Costa DeVault presented “Making the Case: Social Media for Attorneys,” to the Volusia/Flagler Association for Women Lawyers. The program covers the basics of social media, and how to market oneself using this modern medium.

1. Making the Case:
Social Media for Attorneys
NATHAN DEVAULT
NathanDeVault@costadevault.com
www.twitter.com/ndevault
www.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault

2. 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

3. Self Promotion
• As little as 15 to 20 years ago, the
15-20
options for self promotion were limited:
–Advertising
‣Newspaper ads
‣Yellow pages
‣Radio
‣Television
–Public Relations
‣Media relations
‣Community relations

4. 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

5. 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

6. SOCIAL MEDIA IS
HERE TO STAY

7. “
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

8. Here’s Why:
Growing Market Opportunity
“Grown Up Digital”
• 77 million Baby Boomers
(born 1946-1964) = Baby
Boomers
Gen
Y/millenials
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

9. NEW WAYS TO COMMUNICATE
Where consumers get information:
• 70% – social media web sites
• 68% – corporate sites
• 45% – share content via social media
• Information sharing via Facebook surpasses e-mail
70%
68%
45%
For the first time, social networking has surpassed e-mail (67% vs. 65%).
*Source: Nielson

10. 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

11. WHY GET INVOLVED?

12. 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

13. Public Relations and Social Media
59% of lawyers have joined an online social network
41% of lawyers have not
41%
59%
48% of in-house counsel have joined an online social network
52% have not
52%
48%

14. Benefits of Social Media
• Build your presence:
–75% of journalists start research online
–Bypass media “gatekeepers”
–Create advocates
–Crisis management
–Community relations

15. 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

16. Social Media Is
• Conversational (e.g., not “100% polished”)
• Strategic
• Valuable … when done correctly
Photo credit: g-hat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat

17. “
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 Office
wiselaw.blogspot.com
Quoted from LawPRO (December 2009 issue)

18. Social Media Chart
Social Media Chart

19. WHERE TO BEGIN

20. 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

21. 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: batega
http://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat

22. 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)

23. 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

24. 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

25. “ “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

26. 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

27. “
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.

28. “ 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)

29. 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

30. 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

31. “
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 Program
Quoted from his article, “Can a Lawyer Really Use
Twitter to Market a Law Practice?”

32. OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

33. 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

34. 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

35. 5
Getting Started: Five Steps
• 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

36. “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 Libel
Founder of Solo Practice University

37. THE BENEFITS TO YOU

38. “
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

39. “
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)

40. Nathan DeVault
NathanDevault@costadevault.com
www.twitter.com/ndevault
www.linkedin.com/in/nathandevault
Doreen Overstreet
DoreenOverstreet@costadevault.com
www.twitter.com/doreeno
http://www.linkedin.com/in/doreenoverstreet