China’s rapid economic growth has created numerous opportunities for U.S. law firms to better serve existing and prospective clients. Is your firm well-informed on the challenges and risks associated with establishing an overseas presence?
Attend This Conference and You Will:
Hear from leading U.S. and international experts who have practical experience working in China
Learn about the underlying economic, cultural and legal foundations that lead U.S. law firms to conduct business in China
Gain knowledge about issues related to revenue, collections, operations, strategic planning and more
Understand the business culture in China
Discover how to establish strategic alliances with Chinese firms
Network with managing partners and firm administrators, and meet with organizations that represent companies and individuals doing business in China
This practitioners’ workshop will provide in-depth and hands-on education for in-house and retained counsel who are involved in (or who expect to become involved in) litigation involving electronic discovery and digital evidence. Executives and other litigation stakeholders from large and small public and private organizations will also gain invaluable insights on how best to prepare your technical staff and information systems to respond to requests for electronically stored information (ESI). Addressed to intermediate and advanced ESI litigation practitioners, the workshop will be taught by our faculty of leading federal magistrate judges, ESI litigation practitioners, forensics experts, and technology thought leaders, all of whom have significant experience in managing all aspects of ESI litigation. This workshop is unique in that its scope is much broader and deeper than traditional e-discovery courses that address only basic ESI concepts.
The curriculum consists of case studies, a mock trial, keynote sessions and panel discussions with luminaries in the field, and small workshops for practitioners, technologists, and forensic experts. We expect the entire program will be both illuminating and entertaining. Topics will range from ESI search trends and developments to emerging digital evidence issues and ethics to evidentiary issues from a criminal perspective. The sessions will address the key rules from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that impact on e-discovery. There will also be plenty of time for interaction with three federal magistrate judges and for networking at the receptions at the end of each day.
The Conference will be held at the University of California – Hastings College of Law and mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) accreditation has been requested from all states that require continuing legal education. 15.25hours of CLE credit including 1.0 hours of Ethics credit have been requested from those states recognizing a 60-minute credit hour and 18.3 hours of CLE credit including 1.0 hours of Ethics credit have been requested from those states recognizing a 50-minute credit hour.
The National Law Review would like to spread the word about an upcoming event presented by NAWL (The National Association of Women Lawyers) .November 4-5, 2010 • Westin New York at Times Square
NAWL’s Sixth Annual General Counsel Institute, is targeted to women general counsel and senior in-house counsel who want to build top-tier professional and management skills to improvetheir interaction with C-suite executives and the functioning of their legal departments. The Institute provides a unique opportunity for women corporate counsel, in a supportive and interactive environment, to learn from leading experts and experienced legal colleaguesabout the pressure points and measurements of success for general counsel.
Who should attend?
Senior corporate counsel of public, private, large and small companies, non-profits, government, and educational institutions.
Registration is limited to in-house counsel. Scholarships are available; see “Upcoming Events” at www.nawl.org for a full conference schedule and more details.
Questions about the program?
Contact: Jonathan Becks, Program Coordinator, NAWL: 312.988.6186, becksj@nawl.org
Attorneys who want to make time for social media among the competing demands of court deadlines, client meetings, and practice management can increase their online visibility with a few simple publishing techniques.
This article shows you how to create and implement a social media syndication plan that will increase your law firm’s Internet marketing visibility. Learn how you can develop and leverage your firm’s customized content to populate a broad range of social media outlets.
Common social media applications for lawyers include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Broadly speaking, social media refers to any type of Internet and mobile-based tool for online networking, collaboration, and information sharing among web-based communities.
Getting Started With Social Media
Launching a social media campaign is actually quite simple. Signing up for LinkedIn, Twitter, and even a blog can be done in a few minutes. Momentum may quickly wane, however, when a busy attorney faces the on-going challenge of creating fresh content.
Start strategically by creating a 6-12 month editorial calendar. Let’s say you have an intellectual property law firm, encompassing several types of services. Pick one topic for each month.
Topics for three months of a calendar quarter could be: 1) copyright law; 2) patent protection; and 3) trademarks. Next, break each monthly topic down into four weekly supporting articles. For example, copyright law topics could be: a) fair use guidelines; b) protecting a copyright; c) international copyright issues; and d) negotiating licensing agreements.
Now that you have your calendar, you can start to write your articles in advance. Of course, the schedule can be interrupted or supplemented as needed to reflect breaking news. Each blog post should be at least 250-300 words, including strategic use of keywords to attract visitors through search engine marketing. Writing for the web actually means writing for both Google and your actual site visitors.
Leverage your Social Media News Feed
Select one primary point of publication for your social media news feed. A blog works well for this purpose through the use of the “RSS” feed. RSS is an acronym for “really simple syndication,” which means that your blog acts as a real-time news feed that can be used to distribute your content to other social media applications. Interested readers can also automatically subscribe to your blog using the RSS feed.
As a starting base, make sure all your social media accounts are properly set up and populated with a description of your law firm.
Plan to publish one main article from your editorial calendar to your blog at least once a week (more is better). It is fairly easy to use free services like HootSuite orNetVibes to then automatically transmit your blog posts to your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Alternatively, many social media services make it easy for you to automatically import blog posts by simply specifying the RSS feed within your profile.
You can easily extend your reach to multiple social media outlets without the need for additional time or effort when you leverage your original blog articles using these techniques.
Appoint a Social Media Manager
An essential ingredient in social media success is to put someone in charge of your campaign. Lawyers should be practicing law, so even the best laid plans for an attorney to manage a blog or other Internet marketing campaign will quickly fall to the wayside in the face of court and client demands. Look for a seasoned legal marketer with Internet marketing skills who understands the importance of complying with attorney advertising and other ethical guidelines to help manage your social media campaigns.
Business development through thought leadership marketing is a leading reason many attorneys are attracted to a blog and other social media services. The right legal marketing partner will understand strategic planning issues, the importance of keyword placement in blog posts, and the type of audience you wish to reach. They may even help you draft preliminary blog posts for your editing and publication.
Monitor Social Media Feedback
Social media is interactive, meaning that prospects and followers will comment on your posts and otherwise interact with your material. Prompt responses will make a favorable impression on your audience. In addition to publishing fresh content regularly, you will want to watch for direct comments, republication (like “retweets”), and independent commentary.
Margaret Grisdela is President of Legal Expert Connections, a national legal marketing agency serving law firms and litigation experts in the U.S. and internationally. She is the author of the legal marketing book “Courting Your Clients,” which presents a proprietary methodology for business development. An accompanying guide, the “Courting Your Clients Legal Marketing Playbook,” will be available to clients in November. Ms. Grisdela brings over 30 years of experience in marketing, publishing, and information technology to each engagement. She helps clients launch or expand successful practices in the legal field through integrated marketing programs including article placement, speaking, search engine optimized websites, publicity, and direct mail. A leader in professional organizations, she served as 2008 Co-Chair of the Legal Marketing Association South Florida City Group, and 2005 President of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. She holds a B.A. from Wayne State University and an MBA in Finance from The George Washington University. www.legalexpertconnections.com / 561-266-1030
The National Law Review would like to make you aware of a one day seminar / webinar presented by MyLegal.com designed to help lawyers gain a fast track mastership of legal social media.
“I don’t think it’s too late to embrace social networking, it just rather disappoints me that other professions use these technologies, and lawyers for some reason are always rather late to the party. I have little doubt that within five years, social media, social networking systems, will play a central role in the daily lives of lawyers.” Richard Susskind, September 2010.
The conference will be held on Thursday, October 21, 2010, at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. The conference will sell out at 300 on-site participants, so we will be introducing to the legal community a new technology called SMASH. This technology aggregates the video stream of the sessions, along with the tweets, blogs and photos related to the conference, in one convenient landing page, allowing off-site attendees to experience the conference in a unique and interactive way.
By following the conference Twitter conversation directly from the SMASH page, off-site attendees can join in the live conversation while simultaneously seeing the speaker and checking out the live conference photos. These are interactions and connections that might not otherwise have been made.
After the conference, registered users will have access to the video of the sessions, along with the speaker presentations. The sessions will also be available via iTunes, allowing registered users to listen and learn while on the way to work, running errands or housework (ugh)! Multi-tasking is King! After listening to the sessions, users can continue the conversation and commentary online.
Conference speakers / topics scheduled to be included are:
Matthew Asbell, Esq., Certified Legal Social Media Strategist will speak on the use and protection of trademarks in social media marketing.
Nicole Black, Esq., founder of lawtechTalk.com and co-author of “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier” will speak on social media for lawyers.
Larry Bodine, Esq., legal marketing expert and author of the Lawmarketing Blog will speak on business development with LinkedIn.
Steve Crandall, J.D., expert in digital media and business applications of social networks will speak on social media and the law.
Adrian Dayton, Esq., author of “Social Media for Lawyers: Twitter Edition” and the “Legal Marketing: Social Media Edition” blog will speak on starting to bringing in business with social media
Carolyn Elefant, Esq., creator of MyShingle.com, the longest running blog on solo and small firm practice, and co-author of “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier” will speak on social media for lawyers.
Sharon Nelson, Esq., author of the electronic evidence blog “Ride the Lightning” and co-host of the ABA podcast series “The Digital Edge: Lawyers and Technology” will speak on on social media: ethical, compliance, E-discovery and liability implications.
Conrad Saam, runs marketing for Avvo, where he oversees the firm’s SEM, SEO, social media, online marketing, email and web analytics initiatives will speak on getting the most out of Avvo.
John Simek, co-author of “The Electronic Evidence and Discovery Handbook: Forms, Checklists and Guidelines” and “Information Security for Lawyers and Law Firms” will speak on on social media: ethical, compliance, E-discovery and liability implications.
For more information, conference schedules and registration forms, please visit: http://mylegalmedia.com or call 253-405-7910.
Social media is all the rage these days, and it is indeed an effective way to maintain high visibility in the legal marketplace. Social media is only one piece in the business development puzzle, however.
Rainmaking success works best with an integrated marketing plan. There are many communications channels available to build your prospect list, and finding the mix for your law practice will reward you with new business opportunities.
Here are the top seven proven lead generation techniques for legal marketing:
1. Speak.
Addressing an audience of prospective clients is one of the best possible ways to demonstrate your legal knowledge. While most of your preparation will focus on the presentation itself, lead generation is accelerated when you make the time to promote the event in advance and then quickly follow up on all your leads after the event. Make a point to get a list of all audience members, even if you have to give something away in exchange for a business card.
2. Publish.
Getting your name in print as an author essentially provides an independent third party endorsement of your legal expertise. A well written article in a highly regarded legal or trade publication will contribute to your business development efforts for years to come.
3. Prioritize your referral network.
Most attorneys maintain an informal list of referral sources. Take this a step further by writing down your best 5-10 referral sources, and assigning a priority to each contact person. Schedule a meeting with your “A” sources every 30-45 days, your “B” sources every 60-90 days, and stay in touch with your “C” sources with less time-consuming methods like email or a phone call. Constantly work to refine your list to maximize performance, and remember to reciprocate with qualified leads for your referral partners.
4. Market to current and past clients.
Your best source of new revenue in the short run is hidden in your client list. Stay in touch with clients at least 4-6 times per year through newsletters, client alerts, or events to increase retention rates, up-sell, and cross-sell.
5. Maintain a prospect list.
Refine your “ideal client” profile to the point that you can compile a list of at least 25 key prospects, identified by firm name and contact person. Work this list diligently in a continual effort to move to the “next step” of gaining the client. Start by identifying a mutual acquaintance who might provide an introduction, or an organization where your prospect is active. Move from getting acquainted to building trust, assessing needs, suggesting solutions, demonstrating your value equation, and closing the deal. The entire process may take months or even years, so be patient but politely persistent.
6. Leverage organizational memberships.
Whether it’s a bar association or an industry organization, turn your memberships into new business through speaking opportunities, newsletter articles, webinars, or by serving on a committee that gives you access to decision makers.
7. Internet marketing.
Your website bio page is a good starting point. Make sure it is current and provides a recent headshot. Next evaluate your website to confirm that it is easy to navigate, frequently refreshed, and structured for search engine visibility. Online legal directories abound. LinkedIn is an easy first step into the social media scene, followed by blogs. There are so many Internet marketing options that space simply does not permit full coverage.
A strategic attorney marketing plan can serve to tie all of your business development efforts together around a focused practice.
While all these marketing activities can seem like a juggling act, there are a few techniques that will streamline the process.
Create a marketing calendar that includes your desired frequency for each campaign. For example, you should try to speak at least 2-4 times per year. You may want to get published twice a year. By putting these goals on your calendar, they are easier to manage and achieve.
Take a few minutes to identify 3-5 newsworthy topics within your area of expertise. You can then incorporate these topics into all your marketing efforts, such as speaking, publishing, newsletters, blogs, social media, etc.
A database can be your best friend in recording and tracking your prospects, outreach efforts, and follow up dates. This can be a simple Excel file, Microsoft Outlook, or a more complex customer relationship management system.
Margaret Grisdela is President of Legal Expert Connections, a national legal marketing agency serving law firms and litigation experts in the U.S. and internationally. She is the author of the legal marketing book “Courting Your Clients,” which presents a proprietary methodology for business development. An accompanying guide, the “Courting Your Clients Legal Marketing Playbook,” will be available to clients in November. Ms. Grisdela brings over 30 years of experience in marketing, publishing, and information technology to each engagement. She helps clients launch or expand successful practices in the legal field through integrated marketing programs including article placement, speaking, search engine optimized websites, publicity, and direct mail. A leader in professional organizations, she served as 2008 Co-Chair of the Legal Marketing Association South Florida City Group, and 2005 President of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. She holds a B.A. from Wayne State University and an MBA in Finance from The George Washington University. 561-266-1030 / www.legalexpertconnections.com
This comprehensive, one-day program will provide in-depth information concerning the complex issues that arise in connection with criminal enforcement of intellectual property rights (primarily involving trade secrets, copyright, and trademarks). The program consists of five panels whose members are key government insiders; policy makers; Assistant U.S. Attorneys; defense counsel; trade group leaders; and rights holders. Panel topics focus on current issues, trends, legal strategies, private industry case development and criminal referral, parallel proceedings and ethical issues in intellectual property enforcement.
This program brings together defense attorneys, prosecutors, members of law enforcement, policy makers, and business leaders to discuss hot topics and legal trends in the rapidly evolving field of intellectual property enforcement.
Mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) accreditation has been requested from all states which require continuing legal education. 5.75 hours of CLE credit have been requested from those states recognizing a 60-minute credit hour and 6.90 hours of CLE credit have been requested from those states recognizing a 50-minute credit hour.
You’ve probably heard this “fact”: if Facebook was a country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world! Web 2.0 has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, including the workplace. As a result, most lawsuits in which employers become mired are fraught with electronic data issues. To guard against a wide range of legal claims, as well as reap the benefits of a global marketplace, many employers are instituting social networking policies. But, as with any policy, a social networking policy must be carefully drafted to meet your business needs. With that, I introduce to you the 10 Commandments of drafting a social networking policy:
NUMBER ONE: Thou shalt NOT use a sample policy pulled willy-nilly from the Internet.
While your search results will pull up dozens of fine looking policies, you won’t know who wrote them, the legal jurisdiction from which they hale, or the business interests the policy seeks to promote. Many times, a bad policy is worse than no policy at all.
NUMBER TWO: Thou SHALT work in harmony to craft a policy appropriate for your business.
If you decide that a social networking policy is appropriate for your business (and it may not be), the combined cooperation of your IT department, human resources, legal, and company decision-makers is necessary to formulate an effective policy.
NUMBER THREE: Thou SHALT know the risks and guard against them.
Employee use of social networking media can have wide-ranging legal ramifications for employers. Possible claims include: harassment, discrimination, defamation, invasion of privacy, and a variety of statutory violations.
NUMBER FOUR: Thou SHALT proclaim that the eye of the employer sees all.
Notify employees that they have no expectation of privacy in their use of company technology, that their activities should be work related only, and that their communications may be accessed at any time.
NUMBER FIVE: Thou shalt NOT take the name of the employer in vain.
The policy should require disclaimers be used indicating that the opinions stated therein are those of the employee and not the employer.
NUMBER SIX: Thou SHALT respect thy co-workers, customers, competitors, and employer.
Require employees to act respectfully in their social networking/blogging activities. Provide guidance on what is and what is not appropriate behavior.
NUMBER SEVEN: Thou shalt NOT steal or do other really bad things with your employer’s computer.
The policy should prohibit disclosure of confidential information, the use of legally-protected/copyrighted information, and the dissemination of personal information of co-workers.
NUMBER EIGHT: Thou SHALT know the consequences of thy actions.
Inform your employees that their social networking activities on the job are subject to all company policies and explain the consequences of violating your social networking policy.
NUMBER NINE: Thou SHALT spread the word throughout the masses.
Distribute the policy. Have your employees sign off on their receipt and understanding of the policy. Provide training on the policy.
NUMBER TEN: Thou shalt NOT commit random acts of destruction.
You MUST ensure that your litigation hold policy incorporates procedures and methodologies to capture and preserve social networking data in the event of litigation.
Vanessa Goddard’s primary focus is in the area of labor and employment law. She has been involved in representing clients in various employment cases, including sexual harassment, deliberate intent, age, race, and disability discrimination, wrongful discharge, and various other employment-related torts. She is admitted to various state and federal courts as well as the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. 304-598-8158 /www.steptoe-johnson.com
The Business of Law Guest Blogger this week at the National Law Review is Wendy Tyler of American Conference Institute who provides some valuable insight on what to look for in an Event / Conference Organizer:
A traditional component of business to business marketing strategy is utilizing conferencing and trade show solutions. Ever an increasingly competitive business, the conferencing and trade show industry has witnessed significant market shifts as demand from attendees, exhibitors, speakers and sponsors have changed with the business climate. Marketing budgets remain closely scrutinized as decision makers need to justify their investments to a higher standard than ever before, which means the pre‐qualification process for an event is more vital than ever.
At any given moment, no less than two dozen event organizers simultaneously compete for your business. With this volume it’s not uncommon to find yourself unable to fully vet each and every event opportunity that comes your way, and in return, it’s possible that valuable opportunities are being overlooked while poor opportunities may inadvertently be selected.
Evaluating an event opportunity starts with asking the right questions. There are ten essential questions that every event purchaser should ask every conference or trade show organizer when reviewing an opportunity to participate at any level. Each of these questions acts as a guidepost in effective qualification. Naturally, the list of questions you might want to ask doesn’t end at ten; but these ten will help you narrow your event search and potential involvement. Once you have these answers, any good event account manager should be able to guide you through your additional questions clearly and concisely discussing the marketing capabilities, overall event strategy, and brand development opportunities that may be available to you.
1. How many total attendees do your events average?
This question will help you evaluate the size of the event so you can determine if the opportunity presented is for support of a conference or trade show. Due to the cyclical nature of live events, attendance does vary so it’s important that you ask what the high/low range of attendance has been so you can better assess the risk of an underperforming event.
2. How many events do you produce a year?
This question will give you a good sense of the event organizer’s market penetration. The fewer events produced per year generally indicates that the organizer does not consider conferencing a major part of their business. For some purchasers this may not make a difference in their buying strategies but for others, there is a high degree of comfort knowing you are investing in a business whose primary business function is the delivery of the service you’ve procured.
3. How many of your total attendees are fee‐paying delegates?
Quite often, event organizers lump all participants as “attendees” – this can include speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, guests, exhibit floor walkers and press. Paying delegates are the highest value prospects because they are investing money in the information presented at an event. Consequently, the greater number of paying attendees will lead to a greater quality of a pre-qualified audience for your needs – even at the sacrifice of quantity – and provide your organization with a better chance of meeting the right decision makers. The old adage “you get what you pay for” is never more apparent than here.
4. When can you show me a list of attendees?
An event organizer should be able to show you a list of attending companies no less than two days prior to an event in order to substantiate the quality of the attendees. In some cases, and with certain levels of sponsorship, you may have the opportunity to receive an update on registered attendees several weeks prior to the event. The bottom line is that two days prior to a conference, any organizer that doesn’t release some information on the confirmed attendees may not have confidence in their event thus placing your investment in jeopardy.
5. Does this list include speakers, guests, sponsors, etc.?
Similar to any purchase of significant value, it is important to carefully review what it is you will be investing your dollars in. A sample attendee list, even one from a related event is a great way to get a feel for the expected audience. As the event nears and you receive an attendee list, be sure to find out whom exactly is included. While speakers, guests and even other sponsors can represent strong business development opportunities for your organization, it is important to know where the attendees are coming from so you can plan accordingly, manage internal expectations and have better metrics for measuring your return on investment.
6. Would you let me speak to a former speaker or attendee?
Similar to a “word of mouth” campaign, a great way to pre‐qualify a conference organizer is to speak with a former or current speaker, attendee or sponsor. This will provide your organization with an opportunity to get a first‐hand account of the event; and the organization you’re about to allocate marketing budget to.
7. How would you define your organization’s reputation?
It is important to determine how an organization defines its reputation. It is especially important to see if their self‐definition matches the definition offered by previous attendees, sponsors & speakers. An organizer should know how it is perceived in the marketplace, for better or for worse and be able to convey this to any potential client honestly and transparently.
8. What is your competitive advantage?
Similar to reputation, a company’s competitive advantage will help an event purchaser clearly define what they can expect from the organizer. This answer will also provide a purchaser with a benchmark for evaluation after the event concludes. For example, if an event organizer is known for attracting press, you will be able to judge your return on investment based on how much press your organization received.
9. How can you help my company with your go to market strategy?
As an event purchaser, it is important to challenge the organizer to provide a comprehensive solution to your business objectives as opposed to having them simply provide a “one size fits all” product. We live in agile times and most solution providers should provide custom solutions tailored to meet your specific needs. The exception to this rule is if you are working with a trade show organizer because the volume of sponsors and exhibitors sometimes prohibit high degrees of customization.
10. Can you explain your process of program development and speaker recruitment?
Program development and speaker recruitment are to an event organizer what research and development is to a pharmaceutical company. The process is as important as the product. Through greater understanding of where content is derived and speakers are recruited from, an event purchaser is provided the opportunity to evaluate the product in its entirety. With greater content and speakers comes a higher quality of attendee. Understand the source of the content and speakers and an event purchaser will be able to better judge the chances of meeting the right audience.
The questions provided above are intended to serve as guidelines for those evaluating event sponsorship and exhibition opportunities. The answers you receive are contingent upon a number of factors including the type of event, the product intelligence of the sales executive and the corporate culture of the organizer. As with the nature of live events, the ability to accurately predict a successful event experience is more art than science however; armed with these ten basic questions, you will be given every possible advantage in making the best decision for your company.
Ms. Tyler has been with American Conference Institute (ACI) since May 2005. Her responsibilities include managing the U.S. sales team, forging strategic alliances and identifying emerging growth sectors and topics. www.AmericanConference.com / 212-352-3220
As included in the Business of Law Section of the National Law Review Tom Ciesielka of TC Public Relations provides some solid Do’s & Don’ts for Twitter:
With millions of unique visitors each month, Twitter is still at the top of the social media game. Some people still use Twitter to catalog boring details of the day. However, savvy and smart users realize Twitter’s usefulness as a concise way of marketing and reaching out to consumers and media. Read the following do’s & don’ts to continue being one of the savvy and smart users.
Do make quality friends. Capturing an audience on Twitter is important, but don’t start following 857 people in one day. Start with a few friends, some movers and shakers of your industry, some legal reporters—listen to their tweets, and offer relevant replies. Then continue to follow a few new people week by week. Don’t just follow to follow, but actually think about why you want to connect with a certain person – think “strategic following.” Then contribute meaningful posts each day that others might find interesting as a way to build your own following.
Do protect your reputation. Twitter can be used to solidify your brand image, and it is an indispensable medium when crisis hits. Maintaining a Twitter account can help your firm when a damaging story hits cyberspace because a response on Twitter is often the fastest way to acknowledge the problem or issue. Failing to address any breaking news that involves your company makes you look at best, incompetent and at worst, guilty. Confidentiality laws may render tweeting a bad idea, but you should always pay attention to what’s happening and be prepared to do damage control when necessary.
Do be efficient. Building relationships on Twitter can facilitate communication about your legal specialties and expertise. However, using Twitter effectively and appropriately can be a time-consuming job, so try and implement applications that will help you be more efficient like TwitterFeed, TweetDeck and ÜberTwitter. It is also more efficient to partake in niche topic conversations about your practice areas instead of tweeting about the world of law in general. Specificity trumps generality.
Don’t be boring or narcissistic. Stick to tweeting about pertinent topics and find ways to express your personality through the links you post, rather than tweeting about how many briefs you’ve written that day or what color tie you’re wearing. Share links to legal headlines or comment on stories related to your expertise. Participate in discussion, reply to other users’ tweets, re-tweet their tweets—Twitter is not a one-person game, so don’t try to be the center of the universe.
Don’t turn off your censor. In cyberspace, a record of your most inappropriate tweet will live on in infamy long after you’ve cooled down. Never forget that what you say on Twitter can come back to haunt you, so rude or tasteless comments can come back to haunt you. Play it cool and don’t tweet anything you wouldn’t say in public; after all, Twitter is incredibly public.
This posting is republished with permission from the Chicago Lawyer Magazine Blog “Around the Watercooler” located at: http://h20cooler.wordpress.com/2010/
About the Author:
Tom Ciesielka, President of TC Public Relations, has worked in public relations, marketing and business development for more than 25 years and has enjoyed working with clients ranging from law firms to distinguished authors to national and local companies. He feels privileged to have established trusting working relationships with these clients and values every opportunity he gets to help businesses grow. He is also a former board member of the Legal Marketing Association in Chicago and has spoken at Chicago Bar Associations CLE programs. 312-422-1333 / www.tcpr.net
