Avvo imports the names of lawyers from every state
bar in the country and allows the general public to rate their performance. “T ey have you on their site whether you like it or not. It’s up to you to claim your profi le,” Dayton explains. A mere symbolic presence on a social networking site
is insuffi cient when trying to attract fans, followers, and clients, he says. “It’s good to build up your followers on Twitter so that
you have a critical mass of people to listen to what you say and share it,” Dayton advises. “But it’s much more valuable to be building two or three relationships than to have 500 followers on Twitter.” Engagement, he says, is key.
Strategic Networking Elefant has found that building a successful social media strategy requires systematic goal-setting. “If you don’t have goals, the experience probably will be
worthless,” she says. “If you just go out and fi ll out profi les everywhere, but you don’t know what your end goals are, you’re probably not going to accomplish anything.” Whether the goal is to attract new followers, add new
22
clientele to a fi rm’s roster, or stimulate media buzz, you have to produce content and interact with an audience. “Something to avoid is mass ‘broadcasting and promot-
ing,’” Black adds. “No one is going to pay attention to a fi rm posting, ‘Our lawyers succeeded at this and our lawyers proceeded at that.’” In their book, Black and Elefant off er these tips for
engagement: • Promotion of you or your fi rm’s achievements should constitute only about 10 percent of your
SOCIAL NETWORKERS MAINTAINING AN ONLINE PRESENCE*
77%
77% 72%
68% 58% 50% 35% social media content;
• Cross-blog actively by sharing content created by others in the same professional sphere;
• Promote your own content. Share opinions, case analysis, blogs, etc.;
• Comment on the posts of others when on social networking sites; and
2010 2009
• Divulge personal interest and hobbies. If you like to cook, share that. Having launched her solo practice in 1993, Elefant was
part of the fi rst generation of blogging lawyers. Her MyShingle blog provides information on myriad
topics ranging from starting and maintaining a successful solo practice to ethics and malpractice issues to fashion and style. “T e MyShingle blog started in 2002,” said Elefant.
“I work in the fi eld of energy regulation, so for many of the clients that I compete for, I’m competing against large fi rms. T e internet seemed to be a way for me to show my expertise and have a presence.” In 2004, Elefant became one of
Law.com’s featured
years old 30-39 years old 40-49 DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2011 years old 50-59 *According to a survey by the American Bar Association.
bloggers. Her blogging presence lead to a number of speaking engagements and media inquiries that helped to promote her fi rm. “T ere are a lot of lawyers on Twitter that don’t have
blogs,” Dayton says. “But if you don’t have a blog, you’re
MCCA.COM
Name Carolyn Elefant Bio Legal blogger
co-author of Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier
Name Adrian Dayton Bio CEO of
2 Comrades LLC author of Social
Media for Lawyers: Twitter Edition
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