Constant Content : Legal Ghostwriting & Content : Janet Raasch : Copy for Lawyers & Attorneys, Law Firm Business Development

This is part four of a four-part article.  For complete article, see link below.

“Web analytics programs are capable of generating a vast amount of information,” said Casey.  “There are far too many metrics for users to process and interpret.  Measurement tools are only useful when there is something specific to measure.

“The challenge is not to get more data, which can needlessly complicate your decision-making,” said Casey, “but to get better data.  Be strategic.  What is the purpose of this online content campaign (within the context of our business goals), and which select measurements will indicate progress towards achieving this goal?”

Let’s go back to that article on patent reform.  You post it on your website.  You reference it in your blog.  You e-mail it to clients, potential clients, referral sources and media sources.  You post it (with links back to your site) on a variety of social media sites and content syndication sites.

On your website, analytics will let you know who visited the page and how they got there.  In addition, you will discover if they stayed a while, read the article and downloaded a copy.

“If no one comes or if visitors take a quick look and ‘bounce,’ you know that there is something wrong with the content,” said Casey.  “The subject is not newsworthy.  The headline or keywords need work.  The article is too long or too short.  It is too dense and needs shorter lines and subheads, to encourage skimming.  It is too casual or too filled with legal jargon.  In other words, it needs work.”

An e-mail analytics program will let you know who opens the e-mail and clicks on the link.  Other analytics programs will indicate how your article fares in the blogosphere or is shared or re-tweeted on social media and content syndication sites. 

The information generated by web analytics is a valuable tool to help lawyers and law firms plan -- and continuously improve -- their content and their online content distribution campaigns.

Content marketing and web analytics: The yin and yang of any successful law firm marketing campaign

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This is part three of a four-part article.  For complete article, see link below.

“Not only does the Internet facilitate the wide distribution of content,” said Casey, “it also allows lawyers and law firms to closely track distribution – to know how many visitors click on the content; how much time they spend reading, listening or viewing the content; and where (your website, search or some other site) they found the content.”

Web analytics is a process for collecting visitor or consumer data, analyzing those data and generating reports on the overall performance of these different channels.  It extends well beyond your website into virtually every online channel your law firm might be using.

“In the early days, web analytics programs focused on the simple measurement of activity on a law firm’s web site,” said Casey.  “Today, a good law firm website still contains useful information about the firm and its services, but the site functions more like an interactive hub to which all of the firm’s online content distribution efforts are tied.”

In addition, most social media sites have their own built-in analytics programs that can be accessed for more details about activity on your accounts on those sites.

The popular Google Analytics program is free and yields information about site visitors, including number of visitors (unique, new and repeat), page views, repeat rate, visit length, page view length, page view per visit, bounce rate (those who leave quickly from a given page), entry pages (where visitors enter you site), exit pages (where visitors leave your site) and referral sources (direct traffic, search engines and other referral sites).

Among other things, Google Analytics can chart data over time, compare data month-by-month or year-by-year, and internally compare different sets of results.

“Other commercial web analytics programs allow the site administrator to ‘dig deeper’ into the data,” said Casey.  “Most analytics programs will record detailed information at the user level, allowing administrators to track the number of times a given user came to the site, which pages he or she viewed and, in some cases, the location from which that user is connecting.”

“At Tenrec, we combine basic Google Analytics with a program called Urchin (essentially, Google’s commercial analytics product) to obtain different levels of results for our clients,” said Casey.  “There are many programs out there.  The one you select should be determined by how you plan to use the results.”

It is important to remember that no performance metric is inherently bad or good.  A limited number of the right kind of people visiting your content and reaching out to your firm is a better result than hundreds of visitors who take no action.

Content marketing and web analytics: The yin and yang of any successful law firm marketing campaign

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This is part two of a four-part article.  For a link to the complete article, see below.

Online content marketing involves publishing content (like the article on patent law) on your law firm’s website (including mobile website version), client extranet sites or blogs.  It involves the e-mailing of your article (or newsletter) to clients, potential clients, referral sources and media sources.

“An integrated online marketing program is an essential part of a law firm’s marketing program,” said Casey.  “Content marketing involves distribution of your content using popular social media sites (like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) as well as successful content syndication sites (like JD Supra, LegalOnRamp and Scribd).”

Each time your keyword-rich patent law article is published on one of these sites, it is indexed by Google and other search engines – enhancing results for searches on terms like your name, your law firm’s name, your geographic area and the relevant subject area.

“The term ‘content’ applies to almost any kind of material your firm is publishing,” said Casey.  “It applies to documents like press releases, experience descriptions, attorney biographies (profiles), client alerts, blog post, white papers, email campaigns and e-books on legal subjects.

“Content also includes non-written files, like an online ad campaign, courtroom graphics, a PowerPoint deck, or photos of an open house or employee charity event,” said Casey.  “It includes online surveys along with survey results.  And it definitely includes audio or video recordings of a presentation, a seminar or a webinar.”

All types of reputation-demonstrating content can be posted not only on your own website, but also to a wide range of (mostly free) social media and content syndication sites.  Once posted, this informative content is available 24/7 and around the world.

Content marketing and web analytics: The yin and yang of any successful law firm marketing campaign

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Good content has always been one of the best ways for a lawyer to establish and maintain a professional reputation.  In the hands of potential clients, good content demonstrates your understanding of the law and your ability to do what you claim to do.

Let’s say you write an excellent article on the recently signed patent reform act.

Prior to the Internet, your options for distribution of that article would be limited.  You could submit it to print publishers who could decide whether or not to publish it and how to edit it.  By the time it appeared on a client’s desk, it might be three months out of date.

In addition, you could snail mail a copy of your article with a cover letter directly to your list of clients, potential clients and referral sources.  You could include it in the firm’s print newsletter. You could mail it to reporters covering the patent law beat and hope that they give you a call next time they are writing a story on that topic.

And that was about it.  You really had no way of knowing what happened to that hard copy – if the publication was read or if the envelope or newsletter was even opened.

Today, thanks to the Internet, the options for distributing a well-written and informative article (and all kinds of content) to a wide range of interested parties are vastly expanded.  So, too, are the options for finding out if the article was opened, was read and prompted further action on the part of the reader.

“In the Internet age, online content marketing is the best way for lawyers and law firms to establish their reputations and attract new business,” said Per Casey.  “And web traffic analysis is the best way for lawyers and law firms to measure the success of a content marketing campaign and move forward based on that information.  Content marketing and web analytics are inseparable parts of the same strategic process.”

Casey discussed strategic content marketing and web analytics at the monthly educational program of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, held Oct. 11 at Fogo de Chao Restaurant in Lower Downtown Denver.

Casey is founder of Tenrec, a web technology consulting firm that focuses on the legal industry.  Over the years, he has collaborated with dozens of well-known law firms on successful web technology projects.  Casey also serves as member-at-large on the LMA International Board of Directors and as co-chair of the LMA Technology Committee.

This is part one of a four-part article.  For the entire article, see:

Content marketing and web analytics: The yin and yang of any successful law firm marketing campaign.

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Part three of a three-part article:

n      Many EMS applications allow the “from” name in an email to be merged from the CRM or database, meaning that each recipient can receive the email from his or her specific contact within the law firm (which significantly improves “open” and “response” rates).

n      In order to maximize open/view rates, subject lines in an email campaign should be written to reflect the content of the email and also grab attention.

n      EMS applications allow users to segment data and send specific follow-up email campaigns.  Those who have clicked on links can receive one follow up, whereas those who have not interacted within a certain amount of time can receive a special offer in order to get them to re-engage.

n      Email recipients must always be able to opt-out or unsubscribe from a communication – or from all communications from your law firm.  EMS applications ensure that these emails can never inadvertently be added back.

n      An email marketing piece should never be more than two or three screens deep.  Links to “read more” can take the recipient to a website to read additional content – where more specific interests can be tracked.

n      Always comply with CAN-SPAM and EU data protection rules.

Carefully crafted email marketing campaigns can save lawyers and law firms a significant amount of time and money.  In addition, they generate a wide range of useful reports that can be used to refine the firm’s marketing efforts going forward.

For the full article:

Email marketing campaigns save time and money; generate useful reports

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Part two of a three-part article:

EMS platforms integrate with a law firm’s website and CRM system.  Directing email usage to the website -- linking to article content, event and webinar registration, and survey forms, for example -- allows email success rates to be tracked through the website’s tracking control panel.

Websites should also include a “preference manager” page – where visitors can choose which (if any) email communications they want to receive from a lawyer or law firm.

Registrations and preferences are in turn shared with the firm’s CRM system, where contact data resides and from which mailing lists are derived.  The CRM system can notify individual lawyers or marketers each time someone among their contacts registers for an event or webinar, or subscribes (or unsubscribes) to a newsletter or alert.

Additional email marketing campaign best practices include:

n      Pre-designed templates within the EMS guarantee that all communications will offer a consistent brand experience – and that important information always appears “above the fold” where it is most likely to be seen and read.

n      Images are attractive but often are blocked by webmail services.  Be sure to balance images with text – so that there is something compelling to read even when all of the images are blocked.  Add alt-tags to every image.

n      Use your marketing emails to drive traffic to your website, where actions can be tracked.  In a newsletter, for example, easily scan-able links “above the fold” can take the reader to a teaser – with a further link that takes the reader to the article content on your website.

n      EMS offers a range of formats that meet the needs and preferences of different users – HTML, MIME, a link to the web-hosted version, a link to a print/mobile version, and an attached PDF version (for printing out by those who prefer this option) -- of the email campaign.

n      To thwart phishing and spoofing schemes, establish a dedicated domain for marketing messages so that they are kept separate from regular email communications.  As an added benefit, if someone reports your email as spam, your firm’s entire email operation is not shut down.

n      The “to” line in each email should include the recipients first and last name.  Via a mail merge, the introduction should be personalized with a “Dear Mr. Green” or “Dear Anthony.”

For the full article:

Email marketing campaigns save time and money; generate useful reports

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Part one of a three-part article:

Not so long ago, lawyers and law firms relied on “snail mail” for delivery of the firm’s marketing communications – like invitations to events or printed newsletters or alerts. 

Today, many savvy lawyers and law firms have turned to email for their marketing campaigns.

Traditional mail has its place, but it also has many drawbacks.  Invitations take money to print, time to address and postage to mail.  Once invitations are mailed, the sender has no idea how many were actually opened.  If an invitation is opened, the recipient who wants to reply must take the extra step to do so via an RSVP card, a phone call or an email.

The same holds true for printed newsletters and alerts.  It is a big investment of time and money to get articles written, approved, laid out, printed and mailed.  All too often, news is sadly out of date by the time a print piece is received.   Once again, law firms never know which publications get read -- and which are simply tossed into the circular file.

“Email marketing systems provide a cost-effective solution to many of the snail mail drawbacks,” said Matthew Parfitt.  “An EMS features firm-approved templates, which can be quickly populated with newsworthy material – and sent out quickly.  There is no cost for paper, print or postage – or for staff or mailing house time to execute the mailing.

“Best of all,” said Parfitt, “an EMS tracks each mailing and generates useful reports that let you know how many and which recipients are actually opening your emailed marketing materials.”

An excellent “open rate” for marketing emails on timely subjects sent to a carefully maintained list is about 30 percent.  An EMS also lets you know which emails are undeliverable, to help you follow up and update your list, and which recipients opt-out of future email contact.

“In the case of invitations to events or webinars,” said Parfitt, “recipients can RSVP immediately via a link on the email.  Invitations are just one part of a comprehensive event-planning module.

“In the case of newsletters,” said Parfitt, “the EMS not only lets you know if the email has been opened, it also lets you know which subjects and articles in the newsletter are most popular – so you can include more of the same in future communications.”

Parfitt led a panel discussion on “best practices” in electronic marketing systems at the monthly educational program of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (www.legalmarketing.org/rockymountain).  The program was held March 8 at the downtown Denver offices of Patton Boggs (www.pattonboggs.com).

Parfitt is vice president for business development at Concep (www.concepglobal.com), an international digital strategy agency with offices in London, Sydney and New York.  Concep’s interactive email marketing system -- Concep Campaigner -- is used by more than 250 professional services firms, including 15 of the world’s 30 largest law firms.

Panelists included Kristin Alexander, special events coordinator at Sherman & Howard (www.shermanhoward.com); Greg Kalkwarf, sales and marketing leader for the Colorado office of BKD CPAs & Advisors (www.bkd.com); and Justin Knight, InterAction specialist at Holme Roberts & Owen (www.hro.com).

“Sixty-nine percent of businesses plan to increase their budgets for websites and social media in 2011,” said Parfitt.  “Fifty-nine percent plan to spend more on email marketing.  By comparison, only 15 percent intend to spend more on print.  These businesses understand the future of marketing.”  These statistics come from a recent MarketingSherpa B2B Marketing Benchmark Survey.

Alexander, Kalkwarf and Knight all vouched for the fact that email marketing had saved their firms a considerable amount of money.  “In addition,” said Knight, “the switch from snail mail to email fits in well with a law firm’s green initiatives.”

For the full article:

Email marketing campaigns save time and money, generate useful reports

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A just came across Tom Goldstein's latest video on YouTube -- "The Public Apology of Tom Goldstein" -- which riffs on some very highly publicized recent apologies.  It is hysterical!  The link is to his entire opus on YouTube.  The new video is the fourth one down (but don't pass up on the others if you haven't seen them).

Goldstein puts the lie to what you "can" and "cannot" do to market a legal practice.

Goldstein is co-chair of the Supreme Court practice at Akin Gump.  He is also founder of SCOTUSblog and SCOTUSwiki.  He is a master of the use of social media tools to propel a highly sophisticated legal career (from solo to prominent in a little more than a decade).  I blogged earlier about a report that NBC is considering a TV show based on his career.

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Do you use LinkedIn Groups for legal marketing purposes?  There's been a heated discussion of the pro's and con's of this tactic in Larry Bodine's listserv (membership required).  Here's what I added today:

Funny that this conversation should be top-of-list today.  Yesterday I joined about ten additional LinkedIn groups -- mostly for the "branding" value of having their logos on my profile.  (I already belonged to six of them.)  I think that these logos can provide some sense of the field in which you are playing and willing to make a contribution.  For the most part, I only joined groups that showed up high in a search for relelvant legal marketing and socia media terms -- that also featured a significant number of members.

How do I use LinkedIn groups?  Mostly like I use my aggregator -- to quickly skim for breaking news and concepts.  Yes, there are a lot of annoying and blatant sales folks there.  Ignore them.  I comment now and then when I think that I can add value to a good conversation (most recently on the repurposing of lawyer bios as profiles for online marketing).  I have received numerous inquiries and some new writing work from LinkedIn groups.  I noticed that LMA (I am assuming) is adding chapter groups to foster intra-chapter communications and linking.  As a result of my day playing around on LinkedIn groups, I became just the second member to join the Rocky Mountain Chapter group!  Come on gang, let's get cracking!

 

I really think that it is too soon to tell.  Better (especially for lawyers) to find a few narrowly focused groups (or create one) and participate by adding high-value content to the discussion.  I have joined more than that because I am using these groups primarily for industry research -- not for promoting my own practice as a writer and ghostwriter for lawyers and law firms.

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When I ran into Aviva Cuyler and Adrian Lurssen of JD Supra at the 2010 Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference last week, I made a rash declaration.

After a year and a half, my own blog finally shows up number one (instead of number two) in a Google search for my own name.  I've finally succeeded in pushing you guys -- and my JD Supra profile -- into second place.  Ha!

I should have known better.  When I did a search on "Janet Ellen Raasch" this morning (which every professional should do weekly as routine brand maintenance), my JD Supra profile was back in first place and my blog back in second.  Those folks at JD Supra are a competitive bunch!  They stated that "they had their ways" to get back into the number one spot, and they did!

JD Supra is a Web site (free for basic service) where lawyers and law firms can share profiles and legal content,  It is without a doubt the best-optimized site I've ever come across -- ahead of better-known sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.  Your free profile (and associated content) on JD Supra is almost guaranteed to come up first in search for your name -- ahead of the bio that appears on your law firm's Web site.  Take advantage of this!

Every professional services provider should "own" the first page of results for a search on his or her name.  Create a keyword-rich profile and post it on social network and content sites like JD Supra.  Post articles and samples of your legal work on these sites as well.  This simple exercise will help you control and manage the results of any online search for your name.

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Here is part four of my article on broadcast journalism for lawyers and law firms:

Using the Internet, lawyers and law firms can bypass the traditional mainstream media entirely and self-broadcast their own video and audio – on their own Web sites or on sites that accept user-generated broadcast content.

 

When lawyers appear on television or radio, law firms can post links on their Web sites or blogs or even request the files for posting.  In addition, using inexpensive equipment and applications, they can easily create their own video and audio podcasts for download from law firm Web sites.  It helps to have a good video/audio editor on staff.  In this day and age, no lawyer presentation should go unrecorded.  Law firms can also “broadcast” these reputation-building podcasts to clients and prospects via email alerts.

 

Once created, law-firm-generated video and audio can also be posted on a wealth of online content sites, which provide automatic RSS feeds that attract search engines.  (RSS should also be added to any of your own Web site content.) 

 

The line between print, broadcast and online news has become increasingly blurred.  Print publications host audio and video on the Web sites – some of it generated by professionals and some of it contributed by “citizen journalists.”  Television and radio station Web sites also include text and photographs.

 

A law firm, for example, that cannot get the local TV station to cover the opening of its remodeled lobby can now make its own video and post in on the station’s well-optimized Web site.

 

All modern media sites host blogs by their reporters, which can include links to video and audio.  All of them offer versions for mobile devices.  All of them offer subscriptions via Facebook, Twitter, RSS, email or text.  All of them accept user contributions.

 

Law-firm-produced video and audio can also be easily posted on a wide range of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Martindale-Hubbell Connected.  It can be added to social content sites like JDSupra, Legal OnRamp and HubStreet.  Legal Talk Network is a “talk radio” vehicle for lawyers and law firms.  Savvy lawyers and law firms are even posting their own videos (and broadcast ads) on YouTube.

 

Finally, use Twitter to send out a short notification and a link every time you appear in the traditional broadcast media or self-broadcast your own video and audio content.

 

Be that lawyer!  By consistently and carefully pitching, catching and self-promoting -- using traditional and online broadcast media -- lawyers and law firms can optimize search engine results and successfully spread the word about their professional expertise.

Here is a link to the entire article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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Here is part three of my article on broadcast journalsim for lawyers and law firms:

 

In the case of a breaking news stories, news directors and reporters often come to you – looking for a comment (if you are directly involved in the story) or background (if you are an expert in a particular subject area).

 

If you are involved in a newsworthy event, understand that “no comment” is a terrible response to a media inquiry – especially if you are captured fleeing on camera with your hand in front of your face.  If the case or matter is truly newsworthy, the story will appear with or without your input.  Strategize with your client and, with the client’s permission, make sure that your client’s point of view is included in a dignified fashion in the report.

 

If you are asked to provide background on breaking news in which you have no direct involvement, it is usually because you have let the stations know ahead of time that you are an expert, are available to comment, and can speak coherently and intelligently in front of a camera or microphone.  Do not be afraid to make this contact.  Broadcast reporters are always interested in deepening their pool of qualified legal experts.

 

It never hurts to be on-site, either.  When terror suspect Najibullah Zazi was inside the Denver Federal Courthouse, hundreds of reporters were waiting outside for hours in the frigid winter weather.  Local lawyer and media commentator Craig Silverman was not sitting behind his desk waiting for the phone to ring.  Instead, he braved the weather to circulate in the crowd of local, national and international reporters.  As a result, his face and voice were all over the evening news.

 

Be aware of a major change in the way modern news directors and reporters “catch” their stories and expert commentators in the Internet age – Google and other search engines.  According to recent reports, 85 percent of all reporters use Google on a daily basis.  If you want the call to comment on a particular legal development, your name must show up in Google results for the keywords used by a researching reporter.

Here is a link to the complete article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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“Pitching” to the traditional broadcast media

Here is part two of my article on broadcast journalism for lawyers and law firms:

When “pitching” news to the traditional broadcast media, remember that it has to be real news – and not self-promotion.  News is information that a station’s viewers or listeners need to know in order to make good decisions about their personal and business lives.  Always emphasize how your story will be of value to viewers or listeners.

 

In other words, news is important to people outside the law firm – not inside the firm. It often contains an additional element of new, first, best or most.

 

News that an associate has made partner, for example, is not likely to generate coverage.  That happens all the time.  News that the new partner is a deaf, orphaned, immigrant associate who worked his or her way through college and law school in the mail room at your firm might generate interest.

 

Make the story as easy as possible for the reporter.  Never mail a press release.  Call or email the right reporter with your story idea.  If the reporter expresses interest, send additional information.  New on the scene is the electronic press release, which includes not only background, but also direct email links to your experts as well as online links to photos, audio, video and other related news stories and Web sites.  Imagine how helpful this material can be to a reporter rushing to complete a story on deadline!

 

Broadcast news directors and reporters like to produce exclusives – stories that none of the competitors can cover.  Offer exclusives – and honor them.

 

Once the station has expressed interest in your pitch, time is of the essence.  Broadcast news directors and reporters face multiple deadlines each and every day (with Internet publishing, the deadline has become “right now”), and are driven to feature their stories in a timely fashion – preferably sooner than anyone else.  Make sure that you are actually available, at work or at home, in person or by phone (in the case of radio) to do the interview on deadline.

 

Think like a broadcast reporter.  Television stations like stories that offer more than “talking heads.”  They can be attracted to a story that includes a good visual setting, physical activity and interesting props.  Radio stations find “value added” in stories with interesting sound effects (like an IP case involving recorded music).

 

Finally, know what you are going to say and who is going to say it – even before “pitching” the broadcast media.  Practice in advance the 30-second “sound bites” you will use.  Videotape and review them.  Work with a media expert if necessary.

Here is a link to the complete article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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Recently, I posted an article on broadcast journalism in the Internet age.  The article was based on a panel discussion and I felt, after I'd written it, that I wanted to expand the article to include points not made by the panelists.  So I wrote another article on the subject of lawyers, law firms and broadcast journalism.  Here is the introduction (the entire article will appear over the next few days):

“Hey, you’re that lawyer!  The lawyer from the TV news about that case last night!  The lawyer who was interviewed on public radio regarding that issue last week!  The lawyer on the podcast about pending industry regulation that I downloaded and listened to last month!  You’re obviously the expert.  Let’s talk.”

 

Under national and state bar ethics rules, lawyers usually cannot call themselves experts in a given subject area.  But they can use broadcast media to position themselves as experts in the eyes of consumers of legal services.

 

Until recently, it took a lot of work with a public relations expert for a lawyer to appear on television or radio as an expert.  Broadcasters owned and controlled the airwaves, and access was limited.

 

Over the past ten years, with the advent of the Internet, the rules of the game have changed completely.  Today, users own and control the Internet, and access is unlimited.  There are many more opportunities to “broadcast” your expertise than ever before.

Upcoming sections include:

       "Pitching" to the traditional broadcast media

       "Catching" from the traditional broadcast media

       "Self-broadcasting" in the world of social media

For the impatient, here's a link to the entire article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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When it comes to the latest developments in social media usage, Kevin O'Keefe of LexBlog is one of the best resources around.  Go to his blog and subcribe to his feed!  Just this weekend, he added two posts that are must-reads for anyone in the legal marketing profession.

And he's not afraid to evolve with the times and trends.  Last year, O'Keefe advised his lawyer/clients to stick with the "big three" of blogging, Twitter and LinkedIn.  On Saturday, based on the latest stats on the meteoric growth of Facebook, he noted that "more people are hanging out on Facebook than any other place on the net" and added Facebook to this list.  "With the world going to Facebook, how can I ignore it and survive as a successul business leader?"

Today, O'Keefe reported on a recently released social media study from the Nielsen Company, which states that the time spent by Americans on social media sites increased 210 percent in 2009 (the increase was 82 percent for global users).  The top U.S. social media sites are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Classmates and LinkedIn.

O'Keefe concludes his post by questioning the fact that -- in spite of these statistics -- 45 percent of US law firms continue to block the use of social media and social networking sites.

I agree completely.  Law firms need to trust their lawyers to act appropriately in "public."  You don't ask them to stay home from "real world" business networking opportunities on the off chance that they'll say something inappropriate.  Social networking sites are no different.

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According to a post by Larry Bodine, an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories.  Larry gets his data from a national survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of George Washington University.

89 percent use blogs for story research

65 percent use social networks for story research

61 percent use Wikipedia for story research

52 percent use microblogs like Twitter for story research

Mainstream media have clearly hit a tipping point in their reliance on social media for research and reporting.  What do reporters and editors find out about you when they search these sources while researching and writing an article?

Have you populated blogs, social networks, content sites, Wikis and Twitter with the kind of informative, useful content that positions you as a reputable source for a reporter or editor?

Create good content.  Post it on sites that accept user-generated content.

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Kevin O'Keefe of LexBlog posts that social media are being used by nearly all Inc. 500 companies. 

If you're a law firm not using social media,  how are you to engage and network with corporations who are effectively  using blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the like to build relationships?  Aren't you going to be viewed as an outsider looking in?  To leaders of America's fastest-growing companies, isn't your law firm going to look behind the times?

Amen, Kevin.

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Although the number of lawyers on LinkedIn is steadily increasing, very few of them are taking full advantage of the site's potential as an inexpensive thought-leadership and business development tool.  This article is a synopsis of a presentation on LinkedIn and other social networks made by John Reed of Jaffe Associates and Laura Hazen of Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pasco.

LinkedIn:  Lawyers and law firms can use social networks to develop new business

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Reporters, editors and publishers from the mainstream media now rely on social media to learn about breaking news -- and to locate resources for the stories they write and publish.  In this Sept. 24 Webinar, Kevin O'Keefe of Lexblog discusses how lawyers and law firms can use social media to create and nurture relationships with mainstream media. 

In this Webinar, O'Keefe discusses how to use social media to listen -- to clients, prospective clients, referral sources and influencers (reporters, bloggers, associations and publishers).

Once you have listened carefully and know what interests these parties, you can use social media to create a relationship and give reporters, editors and publishers the information they need to know in order to do their jobs.  If you've done your homework, they will appreciate your input.

In addition, O'Keefe discusses the correct way to cite and build upon the work of others in your own blog and in social networks -- and let them know how your efforts have increased their circulation.  He also discusses the role played by Twitter in "getting out the news" about your practice or firm.

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My friend John Temple is now blogging about journalism and the media at Temple Talk.  John is the former editor, president and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, which printed its final edition -- after nearly 150 years -- earlier this year.

John blogs about online journalism and its impact (positive and negative) on traditional media.  Recent posts include "Pulitzers lost, what a cost," which explores the impact on public discourse when thousands of professional journalists lose their jobs.  In this series, he interviews winners of the Pulitzer Prize who are no longer at a newspaper -- for their reflections on what happened to their careers and how they view the future of journalism.  Thought-provoking stuff.

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Anyone who questions the value of social media in the realm of reputation management should ask United Airlines.  A Canadian musician who had a bad experience with United created a music video and posted it earlier this month on YouTube -- "United Breaks Guitars."  So far, it has been viewed by more than 4.3 million people.  Within four days of posting, United's stock had declined by ten percent.  Cause and effect or random coincidence?  It remains to be seen.

In the era of social media, anyone can be a publisher or producer.  There is no longer a need to go through the editors of print or electronic publications or the gatekeepers of public events in order to have your say.  Not only can you produce and publish your own unfiltered content, but you need be aware of content published about you by others.  After this video came out, United offered (finally) to replace the musician's guitar.  By then, the damage had already been done.

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Todd Defren of SHIFT Communications just posted an nice video (just short of 15 minutes) on his blog (www.pr-squared.com), in which he discusses the value of content marketing.  He describes content marketing as what you bring to the neighborhood pot luck.  If your neighbors are all lean vegetarians, you won't make a very positive impression showing up with a big platter of meat.  Do your research and provide a dish (content) that appeals to your neighbors (target audience).  He also discusses how social media allow entities -- like law firms -- to present content directly to the interested end-user -- completely bypassing the gatekeepers of the mainstream media.  The video itself is also a good example of how easy it is to record and post a presentation.  Here's the link:

Content Marketing

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When it comes to blogs and other social media for lawyers and law firms, Kevin O'Keefe and his team at LexBlog are recognized as the industry experts.  Because LexBlog designed and hosts my Constant Content Blog, I am invited to participate in LexBlog's regular online Webinars.

Over the years, we've all been snookered into worthless Webinars -- where presenters drone on endlessly about concepts that are obvious to 95 percent of the audience.  Or simply read their slides.  Not so with the LexBlog series.  I consider myself pretty "cutting edge" when it comes to social media, but I always come away from these sessions with a number of good ideas that I can easily put into action myself.  Each one is an hour well spent.

The June 28 LexBlog Webinar was Creating effective blog posts and engaging in online discussions to enhance your online reputation. 

The month before, the subject was Twitter:  What is it?  Why should I use it?  How do I use it?

And there are many more.  A recording of each Webinar is posted online.  Try them.  You'll like them.

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Social networking sites like LinkedIn bring the kind of interaction that lawyers and other professionals enjoy in "live" business, industry, professional, civic, religious, charitable and personal interest groups onto the Internet -- and supercharge it.  In this September 2007 article, commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch interviews lawyers, law firms and legal consultants about the legal marketing uses of online social networks.

Linked in or left out:  Software and the Internet supercharge social networking

Sidebar:  For the truly adventurous:  Law practice in Second Life

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Podcasting is a means of publishing and distributing digital audio (and increasingly video) files over the Internet.  They are becoming increasingly popular with lawyers and law firms -- as a tool to showcase expertise in an established and credible format.  In this January 2006 article, which was commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses the successful use of podcasts by law firms in Canada.

Write about it?  Blog about it?  Broadcast it!

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The term "RSS" draws a blank stare from most lawyers and many of the administrators who work with them.    RSS is the technology that has fueled the amazing success of blogs on the Internet.  In fact, RSS feeds can propel much more than blogs.  In this January 2006 article, which was commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discuses the marketing applications of RSS feeds and aggregators.

On beyond blogs:  RSS supercharges legal communciations for Web 2.0

Sidebar:  Different flavors of syndication

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In the modern marketplace, savvy businesses and law firms are adopting weblog technology as a useful and proactive tool -- to promote products and services and to manage their images.  In this November 2005 article for the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses the use of weblogs by forward-looking law firms in Canada.

Web logs help lawyers estalbish themselves -- quickly and inexpensively -- as thought leaders in a niche market

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People who visit business -- and law firm -- Web sites are task-oriented.  They are visiting in order to find specific information.  The perceived quality of the experience in visitors' minds will be based on how relatively easy or difficult it is to obtainthe information they are looking for.  In this January 2007 article, consultant Greg Fredette of Saturno Design discusses the relationship between visitors and law firm Web sites.

How your law firm Web site creates an "experience" that impresses or alienates clients

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Today's audiences are active and interactive consumers of business information.  Increasingly, they expect their lawyers and law firms to communicate with them interactively, using the next generation of electronic communications tools.  In this September 2005 article, a panel of public relations specialists discusses new-media tools like RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts.

RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts -- oh my!  New media marketing tools

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Can you even remember how law firms were marketed before the advent of the Internet?  It seems hard to believe that the first law-firm Web sites appeared only about ten years ago.  Since then, some firms have progressed through five generations of their Web sites.  A few are still launching their first.  Most are somewhere in between.  In this March 2005 article, Micah Buchdahl of HTMLawyers discusses today's best interactive sites.

What a difference a decade makes:  Effective client service and marketing on the Internet

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