Posts Tagged ‘blog’
Reputation Management
Managing your Law Firm’s Online Reputation
One of the greatest things about Web 2.0 technology is its accessibility – the ease with which someone with little technical knowledge can set up a social networking profile or blog and start sharing information and interacting with a worldwide or local community, depending on their preference. With this ease comes a problem, though, which is why it’s important to preserve your professional integrity with online reputation management.
What is Reputation Management?
Online reputation management, or ORM, is the practice of monitoring your online presence. There are many avenues that anonymous and identified users can utilize to provide information about you and your firm, or you on a personal basis, to the internet community.
Websites that review businesses and rank individuals are one area you should keep an eye on. Although everyone is entitled to have an opinion about you or your work, someone posting untrue or slanderous comments online can have a negative impact on your status. You may also be able to gain valuable insight into what your clients are happy or unhappy about regarding the services your practice is providing via review-style sites.
Guarding Against Social Media Identity Theft
As mentioned in the first paragraph of this blog, it’s easy to set up a social media persona. It’s also easy to impersonate someone else if you are so inclined; and many social media sites do not check the identity of their users or regulate this aspect of their communities. Basically, users are on the honor system as far as their identity is concerned, and you are at the mercy of the site administrators if someone happens to steal your good name.
Luckily, there are a few great services out there that your marketing guru can utilize to safeguard your reputation online. One site charges a one-off fee to register your chosen name on over 120 popular social media sites. Whether or not you choose to make use of the accounts is up to you, but you’ve taken a great step towards preventing others from impersonating you online and damaging your status.
There are many other services available to help protect you and your firm’s interests in the world of Web 2.0 and social media. Some offer to establish one login ID for all of your accounts and others offer identity verification for your logins. You can also be proactive on the review/ranking front and sign up for a site that allows you to invite clients to provide reviews and feedback about your firm.
Blogging
The Power of a Blog
It’s no secret that blogs are getting more and more play in the internet world, and if you take a look at some popular law firms’ online presence, you’ll notice countless professional attorneys are picking up on the trend and using it to their advantage. There are so many rewards for lawyers who get on-board with this cost effective marketing tool, which this post will explore in more detail.
You Don’t Have to Be a Writer
First and foremost, don’t be put off by blogging if you’re not the novelist type. You probably know your field of law like the back of your hand and understand very well the needs of your clients as far as the information they require and the concerns they have about your area(s) of practice. Understanding your audience and what they’re looking for is half the battle; the other half is being able to provide the information they require in an accurate and consistent way.
If you want your blog to have that special touch and really draw in readership, consider hiring a professional marketing firm who will have writers at their disposal who are experienced in your area available to produce blog posts that read well and provide precise information. These writers will not only be able to produce great copy on the subjects you want, but your entire marketing efforts will be tied in and promoted with your blog.
Reputation Management – Online and Offline
Having a blog associated with your firm puts the management of your online and offline reputation in your hands and allows you the opportunity to personally establish yourself as a resource and authority on your area of law. You can build a virtual rapport with your potential clients via this simple web tool.
Things to Know Before You Commit to Blogging
To have a really effective blog and ensure you reach the maximum target audience, there are some other techniques that are employed as standard by marketing professionals who utilize blogs, such as search engine optimization and link exchanges. This can be time consuming and may be best left up to internet marketing professionals who can devote all of their time to establishing and promoting your online persona.
If you keep up a good level of informative, helpful and new content, you will gain loyal readers and law clients. Applying other promotional techniques to your blog and tying it all in with your firm’s marketing efforts will ensure success and a wider reach for your practice.