Lawyers Adopting Social Media Strategies

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Legal marketing has changed over the years. With the rise of social media, law firms now seek the attention of clients via tweets, videos, blogposts, and other online content. 

As an attorney, you may already have a Facebook or Twitter account. Perhaps you use them to connect with friends and family. However, social media offers more. 

By building social networks, you can attract new clients, keep your knowledge up to date, and connect with peers. Leading lawyers use social media to remain relevant as well as to market to other people who chose to remain relevant. 

Social media marketing offers advantages such as: 

Cost. According to a 2009 Bloomberg post, corporate lawyers’ use of social networking is growing. Some are even using LinkedIn to connect with other professionals around the world. And all it cost them is the time it takes to set up a free profile and start networking. 

Access. Online marketing means reaching a wider audience with your message – right now. No more waiting for ad development, printing, and publication. You can build a following with your blog, discuss helpful topics with colleagues via LinkedIn, pinpoint where ideal clients hang out online, and monitor your brand and reputation through feedback and review sites. 

Networking. This is what social media is all about. Building online relationships with potential clients, peers and colleagues, and people of influence allows you to promote yourself and your practice. In so doing, you can share your legal expertise and gain credibility. Recognition in your field may lead to other opportunities such as speaking engagements, consulting requests, and more. 

And if all this isn’t enough, there are specialty social media websites designed just for lawyers, such as LegalOnRamp.com. 

Putting social media to good use is a matter of taking the time and making the effort. For some good tips on how to get started, check out this 2010 Mashable post, “How Lawyers Are Using Social Media for Real Results.” 

For more information on social media, social networking, website design, and other internet marketing services for lawyers, contact us. We’re here to help. 

Yet Another Move by Google to Enhance Social Media's Role in Search

Friday, February 18, 2011

As we have written about before, Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) is creeping into the world of search.  It makes perfect sense, really.  A big part of Google's traditional algorithm is evaluating how many links come into a web site, and who those links are from.  Think of it as peer review.  

But in that scenario, the "peers" are other web sites, not people you know.  Ah, but the people I know are all on my social networks.  What if Google and the other search engines could know who my friends are and then cross reference what they like when giving me answers to my queries?

That is precisely what they are doing with the announcement of Social Search (see Google's blog post here). 

This isn't an entirely new product.  Previously, Google announced the incorporation of similar things in the SERPS, but this takes it to a new level. 

Conspicuously missing from Google's Social Search, however, is Facebook.   The two companies have not been playing nice lately (Facebook has been raiding Google's best employees, and recently Google stopped allowing Facebook to access its users Gmail accounts, etc), and I assume that is a factor in all of this.  But for Social Search to really have an impact, it is going to need to include Facebook eventually, and I am sure that it will.  (The other scenario, which is certainly possible, is that Facebook will finally add a SEARCH feature that only shows results from your connections). 

The bottom line is this:  search is changing, and it is obvious that it is moving towards a much more customizable and socially based system.  If your business isn't yet listed on the Social Sites, soon you might find yourself no longer listed on most people's search results either. 

MORE INFORMATION:

Why A Business Should Be On Facebook


A Video From Google About Their Social Search Update: