Size Doesn’t Matter How Innovative Small Firms and Solos Can Use Social Media Marketing to Gain Clients on a Shoestring Budget Atlanta Bar Association SPSF Section August 20, 2009 Jackie Hutter, MS, JD Chief IP Strategist The Hutter Group LLC & Patent Matchmaker Website: www.JackieHutter.com Blog: www.ipAssetMaximizerBlog.com Follow me on Twitter: @ipStrategist Blip.fm DJ JackieHutter

About Me

Social Media Marketing Will Change Your Legal Practice (If you will let it)

Why is Social Media Marketing a Great Idea for Lawyers?

Traditional Lawyer Marketing Model

Traditional Lawyer Marketing Model Rationale for Model Lawyers need to get their names out to the relevant public, so must meet as many people as possible Assumptions Upon which Model is Based The more people you meet, the more likely it is that you will be remembered when an as-yet-unspecified legal issue arises Winners Under this Model Large firm lawyers with moderate to extensive networking skills/opportunities “ Gravity” combined with marketing departments Small firm lawyers who extensively network or advertise Losers Under this Model Any lawyer who does not network Can’t function in law firm environment without own business generation Smaller firm lawyers in general Cost/time required to meet required number of people Arguably: all lawyers because “time is money”

Rationale for Model

Lawyers need to get their names out to the relevant public, so must meet as many people as possible

Assumptions Upon which Model is Based

The more people you meet, the more likely it is that you will be remembered when an as-yet-unspecified legal issue arises

Winners Under this Model

Large firm lawyers with moderate to extensive networking skills/opportunities

“ Gravity” combined with marketing departments

Small firm lawyers who extensively network or advertise

Losers Under this Model

Any lawyer who does not network

Can’t function in law firm environment without own business generation

Smaller firm lawyers in general

Cost/time required to meet required number of people

Arguably: all lawyers because “time is money”

Basic Problems with Traditional Lawyer Marketing Model

Why Social Media Marketing is Critical for Lawyers

SM Lawyer Marketing Model

Response to Common Objections to Social Media from Lawyers

Why Innovative Small Firms/Solos Have Unique Opportunity TODAY

The Basics of Social Media Marketing for Lawyers It’s all about you, Baby!

Key Takeaway from My SM Marketing Journey Success in Social Media marketing is a process not an event But this is true for all legal marketing efforts Not enough to just show up, you have to participate More is more You can’t hire someone to be you My journey continues Wherever I am, I am not yet there

Success in Social Media marketing is a process not an event

But this is true for all legal marketing efforts

Not enough to just show up, you have to participate

More is more

You can’t hire someone to be you

My journey continues

Wherever I am, I am not yet there

1 st Step to Any SM Marketing Program

2 nd Step to Any SM Marketing Program

3rd Step to Any SM Marketing Program

Fundamentals of SM Marketing Program for Lawyers Pick several areas in which to participate More being developed everyday Goal is to build density/connections in pertinent niche Not just “lawyer” World is “lousy with lawyers” Keys for raising search engine ratings New, consistent, regular Can’t buy quality rankings Deep connections lead to higher search engine rankings for relevant content

Pick several areas in which to participate

More being developed everyday

Goal is to build density/connections in pertinent niche

Not just “lawyer”

World is “lousy with lawyers”

Keys for raising search engine ratings

New, consistent, regular

Can’t buy quality rankings

Blogs

Blogs

Blog Comments

LinkedIn

+/- of LinkedIn (IMHO) What I Like What I Don’t Like Can find people easily Central place to put info about me Business information Resume Automatically posts blog updates Can enhance reputation Answer questions Presentations “ What am I doing” Can find collaborators for projects “ Everyone is a free agent” Emerging high level jobs board Low cost source of employees more likely to move or work virtually Has become crowded Specialness hard to extract Lots of foreign users, especially in networks No peer review Not reputation based, promotion based Answers often wrong, but no way to call out Increasingly requires substantial effort to extract value Hearing that lawyers have admins to mine for info and keep updated Better for those with marketing professionals on staff?

What I Like

What I Don’t Like

Can find people easily

Central place to put info about me

Business information

Resume

Automatically posts blog updates

Can enhance reputation

Answer questions

Presentations

“ What am I doing”

Can find collaborators for projects

“ Everyone is a free agent”

Emerging high level jobs board

Low cost source of employees more likely to move or work virtually

Has become crowded

Specialness hard to extract

Lots of foreign users, especially in networks

No peer review

Not reputation based, promotion based

Answers often wrong, but no way to call out

Increasingly requires substantial effort to extract value

Hearing that lawyers have admins to mine for info and keep updated

Better for those with marketing professionals on staff?

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter: Sources of Info Lextweet http://www.lextweet.com/tweeters Legal Index Justia Legal Birds http://legalbirds.justia.com/ Legal Rankings Basic guides http://lawfirmblogger.com/twitter-for-lawyers-resources/ http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/02/to-twitter-or-not-to-twitter-t.html http://www.10e20.com/blog/2009/02/06/twitter-for-lawyers-legal-professionals/

Lextweet http://www.lextweet.com/tweeters

Legal Index

Justia Legal Birds http://legalbirds.justia.com/

Legal Rankings

Basic guides

http://lawfirmblogger.com/twitter-for-lawyers-resources/

http://www.legalmarketingblawg.com/2009/02/to-twitter-or-not-to-twitter-t.html

http://www.10e20.com/blog/2009/02/06/twitter-for-lawyers-legal-professionals/

Facebook

Content Marketing

Content Marketing: Just for Lawyers

Content Marketing: More General

Other Emerging SM Marketing Sources for Lawyers and Others

Parting Thoughts