Social Media Marketing for Law Firms Presented by: Michael Rabinovici, LL.B. VP, Strategic Initiatives, AR Communications Inc. Contact Information Michael Rabinovici, LL.B. [email_address] www.ar-com.com 416-720-5485 Skype: mrvoip9 9 March 19 th , 2009 Banff, Alberta www.ar-com.com

Say Goodbye to the Information Age Over the last 5 years the Internet and information delivery have fundamentally changed Information is being produced faster than we can absorb Google reached 1 trillion indexed pages excluding duplicate content locations (source: Softpedia, July 23, 2008) In 2006, the number was 600 billion pages Growth of knowledge is being matched by the growth of ignorance www.ar-com.com

Over the last 5 years the Internet and information delivery have fundamentally changed

Information is being produced faster than we can absorb

Google reached 1 trillion indexed pages excluding duplicate content locations (source: Softpedia, July 23, 2008)

In 2006, the number was 600 billion pages

Growth of knowledge is being matched by the growth of ignorance

Say Hello to the Attention Age The Attention Age Doctrine – Rich Schefren

This is Not your Daddy’s Internet Exponential data growth dramatically affects traditional marketing channels on the Internet The sense of information overload has created a shift in client behavior They are all reaching for and craving one thing: www.ar-com.com

Exponential data growth dramatically affects traditional marketing channels on the Internet

The sense of information overload has created a shift in client behavior

They are all reaching for and craving one thing:

The Easy Button www.ar-com.com

How to Become the Easy Button You can become the easy button by: Positioning yourself and your firm as a thought leader or a leading expert in the field of your practice Social media tools are ideal for positioning yourself in this way You can use them to deliver bite-sized nuggets of relevant, timely information – information custom tailored to the Attention Age

You can become the easy button by:

Positioning yourself and your firm as a thought leader or a leading expert in the field of your practice

Social media tools are ideal for positioning yourself in this way

You can use them to deliver bite-sized nuggets of relevant, timely information – information custom tailored to the Attention Age

Social Media Landscape The Short Version www.ar-com.com

The Longer Version www.ar-com.com

Social Media Tools What are they: blogs , social networks , podcasts , videos SM tools makes the production of relevant, easy-to-consume content simple and cost effective Become a prolific producer of content www.ar-com.com

What are they: blogs , social networks , podcasts , videos

SM tools makes the production of relevant, easy-to-consume content simple and cost effective

Become a prolific producer of content

Blogs A blog (a contraction of the term weblog ) is a website , usually maintained by an individual or company with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog . source - Wikipedia www.ar-com.com

A blog (a contraction of the term weblog ) is a website , usually maintained by an individual or company with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog .

source - Wikipedia

Social Media Best Practices for Blogs Relevant, timely content Updated regularly Once or twice a week unless a special event is taking place This type of content does not come naturally so you have to practice saying more with less words Repurpose existing content from commentaries, white papers or other content you’ve developed Consider outsourcing Expert positioning and SEO benefits www.ar-com.com

Relevant, timely content

Updated regularly

Once or twice a week unless a special event is taking place

This type of content does not come naturally so you have to practice saying more with less words

Repurpose existing content from commentaries, white papers or other content you’ve developed

Consider outsourcing

Expert positioning and SEO benefits

Podcasts A podcast is a series of audio or video digital media files which are distributed over the Internet by syndicated download , through Web feeds , to portable media players and personal computers . Though the same content may also be made available by direct download or streaming , a podcast is distinguished from most other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added s ource: Wikipedia www.ar-com.com

A podcast is a series of audio or video digital media files which are distributed over the Internet by syndicated download , through Web feeds , to portable media players and personal computers . Though the same content may also be made available by direct download or streaming , a podcast is distinguished from most other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added

s ource: Wikipedia

The Power of Podcasting Device shifting: Listen on any device Time shifting: Listen anywhere at any time Fireside chats A 15 -20 minute conversation Focus on a relevant timely topic Upload to iTunes Approx. 100-200 million podcast listeners www.ar-com.com

Device shifting:

Listen on any device

Time shifting:

Listen anywhere at any time

Fireside chats

A 15 -20 minute conversation

Focus on a relevant timely topic

Upload to iTunes

Approx. 100-200 million podcast listeners

Social Media Best Practices for Podcasts Content should focus on educating, not selling The podcast should sound like a “fireside chat”, not an infomercial Interview formats work well Podcasts can be divided into three categories: Educating about the service or field of expertise with a lawyer being the interviewee Interviewing a client – the social proof aspect Interview with a third party expert – a combination of education and social proof www.ar-com.com

Content should focus on educating, not selling

The podcast should sound like a “fireside chat”, not an infomercial

Interview formats work well

Podcasts can be divided into three categories:

Educating about the service or field of expertise with a lawyer being the interviewee

Interviewing a client – the social proof aspect

Interview with a third party expert – a combination of education and social proof

Recommendations for Law Firms Develop a social media road map Decide what precisely you want to be known as the thought leader or expert for Focus on Blogs and Podcasts to begin with Blogs – update a minimum of 1-2 times per week Podcasts – aim for one per month Make sure you leverage existing content Encourage clients and business partners (other professionals) to become part of your community Offer ethical bribes - an iPod or a gift certificate to the person with the most posts each quarter KNOW THY METRICS www.ar-com.com

Develop a social media road map

Decide what precisely you want to be known as the thought leader or expert for

Focus on Blogs and Podcasts to begin with

Blogs – update a minimum of 1-2 times per week

Podcasts – aim for one per month

Make sure you leverage existing content

Encourage clients and business partners (other professionals) to become part of your community

Offer ethical bribes - an iPod or a gift certificate to the person with the most posts each quarter

KNOW THY METRICS

The Fundamentals Still Apply Forget about the technology Focus on the trend Leverage the tools technology is making available Use it to: Position yourself or your firm as the thought leader or expert in your field Strengthen relationships and build trust Stay front of mind

Forget about the technology

Focus on the trend

Leverage the tools technology is making available

Use it to:

Position yourself or your firm as the thought leader or expert in your field

Strengthen relationships

and build trust

Stay front of mind

Recommended Net Resources Google Web Trends - http://www.google.com/trends Legal Blogs - http://www.blawg.com/ WordPress - http://wordpress.org/ Google Analytics - http://www.google.com/analytics/ Google Web Optimizer – Google Web Optimizer Home Page Marketing Experiments - http://www.marketingexperiments.com/ www.ar-com.com

Google Web Trends - http://www.google.com/trends

Legal Blogs - http://www.blawg.com/

WordPress - http://wordpress.org/

Google Analytics - http://www.google.com/analytics/

Google Web Optimizer – Google Web Optimizer Home Page

Marketing Experiments - http://www.marketingexperiments.com/

Recommended Reading Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim (Author), Renée Mauborgne (Author ) Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) by Robert B. Cialdini Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers with the Power of Community, Dialogue, and Partnership by Joseph Jaffe www.ar-com.com

Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant

by W. Chan Kim (Author), Renée Mauborgne (Author )

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) by Robert B. Cialdini

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers with the Power of Community, Dialogue, and Partnership by Joseph Jaffe

Blog Samples www.lawfirmtransformation.com http://blog.jackvinson.com/ http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/ http://www.njlawblog.com/ www.ar-com.com

www.lawfirmtransformation.com

http://blog.jackvinson.com/

http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/

http://www.njlawblog.com/

Podcast Samples http://www.brandprotect.com/podcasts/Interview_with_Susan_Orr_July_3_2008.mp3 http://www.brandprotect.com/resources/podcasts/Interview_with_Kevin_Joy_March_28_2008.mp3 http://www.internetcases.com/mp3/IC-2007-02-16.mp3 www.ar-com.com

http://www.brandprotect.com/podcasts/Interview_with_Susan_Orr_July_3_2008.mp3

http://www.brandprotect.com/resources/podcasts/Interview_with_Kevin_Joy_March_28_2008.mp3

http://www.internetcases.com/mp3/IC-2007-02-16.mp3

AR Communications Inc. Contact Information Michael Rabinovici, LL.B. VP, Strategic Initiatives, AR Communications Inc. [email_address] www.ar-com.com 416-720-5485 Skype: mrvoip99

Michael Rabinovici, LL.B.

VP, Strategic Initiatives, AR Communications Inc.

[email_address]

www.ar-com.com

416-720-5485

Skype: mrvoip99