Making the Case: Social Media for Attorneys

NATHAN DEVAULT

NathanDeVault@costadevault.comwww.twitter.com/ndevault

www.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault

AT A GLANCE• Founded in 1985

• Certified M/WBE (local and state)

• 18 employees

• More than 375 awards

• Clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies

Self Promotion

15-20• As little as 15 to 20 years ago, the

options for self promotion were limited:–Advertising‣Newspaper ads‣Yellow pages‣Radio ‣Television

–Public Relations ‣Media relations ‣Community relations

Advertising vs. Public Relations• Advertising:

–Allows you to control the message–Requires frequency, frequency, frequency –Is expensive –Is heavily regulated in the legal profession

• Public Relations:–Offers 3rd party credibility –Is inexpensive when compared to advertising –Is more widely accepted among professional

services

Public Relations and Social Media• Similarities:

–Neither can be completely controlled–Both involve sharing information –Both offer 3rd party credibility

• Differences:–PR is more effective if it is initiated by

someone else–Social media has to be done by the

individual

SOCIAL MEDIA IS HERE TO STAY

It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. Terrestrial TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users. The internet took four years to reach 50 million people. In less than nine months, Facebook added

100 million users.- Erik Qualman

Socialnomics.net, published August 11, 2009

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Here’s Why:Growing Market Opportunity

“Grown Up Digital”

• 77 million Baby Boomers(born 1946-1964) =23% U.S. population

• 81.1 million Gen Y/Millenials(born 1977-1997) =27% U.S. population

• “Echoing” effect =largest swell in U.S. population

BabyBoomers

GenY/millenials

NEW WAYS TO COMMUNICATE• 70% – social media web sites• 68% – corporate sites• 45% – share content via social media

Where consumers get information:

For the first time, social networking has surpassed e-mail (67% vs. 65%).*Source: Nielson

70%

45%

68%

• Information sharing via Facebook surpasses e-mail

Is Social Media a Match for You?• Depends on …

–Comfort level and enjoyment of social media–Type of law practice (consumer vs. corporate)–Time commitment–How open you are to sharing information

• Women Rule–Did you know women outnumber men in the

social media landscape?–Based on the statistical data of the most popular

social networks, women users outnumbered men in almost every case

WHY GET INVOLVED?

Benefits of Social Media• Build your practice:

–Offers genuine interaction with clients/potential clients

–Increases your online presence and web traffic–Build better connections with other attorneys–Learn and share information–Establishes you as an authority

Public Relations and Social Media

48%52%

48% of in-house counsel have joined an online social network52% have not

59%41%

59% of lawyers have joined an online social network41% of lawyers have not

Benefits of Social Media• Build your presence:

–75% of journalists start research online–Bypass media “gatekeepers”–Create advocates–Crisis management–Community relations

Social Media Isn’t• Traditional marketing “digitized”• Easy opportunity for new business• Free• Stand alone

Photo credit: Alejandrooo !http://www.flickr.com/photos/44858457@N00

Social Media Is• Conversational (e.g., not “100% polished”)• Strategic• Valuable … when done correctly

Photo credit: g-hathttp://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat

It’s all about getting information out there, providing good backgrounders on the key areas of our practice. The rule of thumb I developed is that if I would have provided a certain amount of information during an initial consultation without fee, I just put all of that information online.

- Gary Wise of Wise Law Officewiselaw.blogspot.com

Quoted from LawPRO (December 2009 issue) 

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Social Media ChartSocial Media Chart

WHERE TO BEGIN

Questions to Ask• Who are you trying to reach?• How are they using social media?• What are people saying?• Where are they saying it?• Are they talking about you?

• Develop a plan for staying in front of clients and potential clients based on this research

Based on the Research• Choose the right tools• Create interesting, helpful content (think

information – not selling)• Cultivate influencers• Promote others• Share, share, share

Photo credit: bategahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat

Join LinkedIn• Social Network geared toward professionals that

allows you to “meet” other people through on online bio

• Join professional groups, answer questions related to your field and expertise

• Showcase references• Post presentations (e.g., SlideShare) • Good for corporate lawyers looking to make

professional contacts (in-house counsel, referral sources)

Tips to Maximize LinkedIn• If you have a good result for a client, ask for a

recommendation • Join a group• Start a discussion • Ask a question • Connect with clients, prospects and business

contacts

Develop a Blog• A self-published online journal

(blogger.com or wordpress.com) that can be used to present:– Timely articles that clients may find

interesting– Commentary on issues or national cases– Information on community

involvement– Virtually anything related to your

interests and practice

• 77% of all active internet users regularly read blogs

“I think that personal views (kept to a professional level) are best because that’s the beauty of social media. You have the ability to put out your thoughts on cases,

and the area of law that you enjoy in a way that personalizes you for clients.”

- Christopher G. Hill, LEED AP Attorney at DuretteBradshaw PLC

Construction Law Musings

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Facebook• Social networking site focused on building online

communities of people who share interests and activities – Becoming more widely used for commercial networking (fan

pages and company pages)– Good way to stay top of mind among friends and associates– Provides a forum to share real, current information about

you and your practice– Can repost blogs and promote webinars, educational or

charitable events – Personal vs. professional, or blend of the two– Ultimately driving traffic to your blog and web site

If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth most populated place in

the world. - Erik Qualman

Socialnomics.net, published August 11, 2009

The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females.

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A few people I knew as far back as high school are now human resources managers

or directors who are looking for an employment lawyer.

- Stuart E. Rudner Attorney at Miller Thompson LLP

Quoted from LawPRO (December 2009 issue)

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Twitter (twitter.com/yourusername)

• A free micro-blogging service that enables users to send brief messages (140 characters) to followers who have signed up to receive them–Fastest way to drive people to your blog–Share pertinent articles and information with

shortened URL links (tinyurl.com)–Can “follow” relevant sources and experts–Tweet about news relating to your

community, practice areas and the legal profession

Twitter (twitter.com/yourusername)

• Tweetdeck.com–Organizes your contacts

and tweets as well as offers search functions (e.g., estate planning, divorce, etc.)

• Tweetfeed.com–Creates instant tweets of

your blog entries

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The best thing about Twitter is that it provides me with a large group of friends, professional acquaintances, some total strangers and some technology superstars who all voluntarily serve as a clipping service for me with links to news

articles, blog posts and more.- Jim Calloway, Director of the Oklahoma Bar Association

Management Assistance ProgramQuoted from his article, “Can a Lawyer Really Use

Twitter to Market a Law Practice?”

OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

Additional Resources• Martindalehubbell.com/connected

– Free global online network for legal professionals ‣Linked to MH database ‣Enables expansion of professional referral network‣Share expertise globally‣Contribute to blogs and forums

• Legallyminded.com– Social network for lawyers set up by the American Bar

Association‣Offers social networking tools‣User generated content including articles and news‣Engage with peers via blogs, wikis, chats and

discussion groups

Additional Resources• Legalonramp.com

–Social network for general counsel and in-house lawyers–Offers discussion boards and search functions–Corporations are using the site to hire outside attorneys

• Plaxo.com –Online address book and social networking service

with more than 40 million people

Getting Started: Five Steps

5• Step 1: Create measurable objectives

• Step 2: Research and listen

• Step 3: Choose the right tools

• Step 4: Create meaningful, real content

• Step 5: Stay with it, and measure what is working for you

Content is king - find your voice

People don’t connect with ‘firms’ or engage with ‘firms.’ They engage

with individuals and hire individuals. Therefore, you want to always

represent your own views, not those of the firms. 

- Susan Cartier LibelFounder of Solo Practice University

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THE BENEFITS TO YOU

You can become part of a community that will both add to your

professional knowledge and expand your professional world.”

- Scott E. Greenfield Criminal defense lawyer

Blawger for Simple Justice

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Lawyers who look to social media for purposes like writing, educating,

engaging in discourse and building relationships are likely to have the

most success.- Carolyn Elefant, attorney and blogger for law.com, founder of MyShingle.com

Author of How to be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be and Social Media for Lawyers (spring 2010 publication)

Nathan DeVaultNathanDevault@costadevault.com

www.twitter.com/ndevaultwww.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault

Doreen OverstreetDoreenOverstreet@costadevault.com

www.twitter.com/doreenohttp://www.linkedin.com/in/doreenoverstreet