Posts Tagged ‘social media for lawyers’
Avoid the Pitfalls of Social Media
Social media seems to be taking over the world these days. Most people we know have at least a Facebook and Twitter account. In fact, for many this seems to be the preferred form of communication these days.
It would make sense that social media would trickle down into the work place as well. Sure, many firms have their own social media sites for marketing and publicity purposes. But even if your law firm doesn’t use social media, it can still be affected by what your employees post about your firm and litigation.
Your employees need to know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable when it comes to social media. When it comes to posting anything online, remember that nothing personal is truly private; hence the term “social media.”
Whether your firm has a social media policy in place or not, please join me Wednesday, May 1st at 1pm (EST) as I present the webinar “Social Media Policies for Your Law Firm Employees.” Go to https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/695874679 to sign up for this very informative and important webinar.
If you want to avoid the pitfalls of social media, then do not miss this webinar.
Dedicated to your success,
Ken Hardison
Is Your Law Firm in the TV Danger Zone?
As you probably know, PILMMA founder and president Ken Hardison is also a Personal Injury and Disability lawyer from Raleigh, N.C. who has been practicing since 1982. He began marketing on television in 1998 and took his firm from 2 lawyers and 3 staff to 13 lawyers and 42 staff in less than 6 years. During that same period he increased his revenues by 1600%, primarily through the use of TV ads and other marketing methods. During that time and in the time since, Ken has had some realizations about lawyers and TV advertising.
While TV advertising still has its place in the world of law firm marketing, Ken has seen some “dangerous” trends emerging over the last few years and warns that lawyers focusing too narrowly on television marketing may be losing sight of the importance of a comprehensive marketing plan. He believes that even the smartest, most successful attorney can learn something new from someone else.
Think about it….with the advent of TIVO and DVR’s, viewers are able to by-pass commercials entirely, cutting out a portion of the viewership attorneys were used to having. Does this cripple the once undeniable larger than life TV lawyer? Of course not. Nor does it cripple the other guys out there who simply dabbled in TV spots here and there. Technology is enabling attorneys to advertise in ways that they would never have imagined possible in the past – mobile apps, social networking, etc etc. Ken is convinced that the best marketing design is a wide-ranging plan that will reach all demographics regardless of their access to technology or lack thereof.
Ken’s advice and marketing knowledge are in high demand and routinely sought by other attorneys, colleagues and marketing experts. One such colleague is Ben Glass. Ben will be interviewing Ken today, April 22nd about the dangerous trends in TV advertising facing lawyers. Attorneys in Glass’s network will have an opportunity to pick Ken’s brain and learn from someone who has “been there and done that”. Ken has created a brief about these 5 Dangerous Trends and he would like to share it with fellow attorneys who are feeling the pressure of how to best market contingency based law firms in this increasingly competitive market.
For your copy of Ken’s “The 5 Dangerous Trends Facing Lawyers Who Advertise on TV” simply email info@pilmma.org and put “5 Trends” in the subject line and Ken’s exclusive brief will be emailed to you immediately. For more information about PILMMA’s upcoming 2013 PILMMA Super Summit and how you can test drive PILMMA for FREE, call 800-497-1890 or go to www.pilmmasummit.com. This year the Summit has been expanded to 3 days and features keynote speaker Erin Brockovich in addition to a stellar line up of legal marketing and management experts. If you’ve ever thought about getting involved with PILMMA, now’s the time.
Are You Part of the Cool Crowd? How Social is Your Law Firm?
With social media infiltrating every aspect of our lives, not utilizing Facebook and other forms of social media could leave a huge gap in your marketing plan. There are many business benefits to using these avenues as part of your firm’s marketing campaign.
It’s a great opportunity for new client acquisition and a way to engage potential clients by communicating promotions and serving as another interception point that can be leveraged to entice potential clients with your service. Social media also provides another potential interception point to build a relationship with your client.
Social media can act as a portal point for driving traffic to your website and other online properties and takes “word of mouth” advertising to a whole new level…nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. And then of course, there is the “cool factor” In today’s world do you really want to be a business who doesn’t market using social media? Just by having a presence on social media you could enter a potential client’s sphere of influence and this could end up being one of many deciding factors as to why they select you.
It’s also a useful tool for seeing what users are saying about your firm which allows for reputation management. Your Facebook profile can now be indexed in the search results and as a result can provide another favorable listing in the organic search results of the engines.
Want to learn more? If you’re a PILMMA member, join PILMMA president and founder Ken Hardison April 17th at 4pm during his teleseminar with Kim Walsh as they discuss the benefits of marketing through social media. Walsh, an award-winning speaker, author and strategist, is the CEO of IO Creative Group, a results-driven marketing and PR agency. A self-described “techie marketing geek”, Walsh has a passion for marketing with an emphasis on ROI. Kim has helped some very well-known brands, Harley-Davidson, Chem-Dry and Hilton Hotels, to increase their revenue through direct response marketing. She is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, “Awareness Campaigns Are Stupid: Other Insider Secrets to Stop Being An Advertising Victim and Start Monetizing Your Marketing.” Kim has also been featured in many media outlets including NBC, Fox, CBS, NPR and the Palm Beach Post.
If you are already using social media, Ken and Kim will pinpoint what you can do to optimize your results. For those not yet on the bandwagon, they will guide you through the steps you need to get started.
This teleseminar is just a sample of what you will experience at PILMMA’s 2013 Super Summit, June 6th-8th, at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center and Hotel, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Keynote speaker Erin Brockovich will headline a superstar lineup of speakers. The 3-day affair promises to be the biggest and best legal marketing and management event of the year. For more information please visit www.pilmmasummit.com.
For a full list of PILMMA’s past teleseminars or Super Summit information, please contact Valerie or Jessica at 800-497-1890 or valerie@pilmma.org / jessica@pilmma.org.
How Law Firms Can Use QR Codes
Recently, these funny looking black and white boxes have popped up everywhere and on everything. QR codes are the new technology darling of the marketing world. But I do not think these little boxes are a trend, I believe they are here to stay. First, QR codes will last because you can share much more valuable data than with traditional barcode. Second and most importantly, QR codes will last because anyone can create them and read them for free.
Read this article from the Marketing Insiders’ Journal to learn more about QR codes.
Quick Response codes (QR Codes) are two-dimensional codes that can be read by iPhones, Androids or other camera-enabled Smartphones. Created in Japan by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, these codes have been used internationally for years. In 2011, they finally took hold in the US thanks to endorsements from Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and Post Cereals.
How do they work? Owners of iPhones and other smart devices must download a QR reading application, usually available for free, if not already on the phone. When a QR enabled phone is pointed at the code, it locks into the information contained within that code, such as text, photos, coupons, videos or websites.
Want a QR Code for your firm? You can create your own QR Code for free online. A popular site for doing this is www.kaywa.com. There’s also www.likify.net where you can create a QR Code that links to a fully functioning LIKE button for your Facebook page. There’s no limit to how or how much you can share with QR Codes. From videos and landing pages to an entire eBook, these codes are quickly becoming a marketer’s dream come true.
These codes are great for printed materials since they allow you to provide supplemental information without cluttering up your ads. Be sure to place a QR Code in a well-lighted spot on your materials and not too close to other graphics or text. Crowded placement could inhibit the ability of the QR Code reader to lock into the symbols and link to your information.
Use QR Codes on your business cards, newsletters, direct mail pieces, signage, and promotional items. Give potential clients instant access to what you and your firm are all about. To top this off, you can track and analyze the results of your printed pieces with increased precision. Remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it or repeat it.
Here are some examples of QR codes and how to use them:
On print materials, promotional items and the internet. Be creative!
What do clients think you are?
Who are you? Better yet – who do your clients think you are?
This week’s Bright Idea is about potential clients seeing, knowing and trusting you based on your Social Media persona. The best suggestion I can make to you is to “humanize” yourself. This means including more than just your headshot or law school resume. Show potential clients you’re a real person – they need to be able to relate to you in an everyday sort of way.
Use a more personal bio of yourself that includes things that are important to you along with details about what has made you who are and why you wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. This may be some cheesy story about when you were a child and someone wronged you or it may be a poignant, meaningful story about overcoming the odds against you – whatever it may be, share it!
You still want to build credibility with law school and professional awards, but you also need to relate to your potential clients. So in addition to your extended biography, you should post a few casual photos of you enjoying your hobbies, family and friends. You don’t want to offend anyone or depict yourself in any negative light, so choose your pictures wisely. You can also have some fun with this – for example, post some baby pictures of you and your staff members and have people on your page guess who is who.
Another way to humanize yourself is to focus on charities you support. Post pictures, articles and news about or from the organization on your sites. You can also post articles that are a bit more casual, instead of business as usual. Just last week I saw an article about the odd things people have found on New Jersey beaches…now, if you’re located in New Jersey, this would be a great article for you to use on your site – definitely an attention grabber that will also make you a news source for your visitors. It never hurts to give people something to of interest, especially when you’re drawing them into your social network. After all, the more they visit, the longer they stay, the more they get to know you.
It’s a proven fact that people hire lawyers they know, like and trust. Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to show potential clients who you are. If they get to know you and trust you – you’ll be the one they call.
What is Spokeo? (and how to delete your profile)
How would you feel if everybody with access to the internet (including your clients and past clients) had access to your personal information?
Things like your address, your phone number, the amount you paid for your house, its square footage, names of your children and much more, all accessible on one website for anyone that wants to look you up.
Well, whether it bothers you or not, there’s a very good chance they already do have access to that information!
A website called, Spokeo, which claims to be “Not your Grandma’s Phonebook”, offers all of this information for free. And for only $2.95 per month, people can get access to even more info, like your estimated annual income, pictures of you found on social media sites, your hobbies, etc.
While all the information the site returns is not completely accurate, people looking you up don’t know that!
Luckily you can delete your profile on the account by following these simple steps I found on the Spin Sucks Blog:
1. Go to Spokeo and type in your name.
2. Copy the URL when it brings up your information.
3. Go to the bottom of the page and click on “privacy”
4. Paste the URL in the box provided
5. Include your email address (it gives you further instructions via email)
6. Enter the code
7. Go to your email and click on the link they provide to you
8. Confirm the directory listing has been deleted
9. Go back to Spokeo and put in your name to be sure it was deleted and they can’t find you
Dedicated to Your Success,
Ken Hardison
President of PILMMA
