In the last post titled ”Should your law firm have a social network presence?,” there were3 questions asked. Let’s hammer ‘em out!
1. What is the the appropriate network(s) with which to create a presence?
Facebook and Linked In top the long list of social networks. They are polar opposites and one should consider if one or both is applicable to their law practice. For instance, a corporate attorney would be more advised to utilize Linked In, where a criminal defense lawyer may be better served from Facebook. The former is targeting professionals and the later is targeting social relations. I am referring to both the attorney and the social network. Some areas like estate planning may benefit from both. Think first of your target audience of potential clients.
A no brainer is Martindale Hubbell Connected. It is a social network exclusive to attorneys. It is the modern day equivalent of asking for referral at the county bar meeting. Let’s say you need a referral to Nevada for divorce. You can review the contacts of those in your network. If your trusted connection has a divorce lawyer in Nevada in their connections, you would start there.
2. Who would maintain said presence?
This is a delicate scenario. As of late, a certain legal marketing service provider has started ghost writing blogs. You are responsible for your public online information, just ask your bar! I recommend against some one other than yourself managing your social network presence. In the event you have a trusted confidant that knows what you think about every subject and still asks you to review everything before he/she publishes, I would make an exception. It should be noted I don’t think that scenario actually exists.
3. How would this integrate into your existing Internet campaign?
The search engines monitor the social networks constantly. This means it will affect your website and could affect your rankings. How much so is a variable no one can foresee. Let say you create a Facebook page and invite all your previous clients only to find they begin warning all in their network that you are “a hack that screwed up their case.” I have seen it. I know one (unlicensed) lawyer who avoids these networks because he turned evidence that result in others going to jail. These are example of why the search engines monitor social network sites. People let it all hang out.
In closing, I am compelled to remind you that attorneys have more responsibility than many other professionals when commenting on these networks. There is not room for a legal disclaimer in the comment box!
