide by the rules about holding contests. There are also strict rules about who can be “tagged” in a photo, and “tagging” someone without their permission is a big no-no. Doing so is not only a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use, but may result in a Page getting reported as abusive, which opens the content of a Page up for review by Facebook.

To avoid these common Facebook marketing mistakes, small businesses and law firms should be sure to invest time in learning about how Facebook operates. Facebook is a wonderful place for small businesses and law firms to make personal connections with their customers and clients.

If the idea of marketing your law firm on Facebook or another social media site is overwhelming and seems impossible, contact SLS Consulting. Our legal Internet marketing team has been promoting attorneys and law firms from across the country onto social networking sites and blogs for over 10 years. We have helped countless law firms and attorneys establish their online presence to obtain high visibility on search engines, while also creating and managing social networking sites to announce relevant news and other matters relating to a firm’s practice areas and location. Call us today to learn how we can help you grow your law firm’s visibility online.

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/

Facebook has become an integral part of the way businesses, including law firms, communicate with their audience and establish an online community. Whether a law firm is large or small, there is no denying the power this social networking site wields and the far-reaching impact it can have. However, many law firms, particularly the smaller ones, are still struggling when it comes to marketing themselves on Facebook. A recent article on Mashable discussed the top 5 mistakes made by small businesses when using Facebook for marketing. Read on for the first in a two-part series on what mistakes you should be sure your law firm avoids making.

1. “Broadcasting” your message rather than giving your fans content that is relevant and engaging. One of the wonderful things about Facebook is that it enables businesses of any size to employ word-of-mouth marketing that is effective. However, one of the cornerstones of Facebook is authenticity. If a law firm or practicing attorney fails to be authentic or engage with its fans in a way that doesn’t feel genuine; users see right through it and immediately lose interest. Facebook should be a place where a law firm is constantly interacting with and engaging fans; it’s not just a place to continuously broadcast the same message. When a user clicks the “Like” button, they’re looking for a connection, and it’s a law firm’s job to give them a reason to stay connected. Many law firms and various other businesses fail to recognize this and instead focus on how Facebook can make them money through connecting with potential clients.
2. Failing to invest adequate time into a Facebook marketing strategy.
   Another common mistake made by attorneys and law firms is underestimating the amount of time it takes to create and implement a successful Facebook marketing strategy. And who could blame you! Many people (wrongly) assume that simply setting up a Page on Facebook is all they need to do, thinking people will naturally migrate to their Page. Unlike traditional advertising, Facebook doesn’t just run a course—many steps are involved, and the Page needs to be constantly monitored and updated.
3. Being boring and/or predictable—both should be avoided!
   Too often, law firms and businesses forget that Facebook is a place where people share content they find interesting and relevant to their friends. Facebook is a social place—think about what content your target audience would want to share when you are planning your posts to your Page.

Law firms also need to avoid becoming too predictable; whether it’s sharing videos, photos, or simply updating your status as opposed to mixing it up. The moment things become too predictable, fans will hide the Page from their feed, or un-“Like” a Page. Keep things varied and try to be as personal as possible.

Check back with our blog later this week to learn more about law firm Facebook marketing!

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/

You’ve probably heard the stories of Facebook scams and fraud that have been circulating recently. While it’s important to be aware of these potential scams and acts of fraud through Facebook, there is no reason to delete your profile or fan page!

A recent article posted on Yahoo! highlights a few ways that some groups and individuals have been using Facebook to run scams. Over the past year, social networking sites such as Facebook have risen to fourth place from 17th for “most treacherous web terrain,” right behind sites for software-sharing, which most of us already know to avoid.

With over 500 million members, Facebook has become one of many targets for scams and fraud. A Facebook profile connects hundreds of friends, and most of us are so trusting that we’ll click any link, video, or status update a friend posts. As a precaution, even if a post or comment was made by a friend, read the entire message before clicking any links, as malware software could be installed on your computer by clicking links posted by scammers. Current security software can combat this, so it’s a good idea to always have the latest technology to protect yourself.

The article notes that Internet users have a tendency to use the same password for everything; from work computers to bank accounts to Facebook. Scammers know this, and try desperately to get the password to your Facebook account because it’s likely it’s your password for everything else. An obvious fix to this problem is to have separate passwords for things. However, some scammers are even more cunning and go even farther, getting at you through a variety of phishing attempts that appear to be games or widgets.

You should always be careful about what applications and games you allow access to your Facebook profile, and it’s definitely worth a few minutes to see what exactly this access entails. Often you will find by reading their terms and conditions that you are giving them permanent access to your profile and even your friends’ profiles.

There are other ways scammers try to get information from you or about you in an attempt to gain access to your profile, bank accounts, and more. Always be on alert for possible scams. If something looks like it could be harmful to your account or your computer, it probably is.

It is important to remember that Facebook offers users a lot of flexibility in regards to what information they want shared, and with whom. You can update your Facebook privacy settings so that only certain people can view your photos, you status updates, and certain parts of your profile. You are also able to control what information about you Facebook shares with search engines and gaming apps and other apps on the site. You can also block apps from accessing your information and contacting you. Being careful with what information you share can help protect you from scammers.

With so many benefits to social networking; like connecting with friends and potential clients; you shouldn’t discard social networking out of fear of possible scams or fraud. While the chances of your Facebook profile being affected are slim, it can’t hurt to be aware, not only in relation to your Facebook account, but in regards to any other online account as well.

At this point, you’ve probably heard about LinkedIn, a professional social media website that serves in providing credibility, ways to acquire and give recommendations, opportunities to network, and get referrals.

LinkedIn wouldn’t be one of the “must-have” online social/professional profiles if it didn’t revamp its product and launch new strategies from time to time. The popular and useful professional site recently introduced a new social news product, LinkedIn Today. This product provides a convenient and helpful way for those with LinkedIn profiles to access top new stories and information not only within their own network but also from entire industries.

What makes LinkedIn Today so intriguing and potentially beneficial for attorneys is that it is a quick and easy way to read about breaking news relevant to law, other law firms, and your fellow attorneys, including comrades and your competition. What’s even better is LinkedIn has launched a mobile version of its news product, making it even easier for a lawyer to participate in their own social media marketing while on-the-go.

As LinkedIn finds more and more ways to be ever-present in the workplace and lead the professional Internet social profile world, you may want to jump on this bandwagon. LinkedIn has grown as a credible online source. Having a LinkedIn account, whether you decide to use LinkedIn Today or not, plays an essential role in adding to your online authority and Web presence. The professional site helps users create more of an online community and is designed to make establishing connections efficient, helpful, and simple.

For a lot of attorneys, as well as any other professional, it is vital to do everything that helps the bigger picture, especially when it comes to marketing. If you’re trying to cut out the amount of social networking sites you need, then you may want to readjust your perception. It’s not that more is better; it’s just that all social networking sites offer different benefits. You don’t want to get to a place where you are choosing LinkedIn over Facebook or Facebook over Twitter. Whether you like it or not, all of these profiles, and MORE, go hand in hand towards creating buzz, establishing an online community, and staying informed about the latest legal news and other important information that affects you and your law firm.

At SLS Consulting, we devise specific marketing plans for each of our clients that include social networking account creation and management. To learn more about how our legal Internet marketing strategies can help you get more clients, contact us today for a free assessment!

If you have read our blog before, then you know we’re all for social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, among others. However, it’s important for attorneys and plaintiffs to remember that while these sites offer certain privacy settings, data can still be accessed for a personal injury or criminal defense case. Most attorneys understand the potential complications that information on these sites can pose during court proceedings, so this may not be news to you. Nevertheless, the common misconceptions that information on these sites is completely private, that your client is too old to use these sites, or doesn’t have a social profile are still prevalent.

Social networking sites are not only for teenagers and young adults. More and more adults are now tweeting and posting on their Facebook “wall.” With the evolution of the Internet, information can be shared in a matter of seconds, with a simple click, and through various written, audio, and video forms. Social networking sites make it easier for people to share what’s going on in their lives. But does your client know the potential consequences of sharing or posting information – even if they believe it to be “private” – about their lawsuit on these sites?

One solution to this potential problem is to keep informed about what social networking sites are doing to their privacy settings. What is the most important thing you can do? Communicate. Talk to your client and make sure they understand the importance of confidentiality and trust. You’re not going to post information about their pending lawsuit on your Facebook wall, and neither should they.

According to a Trial article, MySpace and Twitter caution users in online agreements that the companies may have to share user information in order to comply with the law. Facebook has stated similarly that it may share information if asked to do so following being issued a subpoena. So even if your client has set their privacy settings so that only their “friends” or “friends of friends” can view their personal profile, this information ultimately is not private in the legal world as courts are starting to examine the possible ways in which this information can be accessed.

Before you panic and think that you need to delete all of your social networking profiles, remember that these platforms still serve an important purpose. They are a way for you to stay connected to people in your life and they do play a role in your legal Internet marketing efforts. The key is to make sure that you (and most importantly, your client) are not posting or sharing anything that you wouldn’t want the rest of the legal world to see.

If you've seen a movie lately or read the entertainment section of your local newspaper, you're probably aware that "The Social Network" will soon be hitting theaters. Basically, the movie centers-around the dealings pertaining to the founding of Facebook. Although it is admittedly a dramatization of how the social networking company was actually created, it still represents Hollywood's first foray into basing a movie on social networking. And it may not be the last, particularly since the rights to Ken Auletta's "Googled: The End of the World as We Know It" were recently acquired by two producers.

You may be asking what this has to do with law firms. Well, the Facebook and eventual Google films may not directly have much to do with the practice of law, but they do represent how mainstream social networking has become over the last few years. Who would have thought five years ago that Hollywood would be making a movie about a website started out for college students? Who would have thought that such a site would eventually eclipse over a million users, then ten million users, then well over one hundred million users? If anything, these films should represent how important social networking has become in our society. For law firms, social networks should represent a means of getting your expertise out to the masses, establishing yourself as an authority on a particular type of law, and indirectly influencing the users whom you interact with to spread your message to their friends, particularly those who may need legal advice.

A sound legal Internet marketing strategy includes not only an eye-popping website, but a website that is properly built as well. Exposure on social networks and blog forums is also necessary to help get your message across, as are proper use of keywords and search engine optimization. If your legal website isn't doing all it can to get its name out there, it might be best to rethink your legal Internet marketing plan. With social networking now a mainstream part of society, it's never been more important to make sure that you have an online presence where Internet users, followers, fans, friends, and connections want to be and can easily find you.

In a previous post, we talked about Facebook's Social Graph, the collective group of connections that each user has with other users, and how those connections sync up across not only Facebook's social portal, but third-party websites as well. It was speculated then, as it still is now, that Facebook's end goal is to be the first and only place an Internet user needs to go when they log onto their computer. With Bing providing search results within Facebook's own social portal, and a variety of applications and additions being made to the site and announced on a seemingly weekly basis, Facebook is doing all it can to become the end-all, be-all of the Internet.

Recently, as TMCnet has pointed out, Facebook, as it has done numerous times in the past, purchased a smaller company that it felt did a good job of meeting Internet user needs. Hot Potato, the event sharing site where users could say what they were doing, and be directed to other users who were doing the same thing, is now a part of the Facebook family. As consequence, Facebook has positioned itself even deeper into the foothold of Internet user wants and needs.

For businesses like law firms, Facebook's many business deals should not be disregarded. Every day, the social networking giant is becoming more and more popular, and more and more pertinent in Internet marketing decisions made by law firms and other businesses. At this point and time, it is safe to say that even if you aren't on Facebook, you probably know someone who is. Heck, you probably live with someone who is, and you're related to someone who is. Regardless, it is vital for law firms to establish themselves on social networks, particularly since those networks seem to be where quite a lot of people (500 million to be exact) are currently spending their time while online.

Having a website is certainly step one, but an effective legal Internet marketing campaign is quite expansive, and requires a lot of work and effort to be successful. If you're not spending the time to create your foothold in the world of Facebook, you may find it difficult to compete with your competitors who are.

If you own a business, chances are that you know about "Google Places" listings (formerly referred to as "Google Local"). For those of you who don't know, Google Places allows business owners to list their business information (address, phone number, business hours, etc.) so that, in the event someone searches for the business using Google, the business information is accurate and available for viewing. In order to get this listing to rank well in search results is a topic for an entirely different conversation altogether, but it should be a primary focus of your law firm Internet marketing campaign.

Facebook, the world's largest social networking community, has also recently ventured into the "Places" game, launching its own "Facebook Places" feature. At this point though, Facebook Places is completely different from Google Places. That is, Facebook Places is little more than a check-in service, meaning that users can access the function to tell their friends where they are at any given moment. However, if history is any indication, Facebook may eventually expand this feature, possibly to include information about specific locations that users have checked-in at. Information, such as business names, addresses, phones numbers, business hours, may soon become a part of the Facebook Places experience. Sound familiar? Sound kind of like Facebook may be positioning itself for a venture into a more Google-Places-centric endeavor? Only time will tell, but all business owners should undoubtedly keep an eye on Facebook Places for new developments in the near future.

For law firms, having a presence on the Internet, any presence at all, is a step in the right direction. However, implementing an effective legal Internet strategy could not only translate into more clients, but it could help establish you or your firm as an authority figure on the particular type of law you specialize in. Remember, the Internet is not only a source of social entertainment, but is also considered the ideal place to acquire information and exchange ideas. With a dynamic website, a strong presence on social networks, and a legal Internet marketing campaign that helps show who you are rather than just tell everyone, you may soon find yourself not only getting more clients, but getting client referrals from friends of friends whose recommendation came at the heels of you establishing yourself as an authority.

We've all heard of Twitter at this point. You may even have an account that you use to follow your favorite actor or actress, professional sports team, or maybe just your friends, co-workers, or acquaintances. But are you aware of the marketing potential that each 140-character Tweet truly has?

For law firms hoping to establish their presence on the Internet, Twitter is a good place to start. It's easy to set up, and can be effectively used in your firm's Internet marketing campaign if it is utilized properly. For starters, it's important to remember that your Twitter account should not be considered the same thing as your web page. While your web page is an information source about the particular area of law that your practice, your Twitter page should be a platform where you display your legal knowledge and experience in a more personalized way. Understand?

Well, in case you don't, the most important thing to remember is this: a website is for your business, while your Twitter account is for your customers/potential clients. Twitter is a platform that is inherently operated and controlled by users. Businesses such as law firms should establish a presence there, but not expect to present a sales pitch that is going to be well received. Users control the information that is spread across the Twitterverse, not businesses.

You should never assume that just because a person follows you on Twitter that he or she will become a client. In fact, your end goal using Twitter isn't to gain customers, but to gain listeners: people who are interested in the topics you Tweet about, and therefore want to share those Tweets with other Twitter users. So remember, don't use sales pitches. Instead, tweet about your area of law, showing that you're a trusted authority on the subject, and simply enjoy being a part of a growing social network where, indirectly, you may eventually gain a follower or two who becomes a client someday.

And also remember that all social networking roads should lead back to your primary branding source, otherwise known as your website. That's a whole different topic for another time though. Good luck.

The ever-expanding social networking universe is becoming a much smaller place. That is, a recent announcement made by Twitter has revealed that users of the micro-blogging service will now be able to more effectively link their Twitter accounts to their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. This will lead to the establishment of a web of social networking contacts that may soon be able to fully interact with one another.

According to a pcmag.com article, Twitter has added both Facebook and LinkedIn to its "Find Friends" feature. However, as with any new development still in its infancy, the new feature is far from flawless. Reportedly, the Twitter-Facebook application does not allow users to access their Facebook information at this time, disallowing them from being able to discern which of their Facebook friends are on Twitter (which is what the application is supposed to allow). It should be noted, however, that the Twitter-LinkedIn application is currently working as it is supposed to - allowing LinkedIn users to see which of their LinkedIn connections also have a presence on Twitter.

Social networking began as a means for friends to communicate about a variety of topics that they all found interesting. Today, social networking is very much the same thing, and forever will be a grouping of arenas where members are allowed to express themselves. For law firms, the allure here should not be to become friends with someone in hopes that the person will soon become a client. Instead, attorneys should enter into the social networking discussion as an authority on the type of law its firm is centered-around. The point of having a presence on social networking sites is not to sell your product, but to connect with other users and establish yourself as a trusted authority on whatever type of law you may practice - whether its personal injury law, criminal defense, bankruptcy law, or business litigation.

Continue reading "Twitter + Facebook + LinkedIn = A Giant Social Sphere You Must Join" »

For anyone out there who says social network profile creation and maintenance is nothing more than a fad, look no further than Microsoft's recent decision regarding integrating Facebook into its Outlook email information manager program. According to a recent article featured on informationweek.com, Microsoft's recently updated Social Connector plug-in will allow users to connect with Facebook status updates, photo uploads, and wall posts via notification within Outlook itself. This is being done all in hopes of making Outlook more of a communication hub that users want to access on a more regular basis. This new update comes at the heels of updates already released for social networking platforms MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Reportedly, a "People Pane" window will allow Outlook users to receive real-time Facebook updates. Furthermore, the new plug-in update will also connect Outlook user contacts with Facebook profile information. It should be noted, however, that while Outlook users will be able to access Facebook profile information, the process is limited. Specifically, Outlook users are not yet able to post and update information on Facebook from the confines of Outlook.

Other email platforms, such as Yahoo, have already enabled Facebook to connect with users via the email platform. Gmail, another online email platform, has even gone so far as to create its own social network called Google Buzz. Regardless of how users are being connected, the point should be clear throughout: social networking is ingrained in our society, so much so that its encroachment into other web experiences is advancing on what seems like a daily basis. For businesses, like law firms, having an established presence on social networks is becoming more and more vital in creating an even larger web presence and reaching out to as many potential clients as possible.

According to statistics put out by Nielsen, two-thirds of all Internet users visit social networks and blogs on a regular basis. Despite the common misconception that social networks are all fun and no work, the contrary couldn't be more true. That is, law firms who properly utilize social networking into their legal marketing strategies not only create greater exposure regarding their services, but also enable themselves to connect with potential clients on a more human-to-human level. While a website alone will enable your law firm to get its message across, social networking for attorneys allows clients to find out more about the people behind the firm, gives a clearer picture as to what a law firm’s mission statement is really all about, and creates a more intimate setting to foster professional relationships - both present and future. So, like Microsoft, if you want to take advantage of the social networking train, you'd better hop onboard now before all the available seats are taken.

According to its website, "LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 70 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals." Viewed by most as an authoritative site for business professionals, lawyers can certainly join LinkedIn. In fact, they SHOULD join LinkedIn, especially if they want to establish themselves as authorities on subject matter pertinent to their law practice. How can this be accomplished? Simple - employ the same type of effective marketing techniques to your LinkedIn profile that you do in order to rank well in Google and other search engine web results. Still confused? Ultimately, it all comes down to optimization, search engine optimization, that is.

Keywords are essential in ranking well on LinkedIn. According to an article featured on computerworld.com, LinkedIn is essentially the same thing as Google, the primary difference being that you have to sometimes pay in order to rank well in Google, whereas LinkedIn is completely free (all you need is an email address). In addition, LinkedIn has the added benefit of being recognized as a self-promotion site for professionals, which means that it is a perfect forum for attorneys to establish themselves as credible sources of law knowledge. Factor in a question and answer section where LinkedIn members can ask for advice and/or guidance on a variety of issues, including a "Law and Legal" section, and attorneys have an opportunity to make themselves stand out in the legal world. Remember, LinkedIn is a public search directory, meaning that profiles and even Q&A topics will show up not only in LinkedIn search results, but outside search engine web results (e.g. Google) as well.

The key to any marketing strategy should be exposure. Getting your message out there, establishing yourself as a person who knows what they're talking about, and interacting with clients in a more personalized manner than a personal website can allow are all sure fire ways of establishing credibility and ultimately increasing your number of clients. After all, people nowadays rely heavily on self research, most of which is conducted on the Internet. If it comes down to your law firm, which has little to no presence on the Internet, a second law firm that has a fancy website, but little else, or a third law firm that not only has a website, but also has established itself as an authority on law in the social realm, interacting with potential clients and demonstrating its expertise on an array of legal topics, which law firm do you think an Internet user is going to be more inclined to find out more information about?

With an effective marketing plan, which includes a presence on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, you can rest assured that your law firm will be the one that potential clients will gravitate towards on the Internet. According to the article, LinkedIn profiles can be optimized if you simply remember to generate pertinent keywords and learn how to effectively meld those keywords together with your profile. Good luck!

The next time you post a picture or update your status on Facebook, stop and ask yourself who you think will be seeing it. If you answered, "My friends," then you'd be correct. However, what you may not realize, unless you've customized your privacy settings lately, is that Facebook's ever-evolving privacy policy is becoming more and more lenient as social networking rapidly grows each day. Therefore, in addition to your friends, other users may be able to view your photos and status updates as well. Factor in Facebook's new Open Graph, and users are being publicized more than ever in many ways they may not even realize.

Facebook is notorious for adjusting user privacy settings, consequently resetting personal profile settings in the process. What this has meant for users is that, all of a sudden, their profile privacy settings have essentially been lifted, allowing non-friends to view content on their profiles. In order to restore previous privacy settings, Facebook users must go into their settings and specify the degree of privacy they would prefer. This has been the case time and time again, with many users complaining about the setting changes, but ultimately complying with the changes and simply going with the flow.

If Facebook was content with its current position as a popular social networking site, users wouldn't have anything else to worry about other than adjusting their settings every few months. However, as the world's largest social network, Facebook is constantly looking for ways to attract users and expand its market share. After a partnership was struck with Microsoft late last year, Facebook has branched out into local search, but doing so in an all encompassing way that is sure to alter the landscape of social networking and search for years to come. That is, Facebook recently announced the creation of its Open Graph, which attempts to blanket a user's internet experience under Facebook’s social networking portal.

Continue reading "Facebook Will Stop at Nothing to Make You More Social" »

People with an insider’s knowledge of Microsoft say that the company will make an announcement soon that Facebook posts will appear in Bing’s search results in the near future. Microsoft has said that posts from Twitter users have already been integrated into its new search engine’s search results. It’s also possible that posts from other social media sites will also be included in the future.

The president of Microsoft’s online services division, Qi Lu, was expected to make the announcement about the integrated search results at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco. The senior vice president for Microsoft’s online audience business group, Yusuf Mehdi, is expected to conduct a demonstration of the new capabilities of the Bing search engine.

Microsoft’s deal with Twitter, which is expected to be nonexclusive, has reportedly been included in the company plans for many weeks. Microsoft engineers had already included Twitter posts into Bing in anticipation of the announcement. The terms of Microsoft’s deal are not expected to be disclosed, but a person inside the deal who wished to remain anonymous said that negotiations included a payment from Microsoft to Twitter.

Continue reading "Microsoft's Bing Browser Integrates Twitter and Facebook Posts in Search Results" »

Members and readers of social networking sites are adept at sniffing out deliberate attempts to manipulate their thinking, especially when the merits of a product are being reviewed. Members who shill for a particular product or company—particularly members who are posting for the first time—are quickly called out and these social media communities are very good about self-enforcing membership protocols. Starting on December 1, 2009, they are going to get some help from the Federal Trade Commission. Bloggers, twitterers, forum members and others who write product reviews will be required to disclose payment or the fact that they received free merchandise for the items they review.

The new guidelines are an extension of the FTC’s 1980 guide regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. The new regulations have drawn mixed reviews from bloggers and other social media writers. Some say it will add credibility to what they do, identify them as serious writers and establish professional standards. This is especially relevant in the fashion blogging community where some bloggers referred to derisively as “cloggers” use their sites or forums as a means of soliciting free samples or gaining invitations to exclusive fashion industry events.

“Cloggers will tweet about how they’d just love a free garment or accessory directly to a brand’s Twitter account,” one supporter of the new rules said. “They brazenly insist on tons of samples even though they haven’t been blogging long enough to build up any sort of readership.”

Continue reading "New FTC Rule Requires Bloggers and Twitterers to Disclose Information on Product Reviews" »

An article published recently in the Los Angeles Times reports that Yahoo, parent company of venerable website hosting giant GeoCities, is closing down the site that allowed people to create their own pages a decade ago. Then GeoCities sites created by users ranked well in search results and were a social networking hub of sorts for hundreds of thousands of users. Though rudimentary and generally unsophisticated, these pages allowed users to create fan sites, talk about their hobbies, share their political views and a myriad of other topics. They could create pages at no cost, take advantage of a modest amount of storage for images and documents and stake out their own little corner of the Internet when there weren’t many options to do so.

Yahoo was scheduled to pull the plug on the domain and millions of pages on October 25, 2009, and one of the most common domains in the young history of the Internet was expected to cease to exist except in fond memory. In early 2009, although GeoCities stopped accepting applications, current users were allowed to update their pages and save their sites to their hard drives. Compared to peak traffic and users in the late 90s, comparatively few users remained. Yahoo is urging those remaining to transfer their accounts and pages to Yahoo’s web hosting service for $5 a month.

Continue reading "Yahoo Closes GeoCities Site" »

Google Labs has just launched a new search function called Social Search, which allows users to enhance their search experience by providing them with search results that are more personally relevant. Google announced that it is working on implementing Social Search at the Fall Web 2.0 Summit, but doesn’t expect to make it available until later in the season. The personalized search function utilizes a user’s social network profiles to display relative links as well as status updates that members of the user’s social network have shared at the bottom of a page of search results.

People interested in checking out Social Search will need to point their browser at Google’s experimental section and activate the new search feature that is only available to users in the U.S. and only in English. Social Search creates personalized searches utilizing Google Talk, Gmail, Google Reader subscriptions and social networking profiles that a user has added to his or her Google Profile. While participation in Google Profile is not mandatory, based on information in a user’s Google Profile, Social Search can automatically detect a user’s social networking profiles and friend lists on BrightKite, Digg, del.icio.us, YouTube, FriendFeed, Flickr and other networking sites.

Not every search will yield Social Search results at the bottom of a search results page. When it does, however, socially relevant search results will appear at the bottom of the user’s page labeled as "results from people in your social circle." Users will also be able to start Social Search from the search options panel currently embedded in the search page, and Google will provide a list of the user’s friends that it decides are the most closely related to the search terms. If a user clicks on a name, they will be able to confine search results to see results from that friend.

Continue reading "Google Labs Launch Social Search" »

What started only two years ago as a messaging service with few bells and whistles has evolved into a company with worldwide recognition, millions of Tweeters and the fans who read their tweets. Twitter founders, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, had the business savvy to outsource ideas on how to grow and improve their service to the people who use it on a daily and hourly basis. The company monitors how users use the service and which ideas become popular. Then company engineers transform these ideas into features.

The company has announced that two new features will be rolled out sometime in the next several weeks called Lists and Retweets from users’ ideas.

“Twitter’s smart enough—or lucky enough—to say, ‘Gee, let’s not try to compete with our users in designing this stuff, let’s outsource design to them,’ ” said Eric von Hippel, head of the innovation and entrepreneurship group at the Sloan School of Management at MIT and author of the book “Democratizing Innovation.”

Professor von Hippel said that economists have thought that the people making products and running the companies are natural sources for new ideas and innovations. However, technology companies have turned that model upside-down successfully by allowing others to innovate for them. This works primarily because the Internet lets people around the world share ideas in real time and software allows users to design new products inexpensively. A good example of this is photo-sharing giant Flickr that started out as a small part of a game. When Flickr founders discovered that the photo-sharing aspect was more popular than the game, they shed the game and focused on building Flickr.

This shift favors young start-up companies as older companies tend to rely on proven ideas and techniques, and the structures of their companies may discourage outside-the-box thinking intentionally or unintentionally. Nevertheless, that may be changing somewhat as older companies now try to emulate the methods of new companies after watching how new companies grow to success. One good example is Ford Motor Company—it noticed that users were modifying the voice-activated entertainment and GPS system, Sync, and so invited college students to create new features for the system.

Continue reading "Twitter Evolves and Grows Successful by Listening to Customers" »

By now, most Web-savvy people in the legal world, or any industry for that matter, are familiar with the importance of social marketing. They understand that social marketing not only enhances the effectiveness of other legal Internet marketing strategies but far more importantly, it allows them to receive feedback from and interact with their site’s visitors and target audience. Social marketing provides a practical way to share information. However, the owners of sites and their Internet marketing consultant need to be very careful about how this information is dispensed. Web users are becoming increasingly sophisticated at discerning useful social marketing content provided for their benefit or entertainment from attempts to manipulate their purchasing decisions via social marketing methods. In order achieve its goals, social marketing strategies must have merit and something useful to contribute to the social networking communities that is serves.

To that end, here are some social networking ideas to keep in mind that will help you through the current economy and set you up for success when it recovers:

• Keep it real! – As previously mentioned, Web users are quite astute at discerning genuine efforts to contribute to the community from fake attempts to manipulate them and can employ the power of social networking to ‘call out’ fakes. This is illustrated by a recent incident where some popular Twitterers were outed for taking cash in exchange for product recommendations in their tweets. This created an outrage among Twitter users, and the backlash sullied the reputations of the Twitterers and the products they were shilling for.


• Create your own community and engage your readers – Blog posts rank well in search results, give readers a reason to check your site often, provide interesting and useful information and create a sense of community among your readers. Consider adding a blog to your site with posts written by you, your legal Internet marketing consultant or a mix or both.

Continue reading "Using Social Marketing in a Down Economy" »

The old saying that “bad news travels fast,” has never seemed more relevant than it does in the Information Age. These days, a legal professional’s reputation not only can precede him or her, it can also directly influence a potential client’s decision to contact or not contact him or her. The rising popularity of Web sites that allow people to share their positive or negative experiences with products or professionals of any stripe makes it easy for people to share their opinions. Those opinions, whether based on fact or not, show up in search results and can have a profound impact on the success of a law firm or legal professional.

To that end, we’ve compiled a list of proactive reputation management tips that are inexpensive, enhance the effectiveness of other legal Internet marketing techniques, and allow legal professionals to take charge of their reputation management. These tips for lawyers include:

• Harness the power of social marketing – Social marketing sites are becoming increasingly relevant for any lawyer’s or law firm’s Internet marketing. Consider creating profiles for yourself and/or your law firm on social networking sites that cater to legal professionals as well as the heavyweights like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.


• Host informational videos on your site – Consider hosting informational videos on your legal Web site that address some of the questions your clients often ask you about. These add value to your site, engage your site’s visitors and also rank well in search results!


• Add a legal blog to your site – Whether you write the legal blog’s posts yourself or have your legal Internet marketing company compose them for you, they benefit your site, rank well in search results, and allow you to address topical issues in the legal industry and provide valuable information to your site’s visitors and potential clients.

Continue reading "Online Reputation Management Tips for Legal Professionals" »

With the explosion in popularity that social media and social networking sites like facebook, twitter, youtube, videojug, and linkedin have recently enjoyed, many attorneys are faced with the question of whether or not to invest the time and money involved in creating and maintaining profiles on these sites. Can tweeting 30 times a day and having hundreds of followers to your profile increase the number of great cases you get? Will it cause your phone to ring more often?

The answer, in most instances, is a resounding ‘no’, but that does not mean that these sites don’t serve a purpose. The real value of these types of sites becomes obvious when you view your name (and your law firm’s name) as a trademarked brand name. A brand name that like any other in the business world, needs to be protected.

While it is true that you don’t have to devote large resources to social media sites, you do have to protect your brand name and trademarks by registering or ‘claiming’ your profiles. Almost all of the profiles that you create on the most popular of social networking sites are free. It just takes time and a valid email address. By taking the time to create profiles for yourself and your firm, you successfully claim your virtual identity online preventing brand and trademark abuse while contributing to your legal Internet marketing efforts.

Another variable here is the potential that some of these social networking sites have for exploding in popularity. Let’s not forget the story of facebook.com, a social networking site that started very small. Originally the site was intended to be a networking tool for Harvard students. As it’s popularity increased, other colleges and high school were allowed to join its ranks as well. It wasn’t until late 2006 that the site actually opened its membership to non-students. Today the site has more than 200 million active profiles. Who knows which social networking site will enjoy similar success? By claiming as many of these profiles as possible you insure that you are well positioned to take advantage of future success.

Additionally, and this is actually the most important factor from an SEO standpoint, social media sites can rank very highly in the search engines, especially for people’s names. If you’ve ever done a search for an individual you know that very often the first page of results can be dominated by myspace, facebook, youtube, and linkedIN profiles. The pages where the profiles are listed can also have very high page ranks, offering valuable links back to your firm’s website.

The most attractive part of this plan of action is that it costs virtually nothing. Any intern or office administrator can log into these sites and create profiles for your firm. The potential benefits far outweigh the time invested, and protecting your brand name on a prime domain can reap substantial benefits to you and your firm’s online identity.

From the people who brought you the social networking sensation twitter.com, comes tweetlaw.com, a Twitter application designed specifically for legal professionals. Why tweetlaw? The webpage explains it like this:

“We believe that sometimes, labels are necessary. So many careers and specialties fall under the legal profession, and we want to give you the opportunity to stand out in your field.”

The site was launched on April 1st, 2009 and as of the writing of this article on May 10th, 2009 has 389 legal professionals tweeting.

Signing up for an account on tweetlaw.com is easy. You login by using your twitter.com username and password. You are then able to make a custom tweetlaw.com profile. Unlike twitter, your tweetlaw.com profile can be as long as you want it to be (twitter limits it to 140 characters). Creating your profile also allows you to specify several URLs to associate with your profile, one for your “personal” site, another for your ‘work” site. You can also add information like your mailing address, phone number, email address, and a bio about who you are and what you do.

Tweetlaw.com also allows you to specify up to 4 “categories” that describe what you do. Currently the site features 40 categories to choose from including: Blawgers, Law Students, Litigators, Paralegals, Family Lawyers, Small Law Firms and Big Law Firms to name a few. These categories feature members tweeting about relevant subject matter.

Like twitter, tweetlaw.com can serve a purpose for attorneys who are looking to effectively market themselves online. A large online legal network is a useful tool when gauging the temperament of lawyers nationwide. It is also very useful for bouncing marketing ideas off of your peers who might otherwise be unavailable, or unwilling, to help you. Rebroadcasting your blog stories on twitter can also increase readership and get your articles read by more individuals, who may decide to link those articles to their own blogs/ tweets (if they are any good).

Since the site is relatively new, the indexing of this information on search engines could take some time, but it is always good to have incoming links from reputable, popular locations on the internet, and tweetlaw.com seems to be destined to be just that.

LinkedIn is a great online networking tool that caters to the individual who is less interested in connecting with ‘buddies’ or ‘friends’ and more interested in networking with like-minded and career oriented individuals on the Internet.

What separates Linkedin from other social networking sites is that it is designed with the business user in mind. With 40 million members in over 200 countries around the world and executives from all Fortune 500 companies in its ranks, LinkedIn profiles are becoming necessities for the users who are looking to not only network online, but also maintain a strong, branded online presence.

From the LinkedIn webpage:

“When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form enduring connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts.”

The benefits of LinkedIn are numerous and quickly recognizable. Besides being able to manage the information that’s publicly available about you as a professional, you can build your client development, collaborate with peers on projects, even partner with them for potential business opportunities, gain new insight from discussions with other professionals who share your interests and also place job listings for your organization.

Perhaps, most importantly, is the clout that google seems to lend to LinkedIn profiles. It is very rare to Google an individual’s name and not find their Linkedin profile among the first few organic search engine results. This is very important for several reasons. Most obviously, this increases your web presence and visibility, but it also enables you to control the information that people searching for you see.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you should get one now. They are free and easy to setup: https://www.linkedin.com/.